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François Gautier: Difference between revisions
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| nationality = | | nationality = | ||
| occupation = [[Journalist]], [[historian]] and [[columnist]] | | occupation = [[Journalist]], [[historian]] and [[columnist]] | ||
| spouse = | | spouse = Namritā Bindrā Kāūr | ||
| website = {{URL|http://www.francoisgautier.me}} | | website = {{URL|http://www.francoisgautier.me}} | ||
[http://www.factmuseum.com FACT Museum of Indian history] | [http://www.factmuseum.com FACT Museum of Indian history] | ||
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}} | }} | ||
'''François Gautier''' (born 1950) is a [[journalist]] based in [[India]] who served as the [[South Asia]]n [[correspondent]] for multiple reputed French-language dailies. He | '''François Gautier''' (born 1950) is a [[journalist]] based in [[India]] who served as the [[South Asia]]n [[correspondent]] for multiple reputed French-language dailies. He advocates for an [[Indigenous Aryans|Indigenous Aryan]] narrative. | ||
He is also the founder of a private museum which seeks to portray Indian history in a nationalist manner. Gautier has written books on the history and | He is also the founder of a private museum which seeks to portray Indian history in a nationalist manner. Gautier has written books on the history and Indology; he has established NGO namely ''Foundation for Advancement of Cultural Ties''. | ||
==Life== | ==Life== | ||
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Francois Gautier was born in 1950 in [[Paris]] and received an [[upper-class]] [[Catholic education]].<ref name="RediffInterview">{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/feb/12rajeev.htm|title=The Rediff Interview: Francois Gautier: "There is an unconscious militant dislike of the Christian world towards Hindu India"|date=12 February 1999|work=[[Rediff]]|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref> He was subsequently sent to reputed boarding schools across Europe, from where he was expelled several times.<ref name=RediffInterview/> Gautier said that he "never really fitted in the system".<ref name="RediffInterview"/> He attended the [[IDRAC business school]] in [[Paris]] before dropping out to work in a small newspaper.<ref name=RediffInterview/> | Francois Gautier was born in 1950 in [[Paris]] and received an [[upper-class]] [[Catholic education]].<ref name="RediffInterview">{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/feb/12rajeev.htm|title=The Rediff Interview: Francois Gautier: "There is an unconscious militant dislike of the Christian world towards Hindu India"|date=12 February 1999|work=[[Rediff]]|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref> He was subsequently sent to reputed boarding schools across Europe, from where he was expelled several times.<ref name=RediffInterview/> Gautier said that he "never really fitted in the system".<ref name="RediffInterview"/> He attended the [[IDRAC business school]] in [[Paris]] before dropping out to work in a small newspaper.<ref name=RediffInterview/> | ||
Gautier came to India at the age of 19 in 1969, as part of a trans-world journey, along with the first wave of Auroville-migrants.<ref name=" | Gautier came to India at the age of 19 in 1969, as part of a trans-world journey, along with the first wave of Auroville-migrants.<ref name="TribuneInterview" /><ref name="RediffInterview" /> He was accompanied by the son of [[Charles François Marie Baron]], Pondicherry's last French governor.<ref name="TribuneInterview">{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030810/spectrum/book6.htm|title=Meet the author "Content-wise, Indian fiction writers have little to offer"|date=10 August 2003|work=[[Tribune India]]|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref> Deeply impressed with [[Sri Aurobindo|Sri Aurobindo's]] writings, he chose to reside over [[Sri Aurobindo Ashram]] where his encounters with [[Mirra Alfassa]] influenced him to further prolong his stay.<ref name="TribuneInterview" /> Gautier went on to stay over there for about seven years.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> | ||
==Personal life== | ==Personal life== | ||
