ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents a story of Indian Dalit communities who have settled in the English Midlands. It focuses on extensive fieldwork and uses qualitative research methodology, which includes in-depth interviews with parents, teachers, and children, and detailed observations in gurdwaras, bhavans, homes, and schools in Birmingham and the English West Midlands. The book pursues three interrelated themes: first it explains the reproduction of caste and its awareness among Indian immigrants in the UK. It presents the role of religious institutions and other agencies in perpetuating caste consciousness. The book examines the role of education and Dalit-led initiatives in counteracting the negative affects of caste prejudice and discrimination. The book sets the scene for the empirical work and presents the social and economic backgrounds of a Dalit community in a Punjabi village.
