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Research Report Series
Research Report No. 6
Dakshina Kannada in the Gulf
Community and Politics in a Transnational
Virtual Space
Jananie Kalyanaraman and Leah Koskimaki
January 2013
National Institute of Advanced Studies
Bangalore, India
Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research
University of Amsterdam
DAKSHINA KANNADA IN THE GULF
COMMUNITY AND POLITICS IN A TRANSNATIONAL
VIRTUAL SPACE
ProGlo Research Report No. 6
Jananie Kalyanaraman and Leah Koskimaki
January 2013
Copyright: NIAS and AISSR
No part of the paper can be published, reprinted or reproduced in any form without permission.
Published by:
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore, and
Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR)
Bibliographic information:
Kalyanaraman, Jananie and Leah Koskimaki. 2013. Dakshina Kannada in the Gulf: Community and
Politics in a Transnational Virtual Space. Provincial Globalisation Research Report No. 6. Bangalore:
National Institute of Advanced Studies and Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research.
ABSTRACT
This research report reviews and analyses the content of online fora that connect the Dakshina Kannada
region of India with the Gulf. Internet-based research points to the ways in which transnational connections
between migrants and their home regions may influence local transformations. The report discusses online
transactions and debates that take place within this transnational space, with a focus on linguistic, religious,
regional and/or cultural identities and debates about development initiatives in the region. The analysis shows
how diasporic community organisations and their activities, such as channelling investments and philanthropy
to the home region, create translocal publics that are intensely engaged in a politics of self-representation. The
ubiquity of virtual publics reveals the visual lexicon of transnational spaces and communities that are
facilitated by internet-based communication and sociality.
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
1.1 Dakshina Kannada and the Gulf in Context: A Hub of
3
6
Interaction and Exchange
1.2 Summary of Content and Methods
2. Cultural and Regional Identities Online
7
9
2.1 Interactive Fora: Facebook, Egroups, and Matrimonial Sites
9
2.2 News Media and Information Portals
14
2.3 Organisation-Based Websites
20
3. Development Initiatives and Philanthropy Online
21
3.1 Debating Development Issues Online
21
3.2 Real Estate and Changes in Land Use: Reading Advertisements
23
3.3 Online Philanthropic Endeavours and Their Implications
25
4. Conclusion
27
5. References
30
6. Appendices
32
2
1. INTRODUCTION
This research report surveys a range of websites and online portals used to maintain spaces of debate,
connectivity, and influence for migrants between the Gulf region and the Dakshina Kannada district of
Karnataka, South India. 1 Both migrants to the Gulf (to countries such as the UAE, Oman and Kuwait) and
returnees to coastal Karnataka (mainly in Mangalore town and the surrounding areas) use online portals and
news websites to stay connected with social, business, and political issues in their home region. We offer an
introductory assessment of the role of online interactions and ‘community’ mobilisations in these interlinked
regions by reflecting on the use of social media, the content of online newspapers, and various community
fora centred round regional, caste and religious identities. We also review the content of key websites that
promote cultural activities, cover local news, and discuss socioeconomic development and business ventures.
Two interrelated themes emerge prominently in the formation and content of these virtual public spaces:
First, identity and regionalism, such as discussions over language, region, cultural expression and selfrepresentation; and second, discussions around development initiatives in the region such as land use, real
estate ventures, and online philanthropic endeavours that tap migrant resources for the home region. The
report poses some questions about the role of NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) in coastal Karnataka’s
development and community representation, keeping in mind that access to the internet and increased
circulation of media is still limited by class and other social criteria.
Regionally focused websites and other online fora have become prominent media for fostering transnational
connections and provide a powerful means for maintaining social networks, often contributing to various
kinds of transformations, social and material, in the home region. For example, Vertovec writes that one key
area of transformation is ‘institutional transformation affecting forms of financial transfer, public-private
relationships and local development in the economic domain’ (Vertovec 2004: 971). However, he rightly
notes that, ‘while not bringing about substantial societal transformations by themselves, patterns of crossborder exchange and relationship among migrants may contribute significantly to broadening, deepening or
We would like to thank Carol Upadhya and Mario Rutten for their supervision and support. We are also thankful to
ProGlo team members Sanam Roohi, Sanderien Verstappen and particularly Sulagna Mustafi for the helpful discussion
on religious communities in the Mangalore region. We would like to extend our gratitude to all our research participants.
Provincial Globalisation Consultant Researcher, Jananie Kalyanaraman, conducted the majority of the internet-based
research for this report. The work was supervised by Programme Co-Director, Carol Upadhya, and Research Fellow,
Leah Koskimaki, who contributed to the content analysis and offered insights from research interviews in
Mangalore (with Kalyanaraman) carried out in spring 2012 and Dubai in December 2012. Future work expanding on
some of the issues explored in the report will be forthcoming in the ProGlo Working Paper series.
1
In this report we have quoted a number of examples from various websites to illustrate our arguments. Several of these
quotations have spelling errors that we have deliberately left intact in this paper since discussions on the use of language
on the internet and the linguistic politics of the region also constitute a portion of this report.
3
intensifying conjoined processes of transformation that are already ongoing’ (2004: 972). Keeping this in
mind, we explore how the internet is a means for migrants to take part in transformations in their home
region through virtual transactions, social and political contributions, and ties to community politics. Online
connections constitute a transnational virtual space that facilitates exchanges and interactions across two
geographically removed locations.
Within the extensive debates on globalisation, diaspora, and transnationalism, we draw on a few useful
reflections to help conceptualise the role virtual networks play in the debates over regional futures. Bose has
argued, for example, that ‘the category of diaspora can help to critically interrogate and challenge traditional
notions of not only development and displacement, but also of citizenship itself’ (Bose 2008: 3). However, we
recall Ong’s speculation that the notion of diaspora ‘is invoked by elite migrants in transnational contexts to
articulate an inclusive ethnicity’, and that these ‘spurious ambitions’, as she calls them, ‘have gained
momentum through the communicative possibilities of the internet, so that the formation of networks and
“translocal publics” is merely a mouse-click away’ (Ong 2006: 53). While not necessarily implying that the
ambitions of the actors who are engaged in the online networks of our research are ‘spurious’ or meaningful,
we do point to the fact that sites and transactions are indeed community-based, and that these portals foster a
continued emphasis on cultural dynamics and community-specific welfare and philanthropy. Ong questions
whether ‘cyber-driven humanitarianism’, even when well-founded, may actually have ‘produced a
disembedded form of racialized citizenship that poses the question of who is accountable to whom in a
transnationalized world’ (Ong 2006: 53). In this case we leave conclusions about the ramifications of these
transactions open-ended, because the research revealed a diverse set of intentions and varied expressions of
transnational citizenship. However, the focus on communities tells us that at least in virtual spheres, many
migrants from Dakshina Kannada articulate their citizenship through regional and social affiliation. The Gulf
as a transitional space for many migrants eager to create economic success while maintaining family and social
ties in India may also help to reinforce associational, religious or caste-based ties.
The fact that these flows influence development and social change in the home regions is of particular
interest in this context (Upadhya and Rutten 2012). Furthermore, the review of websites may help to open
questions for further research on the role of these networks in the upholding of ‘region’ and affiliation as a
key to aspirational ‘developed’ futures. Indeed, whether in the form of investments, the movement of bodies,
or the role of internet networks, these ‘flows’ 2 appear to have reinforced certain community identities.
Nevertheless, Tsing notes that we must think of ‘flows’ as ‘not just interconnections but also the recarving of
channels and the remapping of the possibilities of geography’ (Tsing 2000: 327). To elaborate, she critiques
2
Tsing, following earlier work on globalisation (Sassen 1998), has defined ‘flow’ as ‘movement stimulated through
political and economic channels’. (Tsing 2000: 338).
4
the way in which ‘flow is valorized but not the carving of the channel; national and regional units are mapped
as the baseline of change without attention to their shifting and contested ability to define the landscape’. In
the process, she notes: ‘We lose sight of the coalitions of claimants as well as their partial and shifting claims’
and also ‘lose touch with the material and institutional components through which powerful and central sites
are constructed’ (Tsing 2000: 330). It is in this spirit that we approach our review of these online publics; our
use of terms such as ‘community’ should be understood in the context of representation, shifting identities
and as one component of the ways in which these transnational flows reconfigure institutions and political
claims in the home region.
The following anecdote about a doctor residing in a small town in Dakshina Kannada whom we met during a
field visit will highlight the significance of the internet in creating and sustaining transnational social networks.
Although he had spent considerable time in an Indian metropolis in his youth, he decided to return to the
small town of his grandparents, where the family still held onto a plot of family land. He prefers to live and
work there to revitalise his familial and cultural traditions, as well as to fight for the rights of a region
undergoing various forms of exploitation. Actively engaged with regional issues connected with the
promotion and preservation of one of the local languages, Tulu, and its culture, he maintained various
accounts in online fora and made a point of accessing social debates regarding regional issues. During the
course of our conversation, he mentioned that given a choice between opting for an office space in his town
and a maintaining website as a means for communicating his work and ideas, he would prefer the latter,
emphasising that ‘a website reaches a wide audience’. He also felt that it was necessary to tap into NonResident Indian (NRI) participation to promote regional language and culture, and thus a website would be a
far more effective medium than a local office space. Significantly, he asserted that his many Tulu-speaking
NRI contacts were equally passionate about maintaining local cultural rituals and events and shared similar
views regarding their community’s sustenance. In his experience, therefore, the maintenance of virtual spaces
was an effective way of networking with geographically distant individuals and mobilising ideas. His use of
the internet reveals its increasing importance even for actors in small towns in India for the dissemination of
ideas, preservation of ties with homelands, and unification of specific target groups in a transnational
dialogue.
Taking this as one example of the increasing need for connectivity for small town residents in India, this
report examines the content of the ‘bridgespaces’ (Adams and Ghose 2003) that Gulf migrants and returnees,
both long-term and aspiring, maintain between these connected regions. 3 By categorising and tabulating some
of the main internet-based networks, news portals, and interactive websites that are relevant to migrants, and
3
For example, see Heerink’s (2011) study of virtual linkages between NRIs and the Andhra region.