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After arriving in India, Gautier stopped writing for many years and focused on other activities.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> In 1982, he found an article in a French newspaper, that supposedly contained [[clichés]] about the Indian socio-polity.<ref name=RediffInterview/> He wrote a letter to the editor suggesting corrections, wherein he was offered to write an article.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> He wrote several more articles for the newspaper and went on to work as a writer and photographer for other publications.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> | After arriving in India, Gautier stopped writing for many years and focused on other activities.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> In 1982, he found an article in a French newspaper, that supposedly contained [[clichés]] about the Indian socio-polity.<ref name=RediffInterview/> He wrote a letter to the editor suggesting corrections, wherein he was offered to write an article.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> He wrote several more articles for the newspaper and went on to work as a writer and photographer for other publications.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> | ||
He served as the South-Asia correspondent of ''[[Le Temps|Journal de | He served as the South-Asia correspondent of ''[[Le Temps|Journal de Genève]]'', a [[Geneva]]-based newspaper before switching to the same post at ''[[Le Figaro]]'' in 1993.<ref name=RediffInterview/> He stayed over there for about 8 years before shifting to [[Ouest-France]] and then, [[La Chaîne Info]].<ref name="Holocaust" /> | ||
Gautier used to write a regular column for ''[[Rediff.com]]''.<ref name="RediffColumns">{{cite web|title=Rediff Columns: Francois Gautier|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/franc.html|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[Rediff]]}}</ref> Gautier has also written columns for ''[[The New Indian Express]]'',<ref name="16May2012 NewIndianExpress">{{cite news|title=Let all Hindus come together|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/columns/article438933.ece|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The New Indian Express]]|date=16 May 2012}}</ref> ''[[DNA India]]'',<ref name="DownWithIt" /> ''[[Outlook India]]'',<ref name="Wrath">{{cite news|title=The Hindu Rate Of Wrath|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article/The-Hindu-Rate-Of-Wrath/238886|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[Outlook India]]|date=10 November 2008}}</ref> and others. He is also the editor of ''La Revue de l'Inde''.<ref name="Sethu">{{cite news|title=Sethu Samudram canal will affect Kerala coast|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/sethu-samudram-canal-will-affect-kerala-coast/article1912277.ece|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=17 September 2007}}</ref> | Gautier used to write a regular column for ''[[Rediff.com]]''.<ref name="RediffColumns">{{cite web|title=Rediff Columns: Francois Gautier|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/franc.html|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[Rediff]]}}</ref> Gautier has also written columns for ''[[The New Indian Express]]'',<ref name="16May2012 NewIndianExpress">{{cite news|title=Let all Hindus come together|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/columns/article438933.ece|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The New Indian Express]]|date=16 May 2012}}</ref> ''[[DNA India]]'',<ref name="DownWithIt" /> ''[[Outlook India]]'',<ref name="Wrath">{{cite news|title=The Hindu Rate Of Wrath|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article/The-Hindu-Rate-Of-Wrath/238886|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[Outlook India]]|date=10 November 2008}}</ref> and others. He is also the editor of ''La Revue de l'Inde''.<ref name="Sethu">{{cite news|title=Sethu Samudram canal will affect Kerala coast|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/sethu-samudram-canal-will-affect-kerala-coast/article1912277.ece|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=17 September 2007}}</ref> | ||
===Writing=== | ===Writing=== | ||
Gautier became interested in [[Indology]] when he began to travel outside Auroville. [[Sita Ram Goel]] contacted Gautier after reading some of his articles in a magazine called ''Blitz and'' asked for permission to reprint the articles in his book. Gautier instead wrote the book ''The Wonder That Is India''. Later, the website ''Hinduism Today'' republished it online. Following this, Gautier wrote several other books. Gautier | Gautier became interested in [[Indology]] when he began to travel outside Auroville. [[Sita Ram Goel]] contacted Gautier after reading some of his articles in a magazine called ''Blitz and'' asked for permission to reprint the articles in his book. Gautier instead wrote the book ''The Wonder That Is India''. Later, the website ''Hinduism Today'' republished it online. Following this, Gautier wrote several other books. Gautier is also working on two books, one about [[Kalaripayattu]], an [[Indian martial arts|Indian martial art]] from [[Kerala]], and another on French influence in India, with the help of photographer [[Raghu Rai]].<ref name=RediffInterview/> | ||
