The Organization of Bhutanese Communities in America held its three-day second national convention in Nashville, Tennessee from June 10 – 12.
Participants from various States—from California to the West and Massachusetts in the East—have thronged to the convention venue, a high school in Nashville.
OBCA also announced the names of executive board members at the third day program, which was said to be finalized after nearly two days continuous discussions—both open and closed doors.
DJ Khaling has been elected to the post of Chairman of the organization. Accordingly, Manaroth Khanal, Hari Upreti, and Hari Dhakal were selected as Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer respectively. The election commission headed by Hari Prasad Adhikari, former National Assembly member of Bhutan, also elected 29 board members for its two-year tenure.
Besides the announcement of executive board members, chairman, among others, the third day was marked by various cultural shows along with honoring function. Participants from different States rocked the floor with Nepali as well as Dzongkha dances and songs.
The OBCA also formally announced its organizational support to the tornado victims in Massachusetts. OBCA supported the victims with 600 US dollar. The organization also supported the upcoming soccer tournament in Georgia with 800 USD.
Meanwhile, OBCA has given an honor to TP Mishra, Editor of BNS, for his contribution in Diaspora through journalism during the concluding day convention.
According to OBCA, it is committed to felicitate a person or group in Diaspora, whose contribution to the society is rewarding, every year.
The newly elected chairman and former chairman of the organization along with the chief coordinator of second national convention handed over the letter of honor to Mishra amidst a special function today in Nashville, Tennessee.
Click here to read the speech delivered by Mishra after receiving the honor.
Reported by Buddha Mani Dhakal and Tri-Bikram Adhikari jointly from Nashville, TN for BNS.
Congratulations DJ Bhai for your election to the Chairmanship of OBCA. Hope our community will see great progress under your leadership. Wish you all the best.
congratulations to new chairman.
Congratulation to the new team of OBCA. Hope the Bhutanese in diaspora will achieve maximum during your tenure of service.
The establishment of OBCA, objectives circulated then in the googlegroups, were closer to poor and far from theory and philosophy. In fact I was carried away abit fast and reacted with enthusiasm. The mission expressed and the team behind – people who lived in camps and who understood problems was an inspiration. However, philosophies and ideologies defeated the vision, if I may say this. I hope the new team would slide away and get back to the establishment agenda – near to poor and near to deserving ones. Congratulation to Mr. DJ Rai and team, success and strenghts.
TP Mishra and BNS deserve congratulations and of course more responsibility ahead.
Lakshmi Prasad Dhakal
Amsterdam
Congratulations to DJ Khaling daju and other elected members of OBCA! We hope your leadership will prove to be of great benefit for the Bhutanese living in America ! Beside the community works, it would also be nice if OBCA carried out the advocacy works for the cause of Bhutanese in exile. congratulations again!
Congratulations to all the new board members of OBCA and hope you will be able to bring about the much talked about unity not only between the two national parties but among the various sections of the population in the Bhutanese Diaspora.
With invitation to Unity and sharing the expectations of the people with their renewed call for one national level org, I want to congratulate all the new officers of OBCA. It is my hope that you as the national leaders will become pioneers to set Bhutanese-Americans in the right direction in the spirit of unity, hope and progress; and remain worthy of mention in between the pages of history of Bhutanese in America…that is just beginning. Mr Khaling, may God Bless you to lead our people towards a better future and many more joyful gathering of wider cross-section of our people as one at the helm and with due respect to the differences at the periphery as in “Unity in Diversity”.
Wishing you All the very Best.
Dick Chhetri
Congratulations DJ Dai and other newly elected board members of OBCA ! Let your leadership provide congenial environment for the much awaited unity and cooperation between the two NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS shorting out the differences, if any. Similarly, let your direction enhance lasting impression among people in the path of community development.
Cheers !
Bhagirath Khatiwada
Concord, New Hampshire, USA
I am excited and thrilled to see two corrupt people namely: Lamitaray and Purna. Who invited these two men? Are they still be trustworthy? Be careful they may change OBCA into ABCD…..don’t they? These People are without ethical and moral values.
Congratulation to the new team of OBCA. We all are awaited for cooperation and community development. I hope your’s leadership will definetly achive it.
congratulation DJ
I am sure you are the best driver in the seat
i wish you best of luck and support for the works you plan ahead
Congratulation to all the newly elected members of OBCA. So glad to know the progress of our people.
Raghu Osti
Canada.
Hello new OBCA Board of Directors and Executives,
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!
You have done a great job by honouring Journalist T P Mishra. Volunteers are inspired. Thank you OBCA. Best of Luck for your future activities. Extention of the number of Board of Directors and the participation from all the states of America have made OBCA a grand success. Keep it up….
