Convention'96 -- brief description

    The second annual convention of the Brahman Samaj of North America (BSNA) was held at the Sheraton Berkshire hotel in Reading, PA, on July 4-6, 1996. More than 600 people, including children, participated in the convention. The theme of the convention was  'Brahmans of the 21^st century.' It was a very well organized event with all the delegates living in the same hotel. According to Prof. Satish Tripathi, the director of the convention, it provided an excellent opportunity for members from different parts of North America to come together in a family atmosphere and discus the contemporary social, cultural, and educational issues facing the community. The convention consisted of lectures, panel discussions, and cultural and entertainment events. One full day, organized by Madhuri Tiwari, was given to youth to discuss issues specific to their age group. Writing and drawing competitions were held for young children who participated with great enthusiasm. The cultural program, coordinated by Dr. Anita Dubey, included music and dance items by professional as well community artists. A souvenir magazine, edited by Dr. Satish Misra, was issued to commemorate the occasion. Some members of the community were honored with awards for their contributions to the community and professional excelence.
    In his presidential address, Mr. Nirmalendu Choubey said that the BSNA is an attempt to consolidate our community in order to preserve and explore our common culture and values, and to hold on to our identity while moving with the times and playing a strong positive role in the American society. He declared, "We are a group of people who do not discriminate against anyone  on the basis of  caste, gender, national origin, political beliefs, race, or religion… Our ancestors have contributed immensely to the history and culture of India and that of the Hindu religion.  We are known for humility,  service, and excellence in every endeavor we choose to undertake." One of the highlights of the convention was the inspiring keynote address by Prof. Bhudev Sharma. He talked about the issues of 'change' in the context of modern times and the cyber-age. He discussed how factors like religion, social norms, human-relations, aspirations, etc. affect our lives and how our  religion, our norms and values, and practices can facilitate success in life.

Awards at Convention'96

      The Brahman Samaj of North America, at its second annual convention held at Reading PA on July 4-6, 1996, recognized and honored several members for their contributions to the community and professional excellence. The Shiromani puraskaar for exceptionally valuable contributions was given to Dr. Vinod Tewary of Colorado, and the Alankaar puraskaar for professional excellence was given to Prof. Ramanath Sharma of Hawaii. Prof. Bhudev Sharma of Louisiana was honored as the keynote speaker. Other award winners were:

Brahma-Gaurava puraskaar: Anita Dubey, Jitender Dubey, Nitin Purohit, Satish Tripathi, Shyam Shukla.
Karmanishtha puraskaar: Bhaw Dutt Shukla, Jagar Sharma, Pooran Tripathi, Purushottam Sharma, Ramendra  Pandey.
Brahma-Deep puraskaar:  Anand Mishra, Satish Mishra, Ghan Shyam Pandey, Mahendra Misra, Uday Shukla, Vivek Shukla.
Brahma-Bharati puraskaar: Anuranjita Tewary.
Shreshtha puraskaar: Anoop Bhargava,  Arvind Pathak,  Awadh Pandey, Bhama Pathak,  Daya Nand Sharma,  Gupteshwar Pathak, Kedar Sharma,  Lakshmi Shanker Dube,  Lila Dhar  Mishra,  Neetu  Sharma,  Prabhakar Misra, Raga  Misra,  Ram  Behari Misra,  Ram Das Choudhary,  Ram P. Tewari, Rama Kant Chaturvedi,  Ramesh Pandey, Shambhu Nath Tripathi, Shanti Pathak, Sonia Sharma,  Suresh Tiwari,  Trayambak Nath Bajpayee,  Umesh Shukla.

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