In 2010, an anonymously authored novel titled ''Hindutva, Sex and Adventure'' was published that featured a foreign radio journalist who came to India and became a [[Hindutva]] supporter—it was considered to be a satire of BBC reporter [[Mark Tully]].<ref name="ForeignBody" /> It was speculated that Gautier may have been the author, but he denied the allegation.<ref name=ForeignBody>{{cite news|title=An Irritant Foreign Body|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/an-irritant-foreign-body/601585/0|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The Indian Express]]|date=8 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7552715/Former-BBC-correspondent-Sir-Mark-Tully-attacked-in-novel.html|title=Former BBC correspondent Sir Mark Tully attacked in novel|last=Nelson|first=Dean|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=2010-04-05|access-date=2019-05-18|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> | In 2010, an anonymously authored novel titled ''Hindutva, Sex and Adventure'' was published that featured a foreign radio journalist who came to India and became a [[Hindutva]] supporter—it was considered to be a satire of BBC reporter [[Mark Tully]].<ref name="ForeignBody" /> It was speculated that Gautier may have been the author, but he denied the allegation.<ref name=ForeignBody>{{cite news|title=An Irritant Foreign Body|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/an-irritant-foreign-body/601585/0|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The Indian Express]]|date=8 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7552715/Former-BBC-correspondent-Sir-Mark-Tully-attacked-in-novel.html|title=Former BBC correspondent Sir Mark Tully attacked in novel|last=Nelson|first=Dean|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=2010-04-05|access-date=2019-05-18|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> | ||
===Photography and painting exhibitions=== | ===Photography and painting exhibitions=== | ||
Gautier has established the ''Foundation for Advancement of Cultural Ties (FACT)'', a NGO dedicated to portraying Indian history in a "correct" manner.<ref name="Holocaust" /> It has organised multiple painting exhibitions across the country to depict and highlight how a range of events from the [[insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir]] to the cruelties of [[Mughal emperors]] has affected the life of Hindus.<ref name=" | Gautier has established the ''Foundation for Advancement of Cultural Ties (FACT)'', a NGO dedicated to portraying Indian history in a "correct" manner.<ref name="Holocaust" /> It has organised multiple painting exhibitions across the country to depict and highlight how a range of events from the [[insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir]] to the cruelties of [[Mughal emperors]] has affected the life of Hindus.<ref name="GrimDamage">{{cite news|title=Grim portraits of damage in the Valley|url=http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2003/07/15/stories/2003071500720200.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150411161200/http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2003/07/15/stories/2003071500720200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2015|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=15 July 2003}}</ref><ref name="Holocaust">{{cite news|title=Nascent 'Holocaust' museum|url=http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2003/09/03/stories/2003090301800200.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150411161208/http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2003/09/03/stories/2003090301800200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2015|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=3 September 2003}}</ref><ref name="BackAtHistory">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/article2271531.ece|title=Looking back at history|date=16 February 2007|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="ArtForACause">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/07/21/stories/2003072100630200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030825181743/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/07/21/stories/2003072100630200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 August 2003|title=Art for a cause! Whose?|date=21 July 2003|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref> He eventually planned to establish a museum similar to [[List of Holocaust memorials and museums|those for the Jew cause]].<ref name="Holocaust" /> Gautier also planned to tour the world with his museums and aware the foreign community about the systemic extermination of Hindus.<ref name="ArtForACause" /> The exhibitions have received mixed response and the underlying motives have been questioned.<ref name="ArtForACause" /> | ||
