Will Arundhati Roy pl. stand up for Francois Gautier?
Some of you may have already read this.
Francois Gautier’s exhibition on Aurangzeb, based on historical documents and paintings, has been forcibly shut down by authorities in Chennai (after successfully exhibiting in Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru).
“…An art show at the prestigious Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) here curated by journalist Francois Gautier was at the receiving end of moral policing when an exhibition on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was shut down.Stating that it had received three complaints that the show would disturb communal harmony, police Thursday night burst into the exhibition, shut it down forcibly, took into custody three women associated with the hosting of the exhibition and seized some of the works on display.The exhibition of 40 paintings, including exceptional miniatures by noted Indian artists, gathered together by Gautier’s Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT) were on show at the LKA from March 3.
The show included farhans (edicts issued by Aurangzeb) from the Bikaner museum and other material on Aurangzeb. It also contained two pictures depicting Aurangzeb’s army destroying the Somnath temple in Gujarat and the Kesava Rai temple in Mathura.” [news-report]
Another report mentions that the show was cancelled following some objections but does not mention that three ladies were arrested (It cryptically refers to four people).
Overall the Indian media and intellegentsia has been conspicuous by their silence on the matter.
Will Ms Arundhati Roy, esteemed Shabana Azmi and all�other champions of free speech please stand up and defend the right of Francois Gautier to continue with this exhibition?
This report claims that the exhibition was cancelled
“…in the wake of some Muslim outfits and Hindu organisations failing to see eye to eye on some of the portraits on display.
Trouble started when some Muslim organisations and Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali took up cudgels against some portraits, claiming it would disturb peace in the state and demanded the expo ‘Aurangzeb as he was according to Mughal records’ be cancelled.”
For those of you who may not be familiar with FACT, here is some more information and here is Francois Gautier himself, explaining what it is all about: “The truth about Aurangzeb“. Excerpts:
“….Why an exhibition on Aurangzeb, some may ask.
Firstly, I have been a close student of Indian history, and one of its most controversial figures has been Aurangzeb (1658-1707). It is true that under him the Mughal empire reached its zenith, but Aurangzeb was also a very cruel ruler ? some might even say monstrous.
What are the facts? Aurangzeb did not just build an isolated mosque on a destroyed temple, he ordered all temples destroyed, among them the Kashi Vishwanath temple, one of the most sacred places of Hinduism, and had mosques built on a number of cleared temple sites.
Other Hindu sacred places within his reach equally suffered destruction, with mosques built on them. A few examples: Krishna’s birth temple in Mathura; the rebuilt Somnath temple on the coast of Gujarat; the Vishnu temple replaced with the Alamgir mosque now overlooking Benares; and the Treta-ka-Thakur temple in Ayodhya.
The number of temples destroyed by Aurangzeb is counted in four, if not five figures.
Aurangzeb did not stop at destroying temples, their users were also wiped out; even his own brother Dara Shikoh was executed for taking an interest in Hindu religion; Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded because he objected to Aurangzeb’s forced conversions.
…Even Indian politicians are ignorant of Aurangzeb’s evil deeds.
Nehru might have known about them, but for his own reasons he chose to keep quiet and instructed his historians to downplay Aurangzeb’s destructive drive and instead praise him as a benefactor of arts.
Since then six generations of Marxist historians have done the same and betrayed their allegiance to truth. Very few people know for instance that Aurangzeb banned any kind of music and that painters had to flee his wrath and take refuge with some of Rajasthan’s friendly maharajahs.
Thus, we thought we should get at the root of the matter.
History (like journalism) is about documentation and first-hand experience. We decided to show Aurangzeb according to his own documents. There are an incredible number of farhans, original edicts of Aurangzeb hand-written in Persian, in India’s museums, particularly in Rajasthan, such as the Bikaner archives. It was not always easy to scan them, we encountered resistance, sometimes downright hostility and we had to go once to the chief minister to get permission. Indeed, the director of Bikaner archives told us that in 50 years we were the first ones asking for the farhans dealing with Aurangzeb’s destructive deeds. Then we asked painters from Rajasthan to reproduce in the ancient Mughal style some of the edicts: the destruction of Somnath temple; the trampling of Hindus protesting jaziya tax by Aurangzeb’s elephants; or the order from Aurangzeb prohibiting Hindus to ride horses and palanquins; or the beheading of Teg Bahadur and Dara Shikoh.