5
qualitatively exploring their content to understand the role they play in strengthening or altering these ties,
this report addresses key issues that have emerged in the transnational, online debates by people of Dakshina
Kannada over development, social change and cultural issues.
1.1 Dakshina Kannada and the Gulf in Context: A Hub of Interaction and Exchange
Much of the content of the websites that we surveyed is centred on the town of Mangalore on the south
coast of Karnataka, which has the largest population in the district at 399,565. 4 Mangalore has historically
been an important port city in the region, and its recent growth is testimony to its continued role as a hub of
global flows in the contemporary context. The addition of an airport that offers regular flights to cities in the
Gulf has further facilitated the ties between the two regions. Like neighbouring Kerala, coastal Karnataka has
been a major source of Indian migrants to the Gulf and consequently has experienced an increase in
transnational ‘reverse flows’ through individual household remittances, business connections, ideas and
philanthropic contributions from NRIs (Upadhya and Rutten 2012). ‘Reverse flows’, or migrant resources
flowing back into the home region, is one way in which migrants remain connected with their hometowns or
villages. The coastal region in which Mangalore is situated has undergone a remarkable process of
urbanisation in recent years, partly due to these NRI and Gulf investments, with the flourishing of the
industrial, real estate, banking and hotel sectors in Mangalore and nearby towns of Udupi, Surathkal,
Moodabidri and Bantwal. Economic as well as ‘social’ remittances (Levitt 1998) are often channelled into
local projects such as infrastructure development or the social sector, and may have a major influence on local
socio-economic and cultural issues.
In addition, the region is quite diverse in terms of religion, caste and language. In Appendix B, we provide a
partial list of groups residing in the region, which served as the basis for the keywords used for conducting
this internet-based research. The 2001 Census gives the composition of the population in Dakshina Kannada
by community as Hindus - 1,30,1603, Muslims - 4,18,904, and Christians - 1,64,982. 5 A small number of Jains
and Buddhists also reside in the region. Kannada, Tulu, Konkani and Beary Bashe are the main languages
spoken, in addition to English and Hindi/Urdu. This diversity and interaction of communities across various
cultural affiliations contributes to the richness of public interaction around regional issues online. The second
half of 20th century witnessed a major transformation in the economic pattern of life of some of these
communities, especially with the increased migration trends that have influenced socio-cultural and
developmental patterns in region. The use of these online spaces is thus an important dimension of the study
Census of India. District Dakshina Kannada (24), Karnataka (29). Accessed July 2, 2012.
http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Dist_File/datasheet-2924.pdf.
4
Districts of India. Religion-wise Projected Population (Total/Rural/Urban) by Sex in Dakshina Kannada District
(Karnataka) (2009 and 2010). Accessed December 17, 2011. http://www.districtsofindia.com/index.aspx.
5
6
of ‘reverse flows’. In this light, we offer insights into issues of importance to the diasporic community as
these flows are maintained and reproduced.
1.2 Summary of Content and Methods
The methodology for the internet-based research, conducted mostly in November and December 2011 by
Kalyanaraman, involved initial general searches related to place and community names in the Dakshina
Kannada region and their Gulf-based communities. The large number of sites that came up point to the
density of connections and interactions between the regions. To specify, internet research yielded a total of
125 relevant websites, Facebook pages or groups, blogs, and e-groups, most of which were interactive, mediaoriented and/or community-specific. Methodological details, keywords used, and challenges faced are
discussed in Appendix A of this report.
While carrying out the research, the information was organised into three main categories according to the
type of portal or website: 1) news media and information portals; 2) interactive fora such as social media and
blogs; and 3) organisation- and community-based websites. The news and information websites serve as a
portal to regional information available through reports, classified advertisements, citizen journalism, online
community information, and the promotion of group cultural identities. Interactive fora, the second
organisational category, include spaces in which target users are encouraged to participate or express
themselves, such as blogs, Facebook pages, discussion and e-groups, and matrimonial sites. The third
category of interest to the report covers websites owned by community-specific associations such as parishes,
caste associations, and active migrant groups. Appendix C offers a tabulated listing of these sites.
All of these websites contained sections that revealed Gulf-Dakshina Kannada links, especially by highlighting
the needs, goals and regional issues of interest to NRIs. Within the category of blogs, discussion fora and egroups, the number of email communities available for each search term within the e-group portal was also
quite large. In this report only a few of the most active and prominent groups are examined in depth.
Structurally, blogs and fora are meant to mobilise reader response through the ‘comment’ facility. As we show
in detailed examples below, comments in news sections reveal an enthusiastic NRI presence in discussions on
local political and social affairs and involve a diverse range of social groups belonging to various coastal
Karnataka communities. The archives of online news portals also were revealing and contain news items on
certain diasporic organisations that did not otherwise appear during the internet searches, or were perhaps
overshadowed by more popular websites. These news items also cover those cultural and social events and
activities of interest to diasporic groups.
7
However, of the blogs listed here, not all showed reader activity through comments, some may have been
dormant for several years, and others mainly serve as informative news blogs. Also, not all the listed
Facebook pages or fora are active. Some seem to have been dormant for a considerable period of time, with
forum posts overtaken by spam, or news items dating two years back. However, we list them in the report
pending possible future activity as well as to reveal the structure of these pages as community-based. Not all
Facebook sites listed are public – some are for members only. Although some of the sites have the same
names as some organisations and their hosted websites, we could not determine their affinity.
Thematically, social identity emerged as a major strand of website content. The website tabulation and
content analyses reveal how specific caste, religious and social affiliations are represented and reinforced on
the internet. The analysis also shows the extent of NRI participation through various online connections,
philanthropic endeavours, the fostering of markers of cultural identity, and efforts to ‘uplift’ their particular
community welfare and status at home. News and information portals are rich in region- and communityspecific content, and given that many participants are NRIs with certain forms of access or wealth, the focus
of the content raises interesting questions about self-representation of communities in public spaces and the
ability of members to mobilise individual participation and promote specific activities.
Another interesting aspect about these sites was the high number of advertisements and content coming from
Gulf establishments and participants. Most of the news portals, especially Daijiworld.com and the
Mangalorean.com, allot a large amount of space for advertisements whose content principally focuses on
property and real estate development in Dakshina Kannada, the hotel industry, educational institutions,
investments opportunities and visa agents. The prominence of these types of ads suggests that real estate and
property development, as well as small businesses, are major sites of NRI investments flowing into the region
from the Gulf. The advertisements also reveal visually the kinds of aspirations that have been generated by
Gulf migration and what NRI status implies in these transnational publics.
We review all of these aspects of internet content in detail in the following sections. Section 2 discusses the
various websites we explored with a focus on cultural and regional representation, and in Section 3 we detail
how Overseas Indians’ participation in, and discussions of, development and philanthropy online often also
have a community-based focus.
8
2. CULTURAL AND REGIONAL IDENTITY ONLINE
The content of the internet-based research for this project revealed how each social group represents itself
online and the extent to which websites are based around particular affiliations such as caste, region, or
religion. The focus on cultural affiliations and languages seen in a large number of organisation-based
websites, blogs, online newspapers and interactive sites are evidence of this pattern. Importantly, the large
presence of these community fora and organisation-based websites points to the importance for migrants of
maintaining these social and political affiliations abroad.
For this report, we focus on websites containing English-language content because the primary operational
language for most sites (in Table 2) is English. However a few sites, such as Gulf Kannadiga (a Kannada script
site) do exist which maintain local scripts. During personal communication with a founder of a Kannadalanguage website in the Gulf, Koskimaki was told that these vernacular sites also are more accessible for
migrants who prefer Kannada to English. Some of these websites can be viewed in a language of the reader’s
preference, usually Konkani or Kannada, using the Kannada script, clearly indicating the linguistic orientation
of their viewers. Mangalorean.com also has the options of Konkani and Kannada apart from the language in
which the site opens by default – English. The World Tuluvas Network is one site where many comments are
written using the Roman script in the Tulu language. This facility reinforces the local language within
transnational virtual spaces. Recent research work argues that the presence of Kannada language in online
spaces often amounts to an iconic assertion of vernacular identity as a claim to space while borrowing from
offline politics (Rashmi 2012).
2.1 Interactive Fora: Facebook, Egroups and Matrimonial Sites
The discussions in online interactive fora reveal the extent to which Indians in the Gulf maintain interest in
cultural and social debates in their hometowns. While some of these networks are affiliated to organisations
or media portals, others are independent. Table 3 in Appendix C categorises the networks under three heads:
Facebook, e-groups, and matrimonial sites. Among the various communities covered in this report, Bunt and
Christian sociocultural associations have a very noticeable presence in these fora. These affiliation-based
websites express not only the politics of self-representation in a public space much like the news portals, but
also show the concerns of that community about particular issues. To give some examples, blogs and fora like
Festivals in Mangalore, Konkani Catholics and World Tuluvas Network emphasise culture, religious practices and
events. This kind of content is discussed in more detail in the following subsections, which expand on these
themes by illustrating some of the ways in which community identity acts as a node for situating the goals of
various categories of websites.
9
2.1.1 Facebook (pages and groups)
Facebook ‘groups’ and ‘pages’ contain a wealth of information on the various communities in the region and
are used by both residents of Dakshina Kannada and its diasporic communities. Examining Facebook as a
social network reveals that some individuals maintain ties with their homeland by being part of a regional
group on Mangalore city (for example, Mangalore (Kudla) or Proud to be a Mangalorean) while also participating in
networks formed around specific cultural identities such as a Mogaveera or a Bunt page. From the data
(shown in Table 3), the Bunt community outnumbers other social groups in terms of their presence on
Facebook, closely followed by the Konkani-speaking groups, especially the Konkani Catholics. The Beary,
Mogaveera, and Devadiga groups come next in terms of online presence. Some Facebook sites are affiliated
to media portals and sites hosted by organisations.
