A Meeting with Anurag Mishra, Director of News for Doordarshan Television, India’s Public Television Broadcaster

Presentation at the United Nations

Anurag Mishra (after a presentation by Sri Chinmoy): Guru-ji always gives wonderful gifts, and this was the most unexpected. He always gives me love…He always directs you. He sees your progress. He keeps faith in himself and in us.

Fifteen years back I met him. This is what happens. I have been transformed, and so has the world been transformed. But the force which he is carrying with him is multiplying in progression. I am so happy to see some old friends here, and I must say he always gives me his delight and love. Always I remember somewhere he wrote that the cry which comes from inside is never unheard. Someone is there who is hearing us. Our cries and our tears come out in love and in friendship.

It has been most unexpected, and I am very delighted. The surprises in life are wonderful things when they happen, and this is one of those surprises. On behalf of my entire country and my organisation, I always will be indebted to him and to all of you. Thank you very much.

Sri Chinmoy: My dear brother-friend Anurag, I wish to offer my love, my gratitude, gratitude and gratitude from the inmost recesses of my heart. You are doing something very, very great for the soul, heart and life of our beloved Mother India. For that, not only we Indians, but also the citizens of the world are truly proud of you. Every day in the heart of Doordarshan, your Doordarshan, the whole world blossoms with new hope and new promise, and you are one of the choicest instruments.

My dear Anurag, you do this most extraordinary work to bring the heart and life of India to the farthest corners of the globe, and at the same time the heart of Doordarshan brings the message-light from the farthest corners of the globe. In a sense you embody and reveal the messages throughout the length and breadth of the world. I am all gratitude to you, Anurag, and also to your Doordarshan, which is all loving and all serving. I am all love for you and your Doordarshan, and all gratitude as well.

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” Award, Aspiration-Ground

Sri Chinmoy (after lifting Anurag Mishra): I have honoured most distinguished people, world luminaries, and at the same time I feel each individual is unique, each individual carries a special dream of God. A special dream of God – that is the reason that I have been lifting for so many years human beings from various walks of life. Today I am extremely happy and delighted and grateful to your soul for having given me this golden opportunity to be of service to your life of unique dedication to mankind.

Anurag Mishra: Under Guru-ji’s direction and super-vision, I will be following the ultimate objective of any human being – to be a good human being, to contribute love and affection to this world, to unite people, unite hearts, unite the world.

I would say three or four lines that are in Bengali, and I will repeat in English also: “Nana bhasha, Nana mat, Nana paridhan, bividher majhe dekho milan mahan…” “Many languages, many opinions, many dresses, but everything is one.”¹ We all are together here. We come from different cultures. We come from different countries. We have different dresses. In many ways our thinking will be different on some issues. But there is one person who has united all of us. It is he who is before us, who is guiding the path, who is lighting the lamp, who is showing the way.

I am really emotionally choked. In India when you are emotionally choked – and we are very emotional – the words do not come out. They come in terms of tears. They come in terms of a smile. And when you look at Guru-ji when he is meditating, the light which comes out gives strength not only to all of us who are sitting here, to you who are sitting here.

Across the seas thousands of miles away, when I am Delhi, I do see him. That is what we call Devadashti. We always say, “There is somewhere farsightedness.” On the first day of my new assignment, Sri Chinmoy reached out to me. How did it happen? He was not aware that I had just become the Director of News for Doordarshan Television. I call it a miracle that it happened. But there is some bond of friendship, of togetherness. We believe in togetherness, and that is why we all are here. I pray to God that the concept and values of togetherness come into all our lives. Thank you very much.

Sri Chinmoy: You know Bengali so well! According to a Bengali dictionary, ‘Anurag’ is extreme eagerness in self-giving. Somebody is extremely eager to learn something, to do something, to become something good. This is the meaning of the Bengali term Anurag. Suppose somebody is praying to God. While he is praying, his entire being – his body, vital, mind, heart and soul – everything he uses with utmost eagerness and intensity. This is the Bengali meaning of Anurag.