"They want to spread Indian culture, but have little understanding of it."
- Jitendra Gopaldas, sophomore

Established in the 1950s, the ISA aims to promote Indian culture on the IU campus and to provide its members with an appreciation and understanding for India's unique heritage.

The problem arose because of two distinct communities of Indian students at IU -- Indian Americans and Indians. Indian-American students are of Indian heritage, but are born and raised in the United States. Many have never visited India and are not Indian citizens. There are about 130 Indian Americans at IU. Indian students are international students who were born and raised in India and have come to the United States. Indian students have no American ties. There are 119 Indian students on campus.

The association is composed predominantly of Indian Americans. Some Indian students question why a group of Indian-Americans, who have second-hand information of Indian culture and life, run ISA.

The ISA constitution, until recently, stated the president of the ISA had to be Indian-born.

"Since we were continually violating that clause, we amended it last year," said junior Parnav Vora, ISA president.

Yet some Indian students are frustrated with the Indian-Americans' lack of understanding of Indian culture, "They (Indian-Americans) want to spread Indian culture, but have little understanding of it," said sophomore Jitendra Gopaldas, an Indian who is from Dubai. "Their knowledge of Indian traditions has been culled from Indian films, books and dinner-table discussions."

The strongest criticism leveled by Indian students is that the needs and interests of Indians on campus are not on the ISA's agenda.

"At the first meeting the ISA asked us to volunteer and suggest activities," said sophomore Vikram Wadhwani, whose family lives in Mumbai, India. "When we got back to them with our suggestions, they cold-shouldered us."

Elaborating on the agenda of IU's Indian students, Wadhwani said, "We demand better representation and participation on the ISA."

Some Indians also complain they did not feel welcomed by ISA when they arrived on campus.

"At a time when new students arrive in an alien culture, the organization ought to make them feel at home," said Saif Qureshi, a graduate student and Mumbai resident. "Other minority associations arrange pickups and dropoffs to and from the airport. The ISA does neither."

ISA vice president and junior Gaurav Oberoi agrees there's a communication problem. "We have been somewhat sloppy in our responses. We are working on it."

Oberoi said the ISA was planning to use discussions and social and cultural events to bridge the gap between Indian students and the Indian Americans.

"The association does not show its face until the first or second month into the semester," said junior Saumil Shah, also a resident of Mumbai. "When they finally do, it is through an e-mail announcing a mass meeting. Is this the best welcome the ISA can lay out?"

Vora accepts many of the complaints leveled at the association, "We lack in initiative and motivation at times, but we do the best we can."

Indian students are not terribly enthusiastic about the ISA either. As the Indian-American dominated ISA does not involve Indian students, often the latter are apathetic and disinterested in the ISA.

"At the first ISA mass meeting last year, there were only three Indians in a gathering of 60," Wadhwani said.

Senior Dimple Sharma, an Indian American, blamed the ISA election process for the lack of involvement by Indian students. "The elections are a popularity contest," said Sharma, who ran for elections in the past. "You're not elected for your opinions or motivation, but on your popularity among the members."

Oberoi vehemently denied this. "Any IU student can vote on the ISA. So the claim that Indian Americans vote their friends into power is not true."

When Indian students were asked why they never ran for office, some expressed their frustration. "Frankly, I couldn't care anymore," Gopaldas said.

This attitude angers Vora.

"If the Indian students don't run for elections, they have no business to sit on the sidelines and complain."

Another answer attributes lack of numbers, rather than indifference, to the poor Indian participation in ISA elections.

"With a minuscule representation in the ISA, Indians have little hope of mustering sufficient support to play a functional role," Wadhwani said.

Sharma agreed. "The ISA needs to relate to the Indian students," Sharma said. "They ought to include new students into the executive council, not just in policy, but in reality, as well."

Junior Yujin Ishizaki, president of the Japanese Student Association, said the problem of one-sided representation is unique to the ISA. "We don't really have that problem because there aren't very many Japanese Americans on campus," Ishizaki said. "The JSA is primarily composed of Japanese students, most of whom have come to the United States for the first time."