I’d love to participate in your next convention. Let me know.. write at [email protected]
I like to extend my best wishes and big congratulations to DJ Rai g for being elected as the President of OBCA. I also like to congratulate Manaroth Khanal, Hari Upreti, and Hari Dhakal for assuming the high office of OBCA, my regards and best wishes to all the other officials of the board. I am looking forward to see OBCA actively engaged in the community work to bring the desire changes.
Good luck and best wishes once again to all the established executives’ members of the boards.
Thanks
Hi BNS could you print the names of all the OBCA’s Board members along with their portfolio.This way we know who is who and it will be convenient to contact the particular officials for the region.
Thanks
Congratulation to DJ Khaling and the newly elected OBCA board members. May the new leadership work towards addressing the desire of entire Bhutanese in the diaspora.
Hi BNS,
Yes, I support Mr. DB Adhakari’s opinion. We got to know who is who. Can you please publish the names of all the regional leders and board members? I want to keep in touch with the officer whoever lives close to me. My city has few issues in the process of forming community. We need some ideas about registration process for 501(C)3. We have two central committee members who are Nepalese citizens. Can they join OBCA? I have many more questions like……
Thank you
Deepak Adhakari
I would like to ask the newly elected Chairman of the organization of Bhutanese Communities in America (OBCA), Mr. D J Khaling, and other senior executive members, Manaroth Khanal, Hari Upreti , Hari Dhakal, why they have approved more financial aid for an upcoming soccer tournament in Georgia ($800), than they have approved to help tornado victims in Massachusetts, USA (Only $600)?
Do they really feel that tornado victims in Massachusetts need less attention and help because they are less important than those Bhutanese soccer players and who want to watch them play soccer in Georgia?
I appreciate Mr. TP Mishra’s services for the Bhutanese community but I am disappointed to know he has done nothing to help tornado’s Bhutanese victims in Massachusetts. Mr. TP Mishra did not even mention Bhutanese victims in Massachusetts, in his very long speech, who became homeless again after coming to America after a powerful tornado struck West Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, on June 01, 2011.
Mr. Shahid M. Pasha, Massachusetts, USA
Congratulation Mr. DJ Khaling for being the chair of OBCA. I wish under the dynamic leadership of the elected board OBCA will be able to narrow the differences that has been looming around the community. The credential and the spirit of these elected leaders might help OBCA to elevate into a new height. However unity is the need of time, ball is rolling in the court and the win depends on how these leaders play the match.
Congratulation to Mr. DJ Khaling and the entire board of OBCA. I hope you all will work coperatively to reach to the target you all had thought. But the time had begun for you all to work with heart and mind.This is a big responsibility to you all to win the support of people. best wishes for you tenure.
On behalf or Volunteers in GA, the soccer organizing team would like to thank you for your generous support.
It would be great if you would publish the names and profile of all the active members (Board member and other executive members) of OBCA. it would be great help as everyone could contact their regional representative or national level responsible figure in need. hoping to see the same very soon.
i actually have a different question. YP Kharel VS Purna Chhetri. How hillarious is that. If YP kharel is in that position i definietly would recommend Purna Chhetri to run for Secretary of State. I mean how in the world you compare YP Kharel with Purna chhetri. Secondly this election or whatever is nothing but some news for unemployed people like me. we are still 100 yrs behind the real values. I cannot support anything run by some filthy candiate. By the way why do you elect Hari Dhakal for anything. This guy used to run around with his nepalese citizenship. I mean common people elect someone who can deliver us something.
I am eager to get your news in Bhutan Kuensel but failed. Could anyone publish these news in Kuensel?
That was the biggest event ever conducted in Nashville hosted by Bhutanese Community of Tennessee(BCT). The whole three-day program was hosted by BCT but I couldnot see in the article any credit to the host community. Moreover the cultural program was solely sponsored and hosted by BCT. This is really sad for us for not honoring who toiled to make the event successful. Journalists; mind your languages.
Congrulation ,mr DJ Khaling,chairman of OBCA.A Wolf in a Sheep clothing.let,s see how practical/democratic is now OBCA,any way every member of OBCA will receive a calender soon as a complimentry from chairman.
It was an exciting moment to see all the Bhutanese representatives from different states in OBCA 2nd Annual convention. Other than that, beloved brothers and sisters in BCT had shown their love towards the nation and for the community by arranging a better hospitality to us. Being a host state BCT become a model for other states in future. Please keep it up.
