Messages from Siddhartha Shankar Ray and Maya Devi Ray

Siddhartha Shankar Ray is the grandson of Chitta Ranjan Das, the most revered political guru of Subhas Chandra. As India's Ambassador to the U.S.A., as a long-time Member of Parliament, and as a distinguished advocate, Ambassador Ray has made a notable and unique contribution to his country.

On 17 November 1995, during his term as Ambassador to the U.S.A., he very graciously introduced Sri Chinmoy's Peace Concert in Washington, D.C. before an audience of 10,000 peace-lovers.

In February 1996, on the eve of the departure of Ambassador Ray and his wife Maya Devi for India, Sri Chinmoy with his students gave them a farewell party during which he highly praised them as "two colossal souls to unite India the Prayerful with America the Beautiful."

"Respected Chinmoy,

It is in the fitness of things that a Patriot as ardent as yourself should celebrate the Hundredth Birth Anniversary of the Prince of Patriots Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The 20th Century is about to fade away and the 21st to begin but even with the passing of centuries, Indians will forever proclaim Netaji as the greatest son of 20th century India and keep embedded in their Hearts his perennial message of love, hope, freedom and sacrifice.

With Respects,"

Siddhartha Shankar Ray

15 January 1997

"I was a small child in the early 'Thirties' when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose visited my parent's home in London. The late Dr. Kiran Chandra and Asha Lata Bhattacharyya.

Very diffidently I advanced towards him and held out an autograph book for him to sign. He bent down and took the book from my small hands and wrote thus:

‘Bideshey thekey neejer desh-key chintey shikho’ in translation — ‘while living outside your own country, learn to know of it.’

This has been my sole inspiration ever since I returned to this much loved country of mine, fifty years ago, from England. I still have not ceased learning."

Maya Devi Ray

13 January 1997