Ian Aug 09 Francoisgautier

A reprint from the issue dated Friday, August 14 2009 | Vol. 28, No. 33

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Francois Gautier: Custodian of India’s Historical Heritage one knows about the Jewish Holocaust,” said Gautier. “India’s history, falsely propagated by the British, Christian missionaries, and western media, has made me realize that we need to show Hindu civilization in its correct and true context. For the sake of our children and the generations to come, and the world!” The first exhibit to be set up will honor the life and times of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. India’s rich cultural heritage will be portrayed through the Vedas. The museum Francois Gautier was in Houston to raise funds through his visionary will document and foundation FACT-India. Photo: Krishna Giri exhibit the various invasions from AlBy Kalyani Giri cost an estimated US$40 million. exander the Great to the Arabs, HOUSTON: Eminent journal- Gautier is eager to begin work as ist and author Francois Gautier soon as he returns to India and the Goa Inquisition, the Hindu is passionate about India. His is confident that this fundraising holocaust, the ongoing massacre love affair with that country be- tour will bring in the much-need- of thousands of Kashmiri Hindus gan in the ‘70s, when as a young ed initial $100, 000 to jumpstart by Muslim terrorists, the persestudent, he left his native France the project. A wall within the cution of the Syrian Christians, and meandered across Europe museum will bear the names of Buddhism’s rise and decline, Inand arrived in India. So capti- donors supporting the museum dia past and current. Highlighted vated was he by India’s arresting project. The museum will be too, will be India’s glorious conliveliness and the warmth and built on land donated by a pri- tribution of yoga and Ayurveda kindness of the people, that years vate trust. Gautier believes that to the world community. “The museum will be there for later in the early ‘80s he returned with the help of commissioned our children, for them to know to India and made it his home. historians hired by the museum, During the last three decades, he visitors will be privy to accurate that regardless of the fact that has been a high-profile ambassa- chronicles of India’s great his- the British broke the backbone dor to India through the power of tory. For Gautier, the epiphany of our agricultural system and his pen. came upon him when he started caused the deaths of millions of “It is a wonderful privilege to research on a book he was writ- Indians from famine, and despite be born Indian,” said Gautier to ing. He found that history books the Muslim onslaught, India a multigenerational gathering at carried outdated theories such prevailed and remains prosperthe Arya Samaj of Greater Hous- as the Aryan invasion that have ous,” added Gautier, a practicing Hindu who was spiritually ton on August 10. “I’m a west- since found to be fictional. erner but I feel it is a privilege to Earlier in the day, he chatted influenced by the writings of Sri live in India.” informally with Indo American Aurobindo (1872-1950). He has The renowned writer is current- News sharing his thoughts and since joined forces with spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who ly visiting several cities within vision for the museum. the US to raise funds through “India has been largely ma- supports him in his quest for the his visionary foundation FACT- ligned by distorted information truth about India’s past. Gautier India for the creation of an In- and misrepresentation. No re- estimated that it would take sevdian history museum in Pune, in cords or schoolbooks have a cor- eral years till completion of the the state of Maharashtra in India. rect account of the Hindu Kush museum. “I’m thinking about 10 to 15 The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maha- genocide, where millions were years. Once people realize how raj Museum of Indian History, slaughtered. Exactly how many named for the Indian military were killed isn’t known but that important this project is, and how leader Shivaji (1627 – 1680), will was India’s holocaust. Yet every- essential, the funds will pour in,”

confided Gautier. Speaking softly in a lilting Indo-French accent, his messages however were undoubtedly strong as he condemned the slaughter and maniacal “ethnic cleansing” of Hindus in the Kashmir valley by the Muslims, an area Gautier covered as a political journalist from 1987 to the late ‘90s. “There were over a million Hindus living peacefully in Kashmir. Today there are a mere hundreds. The Kashmiri Pandits moved me with their despair, but nobody else seemed to give a damn. Indian media abroad and in India were only covering the Muslim angle,” said Gautier. Through FACT-India, an organization he founded in 2003 to draw attention to human rights abuses in South Asia, Gautier documented the genocide in Kashmir in a video called Terror Unleashed – An Exhibition on Kashmir, and presented it to the US Congress in the desper-

prosperity, they still do not have a voice that is heard. Yet other communities work together and in that unity, they find a voice. Indian organizations need to share a common agenda and work towards that.” He confided that it is “tragic” that the children of Indian immigrants adopt the American way of life and are lost to India. “They’re hostile to spirituality. And it’s mostly the fault of the parents who either don’t care, or don’t instill cultural pride in their children. Families are fragmented, values lost. Instead of pushing children to visit the temple, engage them in other spiritual activities like the classical arts and yoga. It will bring them closer to their cultural roots,” said Gautier. “It’s such a pity that India is so poor at sports, as that could have helped make them proud of India.” At a private meeting with local youth at the Arya Samaj, Gautier urged young people to be proud

Gautier met with local youth at the Arya Samaj and urged them to remember their cultural heritage. Photo: Rajesh Thatte

ate hope that Washington would intervene and help resolve the issue. “Several House Representatives saw it and lauded the video but nothing was really done about it,” said Gautier. “US presidents think that by pouring money into Pakistan, it will curb terrorism. That won’t work.” Gautier said that the dissent among Hindu community leaders has led to disunity. “If there’s fighting among ourselves, how do we present a united front to the world? After all this time that Indians have been in the US and enjoy great

of their cultural heritage. “It is a privilege and a responsibility to have Indian roots and there is no contradiction here – you hail from the lineage of the Vedas. People are moving forward and coming to Hinduism for spiritual answers,” said Gautier. All donations to FACT-India/ Francois Gautier’s proposed Museum of Indian History should be mailed to FACT India, 6832 Windrock Rd, Dallas, TX 75252 Donations can also be made online via credit card on the website: www.fact-india.com

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