Bridging Continents: Shashi Holla on India-Australia’s Legacy of Connection and Diaspora

1. Your book explores ancient migration and the connections between India and Australia. What are some of the most surprising historical links you uncovered?

Answer: The book begins with the fascinating story of Gondwanaland, the supercontinent that once united India and Australia geographically millions of years ago. This ancient connection is a backdrop for exploring how shared migration patterns and human resilience have forged deeper ties between the two regions. There is geological and anthropological evidence to showcase the enduring relevance of this connection in shaping early cultural exchanges. Recent evidence suggests Indians came to Australia more than 4300 years ago.  It also coincides with the latest developments in research related to the Indus -Saraswati civilisation in India.

2. You discuss the legacy of Gondwanaland. How do India and Australia’s shared geological and cultural history influence modern relationships?

Answer: The term ‘Gondwana’ originates in Sanskrit, and ‘Gondwana’ was inhabited by Gond tribes in central India. In colonial times, Gondwana was equated with primitivity. In modern times, Gondwana is a good brand in Australia that cemented indigeneity with modernity. India couldn’t able to use this to its advantage.  A few years ago in Australia, ‘Stop Adani’ campaigners used the colonial era scholarship to rekindle the sufferings of Indigenous people in both India and Australia. They claimed both aboriginal peoples in Australia and Gonds in India are brothers and equally exploited by corporations. The media blamed Adani for environmental degradation and atrocities against indigenous peoples in Australia as well as in India.

3. You explore India-Australia relations evolving from idioms and metaphors to a ‘quadratic’ connection. Could you explain what you mean by this?

Answer: Historically, India -Australia relationships were built on pseudo vocabularies like Curry, cricket, commonwealth, democracy, and shared colonial values. No one knows their impact nor its meaning. All these vocabularies were very shallow and didn’t do much to improve bilateral relations. After 2014, regimentation changes in India produced a much better understanding between the two countries, which I discuss in the book. All the metaphors I mentioned were unequal, but Quadratic was a much higher relationship model during Modi’s era. It’s the formal diplomatic partnership between India, Australia, USA and Japan. India has come a long way in achieving this.

4. John Lang is referred to as the first Australian Indophile. What drew him to India, and how did he impact India-Australia relations?

Answer: John Lang is widely regarded as the first Australian Indophile. Recognising the promise of India—the crown jewel of the British Empire—as a place to build his career, Lang set aside the stigma of his convict heritage, a significant taboo in early colonial Australia. John Lang was the first Australian Indophile. His sympathy and inclination towards helping Indians were evident in fighting two critical cases against the East India Company. In the first case, he won, and his client, a wealthy businessman, was cheated by East India Company for non-payment of the supplies made. In the second case, he lost but became famous for representing Jhansi Rani Lakshmibhai. Britsih snatched Lakshmibhai’s Kingdom under the infamous Doctrine of lapse rule. Rani was a central figure in the 1857 uprising against British rule.

Beyond his work in the courtroom, Lang distinguished himself as an investigative journalist, fearlessly critiquing company officials—a stance that led to his imprisonment for defamation against the British authorities. His legacy as a champion for Indian rights and a critic of colonial injustices continues to resonate.

This enduring bond between Australia and India was symbolically reaffirmed in 2014 when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a photo collage dedicated to John Lang to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott during his first visit to Australia. This gesture served as a tribute to Lang’s contributions and a reminder of the longstanding cultural and historical ties between the two nations.

5. The swastika has transformed its perception in Australia. Why do you think its meaning has shifted so drastically over time?

Answer: Just 100 years ago, Swastika was a good brand in Australia, associated with clothes, clubs and restaurants. In 1901, Australia legally and constitutionally enacted the White Australia policy with overwhelming support from the public and media. Hitler used Hakenkreuz and not the swastika to inspire German nationalism and, later, racial supremacy. Against the backdrop of this, Australia was keenly watching the developments in Germany and anxiously debating stereotyping the coloured aliens in Australia. After the death of Hitler and the consequent Second World War and the decolonisation of the non-Anglo-Saxon world, the swastika was hijacked by fringe white supremacists across the Western world, including Australia. So Swastika is a hate symbol even now, though in reality, it should be  Hakenkreuz. Though Australia passed legislation to correct this, it’s a mystery why they can’t educate the public by course correction in their history books.

6.    Your book draws parallels between Aboriginal faith and Hindu spirituality. What are some key similarities between the two?

Answer: Most of the indigenous cultures have similarities among them. Hindu traditions, one of the world’s most ancient surviving cultures, have many similarities with other indigenous cultures. Aboriginal peoples believe the land, air, water, weather, plant kingdom and animal kingdom are all interconnected. Hindus also believe in the sacredness of living beings and things. Fire is one of the sacred things used in smoking ceremonies by Aboriginals. For example, when Modi visited, a smoking ceremony was used to welcome him in 2022 in Sydney. Dreaming also resonates with Hindu thoughts about how the world is transformed through spirits. The book lists several other commonalities between aboriginal peoples and Hindu spirituality. The shared reverence for nature and spirituality provides a template for sustainable living. Both traditions emphasise balance, respect for the environment, and the interconnectedness of life, offering valuable lessons for addressing modern challenges like climate change and social cohesion.