In 2012, the Shivaji Maharaj Museum of Indian History was established by FACT.<ref name="BhavaniTemple">{{cite news|title=Why a Frenchman built a Bhavani & Shivaji museum|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-why-a-frenchman-built-a-bhavani-shivaji-museum-1649369|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[DNA India]]|date=13 February 2012}}</ref> In 2013, during the visit of the [[14th Dalai Lama]], Gautier and his wife, organised an exhibition on the origin of [[Buddhism]] in India and its spread to [[Tibet]] with the help of materials from the [[Tibet Museum (Dharamsala)|Tibet Museum of Dharamsala]], to educate the local people about [[Tibetan culture]].<ref name="Tibet">{{cite news|title=Tracing Tibet|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/tracing-tibet/1148573/0|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The Indian Express]]|date=30 July 2013}}</ref> | In 2012, the Shivaji Maharaj Museum of Indian History was established by FACT.<ref>{{Citation |title=Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum Pune |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO6quohxcng |language=en |access-date=2022-03-28}}</ref><ref name="BhavaniTemple">{{cite news|title=Why a Frenchman built a Bhavani & Shivaji museum|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-why-a-frenchman-built-a-bhavani-shivaji-museum-1649369|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[DNA India]]|date=13 February 2012}}</ref> In 2013, during the visit of the [[14th Dalai Lama]], Gautier and his wife, organised an exhibition on the origin of [[Buddhism]] in India and its spread to [[Tibet]] with the help of materials from the [[Tibet Museum (Dharamsala)|Tibet Museum of Dharamsala]], to educate the local people about [[Tibetan culture]].<ref name="Tibet">{{cite news|title=Tracing Tibet|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/tracing-tibet/1148573/0|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[The Indian Express]]|date=30 July 2013}}</ref> | ||
==Views and opinions== | ==Views and opinions== | ||
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Gautier contends that India, through the exercise and spread of [[Sanatan dharma]] shall strive to be a global superpower ''but'' prior to that shall decentralize the economy and Indianize its social, political and educational systems, even at the cost of democratic principles and the constitution.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rhetoric-of-hindu-india/23F550BAE62DCB5D3884F9345105AA57|title=The Rhetoric of Hindu India by Manisha Basu|last=Basu|first=Manisha|date=August 2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-14987-8|pages=143–146|language=en|chapter=Between death and redemption|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/9067|title=Religion, Media, and the Public Sphere|last=Dasgupta|first=Sudeep|date=12 January 2005|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=0253346533|editor-last=Meyer|editor-first=Birgit|chapter=Gods in the Sacred Marketplace: Hindu Nationalism and the Return of the Aura in the Public Sphere|oclc=60341451|editor-last2=Moors|editor-first2=Annelies}}</ref> In abidance with a Hinducentric scholarship, he has criticized the narrative of Indian historiography to be leftist,<ref name=":4" /> which have apparently glorified foreign invaders at the cost of the Hindu empires, and thus urges for a complete [[Historical revisionism|revisionism]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.questia.com/read/117286865/a-place-at-the-multicultural-table-the-development|title=A Place at the Multicultural Table : the Development of an American Hinduism|last=Kurien, Prema A., 1963- author.|date=2007|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=9780813541617|pages=171|oclc=476118265}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-diary-tuesday-dossier-april162019/20753150|title=Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier|date=2019-04-16|website=mid-day|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> | Gautier contends that India, through the exercise and spread of [[Sanatan dharma]] shall strive to be a global superpower ''but'' prior to that shall decentralize the economy and Indianize its social, political and educational systems, even at the cost of democratic principles and the constitution.