Minor South Asian Traditions — a new organization under the Office of the Chaplains celebrating practices and beliefs indigenous to South Asia and other areas — held its inaugural meeting Oct. 22 at the Colgate Memorial Chapel.
Students enjoyed chai with a variety of South Asian snacks, including Parle-G biscuits, Kurkure chips and more. The leaders of MSAT, seniors Gugleen Nijjar and Diya Mehta and sophomore Tarushi Jain, presented on the fundamentals of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism — three of the South Asian religions they hope to highlight.
“Because our religious traditions are considered kind of minor, especially on this campus, […] we want to educate our peers and teach them about our traditions, what they mean, how they came about and just how we are in the modern day,” Nijjar said.
Fellow co-president Mehta described how her experience at Colgate inspired her to create a group that brings people practicing minor traditions together.
“When I was a first-year, I was the only registered Jain on campus,” Mehta said. “It always felt really hard to find people that would relate to me. And then I met [Nijjar], who also is from another minor tradition, and we both felt the same kind of isolation, and we decided we should create a space that other people can use to get away from that isolation.”
The leaders emphasized that they want to uplift all minor traditions on campus beyond just those originating from South Asia.
“We want to have a safe space […] for other students who practice other minor traditions, not [just] South Asian traditions,” Nijjar said. “In the future, I think we see ourselves educating people, creating spaces for people to interact and learn more about different religions that they don’t know about.”
Students who attended the first MSAT meeting described the experience as a valuable opportunity to engage with lesser-known religious traditions. Sophomore Jai Mangal enjoyed the chance to learn more about his community.
“I thought it was really cool, learning about different minor traditions and stuff, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to almost educate myself more,” Mangal said. “I’m Indian American, so I think this is a great way to connect with my Indian culture, or South Asian culture, a little bit better.”
Sophomore August Haston appreciated the chance to learn about the traditions his peers practice everyday.
“I feel like it’s beneficial for anyone to take the time to learn about other people’s beliefs and belief systems,” Haston said.
Looking forward, leaders of MSAT described their long-term hopes for the organization, including an eventual trip to New York City, which they explained is home to a diverse range of South Asian people and traditions.
“A hope is to be able to take a trip there and visit many of these different sites, and just help people get more educated on how people practice every day,” Mehta said.
Mehta also encouraged students who practice or have an interest in any minor traditions to reach out and get involved at their meetings.
“We’re hoping to meet maybe twice a month, depending on how people are available,” Mehta said. “If anyone on campus is of a tradition that they feel like is not often represented — it does not have to be South Asian, but even if it’s just a tradition they want to educate people about — please contact us. We would love to have them present.”
Students can learn more about MSAT on their Instagram account, @colgate_msat.