A significant number of news portals have Facebook ‘groups’ or ‘pages’ as an accessory to their already
existing websites that also facilitate comments and user interaction. An additional Facebook presence for
certain independent websites often serves to mainly direct readers to the actual site rather than acting as the
primary channel for connecting individuals and sharing news and images. Facebook also establishes their
presence on a popular social network and links up with their readers’ profiles. The advantage of having a
Facebook presence is that links and affiliations between the organisation and individual readers are reinforced
when they ‘like’ or ‘share’ an organisation’s ‘pages’ and ‘posts’, increasing online community building. For
example, news portals such as Daijiworld.com, Coastal Digest, and The Dakshin Times, also maintain Facebook
pages. The activity on these sites by and large consists of posts by the moderator, which are usually articles
from the main website, to which readers react by posting comments or by ‘likes’. These portals have a large
number of followers. For example, based on access on May 27, 2012, the number of followers and likes were
as follows, with 16,541 for Daijiworld, 1,694 for Mangalorean.com, 641 for Coastal Digest, and 2131 for The
Dakshin Times. Nonetheless, Daijiworld and the Mangalorean.com demonstrate a larger amount of activity on the
actual portals compared to their Facebook pages.
Of those sites that are affiliated to other organisations and communities, for example the Vishwa Konkani
Kendra, Mogaveera’s, Konkani Dictionary Project, World Tuluvas Network, internet users tend to be active with
updates of organisation events, the ‘sharing’ of related news and discussion topics on Facebook, and the
posting of culturally relevant queries. Some of the websites and Facebook pages emphasise cultural pride. For
example, Royal Bunts is followed by the tag line, ‘I am a Bunt… and I am proud of it’, and contains some
posts written entirely in the Tulu language, using the Roman script, conveying pride in ‘Tulu Nadu’ and Bunt
10
culture. Mogaveeras emphasise their identity as a fishing community: the Mogaveera’s 6 Facebook page contains
photographs of fishermen at work, sea creatures, and culturally significant ceremonies such as the Samudra
Pooja, or the sea worship ritual. Sports groups such as cricket clubs and football associations are especially
visible on the pages of the Mogaveera community in the Gulf, where members often participate in a number
of games and sporting events. 7 A community member during an April-May 2012 research visit to Mangalore
informed us of an important community function that included sports activities, which indicates that such
events are popular at home and abroad. Online newspapers also often report on Mogaveera cricket matches
in the UAE. The organisation of such social events reveals the kinds of local interactive social activities of
these communities. Gulf-based Bearys also started a Facebook page, Nakk-Nikk, to promote Beary language
and culture. Before ‘Beary’ was recognised as a distinct language, the language spoken by the community was
known as ‘Nakka-Nikk’. Apart from language and culture, this Facebook page is also used to promote some
causes which are perceived as important by the community (Mustafi 2012). The Vishwa Konkani Kendra
Facebook page also lists cultural events, such as a shared link to a Konkani-language play: 8
Figure 1: Poster found on the Vishwa Konkani Kendra’s Facebook page
Mangalore. ‘Udupi: Catch of Eight Kilo Squid Surprises Fishermen’. Accessed December 16, 2011.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150501448874180&set=a.240445169179.172660.140180344179&type=1
&theater.
6
Mangalorean.com. ‘Dubai: Mogaveers UAE holds Mogaveera Cup’. Accessed November 25, 2011.
http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=272054.
7
8
Vishwa Konkani Kendra. Accessed April 24, 2012. http://www.facebook.com/worldkonkani.
11
A number of the independent and non-affiliated Facebook sites seek to unite members of a particular
community. However, activity levels on these sites are more erratic and the nature of activity varies from
jokes to photographs to ‘shared’ news items, recipes, and celebrity news. Bunt celebrities such as Aishwarya
Rai and Shilpa Shetty are often referred to with pride on some of these sites. A post on the Proud to be a
Mangalorean 9 page states: 10
Dazzling: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan lived up to her title of ‘the world’s most beautiful woman’ at
the AmfAR gala at Cannes last night, just a week after critics slated her for not losing her baby
weight fast enough! Way to go ASH!
Mangalore city-related Facebook pages also carry diverse information such as news items from media portals,
announcements about events and other local information. Below, we show a photograph from an ‘open
group’ on Facebook called Mangalore, of a biking fest to be held in Udupi (Figure 2): 11
Figure 2: Poster from a Facebook group called Mangalore
This page is managed by a Bunt and contains a lot of information on Bunt social and cultural activities along with other
events in the Mangalore region.
9
Proud to be a Mangalorean. Accessed May 24, 2012. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proud-to-be-aMangalorean/155695121132480.
10
11
Mangalore. Accessed May 18, 2012. http://www.facebook.com/mangalore.city.
12
2.1.2 Egroups/ email-groups
Egroups/ email-groups, as the name suggests, consist of individuals who form a community of subscribers and
contributors to online discussions. These groups chronicle reader response and connect a wide international
audience. Though there are several Yahoo promoted egroups, 12 only a few are examined here based on their
relevance, activity levels and popularity. The presence of these groups demonstrates the importance of
regional, social, and other community affiliations in creating spaces to discuss relevant issues.
Upon searching for the word ‘Tulu’ in the Yahoo groups search directory, a large number of results came up
in reference to ‘Tulunadu’, implying an emphasis on the Tulu region rather than just the language. The Tulu
Nadu egroup states its goals as follows: 13
• To Encourage to use Tulu Script in Communicating with other Tulu Speaking People
• To form a separate State from Karnataka for the 40 LAKH (TULU&Koduva Language)
People!
The Mangalorean Catholics egroup similarly states their objective as mobilisation around cultural and regional
identity for ‘proud Mangalorean Catholics’ residing in countries all around the world including UAE, Kuwait,
Oman, and Qatar. The site states: 14
Mangalorean Catholics is a group of all Konkani Catholics of Mangaloeran origin or Mangalorean
Spirit spread all over the world. Started in the year 2004 we have been pioneer in serving our
religion, culture, language and society. When our Church was attacked or our Church was under
crises our group gave first hand information to the members in time. Our members who are
spread across the globe shared their thoughts and helped our members in their boundary. Being
a member of this community, feel free to share your thoughts, religion, Konkani language,
culture, heritage & discuss on burning issues. Get help from our expert members. Quench the
thirst of our people. Be a strong supporter of our community & our language. Be the first one
to share your experiences, live incidences that take place at our place… please utilise this golden
opportunity to meet your near and dear ones. Our Motto is to give voice to the voiceless and to
12
See http://groups.yahoo.com/.
13
Tulunadu. ‘Tulunadu’. Accessed May 15, 2012. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TULUNADU/#ans.
MangaloreanCatholics. ‘Mangalorean Canara Konkani Catholics’. Accessed May 15, 2012.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MangaloreanCatholics/.
14
13
give life to the oppressed and the downtrodden. Come and bind all Canarites in one rope. Let
the ZOR of SARASWATI flow all over the world.
Goanet is a well-established egroup with wide outreach and an open community with fully visible archives.
Because of the historical and linguistic Konkani connection with Goa, many Mangalorean-raised residents
now in the Gulf interact on this egroup. A substantial amount of information and discussion topics deal with
local political debates and cultural and social issues impacting the region. The group also debates Konkani
language, culture and religious views. News articles reference Goan diasporic organisations and their
activities, such as ‘keeping Goa state clean’ initiatives. Mangalorean Catholics is another group that shows
significant Gulf connectivity, and its description indicates that the motivation behind its formation was the
issue of church attacks 15 in Mangalore city. This email group maintains discussions on religious issues, the
church, and local topics. Tulunadu is an egroup for Tulu speakers. This online group, like Riyadh Bunts, does
not allow access to its debates unless one is a registered subscriber, but its group description represents a
strong sentiment towards the demand for a separate Tulu Nadu state against the larger context of regional
politics and statehood demands.
2.1.3 Matrimonial sites
Matrimonial sites, which are in fact independent and not affiliated to any larger matrimonial site like Shaadi.com
or Bharat Matrimony, are also popular. These matrimonial sites are interesting because they point to specific
cultural identities and the felt need to maintain them i.e. indicating the desire among community members to
marry within their social and cultural groups and consolidate that identity. However, unlike some of the
national-level sites, the regional sites are mostly closed for members in that they do not reveal profiles to
unregistered users. Some of the news websites also host matrimonial sections (see Table 2) and seem to be an
integral part of the web portal in serving to link target members. These pages are interesting since they reveal
the community or caste-specific NRI networks that are prominent in the region.
2.2 News Media and Information Portals
Online newspapers and information portals also reveal much about how the Gulf and Dakshina Kannada
share a connected transnational community. With content largely focusing on ‘local’ events in both of the
regions, readers can keep up with news and also debate issues online. Often articles about crime, politics, or
15 In 2008, a number of churches in Mangalore and others parts of Dakshina Kannada were attacked and vandalised by
Hindu right wing groups. These attacks were claimed to have been in response to forceful conversions by certain church
groups. See
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=51155&n_tit=Mangalore%3A+Attacks+on+Christian+Prayer
+Centres%2C+Institutions+around+South+Kanara....+, http://www.ndtv.com/topic/2008-mangalore-church-attacks.
14
development provoke long debate by various commentators, many based abroad. Reports of events such as
cricket or cultural events held in Dubai also instigate congratulations and praise in commentary sections.
Altogether, Kalyanaraman documented 39 websites that act as primarily news media and information portals
and determined the primary target readership of these portals by documenting the following: name of the
portal; the categories into which the news sections are divided; additional pages such as entertainment,
culture, greetings, obituaries, matrimonial and classifieds; reader interactions through comments on articles,
contributions on interactive pages; and other participatory pages.
