VCU news

By Lane Burgess
Global Education Office

Tiranga, the student organization of Indian Nationals at Virginia Commonwealth University, thrives on its membership of nearly 325 students, made possible by its inclusive nature.

“Any Indian student who comes to VCU is a part of Tiranga,” said Souvik Chakrabarty, president of the organization.

“Any Indian who is coming to study here goes through acclimating,” he said. “They might get homesick. We arrange informal get-togethers, trips to Indian grocery stores and Kroger. It’s a responsibility that we should do this.”

According to the VCU Global Education Office, students from India are the most represented of the 1,500 international students at the university. 

Tiranga started in 2005 with a group of 50 students.

“Back then it was small,” says Chakrabarty, who came to VCU in 2007 to earn his Ph.D. “As it grew, it got funding. It grew in leaps and bounds.”

Clothed in the colors of India, female students donned churdiars, or traditional dresses, to Tiranga’s fall event—Kaleidoscope, which took place Oct. 22. The smell of Indian spices filled the ballroom in the University Student Commons.

The event celebrated Diwali, India’s Festival of Lights. Tiranga opened the event to students of all cultures to experience Indian performances and taste Indian foods.

“Each event symbolizes a theme which reflects the culture of India,” says Gopichand Gottipati, a student in the VCU School of Pharmacy. “Kaleidoscope symbolizes different colors which represent different cultures in India.”

Tiranga hosts major social events in the fall and spring. Throughout the year, the group plans Indian movie screenings, camping and hiking trips, potluck dinners and a trip to an apple orchard. To welcome new students, they hold a Parichay event in early fall.

“In the first semester, it’s a home away from home,” says Gottipati, who hadn’t traveled outside of India prior to his time at VCU.  “I can mingle with everyone, and they are really good friends.”
The word Tiranga, which means “three colors,” refers to the saffron, white and green of India’s national flag. 

“Every Indian will associate with it,” says Morse Faria, vice president. “The main purpose of Tiranga is to bring the culture of India to VCU.”

This year, the group took on another purpose—community engagement.

In the summer of 2011, they started an initiative called “Reaching Out – Dil se,” meaning “from the heart.”

“We bring the Indian community together, so that at least for once they can feel the togetherness that we feel down in India,” he says.

Through Reaching Out – Dil Se, members take on community service projects in the Richmond area and also in India. Locally, Tiranga members have volunteered for the Salvation Army, the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond, VCU Pound Out Hunger and Blue Sky Fund.

To serve their home country, the group will raise funds to educate children living in the slums of India.