Angeles. The Convention was very successful, graced by Pujya Acharya
Sushil Kumarji, Puyya Gurudev Chitrabhanuji, Professor Padmanabh Jaini
andProfessorJagdishPrasad Sharma. Thereweredelegates fromNewYork,
NewJersey, Washinton DC, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Rochester, Toronto,
Chicago, San Francisco and several other cities. In addition, many
dignitarieswereinvited, includingGov. EdmundG. BrownJr., Congressman
Mervyn Dymally, LA Mayor Tom Bradley, LA Cultural Commissioner Dr.
Marwah,Indian Consulate General Mr. Aziz, Prof. Stephen Hay, Dr. Ann
Norton, Ramesh Murarkaof“/ndia West’ and more, but some ofthemcould
not attend. Hundreds of local JCSC members and others attended the
Convention.
The Convention opened with invocation followed by welcome
speeches fromJCSCPresidentandVicePresident. Therewereaddressesand
blessings from Pujya Sushil Muniji and Pujya Chitrabhanuji. Professor
Jaini, Professor Sharma, Sudhaben Sheth and invited dignitaries also
addressed the Convention. Lively question-answer added flavor to the
function. Conventionproceededvery smoothly,colorfully anddelightfully.
Slide presentation of “Samovasaran” by Dr. Ann Norton and movie
“Jainism” informed and entertained everybody. There was a cultural
programpresentedbythelocalJCSCmembers.
The delegates discussed and adopted the name “The Federation of
Jain Organizations in North America” with the short mnemonic name of
“JAINA”. The draft constitution was proposed, discussed, amended and
approved by the delegates and general attendance. The First Executive
Committee was elected and included - Lalit Shah as President; Manoj
Dharamsi, Tansukh Salgia and Dinesh Dalal as three Vice Presidents; and
Girish ShahofSanJoseas Secretary/Treasurer.
By grace ofShasan Dev and blessings ofBhagvan Mahavir Swami,
everything worked out great as planned. In addition to hard working
Convention Committee and Executive Committee, many JCSC members
and volunteers spent hundreds ofhours to form JAINA andhelpit takeoff.
To list all their names would be space prohibitive and make others
uncomfortable whose names might be inadvertently left out. The JAINA,
JCSC and entireNorthAmericanJain communityare gratefulto allthe early
pioneers. /t is really a team work. Individuals alone could never have
accomplishedallthese. Thegloryofachievementsbelongstoallofus
together.