From among the news and information portals listed in Table 2 Appendix C, those which would qualify more
as sites meant to disseminate information about and connect members of a very specific community, such as
Shivalli Brahmins and Bunt Community, the targeted readership is clearly very narrow. These sites appear to be
intended mainly for members of communities interested in finding information about their respective cultural
rituals, knowledge about their community, and religious practices online. What distinguishes these websites
from the list in Table 4, Appendix C (Organisation-based websites), is that these sites are apparently not
accessories to existing formal bodies such as associations and organisations (with the exception of Milagreans
and World Tuluvas Network which also serve as dissemination portals). As discussed in the last section of the
report, they are also used to mobilise charitable donations for the community and sometimes even for
specific members in need. The sites also promote language and literature of various communities; for
example, the Karnataka Beary Sahithya Academy hosts a comprehensive site that represents the goals of the
academy in promoting Beary language and culture. The site stresses ‘a close relation between education and
literature’ and the role of the academy in creating ‘an awareness of education’. It also offers a list of Academy
publications, press clippings, information about history and culture, and also activities and events. Some
websites, such as Bearyvillage, contain discussions and educational content about Islam, and require registration
for access to further debates and comments in the website forum. Community-based websites often identify
with political trends; for instance Devadiga.com emphasises a connection with former Karnataka Chief Minister
Veerappa Moily, who is admired as the first Tuluva Chief Minister of the state. The NRI Forum Karnataka is
headed by a BJP affiliate. The Beary site called Towardsall, maintained by Beary members in the Gulf, offers
articles and discussions on Islam.
The online newspapers are important for their dissemination of local news, reports of events, and
advertisements. One of the most visited news portals is Daijiworld.com, which calls itself ‘A portal linking the
West Coast of India and the World’. As the site explains, ‘“Daiji” in Konkani means the descendants from
15
the paternal lineage who historically enjoy a seat of respect during any family get-together’. 16 Closer
inspection of media coverage of the activities of diasporic associations reveals that communities
commemorate occasions, celebrate festivals, and host stage performances, music shows, and cultural events in
the Gulf. The following is an excerpt from a Daijiworld article entitled ‘Kuwait Kannada Koota Celebrates
Marala Mallige Day’: 17
It was an exhibition of fine talents exposure by children and as well as elder members of the
Koota. Every year, KKK celebrates Marala Mallige day. Marala Mallige (Desert Jasmine) is an
in-house magazine of KKK, published on a quarterly basis since the year 1986. On this day,
children and elders of the Koota are encouraged to participate in elocution and debates,
extemporary speeches, Skits and dance, Kavigoshti, 18 testing of general knowledge, Rangoli for
ladies, Vege and fruit carving for ladies and gents.
The news portal names themselves often indicate who are the majority participants for example:
Mangalorean.com – Serving Mangaloreans around the World; Canara World Foundation Inc. – Uniting Mangaloreans
Worldwide; Sezari – Website for Konkani Speaking People Worldwide; and NRI Realty News target very specific
audiences. In addition, the structure and organisation of the components into which the news is categorised
reveal this specificity. For example, the cultural sections and participant fora listed on the portal represent the
main cultural target group. The portals generally have world and local news sections, but variations in the
classification and content of the news in each section reveals place-based and interest-based readership. For
example, The Dakshin Times, an English-language portal, has the following news sections: ‘Dakshin News’
(Puttur, Moodabidri, Bantwal, Mangalore, Kasargod, Sullia and Udupi), ‘India News’, ‘World News’ and ‘The
Indian Diaspora’. Apart from these, the portal’s entertainment, education and videos sections contain diverse
content such as celebrity news, ‘how to do it yourself’, ‘scandal videos’ ‘funny videos’, and music videos. The
Daijiworld news sections are very precisely segregated into the following categories: ‘Top Stories’, ‘Business
News’, ‘Karnataka News’, ‘Gulf News’, ‘Mumbai News’, ‘Sports News’, ‘Showbiz and Glamour’, ‘Others’,
‘USA News’, ‘Goa News’, ‘Photo Album’, and ‘Editor’s Pick’. Daijiworld, like the Mangalorean.com, offers the
option of user comments under each article. This segregation of news is a demonstration of a more specific
delineation of the social target groups. Among these news portals, some of the noticeable differences between
Daijiworld.com. ‘Mangalore: Daiji Dubai Strengthens Konkani Writers’ Bond Worldwide’. Accessed May 23, 2012.
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=48931&n_tit=Mangalore%3A+Daiji+Dubai+Strengthens+Ko
nkani+Writers'+Bond+Worldwide.
16
Daijiworld.com. ‘Kuwait Kannada Koota (KKK) Celebrates Marala Mallige Day’. Accessed June 5, 2012.
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=138693.
17
Kavigoshti means poets’ meet and rangoli is a traditional form of decoration, which is made on the ground using rice
flour.
18
16
sites have to do mainly with the interactive sections and the language options. To illustrate, the tag line of the
Mangalorean.com portal reads: ‘e-source for Mangaloreans’ and ‘where Mangaloreans meet’.
As a contrast to some news portals such as Sezari.com, Mangalorean.com, Canaraworld.com, Daijiworld, Bellevision,
Indians in Kuwait, Coastal Digest, The Dakshin Times, and Sahilonline, all of which mainly provide news in addition
to uniting members of specific communities who engage in readership and related activities, NRI Realty News
and YaHind imply a wider audience – a pan-Indian appeal – and have largely business-related news items.
Some of the portals with a significant Muslim presence are: Coastal Digest, Sahilonline, iKonkani, Bhatkallys.com
and Karnataka Muslims. iKonkani is a Konkani Muslim portal which has an extremely resourceful section for its
target users, containing links to a host of other community organisations and websites across the globe. There
are visible Gulf links on all of these portals through advertisements (see Figure 5) and news items.
Kinnigoli, named after the small town in Mangalore, has an interesting segment devoted to local issues and
happenings. To offer an example, the site contains a report on a house robbery, including photographs of the
inside of the house after the robbery. It also offers a section for reader comments. In this way, the regional
space (for example a village or small town) is transposed onto or recreated in virtual debates through the
concerns and interests of readers, their participation, and their demands. 19 This forms a clear contrast to a
portal like Daijiworld. Their difference begins with the user interface. 20 Kinnigoli does not display a busy
interface with several advertisements or multiple sections, unlike portals with a large outreach like Daijiworld
and Mangalorean.com. 21 The latter news portals also have a large number of news items ranging from ‘Gulf’ and
‘World’ to local political news.
News and information portals also follow the everyday activities of online groups. The nature of this
participation is an important means of assessing target audiences and their socio-cultural, economic and
political opinions. For instance, the Mangalorean.com site features a section where local recipes can be
exchanged called ‘Kitchen’, a place to display artwork and articles called ‘Inner Circle’, and a section where
readers contribute their comments on current issues in the section entitled, ‘Express your thoughts’. These
interactive sections are of great significance since they represent not only cultural connections but also public
opinion and reactions to the politics of development in the region.
Kinnigoli. ‘House break at Kinnigoli’. Accessed May 25, 2012.
http://portal.kinnigoli.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4571:mrlionel-pinto&catid=1:parishspecial-events&Itemid=9.
19
20
Graphic user interface refers to the graphic design of the point where the individual user meets the software.
21
Although not substantiated, we suspect that the dearth of advertisements on Kinnigoli signifies the website’s limited
reach and may indicate less investment opportunity for privatised developers or industrialists in the town.
17
Figure 4: Daijiworld ’s weekly newsletter for
Figure 3: Short story published on
the week of May 25th features a front-page
Daijiworld ’s ‘Red Chillies’ page
article titled: ‘Why demolish old churches?’
Like Mangalorean.com and other similar sites, Daijiworld also has a series of interactive webpages, which serve to
indicate the primary user group apart from the nature of online activities engaged in by users. For example,
the matrimonial page on Daijiworld has a largely Roman Catholic presence, and their ‘Charity’ page facilitates
donations. The matrimonial pages on other sites such as Sahilonline.com, which have a mostly Beary Muslim
presence, tell us about the user social group. Daijiworld.com also has a series of interactive pages that contain a
creative kind of participation where people can send in their short stories and cartoons (see Figure 4).
Portals like Sezari.com, Ferar Online (founded by Roshan D’Souza, founder of Mangalorean.com), Daijiworld,
Mangalorean.com, Canaraworld, Kemmannu, Bellevision, Milagreans, and Kinnigoli also contain a particular feature that
allows public exchange of personal greetings for occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. This page is
usually called ‘Sandesh’ which translates to ‘message’. On Mangalorean.com this section is referred to as
‘Subhashai’, which roughly translates to ‘greetings/ goodwill’. Reviewing the names of individuals listed, we
note that a majority of members of the Christian community use this section to exchange greetings for
anniversaries, birthdays, and other occasions. During the month of December 2011, over a span of ten days,
about fourteen out of the twenty-six greetings listed Gulf addresses. Christians in the Mangalore region and
abroad in the Gulf (as well as the United States and the United Kingdom) are the primary contributors to the
activity on these pages. It is not unusual to find the same greeting connecting the same set of people across
more than one of these portals at the same time. This feature sets these portals apart from the rest. The
18
Milagreans and Ferar Online portals offer a means to bring together people belonging to the same parish. They
carry news about their respective parishes and try to keep members updated on events and activities.
Figure 5: Advertisement featured on the home page of Bhatkallys.com 22
To give a few more examples, websites, interactive pages, news portals and associations for Konkani speakers
engage in a very spirited display of pride in their language and cultural identity. While religious festivities and
philanthropy characterise the Konkani Catholic sites, the Konkani language sites display a propensity for
promoting cultural solidarity among Konkani speakers and aim to retain the cultural practices associated with
them while uniting all Konkani speakers. The Bunt community has a leading presence among the Tuluspeaking community online, with sites such as Bunts UAE, Kuwait Bunts, and Bunts Bahrain. This reflects their
large presence in the Gulf, where they are active in the hotel industry, business, and medicine. There exist
sites for the Tulu language similar to the Konkani dictionary projects. Some dictionary websites, created to
preserve these languages, also involve user interaction where individuals can ‘contribute a word a day’.
Nevertheless, Tulu language sites differ from the Konkani-speaking community sites in that their focus lies
more on pride in their homeland. It is not uncommon to find photographs of cultural events like the Bhuta
Kola, 23 the Kambala 24 and images of iconic figures on their language and culture related sites, as these images
form an important part of their cultural self-representation.
22
Bhatkallys.com. Accessed May 28, 2012. http://www.bhatkallys.org/. The advertisements on this page keep changing.
