Public Statement
The Aradhana Committee is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone attending the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, based on our values of respect, support and inclusion. We support the MeToo movement in amplifying voices that previously did not receive the attention they should have, and recognize the need for change in our global society.
We have always followed and continue to evolve our policies around misconduct reported to us by members of the Festival community, whether they took place at the Festival or elsewhere. We will continue to do so and, and continue to encourage anyone who is affected to come forward.
In a recent personal Facebook post, Mr. V.V. Sundaram referenced incidents of misconduct that were reported first-hand to the Aradhana Committee. None of the reported incidents took place in Cleveland or at the Festival. However, when we heard these first-hand reports about misconduct by artists that occurred outside of the the festival, even though they took place far away from Cleveland, we suspended their participation at the festival to ensure the safety and well-being of all our participants.
In addition, we would like to share some highlights about our organization and the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival:
- We are a registered public 501(c)(3) organization. As such, all of our resources are dedicated only to our stated goal of advancing Indian classical arts in North America. Our financials are filed annually with the IRS, and are available to anyone who is interested in understanding how our funding is used. The Committee makes no profits, and has no paid employees, and all organizational activities are planned and executed on a volunteer basis
- In light of heightened concerns, we revisited and updated our long-standing policies to clarify the procedure for reporting sexual misconduct to the Aradhana Committee. In addition, we encourage affected parties to report misconduct to relevant law enforcement authorities
- We have over the last several years, continued to increase the US-based talent that we showcase at the Festival, in addition to the full-time professional musicians from India, Canada, and elsewhere in the world. We believe that shared global interactions in a safe and welcoming atmosphere are the key to the continuing advancement of the art worldwide
Indian classical arts are part of our shared global culture, and it is our mission to bring the best of that to Cleveland — our city which has grown to become the home for these arts in the US. We look forward to continued dialogue with the broader community to advance Indian classical arts in North America.