People might say: ‘OK, this is all true, Aurangzeb was indeed a monster, but why rake up the past, when we have tensions between Muslims and Hindus today?’
There are two reasons for this exhibition.
The first is that no nation can move forward unless its children are taught to look squarely at their own history, the good and the bad, the evil and the pure. The French, for instance, have many dark periods in their history, more recently some of the deeds they did during colonisation in North Africa or how they collaborated with the Nazis during the Second World War and handed over French Jews who died in concentration camps (the French are only now coming to terms with it).
….Aurangzeb was the Hitler, the asura of medieval India. No street is named after Hitler in the West, yet in New Delhi we have Aurangzeb Road, a constant reminder of the horrors Aurangzeb perpetrated against Indians, including his own people.
Finally, Aurangzeb is very relevant today because he thought that Sunni Islam was the purest form of his religion and he sought to impose it with ruthless efficiency — even against those of his own faith, such as his brother….Four centuries later, is he going to have the last word? I remember, when I started covering Kashmir in the late ’70s, that Islam had a much more open face. …
Then the shadow of Aurangzeb fell on Kashmir and the hardline Sunnis came from Pakistan and Afghanistan: cinemas were banned, the burqa imposed, 400,000 Kashmiri Pandits were chased out of Kashmir through violence and became refugees in their own land and the last Sufi shrine of Sharar-e-Sharif was burnt to the ground (I was there).
Today the Shariat has been voted in Kashmir, a state of democratic, secular India, UP’s Muslims have applauded, and the entire Indian media which went up in flames when the government wanted Vande Mataram to be sung, kept quiet. The spirit of Aurangzeb seems to triumph.
Image Courtesy: francoisgautier.com
Islam needs to adapt its scriptures which were created nearly 15 centuries ago for the people and customs of these times, but which are not necessarily relevant in some of their injunctions today. Kabir, Dara Shikoh and some of the Sufi saints attempted this task, but failed. Aurangzeb knew what he was doing when he had his own brother beheaded. And we know what we are saying when we say that this exhibition is very relevant to today’s India…”
Related Posts:
UPDATED: Is Taslima being treated differently from MF Husain?
Taslima Nasreen and a deafening silence
Francois Gautier on Conversions
And for those who may be new to this blog, here is my personal view on MF Husain’s paintings
.
Please tell me that this has happened in Saudi Arabia, not in India.
I have two questions.
1. Can former prince be addressed even now as prince. Is he not covered by privy purse bill.
2. Where this prince when hindus were driven out of Kashmir.What about the paintings of that scoundrel M.F.Hussain. If Arcot man wants he can ask that painter to draw pictures of Mo;hammed and Fathima with or without dress according to is mood.
The police has gone a few steps further & forcibly shut the exhibition down indefinitely. Has confiscated a couple of paintings. This puts the exhibits in jeopardy.
Indeed, where are all those freedom of speech crusaders? They rose in collective voice for M F Hussain & the artists at M.S. University, Gujarat among other instances. They are hardly credible in my opinion (with their selective outrage).
I find it hard to comment on this news. It has become trend and fashion to work for the minorities. So called five-star NGO’s(this name is given by Mr. Modi) are blind folded. They think muslims are minorities so they are miserables. Really, are they? I am not against muslims but cannot take injustice. No muslim came forward for M.F Hussain paintings, Where were the religion sentiments that time?
It is only because there is no unity amongs Hindus. Nothing can be done. One has to raise iron head one day against all these injustices delivered by the name of minorities? How many such heads are left? None!
Even after so many such attocities happening, hindus dont seem to wake up and protest. Till that happens, all we can do is whine.
When such things happen to muslims, all of them start protesting and organizing darnas. When such thing happens to M.F.Hussein and other intellectuals, the intellectual bandwagon is up in arms protesting.
