INTRODUCTION
Several historical articles are prepared: to depict the background,
behind-the-scene deliberations, beginning and early days of: JAINA, LA-
Jain Center JCSC, LA-Pathshala (Jain Center Youth Council, JCYC) and
LA-Jain Social Group (JSG-LA).
Since the period under reviewwaslate '70s andearly '80s, more
than a quarter century ago, sincere and honest effort was made to do
justice to the institutions ofJAINA, JCSC, JCYCand JSG-LA.
Considerable effort and time were spent to doit right,
Several documents were reviewed, historical data collected and
dozens ofrelevant people at that time (in JAINA, JCSC, JCYC, JISG-LA)}
were contacted. Manypeople, including : C.N. Sanghavi, Girish C. Shah,
Kalyanji Mota, Lalit Shah, Mihir Gandhi , Sailes Jain, Subodh Sheth,
Sudhir Kothari and several others, who are knowledgeable on the subject
or were actively involved in those historic days (1978-1985) were
contacted, their input was secured and they reviewedfor historical data,
facts and authenticity. Chandrakant Parekh and Satles Jain provided
valuable help ofreviewing. Vision and founding principles ofJain Center-
LA and JAINA werealso prepared.
Attachedare five articles : (1) Birth ofJAINA, (2) Vision of LA-
Jain Center & JAINA, (3) Making of LA-Jain Center, (4) Making of LA-
Pathshala and (5) History ofJain Social Group-LA.
Let us summarize the facts here:
(1) There were more than 150 families (250 members) whostarted
LA-Jain Center on Sep 15, 1979, and notjust 30 families.
(2) There were more than 15 Jain organizations involvedin
JAINA formation in 1981 and notjust 3 Jain Centers/Societies.
(3) During the first and formative (constitutional) JAINA
Convention in May 1981 in Los Angeles, JAINA was properly formed,its
proposedconstitution (developed, discussed and agreed by those 15
participating Jain organizations during the preceding |2 months) was
presented, discussed, amended and adoptedbythe plenary session. The
constituent assembly (plenary session) ofthe Ist JAINA Conventionin
