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Sikhs, Swamis, Students and Spies

The India Lobby in the United States, 1900-1946

Harold A Gould author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:SAGE Publications Inc

Published:3rd Oct '06

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Sikhs, Swamis, Students and Spies cover

This book is a fascinating and absorbing history of the India lobby in America during the pre-independence era—a little known chapter in the history of modern India. It documents the travails of early Indian migrants to North America and Canada from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the World War II. It captures their prolonged struggle for obtaining civil rights, and in promoting the cause of India’s freedom beyond the borders of the subcontinent.

Based on literature and insights drawn from not-easily-accessible sources, the book is interspersed with narratives and also provides biographical sketches of the key actors, both Indian and American. It examines their role in the origin and development of the India lobby in the US and Canada—in the face of determined racist opposition in both countries—and Britain’s efforts to disrupt their attempts to organize themselves politically. Overall the author vividly documents the community’s journey from the beginnings of politicization to the height of political lobbying during the World War II.

A lively introduction to forgotten lobbyists, with a `Deep Throat` surprise at the end....Savour the book for its treasure house of marvellous little stories, interesting characters and its ability to create a world of politics that is at once distant and eerily familiar. -- The Indian Express
An illuminating account of how the articulate `Indian lobby` that existed in the US between 1900 and 1946 quickly learnt to leverage the US system….This book is an excellent reminder of how the US`s model minority in the 21st century had to struggle to achieve acceptance in the century before. -- The Hindustan Times
 Penned by Harold A Gould, this book provides a unique insight into the history of the "India Lobby" in the US....also tells us about sympathy in America towards India`s freedom struggle, and British efforts to thwart this. -- The Statesman
What makes this book doubly valuable is that compared to India`s experience with Europe, there really isn`t much to go on by way of source material. Yet Gould shows that you can make even that little go a long way. The end notes after each chapter are eloquent-testimony. -- Business Standard
A gripping tale of how early `South Asian Indians influenced US policy makers to tilt towards Indian freedom struggle. -- Sahara Times

ISBN: 9780761934806

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 700g

460 pages