Singer Alina Chauhan was not feeling happy when she returned from America after completing her musical tour titled ‘Ab Gaakkha America’. That was reflected in the status she posted on social media Facebook on October 21.

She wrote that the artists were treated like servants during the trip, ‘Some felt like prisoners, some had to endure humiliation. I want to make one thing clear, the organizer is the patron of the artist, not the owner. An artist seeks respect, treatment and appreciation more than money. Bad experiences have taught me a lot. Now no artist should suffer such humiliation.’

After Alina’s status, questions were not only raised on social media about the organizer ‘Fly Nepa’, but also about Alina on social media, citing the claims of the organizing organization. Some are even commenting on irrelevant matters of Alina’s personal life in this same context.

Alina, along with singers Badri Pangeni, Pratap Das and Kala Lamsal, had reached America for an event to be held in various cities in the United States from August 17, organized by a company called Fly Nepa Travel. Lamsal, on the other hand, returned after experiencing health problems during the program. After returning, Lamsal raised various questions against the organizers.

On Bhadra 26, she posted a photo of herself sitting in a wheelchair on social media Facebook and wrote, 'With great enthusiasm and energy in my heart, I had reached America for a musical program, and I also got the opportunity to give some performances.' But unfortunately, my health condition became complicated and I requested the organizer Binod Adhikari to take the initiative for treatment. But sadly, my request was not heeded. After seeing that my treatment was not possible even in a place like America and when they said it would take 4-5 months, I did not think anything was more important than my life. I was forced to return to Nepal and had no choice but to say 'sorry'.'

She had accused her well-wishers and relatives of not even being allowed to tell her that she was sick once during her trip to America. Lamsal had health problems after completing six Teej programs. At that time, she was in New Hyamsore. In an interview with journalist Radhika Kandel a month ago, Lamsal had said that she was treated humiliatingly when she was sick and that it was the saddest trip ever.

After Lamsal's allegations became public, the organizing organization issued a statement on Bhadra 27, denying the allegations. Kala repeated the same thing in an interview with Kantipur. 'It is true that I suffered from the organizers. When I was sick at that time, I suffered a lot of uncooperation. But instead of speaking my mind, I was put in a difficult situation,' says Kala.

After another artist Alina Chauhan, who was with her at the same program, also questioned the organizers in a similar manner, the organizing organization's director, Binod Adhikari, has become more controversial. Singers Pratap Das and Badri Pangeni, who accompanied Alina and Kala, are still in America.

What happened during the trip to America? Singer Chauhan has made some serious allegations against the organizers in an interview with Kantipur. She not only complained that the organizers had harassed and insulted her during the trip, but also claimed that the organizing officials had treated her like a slave and prisoner.

She said that the organizers had offered her very little money even though they had said that there would be 25 programs during the one-and-a-half to two-month trip. "I agreed to go after they said that the program would also be paid for and that there would be hotel and flight tickets everywhere," she said.

She said that they were initially taken home, contrary to the previous agreement to keep the artists in hotels. Despite Alina's claims, the fourth point of the agreement between the artists and the organizing organization obtained by Kantipur states that the organizing organization will bear the travel and accommodation expenses.

Alina also complained that they were placed in different people's homes during the trip. She said, 'During the trip, we were placed in different people's homes. We had lunch in one house, dinner in another. We had to run from house to house. This was not according to our prior agreement.'

She said that the work did not go according to the schedule during the trip and that she had to repeatedly face harassment and bullying. She said that she felt helpless at times, saying, 'Once, he forcibly pushed me into the car. I was humiliated in front of people.'

Some of the allegations made by Alina against the organizer and its chief officer are serious. Alina also said that strangers kicked the door of her room at night and that she had to send a message asking for help. She said that she has proof of this and that all this happened due to poor management.

The organizing organization is accusing Alina of collecting $2500 at one place against the rules. When asked what happened in this, she said that she would not perform at one place as the conflict was increasing, but the local organizer requested her to sing a song to keep the hearts of the people attending the event, so she took $2500 on the condition that she would pay.

An audio clip of Alina's argument with the local organizer is also being circulated on social media. Alina said that the audio was from that time but only a part of it was cut out. She claimed, 'Only the part where I was threatened has been cut out and the part where I expressed my anger has been brought out.' She also claimed that 'Fly Nepa' was informed at that time that Alina had taken money from the local organizer. She said that she had booked her own ticket and returned to Nepal after the program, saying that unnecessary accusations were made against her.

We also asked Binod Adhikari, director of the organizer 'Fly Nepa', to understand Alina's allegations. He denied all the allegations and said that he would take legal action against Alina on his behalf.

Adhikari said that the dispute escalated after Alina illegally demanded $2500 from the local organizer. When asked why the artists were not accommodated in hotels as per the previous conditions, he said that the houses were booked through the online platform Air B&B, which provides rooms, and that they were kept there, claiming that he had receipts for paying the fees for each place.

Then, can you send any bill as proof? In response, he was reluctant. He also denied that the official forcibly placed them in the car.

Whether Kala or Alina, who went to America for this program and returned midway, both the allegations against the organizers are serious in nature. Kala has said that after she had a health problem, she was not provided with proper treatment there. The agreement between Kantipur and the organizers did not mention the issue of health insurance.

The organizing organization also did not provide health insurance for the artists. Alina said that the organizers did not provide health insurance and the artists themselves did not do so. After the dispute between Alina and the organizers, we also talked to other artists who had visited America in previous programs organized by Fly Nepa.

On the condition that the names of those artists not be mentioned, they said that they had also experienced the same experience as Alina, but were unable to respond due to controversy and other circumstances. The records of the conversations of all those artists with Kantipur are preserved. In the Ab Haschha America program held in 2080, 8 comedians had reached America.

Those on that trip were Sandeep Chhetri, Suman Karki, Bharatmani Poudel, Maxam Gaudel, Kailash Karki, Sajan Shrestha, Suman Koirala and Santosh Thapa. We spoke to 4 of the eight. They said that the artists were not treated professionally and that they were taken to people's homes to feed and entertain them, and that they were forced to perform at some homes.

One of the artists we spoke to said that they were taken to someone's house without their knowledge and that they only found out when they arrived that there was a birthday party there. He said, 'After eating, they pressured us to do comedy.' When we tried to get away saying we were tired, we found out that there had been a money-raising operation in advance by saying that they were bringing artists. Then we left after arguing.’

Another artist who participated in the trip also agreed with Alina, remembering his behavior at that time. The artist said that one of the artists fell ill during the trip when he reached Harrisburg, but the organizer did not want to take him to the hospital.

Artists Alina Chauhan, Pratap Das and Badri Pangeni, who arrived in America with organizer Binod Adhikari. Photo: From Binod Adhikari’s Facebook.

Some artists said that they were forced to travel by car for up to 18 hours even though the agreement stipulated air travel within the United States. Most of the artists we spoke to shared the pain of having to make the same argument because of these and other bitter experiences.

Adhikari, who is the director of Fly Nepa Travel Company, has been running companies in various countries including Nepal, Dubai, America, Canada and others. He has been taking artists from Nepal since 2080 by organizing programs like ‘Now America Laughs’, ‘Now America Sings’, and ‘Now America Listens’.