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rhetoric-of-hindu-india/23F550BAE62DCB5D3884F9345105AA57|title=The Rhetoric of Hindu India by Manisha Basu|last=Basu|first=Manisha|date=August 2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-14987-8|pages=143–146|language=en|chapter=Between death and redemption|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/9067|title=Religion, Media, and the Public Sphere|last=Dasgupta|first=Sudeep|date=12 January 2005|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=0253346533|editor-last=Meyer|editor-first=Birgit|chapter=Gods in the Sacred Marketplace: Hindu Nationalism and the Return of the Aura in the Public Sphere|oclc=60341451|editor-last2=Moors|editor-first2=Annelies}}</ref> In abidance with a Hinducentric scholarship, he has criticized the narrative of Indian historiography to be leftist,<ref name=":4" /> which have apparently glorified foreign invaders at the cost of the Hindu empires, and thus urges for a complete [[Historical revisionism|revisionism]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.questia.com/read/117286865/a-place-at-the-multicultural-table-the-development|title=A Place at the Multicultural Table : the Development of an American Hinduism|last=Kurien, Prema A., 1963- author.|date=2007|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=9780813541617|pages=171|oclc=476118265}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-diary-tuesday-dossier-april162019/20753150|title=Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier|date=2019-04-16|website=mid-day|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> | ||
A front-line [[Hindutva]] activist, Gautier also deems Hinduism to be under threat from [[Islam]], [[Christian missionaries]], [[Marxism]] and [[westernisation]],<ref name="OutlookHate">{{cite news|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Why-I-Love-To-Hate-Outlook/292495|title=Why I Love To Hate Outlook|date=17 November 2014|work=[[Outlook India]]|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/1999/feb/12rajee1.htm|title=Rediff On The NeT: The Rediff Interview/ Francois Gautier|website=www.rediff.com|access-date=2019-05-18}}</ref> | A front-line [[Hindutva]] activist, Gautier also deems Hinduism to be under threat from [[Islam]], [[Christian missionaries]], [[Marxism]] and [[westernisation]],<ref name="OutlookHate">{{cite news|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Why-I-Love-To-Hate-Outlook/292495|title=Why I Love To Hate Outlook|date=17 November 2014|work=[[Outlook India]]|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/1999/feb/12rajee1.htm|title=Rediff On The NeT: The Rediff Interview/ Francois Gautier|website=www.rediff.com|access-date=2019-05-18}}</ref> He calls for ''use-of-force'' by the oppressed Hindus<ref name="AncientCulture">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2000/11/07/stories/13070321.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150411161313/http://www.thehindu.com/2000/11/07/stories/13070321.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2015|title=In defence of the ancient culture|date=7 November 2000|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref> and opines of the [[Buddhism and Jainism|Buddhist-Jain]] philosophies of ''[[Ahimsa]]'' to have actually enabled exploitation of India by foreign invaders.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world-hindu-congress-ends-with-calls-for-hindu-unity-resolves-to-fight-fake-news/article24918501.ece|title=World Hindu Congress ends with calls for Hindu unity, resolves to fight 'fake news'|last=George|first=Varghese K.|date=2018-09-10|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-05-17|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> One of his most prominent views is about the [[Persecution of Hindus|Hindu Holocaust]] perpetrated by [[Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent |Islamic invaders]] which exceeded the extents of the [[The Holocaust|Jew Holocaust]] and all other genocides.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rhetoric-of-hindu-india/23F550BAE62DCB5D3884F9345105AA57|title=The Rhetoric of Hindu India by Manisha Basu|last=Basu|first=Manisha|date=August 2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-14987-8|pages=162|language=en|chapter=Between death and redemption|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Chopra|first=Rohit|chapter=Global Primordialities|date=2015-12-18|pages=587–601|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Ltd|isbn=9781119118589|doi=10.1002/9781119118589.ch35|title=Postcolonial Studies}}</ref> Gautier has also rejected the western-oriental scholarship of [[Max Müller]], [[Arthur Llewellyn Basham]] as ill-portrayals of the history of the nation which birthed the theory of Hindu imperialism.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> | ||
