Draft Paper Under Publication India’s Engagement with the Girmit Diaspora: Prejudices and Prospects Dr Amba Pande Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies School of International Studies JNU As India adopted a ‘multi-pronged approach’ to mend the long-lost ties and engage with its diaspora during 1990s, the Indian diaspora emerged an important element in India’s economic, strategic and soft power pursuit. India’s enormous economic potential and its rising global stature also attracted the diaspora which has resulted in a mutually beneficial and symbiotic relationship between the two. Nevertheless, Indian diaspora is an extremely diverse construct consisting of people who have migrated during the British colonialism to the present times. Regardless of all the concerted efforts New Delhi has taken, several sections and groups within the diverse rubrics of the Indian diaspora, such as, the Girmit/old diaspora continued to remain at the peripheries of the Indian diaspora policy. As India’s policy towards the diaspora is closely linked with its strategic interests and other policy priorities and the fact that these communities are law full citizens of the other countries, India is constrained from taking appropriate measures for the welfare of the Girmit/old diaspora. Nevertheless, some strategic and out of the box thinking can help India in converging its interests with that of the Girmit diaspora and use their potential as an asset in a win-win gain for both. In this paper I seek to critically debate as to why India has not been able to create an asset out of its Girmit diaspora; what has been India’s prejudices and limitations in this regard; and what efforts India has made to bridge the gap over the years. The paper will also explore the prospects of engagement in the future that can result in win–win for both India and Girmit diaspora. Keywords: Diaspora, Indenture, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Fiji, Mauritius