Book takes a look at history of diaspora

NEW DELHI: Did you know that kulfi is banned in Canada shops along with eatables like ice-cream because of its popularity in the country? That, traditional Indian products have found a growing market in New Zealand — some commonly sold under brands like medicinal ‘root pills’ and ‘Bombay chutney.’

These are some odd facts about the strong Indian influence in foreign shores that have been highlighted in a book titled The encyclopedia of the Indian Diaspora. The book gives a wealth of information of Indian migrant population movement to places as near as Nepal and as far as the US tracing its history centuries ago.

Released by Montek Singh Ahluwalia in the New Delhi, the book has been put together by over 60 writers and covers at least 44 countries where the Indian diaspora is spread.

Peter Reeves, executive editor of the book said, “We have tried to include every aspect of the Indian diaspora that needs to be known. There are many interesting facts about Indians that are not so well known. For instance we mentioned how an Indian discovered gold in New Zealand for the first time.”

The book traces references to Indian cuisine — with a special mention of parantha and roti known in Trinidad as ‘buss-up shirt’ because of its resemblance to a busted up shirt. There are also interesting references to Madhur Jaffrey.