Duke Diya
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Duke Diya is the South Asian student association at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, in the United States. It is arguably the largest student organization at the University. It states its mission as working to spread and preserve the culture of the nations of South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
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[edit] Membership
Diya has a membership of around 200 undergraduate and graduate students, both American-born and international. It envisions itself as a forum for cultural exchange, an idea stretching back to the early days of its existence:
"I have always been aware of my culture, but [Diya] gives me a chance to express my culture that I wouldn't be able to do without. [It also] allows me to share my culture with others." --Adithya Cattamanchi, Trinity '97, in 1995. [1]
[edit] History of Diya
An organization named the Duke Indian Association, or DIA, was founded many years ago by a small group of Duke undergraduate students. In 1995, several Indian members decided to expand the scope of the organization to draw in all of the nations and cultures of South Asia. Thus, the club description was broadened, and DIA was renamed Diya, which is a Hindi word meaning "light."
[edit] Hindi major controversy
In 1995, the proposal of a Hindi language major erupted into controversy when two undergraduates wrote letters [2] to The Chronicle, the student newspaper. They advised against the beginning of a Hindi major, "as it is a language spoken in a Third World country overwrought by disease and poverty," and claiming that, "The values of the West... are superior to the values of a primitive, impoverished country like India. One stated,
The British gave India more than just roads, medicine, science and all the values of the West. Perhaps their greatest gift of all was the English language itself. English, not Hindi, is the language of the best India has to offer in every field. Those who truly wish to enjoy the "richness" of Indian culture would do better to learn English than Hindi.
A broad range of students and faculty, both Diya-affiliated and not, wrote letters in response, defending the value of studying Hindi and India [3], decrying what they perceived as ethnocentrism, and began calls for discussion of a South Asian studies curriculum [4]. Others responded, calling for an examination of the facts and actual interest in a Hindi major, as well as defending the two students right to express an unpopular opinion [5].
For its part, Diya coordinated a letter-writing campaign from Duke and externally, held meetings, and surveyed students about the popularity of a Hindi major [6]. The proposed major was eventually approved in 2000, and Diya's role was recognized as instrumental [7]. See article [8] for more details.
From the Slate.com:
"Last year, Duke University students and professors debated the value of studying Eastern cultures instead of Western ones when a call was made to establish a new curricular concentration in Hindi. Editors of the Duke Review, a conservative campus periodical, avowed that Western values are "superior to the values of a primitive, impoverished country like India." Now that the academic concentration has been approved, Anand Shah, co-president of Diya, Duke's South Asian student organization, told the Raleigh News and Observer, "I don't foresee further debate about the issue." But Jay Strader of the Duke Review complained, "This is another example of Duke administrators bowing to the interests of special-interest groups."" [9]
[edit] Other Issues
Diya has also been a voice in the immense number of campus discussions over the years on multiculturalism, self-segregation [10], and equal opportunity. Particular issues include racially separated housing [11], an anti-reparations advertisement in the campus newspaper [12], campus hate crimes and police harassment [13], the scope of multicultural organizations like the now-passed group SPECTRUM, and fraternity parties that seemed to mock African-American and Latino students [14]. It continues to grapple with its role and capacities on a diverse campus [15],[16]
[edit] Events
Diya divides its functions into four major categories of events: community service, cultural, political, and social.
[edit] Awaaz
The most famous of Diya's signature events is Awaaz, the fall cultural show. Awaaz began in 1984, though it was then named Diwali, after the Hindu festival of light. In its first year, it was relegated to the commons room in Giles Dormitory on East Campus. However, as it grew in size and popularity, it moved to the Old IM Building and then in 1998 to Page Auditorium, where it currently resides. In spring 2001, Diya members decided to change the name of the show to Awaaz, meaning "voice" in Hindi, in an attempt to broaden the participation and appeal of the event.
Today, Awaaz is the largest student-run event on campus, with over two hundred performers and over two thousand attendees. The two-night extravaganza sells out the 1200-seat Page Auditorium every year. Diya serves guests a catered dinner in Duke's Great Hall before the show, then directs them to the auditorium to see a three-hour performance of dancing, singing, skits and videos. The emcees and performers of Awaaz are selected from the student body via tryout.