Gautier accepts the [[Indigenous Aryans|Indigenous Aryan hypothesis]] in favor of the [[Indo-Aryan migration]] theory and supports the idea of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] having come to India, to be inspired by Hindu and Buddhist esoterism.<ref name=":3" /> He also considers [[Koenraad Elst]] as one of the most knowledgeable scholars on India and regretted of his' being unable to publish except from Hindu-oriented publishing houses.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> A staunch opponent of Nehruvian ideologies,<ref name=" | Gautier accepts the [[Indigenous Aryans|Indigenous Aryan hypothesis]] in favor of the [[Indo-Aryan migration]] theory and supports the idea of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] having come to India, to be inspired by Hindu and Buddhist esoterism.<ref name=":3" /> He also considers [[Koenraad Elst]] as one of the most knowledgeable scholars on India and regretted of his' being unable to publish except from Hindu-oriented publishing houses.<ref name="RediffInterview" /> A staunch opponent of Nehruvian ideologies,<ref name="OutlookHate" /><ref name="TribuneInterview" /> he has critiqued Gandhi's policy towards [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim separatists]] during the [[partition of India]] as Muslim-appeasement.<ref name="TribuneInterview" /> Gautier have also attacked the existence and manifestation of [[caste privilege]] in the Indian society and derivatives thereof, instead arguing for a hypothesis wherein the socially and economically privileged and dis-privileged populaces are in a constant flux and which primarily manifests in [[reverse discrimination]] in the long run.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rhetoric-of-hindu-india/23F550BAE62DCB5D3884F9345105AA57|title=The Rhetoric of Hindu India by Manisha Basu|last=Basu|first=Manisha|date=August 2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-14987-8|pages=94|language=en|chapter=To make free and let die|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref> | ||
He has criticized the [[United Progressive Alliance]] government (2009-2014) and claimed that terrorism continued unabated whilst Muslim mullahs were allowed to preach freely and Hindu gurus were being targeted by the media and police.<ref name="DownWithIt">{{cite news|title=This govt is taking the country down with it|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-this-govt-is-taking-the-country-down-with-it-1685873|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[DNA India]]|date=8 May 2012}}</ref> He has earlier criticized the usage of the term "[[Godman (India)|Godman]]" by Indian media to describe self-proclaimed Hindu gurus proposing that Indian journalists often were not proud of their culture and had called for imparting a more fairer treatment.<ref name="Correspondent">{{cite news|url=http://asiancorrespondent.com/2252/from-francois-gautier/|title=From Francois Gautier|date=21 August 2005|work=Asian Correspondent|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="GautieronGurus">{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/mar/12franc.htm|title=Why the cynicism about Indian gurus?|date=12 March 2001|work=[[Rediff]]|access-date=28 March 2015}}</ref> | He has criticized the [[United Progressive Alliance]] government (2009-2014) and claimed that terrorism continued unabated whilst Muslim mullahs were allowed to preach freely and Hindu gurus were being targeted by the media and police.<ref name="DownWithIt">{{cite news|title=This govt is taking the country down with it|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-this-govt-is-taking-the-country-down-with-it-1685873|access-date=11 April 2015|work=[[DNA India]]|date=8 May 2012}}</ref> He has earlier criticized the usage of the term "[[Godman (India)|Godman]]" by Indian media to describe self-proclaimed Hindu gurus proposing that Indian journalists often were not proud of their culture and had called for imparting a more fairer treatment.<ref name="Correspondent">{{cite news|url=http://asiancorrespondent.com/2252/from-francois-gautier/|title=From Francois Gautier|date=21 August 2005|work=Asian Correspondent|access-date=11 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="GautieronGurus">{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/mar/12franc.htm|title=Why the cynicism about Indian gurus?|date=12 March 2001|work=[[Rediff]]|access-date=28 March 2015}}</ref> | ||
