WORLD LEADERS GREET GURU ON 60TH BIRTHDAY
Heads of state from around the world sent letters and telegrams congratulating Sri Chinmoy on his 60th birthday on Aug. 27.
Letters came in from the Presidents of Austria and Sri Lanka and the Prime Ministers of Canada, Japan, Italy, New Zealand and Iceland.
Congratulations also were sent by South African leader Nelson Mandela and America’s Elliott Richardson. Another well-wisher, U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, wrote: “The number of individuals who have been affected by your commitment to promoting world peace is truly awe-inspiring.”
The tributes were read out at the Master’s Sept. 11 commemorative birthday dinner.
The spiritual teacher opened the dinner with a silent meditation and an extemporaneous piano performance.
Speakers included U.N. General Assembly President Guido de Marco, who described the spiritual leader as a man who “has become a symbol of the oneness of humanity.”
Six-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis said Sri Chinmoy stands for “all the things that we believe in.”
Other speakers included the Soviet Union’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador, Aleksandr Razvin, as well as several other U.N. Ambassadors, and prominent members of the Indian community — including Pravin Panday, President of the Federation of Indian Associations, and Shankar Shetti, President of the Indian Congress of America.
Published in Anahata Nada, Volume 20, August–Early December1991