Paper short abstract:

The paper deals with two main problems of Indian Diaspora in Russia – religious and national matters. The content of the Indian Diaspora is multifold because Indians are not a homogeneous ethnos. The word “Indian” is like the word “Russian” but they are not comparable.

Paper long abstract:

The difficulties facing the Indian Diaspora have increased since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the formation of a new state, the Russian Federation. Surprisingly, the Diaspora started facing ethnicity-based problems under the democratic rule. Consequently, the number of Indians has significantly reduced since many people have returned home moving away from nationalist sentiments in Russia. The content of the Indian Diaspora is multifold because Indians are not a homogeneous ethnos. The word "Indian" is like the word "Russian" but they are not comparable. According to the Association of Indians in Russia, there are about 30,000 Indians in the country, 15,000 living in Moscow. The Indian Diaspora largely consists of Bengali, Tamil, Punjabi, and Marathi people. The Moscow Diaspora can be divided into two large groups, the elderly Indians and students. In Moscow, Indians are mainly doing business. The main problems facing the Indian Diaspora in Russia are rooted in ethnicity and religion. In view of this, it's worth mentioning the refusal by the authorities to build Hindu temples in Moscow. The government is under the pressure of the Union of Orthodox citizens who show persistence and intolerance. Moreover, there is almost no security for the Indian Diaspora in Moscow. The racist sentiment has spoiled Indo-Russian relations in the past years, and the situation is practically not improving. The Indian Diaspora is reducing year by year at an average of 200 people. This is a significant number even for the 15,000-Indian community in the Russian capital.