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He was subject to severe criticism after having objected to the proposed induction of [[Aamir Khan]], a Muslim [[Bollywood]] actor over a planned dramatization of [[Mahabharata]], a [[Hindus|Hindu]] epic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zeenews.india.com/people/javed-akhtar-blasts-columnist-who-questioned-makers-choice-to-cast-aamir-khan-in-mahabharata-2092705.html|title=Javed Akhtar blasts columnist who questioned makers' choice to cast Aamir Khan in Mahabharata|date=2018-03-22|website=Zee News|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/media/french-born-bjp-cheerleader-blasted-for-communal-rant-against-aamir-khan|title=French-born BJP cheerleader blasted for communal rant against Aamir Khan|website=National Herald|date=22 March 2018|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/leisure/society/2018/03/24/aamir-kha-mahabharata-twitter-war-over-muslim-man-remake-epic-javed-akhtar.html|title=Aamir Khan in Mahabharata? Javed Akhtar rips apart communal rant on Twitter|website=The Week|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> He had earlier asked for the boycott of [[PK (film)|PK]], a Bollywood film starring the same actor, due to its depiction of a Hindu-Muslim love affair and accused [[Ashoka University]] of teaching an anti-Hindu anti-Brahmin book.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/india/317106/actually-hindutva-was-much-more-successful-in-getting-films-boycotted-in-the-pre-twitter-era/|title=Actually, Hindutva was much more successful in getting films boycotted in the pre-Twitter era|last=Chhabra|first=Aseem|website=Quartz India|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref name="ThePrint 2018">{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/india/governance/ashoka-university-slammed-for-teaching-anti-hindu-anti-brahmin-book/164268/|title=Ashoka University slammed for teaching 'anti-Hindu, anti-Brahmin' book|date=2018-12-15|website=ThePrint|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> | He was subject to severe criticism after having objected to the proposed induction of [[Aamir Khan]], a Muslim [[Bollywood]] actor over a planned dramatization of [[Mahabharata]], a [[Hindus|Hindu]] epic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zeenews.india.com/people/javed-akhtar-blasts-columnist-who-questioned-makers-choice-to-cast-aamir-khan-in-mahabharata-2092705.html|title=Javed Akhtar blasts columnist who questioned makers' choice to cast Aamir Khan in Mahabharata|date=2018-03-22|website=Zee News|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/media/french-born-bjp-cheerleader-blasted-for-communal-rant-against-aamir-khan|title=French-born BJP cheerleader blasted for communal rant against Aamir Khan|website=National Herald|date=22 March 2018|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/leisure/society/2018/03/24/aamir-kha-mahabharata-twitter-war-over-muslim-man-remake-epic-javed-akhtar.html|title=Aamir Khan in Mahabharata? Javed Akhtar rips apart communal rant on Twitter|website=The Week|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> He had earlier asked for the boycott of [[PK (film)|PK]], a Bollywood film starring the same actor, due to its depiction of a Hindu-Muslim love affair and accused [[Ashoka University]] of teaching an anti-Hindu anti-Brahmin book.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/india/317106/actually-hindutva-was-much-more-successful-in-getting-films-boycotted-in-the-pre-twitter-era/|title=Actually, Hindutva was much more successful in getting films boycotted in the pre-Twitter era|last=Chhabra|first=Aseem|website=Quartz India|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref name="ThePrint 2018">{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/india/governance/ashoka-university-slammed-for-teaching-anti-hindu-anti-brahmin-book/164268/|title=Ashoka University slammed for teaching 'anti-Hindu, anti-Brahmin' book|date=2018-12-15|website=ThePrint|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> | ||
In 2017, Gautier claimed over a blog at [[The Times of India]] to have come across a hitherto-hidden manuscript of [[Nostradamus]] in a trunk, that (successfully) prophesied the statesmanship of [[Narendra Modi]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/media/2017s-top-fake-news-stories-circulated-by-the-indian-media|title=2017's Top Fake News Stories Circulated by the Indian Media|website=The Wire|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/nostradamus-predicted-modis-victories-hindutvas-rise-sonia-gandhis-fall-3357952.html|title=Nostradamus: Did he really predict Modi's victories, Hindutva's rise and Sonia Gandhi's fall?|website=Firstpost|date=29 March 2017|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> The claims were reported across multiple news-outlets.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Earlier he had asserted of Nostradamus to have established the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]], an Indian [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalist]] organisation.