The Bhuta Kola is an ancient ritual practiced by the Tulu-speaking group. It is a form of daiva or spirit worship that is
‘conducted annually at the daivasthana and in the traditional households of Bunts in the southern part of Tulunadu’.
23
19
However, some sites focus more on the affiliation and identity of the ‘NRI’ rather than specific caste or
religious affiliation. NRI Speaks is a forum that is significantly different from the rest in that its stated aim is
‘to share the educational info with fellow NRI community’. Carrying a picture of Anna Hazare and showing
support for the campaign to eradicate corruption in India, this blog tells us that one of its authors has
previously lived in the United States. In another example, NRI Divorce, self-described as ‘Blog, stories and
articles on personal issues and challenges faced by South Asians and Non Resident Indians (NRIs)’, is
another forum unique in its concept. It links Indian migrants who are undergoing divorce procedures and
forms a virtual support group where people can interact, share their stories, and get counselling.
2.3 Organisation-Based Websites
Organisation-based websites, listed in Appendix C, Table 4, focus on online self-representation, philanthropy,
community histories and event promotion, more than discussion and debate. We call these sites ‘organisationbased’ due to the fact that they revolve around and publicise the activities of particular groups or associations.
Cultural, community or religious associations and committees based either in India or in the Gulf maintain
these sites, most of which are dedicated to promoting or retaining cultural identity and solidarity. They
emphasise the history of the organisation, the need for its existence, and ways to propagate the cultural unity
of the community. Furthermore, upon closely inspecting the lists of committee members, associates, donors,
networks and leaders of organisations on these websites, political and religious leanings often become
apparent. For example, UAE Bunts provides information to members of the Bunt community in the UAE,
listing the contact information of organisation leaders and offering a section of news about the work of
members in business or philanthropy. The Mangalore Cricket Club site provides the background to the
organisation and its goals as well as sections containing information on meetings, newsletters and classified
advertisements, all geared toward community needs in Doha, Qatar.
To summarise, a focus on affiliation and cultural pride is evident in all of these internet networks and news
portals. Videos of cultural activities, theatre performances, musical performances, felicitation of literary
figures, and online dictionary projects are very prominent ways to unite and maintain cultural and at times
linguistic solidarity among members.
(Hegde 2008: 187).
24
The Kambala is a buffalo race held under the authority of landowning Bunt chiefs/ heads.
20
3. DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES AND PHILANTHROPY ONLINE
Debates over development initiatives in Dakshina Kannada, particularly in Mangalore and the surrounding
areas, have a large presence on these regionally connected sites. The region is undergoing a real estate boom,
much of which is driven by NRI investment, while the government has targeted Mangalore as a site for large
public investments such as in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), development of the port, and for industries.
Much of these changes are promoted through advertisements and transactions that are facilitated by the
transnational online spaces connecting these two regions. As Sassen notes, ‘Digital space has emerged not
simply as a means for communicating, but as a major new theater for capital accumulation and the operations
of global capital’ (Sassen 1998: 547). While some commentators welcome such development as a form of
‘modernisation’, online debates reveal that these initiatives have also created social conflicts over environment
and land ownership. Web-based research carried out in November 2011 showed that certain developmental,
political and religious issues in the Mangalore region were foregrounded in news coverage and websites. In
addition, organisation and community-based websites mobilise funds, often from NRIs, for various
philanthropic or political purposes. The extensive NRI participation in local issues in the region in these sites,
such as comments on news portals, reveals a great deal of interest in development-related transformations in
their homeland.
3.1 Debating Development Issues Online
The main development issues that emerged online were the proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) along
the coastline, the success and political performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka in
promoting and implementing development in the region, and developments surrounding the Mangalore
airport. In this report we provide examples of discussions primarily on the airport issue. Other issues will be
explored in future reports.
Sites such as Skyscraper City discuss and post information about projects related to city planning and
development projects across the globe, but have an active section on Mangalore. This local section provides
journalistic articles, artists’ visions of completed infrastructural projects including the Mangalore airport,
images of construction projects in progress, and oppositional opinions regarding certain development
projects including the proposed land acquisition by the government for the SEZ.
Most of the recent debates on the Mangalore airport are concerned with the table top runway and the air
crash that occurred in 2010. This airport caters not only to domestic flights but also connects Mangalore with
the Gulf countries. In this case, the state continued with land acquisition and construction despite protests
21
from NGOs pertaining to the logistical problems of a table top construction. 25 The table top runway became
operational in 2006, marking the traffic of international flights to and from the airport. News portals contain
articles that demonstrate enthusiasm within the NRI community in the Gulf about the addition of flights and
expansion of the airport into a ‘world-class’ facility. 26 However, in May 2010, the airport witnessed a major air
accident when an Air India flight from Dubai crashed into the table top runway, leading to a series of
questions and objections about the safety of a table top runway. A more recent development regarding the
airport was the government’s decision to confer the status of ‘international’ to the airport. Figure 6 below,
from Mangalorean.com, illustrates the range of opinions following the government’s announcement of its
intention to declare the Mangalore airport an ‘International Airport’. Note that many of the comments from
Muscat, Oman express frustration with officials. Since Muscat is a main destination route from the Mangalore
airport, it is revealing that many residents of that place contributed to the discussion. Entitled ‘Mangalore
Airport to be Declared International Airport Soon’, the following article was published on January 5, 2012: 27
Antony, UK
Jan 6, 2012
I think Mr.Moilee thinks people of Mangalore are "bakras" who do not remember what was
promised just couple of months ago. Every time he comes he promises the airport will be
"international" soon. Everyone knows that Air India will not allow that in order to keep their
monopoly of the Gulf Route.
JP Nayak - Muscat, Oman
Jan 6, 2012
It will be a great relief for Mangaloreans in Gulf who are unfortunately required to fly with Air India
Express (Budget airline!!!) with one way air fare is more than nominal return fare charged by other
airlines to many other destinations in India.
Chinmay, Oman
Jan 5, 2012
Every one in Mangalore knows that Moileejee has a history of broken promises. He always tries to
play to the gallery.
The first PIL was filed in 1997 but was dismissed. NGOs persisted with their objection after the construction began
and petitioned in 2002 but were again not considered by the High Court. See
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-05-24/news/28490625_1_mangalore-airport-international-airportairport-authority.
25
See http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=38507,
http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=33601 accessed on January 29, 2012.
26
27
See http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=287532.
22
Max and Jessie Rasquinha, USA
Jan 5, 2012
Thanks very much, Mr.Veerappa Moily for your kind consideration and assurance. As and when we
travel comfortably with a peaceful mind and a grateul heart through the smooth roads of Shiradi
Ghadi we shall remember you and many others who have made the comfortable and safe journey
possible.
Good roadways are the lifeline of success for successful trade and commerce as well as successful
tourism. The economic prosperity has lot to do with smooth transportation and communication too.
"Dhanyawaadh" and wishing you all a very Happy New Year.
Reshmi Salian, India
Jan 5, 2012
Moilijee..when? when? when? Last time you promised the same for December. No idea which
December..Please don't promise if you cannot keep up the promise.
Figure 6: Comments following article titled ‘Mangalore Airport to be Declared International Airport
Soon’, from Mangalorean.com
Such commentary and online debates are significant because they are widely read and considered. During
interviews in the Mangalore area during April-May 2012, various people emphasised the importance of these
sections in influencing public opinion or even in altering the direction of a debate, mentioning Mangalorean.com
and Daijiworld as playing an important role in such debates. These two portals are seemingly more extensive in
news coverage and in readership, as indicated by the activity on the interactive sections. These exchanges
reveal various perspectives of NRI participants, stakeholders and activists working for specific causes as well
as the exchange of ideas.
3.2 Real Estate and Changes in Land Use: Reading Advertisements
Advertisements provide insight into the role of NRI investment aspirations and practices in the rapid
development and urbanisation of the region. Aside from these state-involved development initiatives, the
innumerable real estate advertisements on the sites and in the classifieds sections on news portals (Table 2)
reveal the extent to which many NRIs are investing in real estate and property in the Dakshina Kannada
coastal region. To illustrate this, real estate developers had placed nine of the sixteen advertisements on the
home page of Mangalorean.com, compared to only two that had been placed by local educational institutions. 28
The significance of real estate investment by NRIs was also highlighted during interviews conducted during a
research visit – informants suggested that the largest real estate and developer groups in the region all have
connections to the Gulf and other areas outside of India. The presence of NRIs in real estate development in
Mangalore is seen mostly in the development of hotels, tourism projects, upscale apartments, and malls.
28
Viewed on May 23, 2012.
23
Daijiworld contains almost an overabundance of advertisements on the bottom half of the main page, far
outnumbering most other news sites. Real estate development and construction companies such as
Mahabaleshwara Promoters and Builders, In Land Traders and Shalimar Heights have a strong presence on
the online paper as well as other news portals. A popular advertisement regularly figures very prominently on
the page for the UAE Exchange, which facilitates the international transfer of money and remittances. These
advertisements are relevant as a new form of ‘development’ in Mangalore. The site also commonly features a
‘Properties’ section containing sales advertisements for flats in the Mangalore region with contact addresses
based in the Gulf. For example: 29
Flat for sale & Land for sale Mangalore
Date : Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Ref : 230512P2
Flat sale: Large 3 BHK 1675 , and 02B.H.K 1450 sqft apartment for sale
behind St Sebastian's Church, Bendur, Mangalore. Brand new apartment with
Moduler kitchen cabinet, carpark, Elctricfitings. Etc
LAND FOR SALE: 13 cents land for sale derebail mangalore
Contact no U.A.E
Figure 7: Advertisement for property for sale from Daijiworld
The fantasy of manicured lawns and open spaces is a sought-after sign of status and allure in renderings of
development projects in India’s metro cities. Visuals of some of the property advertisements in GulfMangalore online newspapers similarly show high rise apartments against deep blue skies and bordered by
clean broad empty roads, very unlike the typical ‘congested’ Indian road. 30 For example, the website of
Mahabaleshwara Promoters and Builders in Mangalore advertises the following properties: 31
Daijiworld.com. ‘Properties’. Accessed May 28, 2012.
http://www.daijiworld.com/classifieds/properties/default.asp?p_id=1966.