Congratulations Mr Khaling and your team.Still you deserve the Front Seat of your car.I preferred to say it is a very meaningless Organisation for ellite Bhutanese in America.The very communal organisation that runs through the remote control from Georgia doesnt make any sense to most of the Bhutanese people. It is just like a “tamalopa” party of Nepal.We completely aware of so called leaders and their activities. Mr. Khaling already started to teach KIRATI history to his fellow-mates inorder to srengthen his role in OBCA. Other group may start to teach the Vedas for emersion of Third organisation.The most Bhutanese people who are in USA may not seek any help from OBCA.They may seek help to organize the soccer tournament and dance club in Georgia.
Dear Editor Bhutan News Service:
Please allow me to change my statement/comments that I posted here on BNS on June 15, 2011, criticizing OBCA (Organization of Bhutanese Communities in America)’s leaders for sending only $600 in aid to Bhutanese resettled tornado victims in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and also criticizing a great Bhutanese journalist, Mr. TP Mishra for not mentioning Bhutanese tornado victims in his speech.
I have been informed that many organizations and individuals from all over the United States and even other parts of the world, have offered financial assistance to the tornado victims in Massachusetts, and at present, Bhutanese resettled who became the victims of tornado in Massachusetts, are no longer in a desperate need for money or any other kind of help. One of my well-wishers and a leader of a local Bhutanese organization has suggested me that any cash donation should be appreciated, no matter how little it is, and I realized he was right.
So, let me change the status of my previous complaint to compliment, and let me say “Thank You” to OBCA’s leaders for sending $600.
I also feel criticizing Mr. TP Mishra was unnecessary, because now I have realized that mentioning or not mentioning Bhutanese victims of tornado in Massachusetts in a speech at a large gathering, does not really make someone a HERO or a ZERO.
We all make mistakes, and I admit my fault for rushing to criticize OBCA and Mr. TP Mishra, before trying to learn all the facts.
I offer my sincere apology to OBCA leaders and Mr. TP Mishra.
Mr. Shahid M. Pasha, Massachusetts, USA.
OBCA and ABA, please do not spend your time in talking about unity. This is because the two organizations can not be united. Each of them has specific formation system (member based and community based). There is enough work for both organization. ABA has started working on grants and reaching the people. Now OBCA has to work to reach the resettled mass. ABA collects the membership fee from those who want to be the member to support the organization. The benefits (services) reach the resettled Bhutanese in whatever small scale it maybe.
This July two big congregations are expected. One of them is faith based that has done a lot already to help the resettled Bhutanese to understand the life and adjust to it here in the US.
The second one is an ECBO, based on the ethnic values and culture of the Bhutan, that connects the Himalayan tribes SE TA MA GU RA LI DU SA. Both Drukpa and Sarchops are included because they share many cultural similarities including the languages.
Both of the above to be declared organizations are going to be national level and they are not going to pull legs like OBCA and ABA. Look at the way these organizations have been helping the resettled Bhutanese and plan accordingly.
IN future there will be conferences that will ask participants from all organizations functioning at national level and those who want to participate can send their representatives and at the same time there can be individual attendees.
Soon ABA convention will be held in PA. This is an annual event. It will be foolish for any one do demand the both ABA and OBCA to dissolve and come up with another name. All the credit hitherto built will be lost and the inability of OBCA in achieving anything practically will be reflected. We are not to dictate any organization what their membership system should be unless we learn about the management of the organization.
So please call for working together to make programs successful whether initiated by OBCA or ABA.
OBCA has not done anything concrete. Therefore before dictating anybody to do anything start doing your job. Can you give one example beside the conferences which was attended by a handful for food and fun.
Look at the example of the faith based, ethnicity based and culture based organisations who do not pull legs and do your work. If not do not give birth to this so called national level organization.
I have worked closely with ABA and know OBCA very well.
There will be no unification by tearing down ABA or OBCA.
Two more organisations are coming up this july.
They will put OBCA and ABA to shame.
Stop Unity Stuff and propose collaborative works.
Prove that you are here to serve the community voluntarily and not to divide.
Reflect the Bhutanese values and help adjust our people to the new life.
THanks.
Refugee Bro for almost a decade.
Mr. Dj is a perfect communal guy with no power of sustainability. I have talked to him many times and all the time I have found him talking about his so called RAI AND MONGOLIAN ethics. He has never thought of the welfare of Bhutanese community but only his caste. He will be no more than a communal leader in future. So all the OBCA members and board please keep In mind.
There you go!
Refugee Bro is coming up with two big organizations in July that will solve everything. So, why should ABA and OBCA worry about solving anything. They are off the hook.They can organize conventions and do what small programs they want to, as long as they get little funds and little support here and there.
We need not worry. Once we have these large organizations formed in July, our troubles will end and we can walk hand in hand together to the sunset. Just like we all want to. We want organizations to solve every problem we have, no matter what their mission is. And these two large organizations will do just that for us. Lucky us!