<ref name=":0" /> Other claims included that Nostradamus had successfully prophesied the chances of a [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts#Nuclear weapons|possible nuclear war between India and Pakistan]], the construction of [[Ram Janmabhoomi|Ram Mandir]] and the [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu domination]] of world affairs after 2014. | In 2017, Gautier claimed over a blog at [[The Times of India]] to have come across a hitherto-hidden manuscript of [[Nostradamus]] in a trunk, that (successfully) prophesied the statesmanship of [[Narendra Modi]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/media/2017s-top-fake-news-stories-circulated-by-the-indian-media|title=2017's Top Fake News Stories Circulated by the Indian Media|website=The Wire|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/nostradamus-predicted-modis-victories-hindutvas-rise-sonia-gandhis-fall-3357952.html|title=Nostradamus: Did he really predict Modi's victories, Hindutva's rise and Sonia Gandhi's fall?|website=Firstpost|date=29 March 2017|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> The claims were reported across multiple news-outlets.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Earlier he had asserted of Nostradamus to have established the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]], an Indian [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalist]] organisation.<ref name=":0" /> Other claims included that Nostradamus had successfully prophesied the chances of a [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts#Nuclear weapons|possible nuclear war between India and Pakistan]], the construction of [[Ram Janmabhoomi|Ram Mandir]] and the [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu domination]] of world affairs after 2014.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.altnews.in/fake-nostradamus-passages-invented-francois-gautier-published-toi-zee-news-modi-publicity/|title=Fake Nostradamus passages invented by Francois Gautier and published in TOI, Zee News, for Modi publicity|last=Sinha|first=Pratik|date=2017-03-29|website=Alt News|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> He later said in an interview that this had been a "spoof",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://brownpundits.libsyn.com/francois-gautier-pro-hindu-western-journalist|title=Francois Gautier, pro-Hindu Western journalist|language=en-US}}</ref> but it was taken in earnest by some leftist commentators who accused him of having tampered with the original passages for fulfilling his political agenda.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> At one case, he used the same passage over his blogs across the course of a few years but changed the name of the subjects to keep up with the political currents.<ref name=":2" /> Gautier has been accused by rivals to have propagated fake news over other occasions through left media outlets.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/subramanian-swamy-shares-fake-email-about-church-involvement-lingayat-issue-karnataka-elections-2018|title=Subramanian Swamy Shares Fake Email About Church in Lingayat Issue|date=2018-05-11|website=The Quint|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://smhoaxslayer.com/is-francois-gautier-a-journalist-using-fake-website-to-defame-genuine-one-ttindia-telegraph/|title=Is Francois Gautier a Journalist ? Using fake website to defame genuine one|last=Slayer|first=Hoax|date=2017-05-08|website=Swachh Social Media Abhiyaan|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-20}}</ref> | ||
==Awards== | ==Awards== | ||
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* {{cite book|title=The Guru of Joy|year=2008|publisher=Hay House, Inc|isbn=978-1-4019-2140-8}} | * {{cite book|title=The Guru of Joy|year=2008|publisher=Hay House, Inc|isbn=978-1-4019-2140-8}} | ||
* {{cite book|title=A History of India as it Happened: Not as it Has Been Written|year=2013|publisher=Har-Anand Publications|isbn=978-81-241-1762-0}}<ref name=haranand1/> | * {{cite book|title=A History of India as it Happened: Not as it Has Been Written|year=2013|publisher=Har-Anand Publications|isbn=978-81-241-1762-0}}<ref name=haranand1/> | ||
* {{cite book|title=An Entirely New History of INDIA |year=2020|publisher=Independently published |isbn=979-8576882021}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=An Entirely New History of INDIA |url=https://garudabooks.com/an-entirely-new-history-of-india |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=garudabooks.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=What Francois Gautier saw while covering Kashmir as Journalist from 1980s & 1990s |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0WlPrmMoug |language=en |access-date=2022-03-28}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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[[Category:Voice of India writers]] | [[Category:Voice of India writers]] | ||
[[Category:Indigenous Aryanists]] | [[Category:Indigenous Aryanists]] | ||
[[Category:Le Figaro people]] | |||