18th Annual BSNA Convention Comes to Houston

 

By Parth Dwivedi

HOUSTON: Once every year Brahman Samaj of North America hosts its multinational convention and this year, Houston had the distinction of hosting the event. The event was held at the Double Tree Hotel from July 4 to 6. The theme for each convention varies annually, with this year’s convention examining “the Significance of Brahmanic Values in Modernity and Youth.”

BSNA was founded to promote Brahmanic and Vedic Culture by imparting knowledge to youth and uplifting different sections of the community, according to its wesbite. It continues that its vision in doing so is to steadily unite and improve society (see more at http://bsna.org.).

BSNA also contributes to the global Indian community, more recently putting its efforts into relief for the Uttarakhand Flood, to which donations can be made through their website via credit card or PayPal.

The opening ceremony was conducted on Independence Day. Bhajans and introductions were notably accompanied with a speech given by Upendra Chivukula, Deputy Speaker for the New Jersey General Assembly. Also a former Mayor of Franklin, NJ, he noted the “value of knowledge,” continuing that many first generation Indians might have learned of their culture by “osmosis.” Chivukula, concluded that the perpetuation of culture in further generations across the pond requires an educational effort in the Information Age, echoing the convention’s theme.

The convention served as a forum for opinions and ideas, with many speakers presenting many views. Notable presentation topics included health, Indian-American representation in politics, Hindu and Brahmanic identity, and the role of science in religion, with presentations being followed by eager conversation. Meanwhile, workshops were also conducted to increase awareness of health care, law, and business, on the premise that many Indians might specialize in a field, while few might possess a working understand of the others.

Highlights of the event included the Kavi Sammelan (an age-old tradition in BSNA), Yoga, and Bhajans. The most popular was the cultural program, however, which included impressions by Hardik Vyas, a play on the life of Meerabai by Shri Natraj School of Dance, as well as classical and Bollywood dance numbers by local artists and guests.

The concurrently held BSNA Youth Convention, headed by Shailendra Shukla and Sonal Shukla, played an especially important role in the convention, as it most directly addressed this year’s stated theme. Shailendra Shukla wanted the youth convention to be driven by discourse and building personal connections between those old enough, and engaging cultural education for the younger. “We really wanted to communicate that the brahmanic lifestyle is a choice; not just something you are born into,” said  Shukla, adding that most NRI families would fit the more progressive definition of a Brahman, in as much as adherence to brahmanic values is concerned, referencing Indians as the model minority.

Abha Dwivedi, a prominent Houstonian, was charged with the responsibility of being the President of the organization’s Texas Chapter. Described by her colleagues as a “perfectionist,” the convention ran on a tight schedule under her watchful eye. The first-time chapter head credited all of the success to the work of Convention Director, Dr. Keshav Shukla, whose labors helped create the three-day experience that brought Brahmans together from across the country.