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professors, enginers, doctors and businessmen. I had also the opportunity to visit several Jain centers and temples which they have established there to keep the footing of their religion firm. On week end and other holidays they meet and at various meetings, which I also had to address at these centers and temples, I found that there was an unsatiable hunger for Jain literature, video-cassettes of Jain temples and shrines and shrines and cassettes of Jain devotional songs. Hardly there was any home where I stayed or about which I came to know from my friends that the cassettes of Jain songs were not played daily.
There are in all 39 Jain Centers, Associations and Societies in USA and Canada alone. They are engaged in holding various religious, social and litterary activities throughout the year. The Federation of Jain Associations in North America (USA & Canada) is a powerful body of Jains. It has its members, 24 Jain Centers and Associations of North America.
The Federation is the product of a dream and vision of a few concerned and far-sighted individuals from Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washingtion, D. C. who, on an informal basis during November-December of 1979 started discussing the possibility of creating an umbrella organisation which would provide leadership to Jain centers, help create more Jain organisations and promote Jainism in North America. This idea and dream was discussed with Muni Shri Sushil Kumarji and Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji. Both gave their blessings.
Towards the end of 1980, the Jain Center of Southern California made a motion that they would like to host a Jain Conference of all Jain Organisations in Los Angeles (L. A.) during Memorial Day week end of 1981. Members from Cleveland, (L. A.) San Francisco and Washington, D. C. gathered for the three-day conference and discussed the various aspects of the need of such an organization and of its aims and objectives. Finally, a draft constitution as agreed upon and an ad hoc committee appointed under the leadership of Mr. Lalit Shah of Los Angeles as its first president, Mr. Girish Shah of San Fracisco was appointed SecretaryTreasurer and Dr. Manoj Dharams of Washington, D. C. and Dr. Tansukh J. Salgia of Cleveland as Vice-Presidents.
A second convention of the Federation, sponsored by the Jain Center of America was held in New York City in May of 1983. At that time the constitution of the Federation was signed by the representatives of the member organisations and a new Executive Committee with Dr, Manoj Dharamsi as President, Mr. Laxmi Gogri. Dr. Tansukh J. Salgia and Mr. Ramnik Kothari as Vice-President, Mr.
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