29
30
Mahabaleshwar Promoters and Builders. Accessed July 31, 2012. http://www.mpb.co.in/.
Mahabaleshwar Promoters and Builders. ‘Classique Village’. Accessed July 31, 2012.
http://www.mpb.co.in/classique_village.php.
31
24
Classique Village, an extravaganza housing layout of plots, luxurious Villas and eye catching
landscape! The very first of its kind in Mangalore City!
The ‘Gated Community’ concept which ensures exclusivity and security to the residents is,
gaining popular ground as it were in the ‘Metros’ around the country and is on offer for the first
time in Mangalore.
The advertisements also reveal a growing need for accommodation and holiday homes for NRIs in the home
region.
3.3 Online Philanthropic Endeavours and Their Implications
Philanthropy has emerged as an important component of resources that are sent by migrants to their
hometowns (Dekkers and Rutten 2011; Upadhya and Rutten 2012). NRIs often ‘give back’ to their homeland
through donations to charitable organisations espousing specific causes or by starting up their own charitable
enterprises. Often, specific migrant or diasporic organisations direct online philanthropic initiatives and fundraising opportunities towards community causes. Websites solicit donations for various causes such as
education for disadvantaged children, maintenance of temples or mosques, helping ill community members,
or funding cultural events. For example, the Muslim Welfare Association of Udupi solicited donations for
‘utensils for hiring’ and ‘for the poor and downtrodden Muslim children’s circumcision program’. Such social
welfare oriented pages are especially prominent in organisation-based websites (Table 4) and some of the
community-specific informative sites (Table 2). Hence these charitable sections on websites provide
important insights for understanding region or caste-specific sources of the donations.
Within the Beary community, a few prominent websites help to channel philanthropic activities in the Gulf
and also from the Gulf to DK, as compiled by Mustafi (2012). The Hidaya Foundation, a Beary welfare
organisation, maintains a Facebook page that provides updates about their events and social work. The Beary
community also maintains a site for community service, kkma, representing itself as an ‘organization of
ordinary Indians in Kuwait’ whose ‘activities are mainly members-welfare oriented’. Their main promoted
activities are assistance for kidney patients and an ‘investment center’ to promote financial empowerment,
which is linked to a Kerala-based association. The site, jamiyyatulfalah, acts a portal for the NGO’s community
development, clinics, schools, and hostels.
25
The Tulu Koota Kuwait site states its objective of creating ‘“Unity through language” by bringing Tulu Speaking
people under single umbrella and promoting cultural social & charitable activities’. 32 The site mobilises
support for unemployed community members and those afflicted with illness and cannot pay for treatment. It
lists some of its achievements as follows: 33
Created Kshemanidi Fund for the welfare of needy members wherein provisions are made for
health grant for sick members and family support grant to the next of kin of the deceased
member
Provided temporary amenities to the Indians who were stranded without job and two tuluvas
were provided back home ticket.
Two needy Indian housemaids who had taken shelter at Indian Embassy were given air tickets
to India.
The Bunt Community website has an interesting component called ‘Contributions’, with sections labelled as
‘Donations Required’ and ‘Monetary Donations’. The former section mobilises donations for a certain cause
to the site administrator, who will then make a formal notice of the request. To establish the authenticity of
the request they also demand necessary ‘supporting documents’. According to the site, some of the causes
which warrant donations include: ‘kids schooling expenses, sport sponsorship, old age funding, medical
expense, marriage support, funding to perform annual rituals for a particular deity, man power for certain
function’. The other section, ‘Monetary Donations’, provides a specific list of needs and community-led
projects for which donations are solicited; two of the donation options given are: ‘Donate $10 or Rs. 500 to
the cause’ and ‘Donate $50 or Rs. 2500 and become a member’. The ‘$’ and the ‘Rs.’ options shows that
contributors may be NRIs interested in funding causes specific to the community. The same website gives an
option to channel funds towards a deity or a religious cause. Within the Bunt community, funding requests
for religious events such as the Bhuta Kola also have a social aspect; associations and committees of influential
NRI individuals often mobilise funds during the ritual season.
Finally, education is a prominent way to channel community welfare, and education lies at the intersection of
philanthropy, community self-representation, profit-making initiatives, and social welfare activities. For
example, trfmangalore, a Beary-run site of the ‘Talent Research Foundation’, promotes employment
opportunities, career counselling, scholarships and training. Websites often promote educational institutions
and request forms of support and donations. Among those portals targeting members of mainly the Navayath
32
See http://www.tulukootakuwait.org/Default.aspx?tabId=3&lid=25.
33
Ibid.
26
and Beary communities, the Karnataka Muslims displays education-related advertisements on its home page
(see Figure 8).
Figure 8: Advertisement taken from the Karnataka Muslims website – CIPET is the Central Institute
of Plastics Engineering and Technology 34
Also, websites may include advertisements for educational institutions or provide informative articles on their
activities, most prominently of the popular Christian-run St. Agnes and St. Aloysius colleges, and
advertisements for Father Muller charitable institutions.
4. CONCLUSION
To conclude, online websites, news portals and social media act as virtual transnational publics connecting the
Gulf region and Dakshina Kannada. In particular, Gulf migrants represent their socio-cultural identities and
engage with local political and developmental issues in their hometowns in Mangalore and Dakshina
Kannada, while in India, family members of migrants, aspiring migrants, business people, and activists,
among others, interact with community members abroad. This survey of websites and other internet activity
demonstrates the significance of these exchanges: of the circulation ideas and new expertise, participation in
debates, new forms of development politics, investment and social change, and the highlighting of regional
issues and community-specific interests.
This preliminary analysis of internet content revealed a number of emerging themes. First, the website
content points to a reproduction, and perhaps even a strengthening, of specific caste, religious, and linguistic
identities among diasporic groups from the Dakshina Kannada region. Of the total websites, Facebook pages,
blogs and online fora that we documented, those targeting specific caste, religious, linguistic groups of the
region significantly outnumber associations or activities with primarily place-based affiliations such as the
Dakshina Kannada region or a particular town. These affiliations seem to be strengthened through
Karnataka Muslims. Accessed May 28, 2012. http://karnatakamuslims.com/portal/. The advertisements on this page
keep changing.
34
27
associations formed by migrants, as indicated by the plethora of organisation-based websites and communityspecific engagement in social and cultural activities.
Secondly, reflecting on the participants of transnational online exchanges, the results of this research raises
questions about the strong role of NRIs in regional representation and social change. As Sassen writes,
‘Digital space, whether private or public, is partly embedded in actual societal structures and power dynamics:
its topography weaves in and out of non-electronic space’ (Sassen 1998: 553). From the list of websites and
their content examined in this report, it is very clear that specific religious and caste groups are more visible
than others, and that they engage in various kinds of activity including philanthropy, cultural endorsement,
and dissemination. These trends follow migration trends, as certain groups have a larger presence abroad due
to their particular migration histories, types of business and status maintained while abroad, and the
connections maintained in the Gulf. As news portals and websites gain a larger audience in both regions, data
from internet research can complement further studies on community influence in social issues and changes
in the Dakshina Kannada region.
Finally, development issues that are debated on internet fora reveal possibilities for further research on
various groups of NRIs with differing ideas and claims to homelands. Online content, especially news portals
and commentaries, reveals tensions between how and where to develop new infrastructure in the home
region, as well as gives voice to locals whose livelihoods may be affected by new flows of capital into the
region. Both of these topics will be further explored in subsequent research. Significantly, this research
complements current work on development and reverse flows. These portals, interactive fora and other
websites serve to link individuals with their homeland through their philanthropic initiatives, cultural, political
and business endeavours. The internet, therefore, has been an aid for community strengthening and exchange
between regions.
Overall, this report does not aim to answer larger theoretical questions about the role of virtual publics or
transnational politics; rather, we have provided an overview of the kinds of interactions online that link
Dakshina Kannada with the Gulf, given the paucity of studies on such patterns at the regional level in India.
This preliminary study highlights the prominence and reproduction of very specific social affiliations and
identities rooted in the home region among overseas groups. The notion of regional identity comes out
strongly within these transnational networks. While living abroad, migrants maintain an active citizenship of
the home region by reading and commenting on social issues in their hometowns by donating to various
causes and investing money in development projects. Online fora and portals also channel resources into the
region, which facilitate these activities and the strengthening or reconstitution of community identities. While
internet-based research has certain limitations – for example, we could not estimate the representativeness of
28
the sample, and the content of sites is in constant flux – we have nevertheless offered an overview of the key
characteristics of these virtual publics as well as the issues of importance to Dakshina Kannada migrants
living in the Gulf and to mobile people who inhabit this transnational space.
29
6. REFERENCES
Adams, Paul C., and Rina Ghose. 2003. India.com: the construction of a space between. Progress in Human
Geography 27, no. 44: 414 - 437.
Bose, Pablo Shiladitya. 2008. Home and away: Diasporas, developments and displacements in a globalising
world. Journal of Intercultural Studies 29, no. 1: 111 - 131.
Heerink, Maudi. 2012. Connecting India: Virtual and real linkages between the Telugu diaspora and
their home region in Andhra Pradesh. Provincial Globalisation Research Report No.1. Bangalore:
National Institute of Advanced Studies and Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research.
Hegde, Krishnananda. 2008. History of Bunts: Medieval Age to Modern Times. Mangalore: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Levitt, Peggy. 1998. Social remittances: Migration-driven, local-level forms of cultural diffusion. International
Migration Review 32, no. 4: 926 - 48.
Mustafi, Sulagna. 2011. Transnationalism and Muslim identity in Dakshina Kannada, India. Unpublished
paper, Provincial Globalisation Programme. Bangalore: National Institute of Advanced Studies and
Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research.
Mustafi, Sulagna, personal communication, November 2012.
Ong, Aihwa. 2006. Neoliberalism as Exception: Mutations in Citizenship and Sovereignty. Durham: Duke University
Press.
