BY LIANA KATZ

In print | November 1, 2007

Complete with movie screenings, lectures and a game of cricket, Deshi’s Diya Week is in full swing. For this entire week, Deshi, Swarthmore’s South Asian organization, has planned diverse and exciting events culminating in a Diya Explosion party this Saturday night in Paces.

Diya Week’s overall goal is to familiarize the Swarthmore community with South Asian culture and issues. According to Deshi co-president Parth Lakhani ‘10, Deshi itself serves as a “safe space” for South Asian students to discuss and explore their differences. Lakhani hopes that Diya Week will increase Deshi’s visibility on campus and bring the “different voices” of Swarthmore’s South Asian students to light.

Earlier this week, Deshi brought Stalin K., the director of “India Untouched: Stories of a People Apart,” to discuss his movie about India’s “untouchables.” Shaila Chhibba ‘10 enjoyed the film because it presented a wide array of perspectives on India’s caste system. The director traveled to eight different regions in India and interviewed people of all ages and walks of life. “Because each state’s cultural practices are different,” Chhibba said, “It was interesting to see that all still follow a caste system.”

Deshi also screened two movies, “Dev” and “Kandahar,” both of which touched upon issues important to the South Asian community. In addition, Monami Maulik from the New York-based social justice organization D.R.U.M spoke on Tuesday evening, detailing the deportation of low-income South Asian immigrants without reason in the post 9/11 world. English professor Bakirathi Mani held a talk followed by a workshop exploring “gender and sexuality in the South Asian diaspora.”

If you missed out on the first half of the week’s events, there are still plenty more activities planned.

Today, Nov. 1: Come to Kohlberg 115 at 7 p.m. for Diya Week’s second movie screening, “Lage Raho Munna Bhai.” This film humorously follows one ex-gangster’s adoption of a Ghandian outlook on life to win over a girl.

Following the screening, let out your inner Bollywood star and sing your favorite Hindi songs. Come to Mephistos Lounge at 10 p.m. for karaoke. There will also be Indian food and the chance to get a mehndi tattoo. Mehndi is a traditional body art that uses henna paste to create intricate designs on hands and feet.

Frida, Nov. 2: Do you long to engage in a tradition that dates back to the 13th century? Or perhaps you crave to know what exactly a “wicket-keeper” is. Either way, come to Mertz Lawn at 2 p.m. for a rousing game of cricket. Don’t worry about having a total lack of skills, as everybody will be on the same amateur page!

A catered Indian dinner will be held in Upper Tarble at 6 p.m. followed by Garba and Dandiya Raas. Garba is a traditional circle dance where increasingly difficult patterns are repeated to music. As Chhibba explained, Garba is usually associated with the lead up to the Hindu holiday, Diwali. This Garba, however, will have no religious implications. Dandiya is an active dance involving sticks and once represented a fight between a goddess and demon king. “Dandiya is a very communal dance because you end up dancing with everybody,” Chhibba said.

Saturday, Nov. 3: Sofia Saiyed, Deshi co-president, is very excited for Saturday’s Paces party, closing up Diya Week. The event will continue to celebrate South Asian culture. The music, selected by WSRN’s Bollywood Badshahs and Humzah Soofi ’10, will mix South Asian and English selections.

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