7.    How can these shared spiritual philosophies help address modern-day social or environmental issues in Australia and India?

Answer: In the Aboriginal and Hindu spirituality, some conceptual frameworks on life, death, natural elements, water, and animals are alike. Though both Indigenous cultures offer solutions for modern-day problems, their ideology continues to be suppressed under colonial stereotyping. Loneliness epidemic, mental health problems, and damage to the environment due to mindless consumerism can be tackled with the inherent attitude of gratitude, which is the core of Indigenous cultures.

8.    The book addresses Hindutva and Hinduphobia in the Australian context. What misconceptions about Hindutva do you aim to clarify?

Answer: Hindutva is the essence of Hinduism, and Hinduphobia is the hatred against Hindutva. During the colonial era, Hindutva resisted Christian missionaries denigrating Hinduism and built nationalism against  British colonialism for self-rule. In a post-modern world, the uninterrupted colonial knowledge in a different avatar added Islamists and Marxists to shut up practices and traditions associated with Hindu people across the world even when it is legitimate. It’s a poison pill to digest for many in the modern world the fact that Indigenous and previously colonised Indic societies are still surviving and thriving. So firstly, colonial-era knowledge of Hinduism, like caste, primitivity, false religion, deemed to be proselytised, etc., should be dismantled to quell misconceptions about Hindutva.

9.    How does caste factor into Indian identity in Australia, and do you see it shaping social interactions within the diaspora?

Answer: Caste is not a defining factor for Indian identity in Australia, either within the Indian diaspora or in interactions with non-Indian communities. (Regional and linguistic affiliations are more prevalent, though)

However, there is a well-funded and motivated network actively working to impose a caste-based narrative onto the Indian diaspora. This effort, driven by misinformation, seeks to establish social exclusion and discrimination where none exist. Unfortunately, mainstream media often amplifies this agenda, providing a platform for such narratives without critically examining their validity.

This phenomenon is not new. The colonial-era work of James Mill, particularly The History of British India (1817), laid the foundation for a distorted understanding of Indian society. His portrayal of India as a rigidly caste-bound civilisation was not only inaccurate but also served British colonial interests. This perspective was institutionalised in British academia and governance for centuries, shaping how India was perceived and administered. Even today, certain scholars and ideological groups continue to propagate this outdated colonial framework, using caste as a tool to target Hinduism and push for Hinduism’s dismantling itself.

 10. What role does education and awareness play in combating Hinduphobia in multicultural societies like Australia?

Answer: The ecosystem that creates Hinduphobia is dominant in media, academia, the entertainment industry, and textbooks. Indians can not ignore its effect on mental health and self-esteem at schools and workplaces due to stereotyping of their identity. Hinduphobia existed in the colonial era, and contemporary Hinduphobia results from systemic colonial knowledge on Hinduism percolating in academia as genuine scholarship. Hence, Hinduphobia can be dismantled only when Indian scholars produce competent counter-scholarship to quell it. So, the first step is this awareness among the Hindu people about the origin of Hinduphobia.

11. What inspired you to write this book, and what do you hope readers take away from it?
Answer: I was inspired by the glaring absence of a comprehensive narrative about the deep-rooted historical, cultural, and spiritual ties between India and Australia. I wanted to present a multidimensional perspective that celebrates these connections while addressing overlooked aspects of our shared legacy. I hope readers will appreciate the importance of historical documentation about India-Australia from an Indo-Australian lens.

12. Did you face any challenges while researching or writing about India-Australia connections?Answer:  The primary challenge was the scattered nature of the data. The historical connection between India and Australia is often overlooked or misrepresented. Verifying sources, balancing narratives, and ensuring the book remained accessible to a diverse audience required immense effort.

  13. If you could add one more chapter to your book, what would it focus on?

Answer: If I had the expertise and resources, I would have added a chapter on the influence of IKS (Indian knowledge System) in a Western country like Australia. The role of IKS in mind science, mental health, and family well-being is immense.

14. What message do you have for Indian Australians who want to explore their heritage and connections with Australia’s past?Answer: The India-Australia relationship is in upward trajectory, driven by economic growth and mutual respect. Strategic partnerships in trade, defence, and technology will strengthen ties. Culturally, initiatives like this book can inspire more collaborations. People with pride in their heritage demonstrate higher self-esteem and clarity of thought, contributing more to the country. Indian diaspora is not new to Australia as it is portrayed. The existence of Coolie diaspora /Indentured labourers from the advent of the Australian colony is documented in this book. Everyone should be aware of their trials and tribulations to have a better sense of history.

Answer: In Australia, both Kindle and paperback versions are available through Amazon Australia. Kindle and paperback versions are also available in India through Amazon India, Flipkart, and Garuda publishers. Of course, the book is available worldwide through Amazon.com.