Rashmi, M. 2012. Spatial Configuration of World Wide Web: A Semiotic and Web Sphere Analysis of
Kannada Websites. MPhil diss., Hyderabad: English and Foreign Languages University.
Rutten, Mario, and Sanderien Verstappen. 2012. Middling migration: Contradictory mobility experiences of
Indian youth in London. Provincial Globalisation Working Paper No. 5. Bangalore: National Institute of
Advanced Studies and Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research.
30
Sassen, Saskia. 1998. Globalization and its Discontents: Essays on the New Mobility of People and Money. New York:
New Press.
Sassen, Saskia. 1998. On the internet and sovereignty. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 5, no. 2: 545- 559.
Tsing, Anna. 2000. The global situation. Cultural Anthropology 15, no. 3: 327 - 360.
Upadhya, Carol, and Mario Rutten. 2012. Migration, transnational flows and development in India: A regional
perspective. Economic and Political Weekly 47, no. 19: 54 - 62.
Van Kampen, Wanda. 2012. Money to India: Transfer channels for remittances in the Guntur region, Andhra
Pradesh. Provincial Globalisation Research Report No. 2. Bangalore: National Institute of Advanced Studies
and Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research.
Vertovec, Steven. 2004. Migrant transnationalism and modes of transformation. International Migration Review
38, no. 3: 970 - 1001.
31
APPENDIX A: METHODOLOGY
Kalyanaraman conducted the internet-based research for this project from November 2011 to mid-December
2011. Therefore, we review the sites, Facebook communities, egroups and blogs per availability of data during
the specified period unless otherwise specified. Most of the illustrations and examples we used range from
December 2011 to May 2012.
The research process took the following trajectory:
•
Compiling a list of the main social groups in the Mangalore region;
•
Formulating the structure of the search keywords to ensure that a large surface area was covered and
maximum results were collected;
•
Reviewing all the websites, blogs, Facebook communities and email groups within the scope defined for
the study and then deciding which ones to include in the survey based on relevance and activity;
•
Mapping and categorising the data.
1. Keywords
Keywords are those words that users feed into search engines to access sites, social networking communities,
blogs that may be relevant to or yield information pertaining to the keyword in question. In short, they
describe the search. The search engine essentially provides relevant websites as results after rapidly sifting
through all the data available on the internet. These results usually give information about the keyword or
contain the keyword in the content of their pages.
To ensure that a substantial surface area was covered while searching for web pages, the search keywords
included an organised combination of language/ religious group/ name of region, with each Gulf country.
Collectives such as ‘Gulf’, ‘associations’, ‘Non-Resident Indians’ (NRIs) and ‘diaspora’/ ‘overseas’/ ‘abroad’
were also used. For example: Mogaveer+Kuwait+association/ Gulf+Mogaveer/ NRI+Mogaveer+Gulf. 35
2. Search Engines
Search engines are those programmes that serve as an interface between the user and cyberspace. They
search, assimilate and provide results of websites, blogs, social networking fora and egroups relevant to the
information requested (as indicated by the keywords that are fed to the search engine). The internet-based
search for this project was conducted using two search engines: Google and Bing. Though Google was the
35
More in-depth information, such as location of domain Internet Protocol (IP) address, words used to access each site
and user activity level, can be found using www.trafficestimate.com and/ or www.alexa.com.
32
preferred and main search engine used, when searches were conducted through Facebook, the results were
automatically yielded by Facebook’s preferred search engine, Bing. 36
3. Challenges in Data Organisation
While devising categories to segregate the data, one of the challenges Kalyanaraman met was in finding
categories that minimised overlaps and at the same time served as a pertinent and comprehensible way of
representing the data. Given below are descriptions of the kinds of overlaps that can be found in the data
recorded.
•
Media portals play a significant role in encouraging interaction between specific target groups. Many
of them permit comments by readers to articles, provide chat rooms for registered members, and
offer other kinds of interactive platforms (for sharing short stories, articles, and so on), thereby
presenting an overlap with interactive sites and discussion fora that are meant for a similar exchange
of opinions and creativity.
•
Several of the listed Facebook pages or groups are affiliated to websites or blogs (e.g. Mangalorean.com,
Daijiworld.com), and many posts that they contain are usually ‘shared’ articles from the website itself.
Therefore, there is an overlap in content. Nevertheless, the Facebook page only contains a fraction
of the actual amount of the content present on the website. Usually an article or two from the main
website are selected and put on Facebook at frequent intervals.
Several media portals also target very specific communities – e.g. Konkani speakers, Muslims, Mangaloreans,
etc. – and members of those communities contribute a large amount of reader activity on these portals.
Therefore, a noticeable overlap exists in purpose with organisation-based websites that openly target only
specific communities. However, the approach of the two kinds of websites to targeting community-specific
audiences is very different.
36 Orkut is Google’s official social networking site but now there is also Google+. Facebook has a tie-up with search
engine Bing, which is a Microsoft product. One of the possible drawbacks with Google as a search engine is that, upon
entering the keywords, the search engine usually yields results that are most popular followed by the less popular ones
(these search results run into several pages). This might have resulted in the possible omission of other more relevant
but not very popular websites. These were among the limitations experienced while executing Internet-based research.
33
APPENDIX B: SOCIAL GROUPS MENTIONED IN THE REPORT
1. Language: Tulu and Kannada are widely spoken languages in the coastal region. The Konkani Catholics and
the Goud Saraswath Brahmins mostly speak Konkani. The Navayath Muslims from Bhatkal speak a dialect of
Konkani, and Beary Muslims speak Beary Bashe. The major groups (by language) in Mangalore are:
• Tuluva
• Konkani
• Kannadiga
• Beary
2. Religious and caste groups: the three main religious groups in the region are Hindus, Muslims and Christians:
• Main Hindu groups mentioned in the report:
i.
Goud Saraswath Brahmins – a Konkani-speaking community who migrated from Goa to
Dakshina Kannada in the late 1500s.
ii.
Mogaveera – a Tulu-speaking fishing community found along the western coastal areas such as
Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and even Kerala.
iii.
Billawa – are a group whose members speak mainly Tulu in addition to Kannada and Malayalam.
iv.
Bunt – predominantly a landowning group among the Tulu-speaking communities and are
among the most socially influential groups in the region. The Bunts also have a fair number of
members migrating to other parts of the world especially the Gulf countries. 37
v.
Devadiga – traditionally a Tulu-speaking community of temple musicians.
vi.
Shivalli Brahmins – speak mainly Tulu (also Kannada). This community is also found in Udupi,
Kasargod and Shimoga.
• Christian groups:
i.
Catholics – mainly the Konkani-speaking Catholics who are originally migrants from Goa to
Dakshina Kannada. Migration to the Gulf countries and other parts of the world is fairly
common among this group as is indicated by their online presence.
ii.
Protestants – consist mainly of Tulu and Kannada speakers.
• Muslim groups:
i.
Navayath – reside mainly in Bhatkal, which is about 150 km north of Mangalore. These Muslims
speak a dialect of Konkani.
ii.
Beary – these Muslims speak Beary Bashe a unique language specific to community members.
They have strong transnational links with the Gulf countries due to migration.
3. The main vernacular and English terms used to reference the region or the geographic boundaries within
which Mangalore is located:
• Mangalore/ Kudla (in Tulu)/ Kodiyal (Konkani)/ Mangalooru/ Mangaluru
• South Canara/ Dakshina Kannada
• Tulu Nadu
37
See Hegde (2008).
34
4. The six Arab states that constitute the ‘Gulf’ include:
• Kuwait
• Saudi Arabia
• Oman
• Qatar
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Bahrain
35
APPENDIX C: TABLES
Table 1: Total Number of Websites by Category
1.
2.
3.
Category
News media and information portals
Interactive fora
Organisation-based websites
TOTAL (minus 2 overlaps)
Number of online networks
39
63
25
127 (– 2) = 125
36
Table 2: List of News Media and Information Portals
Website Name
URL
http://www.dakshintimes.com/
http://mangalorean.com/
4.
The Dakshin Times
Mangalorean.com – Serving Mangaloreans
around the World
Gulf Kannadiga – A reflection of
Karnataka in the Gulf
Indians in Kuwait
5.
Coastal Digest – A voice for all
http://www.coastaldigest.com/
6.
Canara World Foundation Inc. – Uniting
Mangaloreans Worldwide
Sezari – Website for Konkani Speaking
People Worldwide
Bellevision
http://canaraworld.com/nsite/htdocs/
1.
2.
3.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Daijiworld – A Portal Linking the West
Coast of India and the World
Kemmannu
11.
Konkani Friends
12.
Mangalore Today – The only English
monthly of Dakshin Kannada and Udupi
Sahil Online
Mangalore Headlines
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
Mangalore City
Mangalore Mithr
Overseas Indian
YaHind
NRI Realty News
Karnataka Muslims
Devadiga.com – Bringing community
members on one page
Gulf NRIs
NRI Forum Karnataka
Bhatkallys.com
Ferar Online
28.
Milagreans.com
iKonkani – A Complete Konkani Muslim
Community Portal
Mangalore | Mangalooru
29.
Kinnigoli/ Konkani World
http://www.gulfkannadiga.com/
http://indiansinkuwait.com/Default.aspx
http://www.sezari.com/
http://www.bellevision.com/index.php?action=h
ome
http://www.daijiworld.com/home.asp
http://www.kemmannu.com/index.php?action=
home
http://konkanifriends.com/index.php
http://www.mangaloretoday.com/mt/index.php
http://www.sahilonline.org/
http://www.mangaloreheadlines.com/showcontents.php?id=6446
http://www.mangalorecity.com/
http://mangaloremithr.com
http://overseasindian.in/
http://www.yahind.com/
http://www.nrirealtynews.com/
http://karnatakamuslims.com/en/
http://www.devadiga.com/
http://www.gulfnris.com/
http://www.nriforumkarnataka.org/
http://www.bhatkallys.com/home.asp
http://www.feraronline.com/index.php?page=ho
me
http://milagreans.com/AboutUS.aspx
http://www.ikokani.com/
http://mangalorecity.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_
archive.html
http://portal.kinnigoli.com/
37
38
30.
