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JAINA PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY: PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Compiled and edited by Bipin Parikh, Ph. D
dmdmrch@core.com
Introduction
JAINA started an ever-ascending path to excellence in North America with the blessing from Gurudev Chitrabhanuji and Acharya Sushil Kumarji. I would like to present a compilation of activities and achievements during each JAINA presidency. With my presidency coming to an end, I will provide the achievements in last two years as well as those of each past president, and I will also reflect what each president wants to see as JAINA's targets for future progress.
This article is setup in various categories. The achievements are reported sequentially. Typically a nonprofit organization moves very slowly, because with such vast land and variety of habits, it is required that every issue be thoroughly reviewed before making a decision. However, JAINA has progressed at supersonic speed to become a world-class organization only in 22 years.
Birth of JAINA
First Jain (not JAINA) conference was held on May 23-25, 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanu and Acharya Shree Sushil Kumarji and Dr. Padmanabh Jaini graced the occasion. Dr. Lalit Shah & Dr. Tansukh Salgia was successful in bringing Gurudev Chitrabhanuji and Acharya Sushil Kumarji together. A meeting of delegates from Jain centers of Washington (DC), Cleveland, Northern California, and Southern California was held during the conference. During the meeting, it was unanimously resolved to establish an Umbrella organization/federation for all Jain organizations of USA and Canada
The ad-hoc committee formed at the first convention announced a second Jain convention to be hosted by Jain Center of New York on May 28 - 29, 1983. A draft constitution was mailed out to all member organ
AINA Presidents, Membership (No. Of Centers), and Conventions President
Years
Members At the end No.
- Biennial JAINA Conventions Year City Attendees (approx.)
1981
300
12
2nd
1983
200
Dr. Lalit Shah (LS) Dr. Manoj Dharamsi (MD) Dr. Tansukh Salgia (TS)
1981 to 1983 1983 to 1985 1985 to 1989
3rd
1985
250
4th 5th
1987 1989
700 2000
Dr. Sulekh Jain (SJ)
1989 to 1993
50
6th
1991
3500
Los Angeles New York Detroit Chicago Toronto San Francisco Pittsburgh Chicago Toronto Philadelphia Chicago Cincinnati
7th
1993
4000
8th
1995
9000
9th
1997
Dr. Jagat Jain (JJ) Dr. Manibhai Mehta (MM) Dr. Dhiraj Shah (DS) Dr. Mahendra Pandya (MP) Dr. Bipin Parikh (BP)
1993 to 1995 1995 to 1997 1997 to 1999 1999 to 2001 2001 to 2003
6700 8000
10th 11th 12th
1999 2001 2003
4150
61"
3000 estimated
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