Anish Bhawal stands in a separate corner of a lit up gym room, using his eyes to check off tasks in preparation of Garba. For many attending, the festival marks a lively night of culture, music and fun. But for Bhawal, and those within the executive board, it signifies the reestablishment of a home away from home for many Indian international students.
Bhawal, a junior majoring in finance and supply chain management, is not unfamiliar with the functions of student organizations. As founder and president of recently established student organization Swadesh, Bhawal recalls what propelled him to establish it.
“I used to be a part of [the] Indian Student Organization (ISO) which is now no longer active, and the dissolution due to the split between IU and Purdue is what motivated me to take the leap and start a new organization,” Bhawal said.
ISO, originally known as Desi Jags, existed as a long-time home for Indian international students from both Indiana University and Purdue, before the rebranding. Upon hearing the news of the split and not wanting to choose to operate under a certain side, the then board ultimately chose to dissolve the organization.
“We look to serve both IU and Purdue students,” Bhawal said. “We do not care which school you’re affiliated with. We just want to serve you and make sure you feel like you’re at home here.”
Swadesh outlines its mission to foster vibrant cultural exchanges among the diverse multinational and ethnic communities within the IU Indianapolis campus, and hosts various events throughout the year to promote Desi culture. The term, Desi, refers to individuals of the Indian subcontinent.
Bhawal describes the board as close friends who are passionate about the organization. Including Bhawal, many are well-known on campus and are active with leadership positions within other student organizations.
Though only initially beginning in the spring of 2024, the organization managed to build its membership and board through word of mouth, social media promotions and tabling events.
While Swadesh continues to conduct similar activities to ISO, the organization now places an emphasis on a collective campus community.
“We have focused a lot more on fostering a sense of belonging through our meetings being very social,” Bhawal said. “ We empower our general members a lot to ensure that they are more creative and they get some leadership experience as well.”
Moreover, Bhawal is hopeful that Swadesh will not only be perceived as a safe place for Indian international students to celebrate familiar cultural events on campus, but to also engage the domestic study body.
“It’s a really good chance for them to connect with other people who might be from a similar background as theirs [Indian international students] or maybe totally different [domestic students] as well, and that brings in a lot of different kinds of perspectives,” Bhawal said. “For domestic students too, it just gives them a chance to be on campus and enjoy and meet new people.”
Since the rebrand, the organization has strategically maneuvered through several changes, including funding. For Swadesh, many of the divisions and departments who originally served as sponsors for ISO, experienced several budget cuts. Despite that, the organization remains persistent in its efforts to engage students and thrive within the campus community, Bhawal said.
With a decline in student involvement with organizations, Bhawal acknowledged that the journey for Swadesh has not been an easy one. While membership has managed to grow and events are widely acknowledged on campus, internal management for events is not always a one-step process.
“We do plan for a lot of the processes, events and event day operations, but there are always some last minute things which no one can plan for,” Bhawal said. “Those are the moments which reflect our ability to be agile with making quick decisions.”
When looking to the future, Bhawal wants Swadesh to evolve into the first thing that comes to mind when students might be thinking about cultural events.
“We want to have our events open to anyone and everyone who would want to experience Indian culture through an event on campus,” Bhawal said. “What we are currently working on are ways to make sure that the organization continues to be sustainable and has membership which can carry the mantle forward.”
Heaven Xiong is a senior majoring in management, international studies and journalism, with a minor in economics. She is a writer and Copy Editor for The Campus Citizen. Outside of writing, she is an avid Minute Maid lover, dancer and Swiftie. This is her last semester with The Campus Citizen, which has grown much more into a home than a student org for her.