Maitreyi, Misha2024-12-022024-12-022024-10https://unbscholar.lib.unb.ca/handle/1882/38202This dissertation examines individual and collective memories of collective violence among Indian Sikh and Muslim immigrants in Canada, focusing on the anti-Sikh violence of 1984 and the anti-Muslim violence of 2002 in India. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 19 participants, the research examines the composition of collective memories, the significance of these memories and their impacts on the daily lives of Sikh and Muslim immigrants in Canada. By integrating concepts of collective memory (Halbwachs, 1992), social memory studies (Olick & Robbins, 1998), revised versions of collective consciousness (Durkheim, 1984[1893]) and collective effervescence (Durkheim, 1965[1912]), and religion as power (Woodhead, 2011; Juergensmeyer, 2010; Friedland, 2001), this study underlines participants’ recollections of mob violence, gendered violence, survival strategies, diverse forms of trauma they have endured and still feel while living in Canada. The findings reveal a common narrative regarding the role of state institutions in orchestrating the violence in both cases. Religious nationalism was deliberately deployed in the 2002 violence against the Muslim minority, moving away from the principles of secularism towards the formation of a Hindu ethnostate. The analysis shows commonalities in the recollection of mob violence and their characteristics such as the use of fire and violence against women. I also highlight how participants’ recollections of similar survival strategies foster collective solidarity and resilience within the communities. Additionally, the participants view the violence in political terms rather than attributing blame to any religion or religious community. Ultimately, by analysing the stories and experiences of violence, I draw parallels with scholarly perspectives on mob violence, shared affect, the political nature of violence, and the instrumentalisation of religious nationalism to demonstrate that while memories can be transient in nature, collective memory persists and reveals significant truths consistent with scholarly explanations. By underscoring the importance of understanding collective memories, I argue that such experiences of collective violence influence perceptions of democracy, minority identities, and human rights as they impact the relationship of immigrants with their countries of origin and residence.x, 224electronicenhttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_f1cfdoctoral thesisHoltmann, CathySociology