Where is VHP, where is RSS, where is any hindu organization organizing darnas or protests. I believe only loud voiciferous protests will make people take hindus seriously. I am not advocating violence, but unless a snake hisses, it will only get beaten up. I dont trust Arundati Roy to voice for hindu rights.
We only have to voice our own voices. But will it be too late? Not really, even a handful of Isrealis have been able to survive all problems, and now are the most effective in protecting their rights. But will it require entire hindu populations to be decimated before a handful of them fight for their survival to be successful?
The attack on and subsequent premature closure of the Aurangzeb exhibition in Chennai only underlines the extent of power wielded by the negationists in Bharat .
These negationists ,have, to date, tightly controlled the flow of information on one of the darkest periods in Bharatiya history , namely the period of Islamic imperialism in India.
As a result of this negationism the Indian people have been fed a diet of lies and falsehoods about the impact on their culture of such periods of Islamic rule over some parts of India.
This pernicious diet has lulled the majority of us into a sense of complacency and false acceptance of that refrain “Musulmani aur Hindustani bhai -bhai”.
It is a regret that the exhibition , in Chennai, was forced into early closure Muslim and secular protest . It is not a regret , however that such a commotion arising out of negationist brigade has now emerged. The extent of the commotion is in direct relation to the effect such attempts to tell the Indian people the truth about their own history is having/going to have on the Bharatiya consciousness.
When we see change as emerging suddenly it is because we have been unaware , all along,of the slight tremors of movement of truth.Such movemements are occurring along the fault-lines of the lies and falsehoods which have been assiduously cultivated by those in power in order to drug and neutralise the Indian people.
Gautier’s Aurangzeb’ exhibition is one such tremor. We should be grateful to him and his colleagues I for one salute him.
I have read a few reports and also commments on the forced closure of the Aurangzeb exhibition in chennia due to protests by the Musim royalty and community. as well as the omnipresent Indian pseudo-seculars , aided by the Chennai police.
I am exercised however by the reference to the mature women exhibitors as having been cowed , intimidated and rendered to trembling wrecks by the heavy -handedness of the local police.
These ladies were taking tentative steps in the wake of Jhansi-ki-Rani. They need to be portrayed as strong and courageous women so that other vanasprathis may be emboldened to flock in their scores and crores to man the barricades of the resurgent Indian consciousness.
Jai Hind!
I agree with all above comments. Dolia is right we need to prtest as hard as muslims does for their rights.
That is what I have been told once by someone long ago. That our protest are damp. Do such protest no body dares to do that again.
Here the scenerio is Hindus are seen as meek, timid and faerful, may be because of their culture of non-violence and non agressive natrure.
But its of no use when one cannot standup for their rights.
The influence of pseudo-seculars in India is sickening. Political parties (most, not all) have adopted a pseudo-secular agenda as this garners votes. Unfortunately, most of the media falls into this category too. As Shantanu has discussed in some of his earlier blogs, pseduo-secular equals anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim. Do our people not learn from years of aggression and dominance by Islamic rule? And if one needs more evidence for Islamic intolerance and bigotry, look at the world around today! In this context, it is even more important that we know our history and learn from it. It is truly sad that our politicians care more about votes than the people.
All: Thanks for your comments and for sharing your thoughts.
Francois’ first reason for having this exhibition:
resonates very strongly with me and it is for this reason that I continue to write about historical issues on this blog – even though some people may feel that I am trying to dig up “dead” issues or re-opening wounds that have “healed”.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
The “Prince of Arcot” is “a bogus nawab” (Kanchan Gupta in The Pioneer, Mar 9). The Arcot lineage, for all its claimed link to the Caliphate, owes to Aurangzeb’s “munificence” its elevation to nawabhood in recognition of an ancestor’s defeat of the Marathas.
The direct line died out in 1855, and in 1867 the British elevated the collateral Azim Jah branch with the title of Prince and a large pension – in perpetuity.
Independent India continues the title, and it is the Indian taxpayer who pays for the so-called Prince’s many official perquisites and a tax-free pension amply sufficient for him to live in regal splendour (http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2004/02/01/stories/2004020100120200.htm ).
