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Abstract

French

This article focuses on the Tamil diaspora in the context of virtual networks. Contemporary linkages stem from decades of civil unrest within Sri Lanka. The Tamil community has found much unity in perceived injustices and marginalization following a violent mass exodus during the 1980s. Quests for political validation and statehood in North-East Sri Lanka have transferred to virtual platforms. Subsequent networks are both sophisticated and dynamic, proactively transcending borders, propelling transnational linkages forward. Between the virtual and physical, the article investigates how respective communities network and expand online. This includes mapping online activities, which characteristically focus on current affairs and ground realities. Indeed, the Web provides a platform of engagement, which in a quest for legitimacy has expanded the networked opportunities available for the greater Tamil diaspora.

Keywords

diaspora Tamil virtual networks Web

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Transnational Tamil networks: Mapping engagement opportunities on the Web

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