Diaspora by Vijay Mishra in Diasporic Imaginary 

The Literature of the Indian Diaspora 

Vijay Mishra in Diaspora Imaginary, chapter from his much debated text The Literature of the Indian diaspora focuses on the nature of Indian diaspora and the role of imagination in constituting the diasporic imaginary. Mishra deals with the idea of 'home' and 'homelands' by the memories of the diasporic experiences and a longing for returning home. The history of his shared past and memories cannot be erased from the mind of a diaspora community. Mishra focuses on the psychopathology aspects of diasporic experiences. He uses the term emergenery in its lacanian sense to mean that the homelands in the mind of an immigrant is a fantasy and a nation thing. The word 'imaginary' reminds us of Salman Rushdie's Imaginary Homelands (1992).

According to Vijay Mishra, all the diasporic people are unhappy because they are neither satisfied with their singular identity (non hyphenated identity) nor with their diasporic identity (hyfenated). They want to immigrate and at the same time longing for returning to their motherlands. They are in a flux. They suffer the fear of schiophonia that is the loss of the original communal identity and acquiring of a new communal identity. Vijay Mishra focuses on the distinguishing between the old and the new Indian diasporic people. The primary difference is the difference of the historical conditions that produces them. The old Indian produces against the background of colonization. The immigrants then tried to preserve the imagination of their homeland by the socio-cultural icons such as ganesh idol, copy of the Ramayan and old saree or other desi outfit, a photograph of an pilgrimage etc. In the age of postmodern and globalisation, homeland is now available in one's bedroom the electronic communication system has taken the mastery. Imagination places a secondary imagination in a new dimensional way.

When the longing for homecoming is not fulfilled, the homeland exists in the minds of the diasporas as an absence and the fact is that the diasporic experience reproduces an additional diasporic imaginaries such as the ocean of the communal utopias.

Diasporic Literature 

What is Diaspora?

Diaspora is a term used to describe the dispersion or scattering of a particular group of people, usually referring to a community that has been forced to leave its homeland due to political, economic, or social factors. The term is commonly used to refer to groups of people who share a common cultural or ethnic identity, such as African diaspora, Jewish diaspora, or Indian diaspora.

The term diaspora can also refer to the community of people who have migrated from their homeland to other parts of the world, often forming new communities that are connected to their original culture and traditions. These communities may maintain close ties with their homeland and often face challenges related to their identity and sense of belonging in their new surroundings.

Diaspora can also refer to the cultural and social movements that emerge from these dispersed communities, such as the development of new art, music, literature, and other forms of cultural expression. The term diaspora is often used in academic and cultural studies to explore the experiences and impact of diasporic communities on the world at large

 

Diaspora in Diaspora Imaginary 

In Vijay Mishra's book "The Diaspora Imaginary: Theorizing the Indian Diaspora," diaspora is defined as an imaginary construct that reflects the experiences of displacement, longing, and cultural hybridity that are common to many migrant communities. Mishra argues that diaspora is not simply a physical phenomenon, but also a cultural and imaginative one, shaped by the memories, aspirations, and cultural practices of displaced communities.

Mishra suggests that the diaspora imaginary is characterized by three key elements:

Disjuncture:-

Diaspora communities are often separated from their homeland and are forced to navigate new social, cultural, and political environments. This experience of disjuncture creates a sense of fragmentation and dislocation that shapes the diaspora imaginary.

Hybridity: 

Diaspora communities often exist in a state of cultural hybridity, where they must negotiate and blend their original cultural identity with the cultures and practices of their new surroundings. This experience of hybridity shapes the diaspora imaginary, which is marked by a sense of cultural diversity and multiplicity.

Longing: 

Diaspora communities often experience a profound sense of longing for their homeland, their cultural traditions, and their sense of identity. This sense of longing is an important aspect of the diaspora imaginary, as it reflects the emotional and psychological impact of displacement and cultural dislocation.

Overall, Mishra's concept of the diaspora imaginary is a way of understanding the cultural and imaginative aspects of diaspora communities, as well as the ways in which these communities navigate the challenges and opportunities of displacement and cultural hybridity. 

What is Nation?

Nation state is a type of state in which the cultural entity of a nation has become its political entity. In other words, in a nation state, the citizens have one nation identity cultural and linguistic homogeneity. for example in China 92% of the population is Han, in Bangladesh 98% of the population is Bengalee. The United Kingdom is an unusual example of nation state. 

The diasporic subjects, according to Mishra, are those who fear the communal  schizophonia and therefore depend on the diasporic imaginary. The diaspora communities are always haunted by the ghosts of the past and the nostalgic memories of this homeland. The formerly used to preserve the memories of home by preserving some cultural icons is a symbol of homeland attraction of the migrated people. In the postmodern context, that diasporic imaginary takes less crucial rule than what the diasporic people did in the past. In the age of hyper mobility and globalisation, diasporas are celebrated. A diasporic subject is always conscious in its ethnic identity. The national imaginary exists only as the unitary principles. One thinks in terms of one's racial, cultural and ethnic identity. The homing desire makes the diasporic imaginary crucial in forming communal solitary. For the Jews, the notion of Desh and homeland are quite different. The place they left for another one was their immediate homeland. As a result, their nationalism was diasporic nationalism. 

Impossible Mourning :-

In the introductory chapter of "Diasporic Imaginary", Vijay Mishra argues that the lost object 'homeland' assumes a fantastic form and impossible mourning for the loss of homeland. To illustrate he takes cue from Sigmund Freud to Derrida. Freud in his 1917 essay 'Mourning and Melancholia' argues that mourning is a conscious act. The mind can define lost object and the libido shifts from lost object to something else. Mourning emerges with the ego but Melancholia is a pathological condition. Sometimes we fail to define the loss of the object. As a result, the loss hangs on our unconscious like a shadow. Derrida by "Impossible Mourning" suggests that mourning is impossible simply because in mourning, the lost object is never present. As a result, the absence for the memory requires a play of absence. 

According to Vijay Mishra, diasporic mourning is impossible and it always turns to Melancholia. For the diasporic people, the 'desh' or homeland is always irreplaceable. The diasporic people do not want to replace their Homelands with the land of imagination (Videsh). They do not abide by the dictates of reason. They romanticize the lost homeland, otherwise the purity of the lost object will be lost.