In return, the Prince’s website lists his “donations to non-Muslims”. These are three – all by the direct line, and the last of which was in the 18th century (http://www.princeofarcot.org/tank.htm)! None by the Azim Jahs, and certainly none at all post-1947 and by the present Prince.
A government gazette of April 1871 records the fealty “at all times” of the Azim Jahs to the British Crown (http://www.princeofarcot.org/gazette.htm). So, in effect, the Indian taxpayer continues to generously reward the Azim Jah family for its loyalty to the British, and will do so forever.
Some possible hankypanky?? – scroll down to Haj Refund at http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2004/03/10/stories/2004031006160400.htm
He pretends an interest in the welfare of his extended family (http://www.princeofarcot.org/cfa.htm) but obviously can spare no money for them (see the letter to the editor at http://www.thehindu.com/2005/07/25/stories/2005072514570300.htm)
The websites are silent on the amount of his pension (eg, http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/ips/a/arcot.html ) but clearly it is munificent enough for him to live like a prince!
This family has lived off the fat of our land long enough, and the money spent on it should be diverted to starving farmers and fishermen. Rulers of real significance gave up their kingdoms and lost their privy purses. The petty Prince of Arcot is a parasitic anachronism in our democracy and there is no reason at all why the Indian public exchequer should support him. His pension and perquisites should be abolished in free India – or let the British still support him if they want.
If someone can prepare a PIL for the abolition of this “privy purse” in disguise, I volunteer to be a signatory!
Dear Shantanu,
What a profound statement by Shri. Gautier! It is the ultimate truth.
Unless we question and question, things will not be understood. The true ‘Vedantic’ spirit of the “Sanatna Dharma” talks only of this.
Face up to your teacher and ask him questions. Do not depend upon everything said as true. Ascertain the truth for yourself.
Shri. Gautier has involuntarily has acted the part of a catylyst on this matter.
Yes, question the truth of history and face it. Do not hide behind religion, caste and political subtleties.
Face up to it squarely.
Today the whole “HINDU” society is questioning the basis of “ARE WE HINDUS” or are we not as defined by “HISTORIANS” of the past.
Today we are looking inwards to ascertain and know what is “OUR DHARMA” is it “SANATANA”.
We are trying to face the truth of caste. IS IT A PART OF OUR DHARMA AT ALL OR IS IT THAT HISTORIANS HAVE CREATED THE BOGEY OF IT FOR SOME ULTERIOR MOTIVE?
We have great leaders and thinkers, like Swami. Vivekananda, Shri. Aurobindo, Swami. Chimayananda, and Gurus like SriSri Ravishankar, Guru Ramdev, Mata Amirthananda Mayi, leading the pack by questioning the real basis of the the “HISTORY ” written about “BHARAT”, by giving us an opportunity to reflect upon it by their talks and books.
They ask us, not to blindly follow the talks as “HISTORIANS” of the past have done but given us as opportunity to reflect upon their teachings and make our choice.
Even the Kanchi Sankaracharya has taken the steps to understand the true spirit of “Sanatana Dharma” by going and interacting with Dalits on a very personal basis and asking to attend the pujas at the mutt “PRECINTS”
That is “Bharatiya” spirit awakening.
I am sure in a few years if this awareness continues, “Bharat” will rice from the ashes and decimation of over a 1500 years.
Regards,
vck
…bharat will rise back as it was before…..wen it was the land of noble aryans…the talented ppl who made it progress and whose glory spread far and wide….but now india wil never rise till muslims and hindus unite….and today the gretest enemy of india is politics…wich has made hindus muslims stand against each other by brain wshing the common hindus ….a common hindu today needs to read his holy books and realise tat wat he is followng today is not sanatan dharma but hinduism a name wich gven by britishers….we will be far advanced than US far advanced than any other nation in the wrld…coz we have tat potential…
Dear Sir,
That is what every “BHARATIYA” is fighting for, both in the physical and mental sense.
We shall rise, come what may.
Regards,
vck
Ofcourse, nobody can dim the Sun. India is rising and will keep rising. Rest assure Prince of angel, don’t worry so much.
