EMAIL from Lion's Club
Dear All,
> You are all well-informed about how one of
the greatest festivals of
> Nepali women, Teej, had not yet been
celebrated in our Boston Community until
> last year. The GBNC had been requested to
celebrate Teej but the request had
> been ignored time and again and had never
been taken seriously. This was the
> only reason why Lions Club decided to step
forward to formally, institutionally
> and grandiosely celebrate Teej festival in
Boston community for the sake of all
> our Nepali sisters living in this area. Lions
Club even included Teej
> celebration in its annual calender months ago
for the same reason. Since we only
> had best
> intentions in mind and no selfishness
involved, we tried to make it a
> inclusive committee. As a Program Director, I
and other members and well wishers
> of Lions Club had personally approached
people who were actively involved in the
> Teej program last year, and people from other
diverse background to be a part of
> this program. Most of the people had positive
reactions when they were
> first approached to join us in the committee.
However, even though we had tried
> to be as cooperative and as inclusive as
possible, certain people did not like
> the idea of Lions Club sponsoring the Teej program
and declared their own
> separate program to celebrate Teej festival
in the same date and time that we
> had originally planned to celebrate it.
Despite their uncooperative action
> and decision, we tried to compromise with
them and come to an understanding
> to celebrate Teej together in a harmony.
However, our efforts to come to an
> understanding was continuously ignored and
information on their Teej program
> was published in the media without once
informing or consulting us. In order to
> not clash the dates for these separate Teej
programs, we tried to be flexible
> and accommodating, and decided to change the
date of our own program to a
> different date than we had originally
planned. Therefore, I request all of you
> to participate and support this program in
every way, as well as to promote this
> program among your friends and acquaintances
to make
> this Teej Program, sponsored by Lions Club, a
success.
In response to
the the email that was sent out by the Lions club members, and directors:
Last Year there
it was advised by the so called members of Lion’s club, then there existed no
Lions club, that the local women should be organizing the Teej festival. To
respect and taken as we women can do things, and make things happen, we,
non-affiliated to any organization decided to do the TEEJ festival this year.
Along the line when organizing the Festival, So, called members/directors of
the lions’ club had called names to us as “ Boston ma Pothi Basyo”, some called
over the phone and named us Maoists. The organization has no other motif than
its name and fame. Many of them calling on the phone and asking to put the
organization’s name as the organizers, where we women had no affiliation to no
organization as for as this years’s TEEJ celebration goes. Why this made a big
deal with the name of the Lions club? Is the harassment over the phone off the
record is what Lion’s Club stands for?
When there was a
concern of women were organizing this festival, lions club created so many
female members over night and put them forward to counter our effort.
Only cooperation that was sought from the Lion’s club was to
withdraw our plan so that they can do it. And no meeting was offered, to
discuss about their date/time or anything and their plan for that matter. All
the blames by lions club are false.
There was no
other effort than to put the organization name to be put on the Festival
organizers. Where as we only wanted to have all the women participate and
celebrate TEEJ and have fun.
The above email
is nothing but the director and the members of Lions club, as to where they saw
the our posting on Sajha 2 weeks prior to their posting of the event, now you
make the wise decision of who is doing what.
I and my friends
are considering seriously about issuing a complaint against this Lion’s club to
Lions club international for harassment over the phone to our organizers and
calling political names.
We have no other
intension than to celebrate our holy festival without any involvement of any organization.
How lame it is that such a big organization would be coming pointing fingers at
we few women trying to organize a celebration of our festival TEEJ.
