Migration and Adaptation : Tamils in Delhi

Contents: Preface. 1. Migration and adaptation. 2. Theoretical considerations and methodology. 3. Tamil society. 4. The Tamil Brahmins in Delhi. 5. Tamil scheduled castes and backward classes in Delhi. 6. Non-Brahmin and non-Hindu Tamils in Delhi. 7. Summary and conclusions. Bibliography. Index.

"Migration of people from place to place, and over short or long distances, is a phenomenon that has occurred for centuries. But, the form of adapting to new surroundings has varied in different places, and at different times. The factors that influence adaptation include the socio-economic status of migrant individuals and groups, the reasons for migrating, and also the situation in the destination. All these factors have been considered in the present analysis of Tamil migrants in Delhi. The Tamil groups studied belonged to diverse castes, religions, and were of different economic levels. Adaptation has varied from group to group even though all of them traced their origins to Tamil Nadu, and most of them spoke fluent Tamil. Caste remains a fundamental attribute of identity even after migrating to a distant place, and migrants live together as caste groups wherever it is possible to do so. This is found at all economic levels, from the poor to the upper classes." (jacket)