In quest of integration: diasporic organisations’ negotiations with state for a ‘fairer presence’ in the UK

The relation between the state and the immigrants has been the object of study for many scholars, evident in many academic papers emerging in the field. However, scant attention is paid to diasporic organisations and their role within a host society while bargaining for a place for themselves and their culture. This paper explores collective efforts of Indian diasporic organisations (IDOs) and their negotiations with state for their ‘fairer’ presence within the ‘multicultural’ UK. The qualitative data emerging out of interviews of IDOs’ members is analysed using recursive abstraction, to identify the perception they hold of themselves vis-à-vis that of state and the ‘instruments’ of negotiation they employ while arguing for a fairer presence for themselves within the host society. The study unveils the role of IDOs as distinct and committed to the cause of people they represent but caught between the forces of integration and maintenance of their own collective identities.