I see more brain washing on part of Muslims by mullhas and Moulvis. Why are they not ready to oblige the soil where they have given place to survive and sing Vande- matram? Unity? and that also from Muslims? Hope prince of angel give some words to them to respect the land of India. They will not become small or inferior by reciting and uniting with Hindus in India.
Jai Hind!
…..@indian:- india will rise whether u wish or not….so u dont worry so much…as far as brain washing is concerned…wen a moulvi brainwashes a muslim he is considered terrorist and subjected to tortures and injustices …but wat bout those who are barainwashed by dirty political agendas….common hindus….wat shall be done to them so that india will rise and move forward….can hindus start eating beef or stop worshipping their gods inorder to unite with muslims??? if no then y xpect muslims to go against their religion to unite with hindus…unity comes from brotherhood , fraternity , respect to each others faiths etc…..and not by forcing one group to change their religious ways… wen common hindus will stop attacking muslims faith??? wen shall injustices be stopped against muslims.???….and wen will common hindus stop questioning patriotism of muslims???…
Really, can you go and give some words to Muslims countries.? Why you speak against only injustices in India, What about muslims country where people cannot eat even in front of people who have observed Roza in ramzan. And you get pain in stomach when hindus statred their agenda. Are you afraid of hindus who have getting to know islam?Why? something is wrong in your religion that makes you so much troublesome?
Common man. Dont try hard on India and hindustan. Br brave to speak against all evil and injustices.
Jai Hind!
..@indian:- i thnk u r misinformed…,,gve me examples of muslim contries who do injustces if u feel so…no muslim contries ever bother bout who hindus are…no one outside the world knows about hindus for ur kind information….thers not a single hindu contry in the whole world…..so pls clear basics bfor blaming any one…as far as roza and ramzan are concerned i dnt knw from u got tis information…tis is the “one more” most silly hoax against muslim contries….wen hindus wil stop living in “fools paradise” and face reality….still, dont gve try gvng a lame excuse like this one, to justify the xtreme injustices and oppressions on muslims and minorities in india…..so nxt tym better com up wth som useful sensible and reasonable excuse to commit “genocides ” against muslims…..if hindus suffer so much in musl;im contries y they go in bundles and bunches vry year in dubai and middle easts……stop being ungrateful….
Why should I be gratreful to Islam? Is it doing any favour to people? or feeding the poor in the world?Aren’t the people there are paid for their hard work? If that is the case anyone from muslims country should not move to U.S, Australia, U.K. I have heard they are fond of western countries and their lifestyle? Is it true? Are they in badly need of money? And do we need to talk about humanright violation in muslim countries? I think you have much knowledge about it, so I will leave upon you. And I am not misinformed. You need to go out and see the world and do some research. In India we have places of worship for all religions. Can you tell me how many temples, churches are there in S.Arabia? Violating humanrights, freedom of reilgion as well as worship! Isn’t it? When Islam is not bothered about Hinduism, than why you expect from Hindus this and that? Do what you preach. And dont talk so big here about genocides and all. Be some sensible! We have papers and papers to lookinto it. Neither do i have to give evidences here nor do you have to. Be grateful to people who are ready to work in middle east and not even asking for their rights.
This reply is in reply of yours. If you want to stop furthering this topic, stop now or be ready for the advises. I am the one with iron head who will not take anything that is agaisnt defaming Hindus and Hinduism on wrong basis.
Jai Hind!
Hi Shantanu
These were my last posts for Prince of angel. I apologise for continuing this topic. But I think it was required so i did it. No regrets!
Jai Hind!
I cant find words to describe the man,,, great man……. Francois Gautier.
From an interview with Dr Andrew Bostom
Alan Johnson: Hasn’t Christianity also been invoked to justify imperialism?