Recent Awaaz Coordinators and Emcees
| Year | Coordinator | Coordinator | Emcee | Emcee | Emcee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Sumesh Chopra | Naim Rashid | Shivum Agarwal | Bob Pan | Chaya Babu |
| 2005 | Sekhar Padmanabhan | Sayed Zaman | Shivum Agarwal | Bob Pan | Sweta Patel |
| 2006 | Aashna Kircher | Tariq Mohideen | Nader Mohyuddin | Sayed Zaman | |
| 2007 | Baldeep Pabla | Ami Saheba | Shaan Puri | Alok Sharda |
[edit] Community Service
Diya plans monthly community service activities in the Triangle area for its membership, occasionally collaborating with the South Asian student associations at UNC and NC State. In October, Diya participates in Be The Change Day, a national day of service to honor the life of Mahatma Gandhi. In the past, Diya has worked at Ronald McDonald House, SEEDS, and the Durham Crisis Response Center.
As part of national coordinated campaigns, Diya occasionally holds charitable events, such as a bone marrow drive, for South Asian Americans [17]. It has also fundraised and promoted awareness for tragedies affecting South Asians or the South Asian region, such as the Indian earthquake of 2001 [18], the South Asian tsunami of 2004 [19], and the Pakistan earthquake of 2005. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Diya organized forums to discuss potential racial discrimination [20].
[edit] Cultural
Diya holds South Asian Awareness Week in the spring, an annual event that began in 1997 [21]. SAAW brings exhibitions of culture like mehndi decoration, cooking demonstrations, movies, dinners, and performances to campus in an attempt to engage the broader Duke community in South Asian culture. Diya has also brought a variety of cultural speakers and performers to Duke, ranging from social activist Arun Gandhi to author Chitra Divakaruni.
Diya collaborates with campus religious organizations to produce the successful Triangle Garba and celebrations for Holi and Campus-Wide Fast. It also coordinates closely with Duke Dhamaka, the campus bhangra team, helping to support the team's activities and travels [22]. Occasionally, it has worked with the Triangle South Asia Consortium, a federally funded center for South Asian studies.
[edit] Political
An evolving focus of Diya's energies, the organization attempts to hold political discussions and host speakers to engage its membership on South Asian and South Asian American topics. Topics range from international political relations in Kashmir to interracial dating and gender roles. During the 2004 election, when outsourcing became a hot topic, Diya held a panel [23] to discuss the impact on India and the United States.
[edit] Social
Diya frequently holds social events like mixers and semiformals at area clubs, as well as events like bowling and paintball.
On-campus movie screenings are a popular aspect of Diya's social programming. Some movies like Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice are shown before they even reach theaters in the United States. It has also shown other hit Bollywood films like Veer-Zaara, Pinjar, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Kaante, and Ek Hasina Thi.
Diya also purchases subscriptions to important cricket matches for the benefit of its members. In 2004, the important India-Pakistan series was watched intensely by Diya's most ardent cricket fans.
[edit] List of Co-Presidents of Duke Diya
| School Year | Co-President | Home Town/State | Co-President | Home Town/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | Dewesh Agrawal | Sylvania, Ohio | Anne George | ? |
| 1992-93 | Rahul Deshmukh | Jacksonville, Florida | Anjali Kataria | Greenville, North Carolina |
| 1993-94 | Amit Patel | Bridgewater, New Jersey | Susan Philip | Lakeland, Florida |
| 1994-95 | Rohit Mehta | Pine Bluff, Arkansas | Padma Pavuluri | ? |
| 1995-96 | Vikram "Vik" Chiruvolu | New Jersey | Jayant Uberoi | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 1996-97 | Vimal Derebail | Georgia | Puneet Sapra | Virginia |
| 1997-98 | Abhijeet Koli | San Antonio, Texas | Johnny Rao | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 1998-99 | Yogin Patel | New York, New York | Mihir Gandhi | San Antonio, Texas |
| 1999-00 | Ameet Shah | North Carolina | Anand Shah | South Carolina |
| 2000-01 | Shruti Haldea | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Tejas Shah | Lisle, Illinois |
| 2002-03 | Reechik Chatterjee | Orlando, Florida | Pratap Raya | Duluth, Georgia |
| 2003-04 | Devon Patel | Dalton, Georgia | Mrinali Patel | Richlands, Virginia |
| 2004-05 | Sundhar Ramalingam | Cary, North Carolina | Hirsh Sandesara | Glenview, Illinois |
| 2005-06 | Vikas Agrawal | Sylvania, Ohio | Rashmi Vyas | Asheboro, North Carolina |
| 2006-07 | Sekhar Padmanabhan | Columbus, Ohio | Sweta Patel | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 2007-08 | Shawn Kwatra | Durham, North Carolina | Aashna Kircher | North Potomac, Maryland |
