Indian hometown associations in Germany: diasporic fragmentations and Hindu majoritarianism

Hometown associations as sites of migrant transnationalism and diasporic identity formation have long held a significant place in diaspora and migration discourses. Hometown associations (HTAs) are localized spaces that cater to the immediate needs of migrants arriving in host countries from their hometowns. They hold crucial keys to understanding the manner in which diasporic networks are analyzed. Over time, hometown associations have paved the way for a digital presence, connecting the online with the onsite. In light of this, this study is interested in tracing the trajectories of the HTAs created by Indian migrants in Germany, which primarily emerge on social media platforms such as Facebook, but then also proceed to impact the onsite lives of migrants. Examined through the lens of long-distance nationalism, in this paper, we argue the following: first, hometown associations exhibit several fragmentations at the diasporic level; second, the transnational social media activities of migrants reinforce the homegrown social inequalities in the hometown associations that can be examined through ‘digital othering’; and third, hometown associations are majoritarian spaces that reflect the majoritarian categories dominating the social fabric of the home country.