మీరూ ఇంతేనయా...

I'm very saddened by the fact that we are receiving so many depressing
e.mails about TAMA. Till now I restrained my self from making any
comments. Since the email that I recevied this morning from Chand has
started with a quote: “The silence of good men is more dangerous
than the brutality of bad men†- Dr. Martin Luther King, I felt
like sharing my thoughts, for once, over the current episode.

Obviously, there are two groups fighting for control of TAMA, an
organization founded to serve the cultural needs of Telugu people in
the metro Atlanta. Till now, I didn't find any suggestions, in these
e.mails, on how to make TAMA a more vibrant organization or ideas for
new programs. All the fight is about individuals, personalities and
their inability to come to gether for a bigger cause in the interest
of Telugu community.

No one can deny that the current TAMA EC made few mistakes like taking
away the voting rights of annual members by amending by-laws with out
the due process. In fairness, the EC has conducted creative programs
like 'Palleku Podam' and helping the 'Butanese Refugees' etc.,besides
continuing scholarship programs etc., Over the past one month several
elders of the community spent hours and hours to see if a compromise
could be made between these two groups. Several reasonable suggestions
for compromise were made. Unfortunately, both the groups stuck to
their positions and all the efforts gone in vain resulting in one
group approaching the court. Now the Court has spoken....

Here is my sincere request to both Chand & TSR:

Chand:

Since the Court has vindicated your argument to extend the enrollment
date for new members and opening nomination process, now you should
let the TAMA EC do their job and implement the court order with out
you making it any complicated with your demands for 'TSR to step down
gracefully' or 'to replace Ramakanth Rallapalli as Chair of EC' etc.,
If you want those demands to be implemented as a remedy, you should
have asked the Judge to pass an order to that effect. You had your
chance.
Since you said that you took the matter to the court in the interest
of the community, you should cooperate with the TAMA EC to see that
the elections are conducted smoothly. No one should forget that the
court order applies to both the parties and any hindrance to implement
the court order by TAMA on one pretext or the other could be construed
as contempt of court.

TSR & EC:

Since the matter has now been adjuged by the Court, you have the
responsibility to implement the court order in both letter and spirit.
You will not try to find any loop hole in the order so as not to
implement the order for its' intent or else such action will be
construed as contempt of court. Also, you have a responsibility to
see that the transition of power occurs smoothly to the new EC at the
conclusion of elections.

Let us all work to bring this sad chapter in the history of TAMA to a
quick and peacful conclusion so that we all could put it behind us and
focus on taking TAMA's programs to the next level.