Between 1845 and 1917, close to 144,000 Indians migrated to Trinidad under the system of Indian indenture, most of whom opted to make Trinidad their permanent home. Today, almost 170 years later, the descendants of those immigrants are intrinsically woven into, and have indelibly coloured Trinidad and Tobago's social, cultural, political and economic landscape. A checkered history has yielded a community rich in its presentation, resolute in its commitment and resounding in its application.

In commemoration of the 170th anniversary of Indian arrival in Trinidad and Tobago, The University of the West Indies is hosting a three day international conference from 12 - 16 May 2015. This conference entitled "The Indian Diaspora: Identities, Trajectories and Transnationalities", aims to engage the many processes, perspectives and themes that have emerged throughout the establishment and constant re-articulation of Indian diaspora communities globally. The conference will go beyond the more tangible and visible aspects and explore Indian diaspora communities as dynamic entities, both generating and evincing transformation rooted in the vagaries of the social, political, geographic, economic and cultural landscapes of their respective locations. The conference hopes to highlight and explore new perspectives on such issues as conceptualizations, dislocation and relocation, cross cultural exchanges, nationalisms, identity and the changing realities of the Indian Diaspora

We invite papers that pertain to the following themes on the Indian Diaspora:
- Indentured Labour: Sources, Scholarship and Research
- The Early Years in Trinidad: Indenture, the Estates and Beyond
- From Indian to Trinbagonian: Trial, Tribulation and Triumph
- Indian Religions in Trinidad and Tobago: Preservation, Conversion and Hybridisation
- Identities and Ethnicities in the Indian Diaspora
- Multiculturalism in the Indian Diaspora
- Sexuality and Gender Perspectives
- Religion and Spirituality: Ideas and Practice in the Indian Diaspora
- Imaging and Imagining: Varied Conceptions of the Indian Diaspora
- Cross Cultural Exchanges
- Indians in the Caribbean: Colonial and Postcolonial Regimes
- Politics, Nationalism and The State
- Economics, Science and Technology
- Diaspora and Ecological Space
- Psycho-Sociological Dimensions of Diaspora
- A Secondary Diaspora: Indo-Trinidadians in North America and Europe

Contributors are requested to submit an abstract of not more than 250 words to:
ttindiandiasporaconference@sta.uwi.edu
sherryannsingh@hotmail.com

Participants are also required to submit their name, university/ institution of affiliation (if applicable), short bio, mailing address, email address and phone number(s).

Deadline for Submission of Abstracts: 20 February 2015.
Deadline for submission of Full Papers: 31 March 2015.

There is a strict "No (full) Paper, No Presentation" policy.