I was saddened to learn that Sir C.P. Srivastava passed away this week, aged 93.
I had the privilege of meeting him when he visited Australia with his wife, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga, a unique method of meditation based on the experience of Self-realisation.
The longest serving Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation, Sir C.P will be remembered for his visionary and pioneering role and his ceaseless efforts in the establishment of IMO’s global educational institutions.
C.P. Srivastava was born on 8 July 1920 and was educated in Lucknow, India (obtaining BA, MA and LLB degrees). He started his career as a civil servant in the Indian Administrative Service in India, serving as the district administrator in Meerut and Lucknow, and then went on to the post of Joint Secretary to the Indian Prime Minister's office of the late Lal Bahadur Shastri from 1964 to1966.
Awards and conferments given Dr Srivastava include: a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, the International Maritime prize, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration and Management Sciences, and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award, by the President of India.
Sir C. P. has stated that his life has been greatly influenced by his wife and he has been motivated by her vision of the unity of the Divine and the human family. This vision motivated him in all aspects of his life. He is survived by two daughters.