The Indian Diaspora
31.
32.
Mangalore
Mangalore City
33.
34.
35.
36.
Mangalooru.com
Bunt Community
Shivalli Brahmins
World Tuluvas Network 38
37.
Towards All
38.
39.
Beary Muslim Village
Mrbankal (Youtube)
http://www.indiandiaspora.nic.in/Inputsforwebsi
te.htm
http://allaboutmangalore.com/FeedBack.aspx
http://www.mangalore.com/
http://www.mangalore.com/members/memberli
st_a.html
http://www.mangalooru.com/
http://worldofbunts.com/
http://shivallibrahmins.com/
http://worldtuluvasnetwork.socialparody.com/m
ain
http://towardsall.com/index.php?option=com_c
ontent&view=frontpage&Itemid=1
http://bearyvillage.com/index.php
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrbankal
Also appears in Table 4.
38
Table 3: List of Interactive Fora
FACEBOOK
Name
1.
My Mangalore
2.
3.
Mangalore
Mangalorean.com – Serving
Mangaloreans around the
world
Mangalore Today – The
only English monthly of
Dakshin Kannada and
Udupi
Festivals in Mangalore
Proud to be a Mangalorean
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Mangalore (Kudla)
Mangalore
Mangalore
Anglo-Indians, Goans and
Mangaloreans in the UAE
Mangalorean Catholics
22.
Mangalore Konkani
Catholics
Konkani Catholics
Vishwa Konkani Kendra
Saudi Konkan Youngsters
(SKY)
Konkani Amchi Food
Konkani Dictionary Project
Sezari – Website for
Konkani Speaking People
Worldwide
Chaptekar Saraswath
Brahman Samaj
Devadiga United
Devadiga.com – Bringing
community members on
one page
World Tuluvas Network
23.
24.
Mogaveeras
Mogaveera Club
25.
26.
Royal Bunts
Bunts Well-Wishers Kuwait
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
URL
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=56305152281&topic=
9486#!/groups/my.mangalore/
http://www.facebook.com/mangalore.city
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mangaloreancom/1057015462
00753?sk=wall
http://www.facebook.com/MangaloreToday.web
http://www.facebook.com/FestivalsInMangalore?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proud-to-be-aMangalorean/155695121132480?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/groups/174279132645180/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/19798717096/
http://www.facebook.com/Mangalore.kudla?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=208673669924
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=147347518619588&v
=wall
http://www.facebook.com/groups/207672569274824/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/44837676461/
http://www.facebook.com/worldkonkani?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saudi-Konkan-YoungstersSKY-Dammam/272251302799720?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/groups/182144290454/
http://www.facebook.com/savemylanguage
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sezari/278037608878482?sk=i
nfo
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chaptekar-SaraswathBrahman-Samaj/100002467639240?sk=wall
http://www.facebook.com/DevadigaUnited?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Devadigacom/1053929329081
62?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/World.Tuluvas.Network.WTN?sk=inf
o
http://www.facebook.com/mvmandali?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MogaveeraCLUB/154771097873836?sk=info
http://www.facebook.com/royalbunts
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BWWK-Bunts-Well-WishersKuwait/286297978058701
39
27.
28.
Bunts Oman
Bunts Bahrain
29.
World of Bunts
30.
31.
Qatar Bunts Association
Bunts World
32.
Qatar Bunts
33.
Billawa
34.
35.
Indians in Kuwait
Gulf Kannadiga - A
reflection of Karnataka in
the Gulf
Milagres Gulf Association,
Dubai
Dakshin Times
Coastal Digest – A voice for
all
Daijiworld – A Portal
Linking the West Coast of
India and the World
Sahil Online
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/195043022600/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BuntsBahrain/105559803029?sk=wall
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_1745957659056
82&ap=1
http://www.facebook.com/groups/Qatar.shetty/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/buntsworld/306234717656?sk
=wall
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=359367600218&v=wa
ll
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142468482445350&v
=wall
http://www.facebook.com/IndiansinKuwait?sk=wall
http://www.facebook.com/gkannadiga
http://www.facebook.com/groups/milagreans
http://www.facebook.com/The.Dakshin.Times?sk=wall
http://www.facebook.com/CoastalDigest
http://www.facebook.com/daijiworldnews
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SahilOnline/207639729060?ref
=sahilonline.org
41. YaHind
http://www.facebook.com/yahindcom
42. Hidayah Foundation
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hidaya-FoundationMangalore/422225814510943
43. Beary, Nakk-Nikk
http://www.facebook.com/#!/nakknikk
BLOGS AND E-GROUPS/ DISCUSSION FORA
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
39
49.
The World of GSB Konkani
Festivals in Mangalore
NRI Divorce
NRI Speaks
Mangalore-Gulf related Blog
series 39
Skyscraper City
50.
Goanet
51.
Mangalorean Catholics
52.
53.
54.
Save My Language
Konkani Catholics
World Tuluvas Network
http://gsbkonkani.blogspot.com/
www.festivalsinmangalore.blogspot.in
http://www.nridivorce.com/
http://nrispeaks.wordpress.com/about/
http://www.blogger.com/profile/0824399
5634899423938
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisp
lay.php?f=3122
http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanetgoanet.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mangalor
eanCatholics/
http://www.savemylanguage.org/
http://www.konkanicatholics.com/
http://worldtuluvasnetwork.socialparody.c
om/main
Blog
Blog
Forum/ E-group
Blog
Blogs
Forum
E-group
E-group
Forum
Egroup+Blog
Forum
Also appears in Table 4.
40
55.
56.
Bunts World
Canara Waves
57.
58.
Royal Bunts
Riyadh Bunts – A Tulu
Speaking Community in
Riyadh
Tulunadu
59.
MATRIMONIAL SITES
60. Bunt’s Matrimonials
61. Konkani Matrimony
62. Goud Saraswath Brahmin
Matrimonial
63. Goa Matrimonials
http://www.buntsworld.com/index.php
http://www.canarawaves.com/about_us.p
hp
http://royalbunts.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/riyadhbu
nts/#ans
Forum
Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TULUN
ADU/#ans
Egroup
Forum
Egroup
http://madimechavadi.com/
http://konkanimatrimony.com/
http://www.gsbmatri.com/
http://www.goamatrimonials.com/
41
Table 4: List of Organisation-based Websites
URL
http://www.vishwakonkani.org/
2.
Website Name
Konkani Language and Cultural
Foundation
Mangalore Konkans
3.
4.
5.
6.
Gulf Karnataka Forum (Website)
Mangalore Cultural Association, Qatar
Karnataka Sangha Dubai
Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha
7.
8.
Mangalore Cricket Club
Tulu Koota Kuwait
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Kuwait Canara Welfare Association
Kuwait Kannada Koota
Milagreans Gulf Association, Dubai
Moodabidri Varado Catholic Association
Karnataka Sangha
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Kannada Sangha
Muslim Welfare Association Udupi
Dakshin Karnataka Sunni Centre
Mogaveers UAE
Billawa Badiga Dubai
19.
20.
21.
UAE Bunts
Buntara Sangha Kuwait
Buntara Yane Nadavara Mathr Sangha
22.
23.
24.
Jamiyyatul Falah
Hidayah Foundation
Karnataka Beary Sahithya Academy
25.
Talent Research Foundation
http://www.gulfkarnatakaforum.com/index.asp
http://www.mcaqatar.org/mcaqatar/index.html
http://www.karnatakasanghadubai.com/index.htm
http://ellakavi.wordpress.com/category/kannadakootas-sanghas-gulf/abu-dhabi-karnataka-sangha/
http://www.mccqatar.com/AboutUs.asp
http://www.tulukootakuwait.org/Default.aspx?tab
Id=1
http://kcwa1.com/index.htm
http://www.kuwaitkannadakoota.org/
http://milagreans.com/AboutUS.aspx
http://www.mvcaglobal.com/aboutus.asp
http://www.karnatakasanghaqatar.com/about_us.
html
http://www.kannadasangha.com.bh/
http://mwaudupi.org/aboutus.html
http://dksconline.com/
http://www.mogaveers.com/index.htm
http://www.billawabalagadubai.com/portal1/inde
x.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15
0&Itemid=29
http://www.uaebunts.com/ub/index.php
http://www.kuwaitbunts.org/
http://www.buntsmathrsangha.net/federation-ofbunts-association.html
http://jamiyyatulfalah.org/index.php
http://www.hidayahfoundation.org/hfportal/
http://www.karnatakabearysahithyaacademy.org/h
ome.html
http://www.trfmangalore.org/about_trf.php
1.
http://mangalorekonkans.blogspot.com/
42
ABOUT THE PROVINCIAL GLOBALISATION
PROGRAMME
The Provincial Globalisation research programme (‘ProGlo’) explores transnational
connections between Overseas Indians and their home regions, especially the effects of
‘reverse flows’ of resources, including remittances, philanthropy, investments, and
knowledge.
The programme consists of five independent but interlinked research projects (three
PhD and two postdoctoral) located in three states of India – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
and Gujarat. The research documents a broad range of resource transfers by migrants,
including economic resources (such as household remittances, investments in land),
social remittances (including flows of ideas, support for NGOs), and cultural flows
(such as religious donations), and their influence at the regional level.
The PhD projects are intensive studies of three selected regions – Anand District in
Gujarat, Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh, and Dakshina Kannada District in Karnataka
– focusing on the effects of resource transfers by migrants in the key provincial towns
and their rural hinterlands. The two post-doctoral projects provide macro- and mesolevel mappings of transnational linkages and flows at the regional, state, and national
levels. By tracing these transnational networks and the modalities and destinations of
resource transfers comparatively across three regions, the research programme provides
insights into the economic, social, political, and cultural consequences of Overseas
Indians’ engagements with India.
‘ProGlo’ is a five-year collaborative research programme of the Amsterdam Institute for Social
Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and the National
Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore, India, funded by the WOTRO Science for
Global Development programme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO),
the Netherlands, initiated in 2010.
www.provglo.org
Programme directors:
Prof. Mario Rutten (AISSR)
Prof. Carol Upadhya (NIAS)