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HISTORY

country which is so vast, diverse and also Kutumbakam should be explored as it commented the contributor to Journal
contradictory. More precisely, Delhi is can only save the human race, convinced de Geneve, Le Figaro, La Revue de l’Inde
very far from southern or eastern India. Gautier explained. along with various Indian newspapers.
Speaking about Hindu tolerance, Gau- Hence Gautier believes that Indian
hockingly, the Indian journalists tier opined that it has been one-way traf- history should be rewritten and he has
who regularly write for western fic for the Hindus as they experienced reasons to explain. For over seven dec-
S media outlets normally follow the cruel genocides in the sad history of hu- ades, the Indian establishment compris-
guidelines of their editors and very often manity. But Hindus have shown extreme ing people from Nehruvian-Marxist and
they won’t hesitate to paint a negative tolerance and Hinduism is the only reli- pseudo-secular ideology used to influ-
image of their own country, exclaimed gion that never tried to convert others. ence everything from school curriculum
Gautier. However, he feels that the alter- However many Indian intellectuals to public policy to history writing. The
nate media has provided space for many claim that Hindus are intolerant, fanatic Indian education system today produces
Indians, including qualified journalists, to or fundamentalists. Gautier took refer- a hundred thousand brilliant students,
speak on various issues they deem fit for ences from Kashmir pointing out that it but they are not made to learn about their
exposures. was primarily the Muslims who wanted own history, works of literature, legends,
“India is never in the news in the independence. But violence against the etc. It has built up a false narrative that
West unless there is some major catas- Hindus of Kashmir (called Kashmiri Pan- systematically condemned India’s civi-
trophe or huge elections. Thus, if anyone dits) was also propagated by them. They lizational journey. Since the overwhelm-
wants to write for those publications, he were chased out by violence and Gautier ing majority of the people here remain
or she has to find stories that might of- witnessed the massacre as he was there Hindus, the establishment tried its best
ten border on the sensational, marginal to turn itself anti-Hindu. It encouraged
and even misleading,” commented the If France had one people to negate anything associated
outspoken journalist, who was born and with Hinduism. The tendency extended
brought up in Paris and now living in In- Jeanne d’Arc, India up to reproving the Vedas, Upanisad,
dia for decades. gave birth to dozens Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabhara-
“As a Frenchman, I was brought up ta and also Sanskrit, the mother of all
to be proud of Voltaire, Napoleon, Victor like Rani of Jhansi, Indian languages.
Hugo, or Charlemagne. India has many Ahiliabai, Chennama, Bringing the reference to Hebrew, the
great heroes, poets, authors, warriors, ancient language of Israel, Gautier point-
etc. If France had one Jeanne d’Arc, this Rani Abbakka, Rani ed out that Israeli people after getting
country gave birth to dozens like Rani of Rudramma, Rani Velu a part of their holy land in 1948 started
Jhansi, Ahiliabai, Chennama, Rani Abbak- welcoming Jews from various parts of
ka, Rani Rudramma, Rani Velu Nachiyar, Nachiyar, etc, says the world. As they came back to live in
etc. The British have Shakespeare, but Ka- Israel a major problem was aroused be-
lidas is one of the greatest poets ever on scribe Francois Gautier cause they spoke different languages.
par with Homer,” stated Gautier. The Israeli authority asked their scholars
In warfare, the French have Napoleon for media coverage in the early Nineties. to revive Hebrew, which had fallen in de-
and here in Maharashtra Shivaji Maharaj Nearly 4,00,000 Hindus fled the Kash- crepitude so that everybody can speak
could be a hero for modern India. Not mir valley because of relentless violence Hebrew. “Today the Hebrew language
just because he was a great fighter with targeting them. India’s first Prime Minis- has unified Israel like nothing else, which
extraordinary courage, but Shivaji was ter Jawaharlal Nehru was a great admirer should inspire India to revive Sanskrit.
also an able administrator maintain- of English socialism and he adopted Brit- The government should invite some ded-
ing respects to human rights. Dedicated ish constitutional, judicial and even edu- icated linguists to sit down with Sanskrit
to Mother India, Shivaji was secular in cation systems without considering the scholars for devising a way of simplifying
nature, in spite of being an ardent Hindu, exceptional Indian socio-cultural and and modernizing the ancient language. I
and never harmed the wives or daugh- traditional values. Nehru had to nurture am sure, it would energize and revital-
ters of his enemies. the sentient of a sizable Muslim popula- ize the whole Indian culture”, stated the
Fascinating with the life of Shivaji, tion that did not join Pakistan (west or author of India’s Self Denial, Sri Sri Ravi
Gautier has committed to a resourceful east) and continued to live in India. Shankar, a Guru of Joy, A New History of
museum of Indian history in Pune, the “For these reasons, Nehru asked his- India, A History of India as it Happened etc.
birthplace of Maratha hero. The mu- torians to show esteem to Muslim rulers Married to an Indian woman (Nam-
seum is expected to exhibit objects from like Akbar or Aurangzeb and ignore the rita Bindra), Gautier also argued that In-
the Vedas to tomorrow’s India. Visitors greatness of Hindu warriors like Chatra- dia and Israel share so much in common
coming to the museum can learn many pati Shivaji, Maharana Pratap, Rani Lak- and both can learn a lot from each other.
unexplained things about Indian history. shmibai etc knowing that Hindus would
The unique Hindu concept of Vasudhaiva not react not to speak of protesting,” LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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