Greetings to all list-members, I am a lecturer in sociologi of religion and media, religion and culture at Uppsala university, Sweden. I will this semester be supervising a master thesis on "Ambedkar as an icon of dalit-assertion: Post-Ambedkar discourses and representations on the Internet". The focus is to study how the dalit-movement (a marginalised social group in India) construct and strengthen their identity through relating themselves and their claims to the central figure of the movement Dr Amdebkar. The intention of my student is further to study both iconic representations of Amdebkar and transformations of his symbolic meaning in the process. I would be very grateful for any information of previous research in this area, that is the dalit-movement and uses of the internet. Also other studies of the role of the internet in hindu minority movements with political and religious claims would be helpful of course, or on the construction of religious leaders as icons for such groups through the internet. Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to what you may have to share on this subject! sincerely, Mia Lövheim, TD Sociology of Religion Theological Faculty, Uppsala University P.O. Box 511 S-751 20 Uppsala work: (int + 46) 18-471 21 68 fax: (int + 46) 18-71 01 70 home: (int + 46) 8-640 0702 mobile: (int + 46) 702-23 49 33 mail: mia.lovheim@teol.uu.se http://www.teol.uu.se/staff/lovheim