Andrew Bostom: Yes, of course. But Ibn Warraq pointed out to me how instructive it was to compare the impact of British imperialism and Muslim Imperialism on the Subcontinent. The devastation that was wrought by the waves of Muslim Jihad over almost a Millennium was incomparable with what the Europeans did on the same continent. Lord Curzon gave a remarkable speech in 1900 at a meeting of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, while engaged in a campaign to preserve India’s ancient monuments. This is what he said:
This is not the way either Muslim conquerors or rulers treated the Indian subcontinent. Thousands of Hindu temples were destroyed. The Buddhist temples were also destroyed, and the Buddhists—wiped out all together from India—had to retreat into other parts of Asia.
And if you think that Curzon is not a reliable source, listen to the Indian historian, R.C. Majumdar, who was not terribly sympathetic to the Brits. When he compared Hindu advancement under British and Muslim colonial rule, he concluded:
A very pertinent question.
Hello. Great job. I did not expect this on a Wednesday. This is a great story. Thanks!
Shantanu,
Have a look at the recent pearls of wisdom from the high-priestess of lefty-liberalism:
India is a corporate Hindu state
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-is-a-corporate-hindu-state-arundhati/130817-3.html?from=tn
Please give this woman a nobel prize (something she really craves for). Then put her in the border areas of India and invite any other country to invite her as a citizen. She would understand what “Corporate Hindu” India is.
Thanks Sid…will have a look
Sid, her asinine statements seem to reflect a similar asinine position by one Meera Nanda, who even wrote a book titled “God Market”. Perhaps her (Nanda’s) books is being released in paperback and Ms. Roy is giving her the publicity she needs?
Kaffir,
Thanks for mentioning Nanda. I did not know about “God Market”. One of the true JNU jewels. Criticism is everywhere in the net. I found this link if anyone is interested for a passionate defense of this book:
http://nirmukta.com/2010/01/21/review-the-god-market-how-globalization-is-making-india-more-hindu-by-meera-nanda/
Look at the few paras at the end. We techies are such a hated species in both east & west …. for different reasons. 🙂
The problem with likes of Nanda is that they can not think of the India which will not run after the white masters, the India which values it’s history/tradition/culture, the India which dares to walk into a road different from the one defined by welfare-minded commie-sympathizers of JNU. For if that happens Nandas and Thapars would be redundant, they need to publish original work to make sure that the university they work for attracts good students. Hard work does not really work for an intellectual, it so happens that it sometimes work for the much-hated techies.
None could have conquered India had the so called Hindu’s been united. I am surprised that we are concerned reading history when it comes to how Aurangzeb looted & destroyed India but don’t bring to forefront how some Hindu’s transpired to sell this country to Britishers. Aurangzeb was prior to 1757, right? Someone rightly said, we accept history as it suits us. I am a Hindu myself but I fail to understand the discussion above. Duryodhan was never Duryodhan. Duryodhan was indeed named Suyodhan by his parents but its the bloody hostory that names him Duryodhan based on his deeds. WHY? Was bloody Yudhister not a hypocrite who sold his wife but we still call him “Dharamraj”. Why do you blame Suyodhan for all that happened to Panchali. On top, do you ever question why did the five brothers marry the same girl but we are quick to ask why Muslims marry twice or thrice. Lord Krishna had so many wives, Do ou dare to ask this question to him or in the society at large? Aurangzeb ruled for his guts & because most of our Maharajas were inefficient, Un-united & were more interested in “Vilasita” instead of fighting the rule of Aurangzeb. He came, conquered & did what he wanted to do. This is what anyone would do. Why don’t you also at the same time discuss those muslim rulers who did good to Hindu’s? When you write a comment, don’t just write on an abstract. Use the Context & then write the comments. We think ourselves to be the torch bearers of the next world. With such partisan mindset & thoughtprocess, I have my sincere doubts?
@Sid
Arundhati is making a statement that “Maoists are retaliating against government through armed struggle” and there she goes so far to call Bharat a “Corporate, Hindu, Satellite state”. When in reality Hindus are the last ones for any benefit.
According to her own logic “The recent (non-violent) movement by Team Anna must also be retaliation against govt’s corrupt practices” but here she object to the whole movement by calling it fascist.
Also by her logic Hindus too should take up arms to protect their interest seeing the communal violence bill. She has lost it all. And everyone knows she is a born christian and married to, a christian, Gerard Da Cunha to break up in 4 years. Now any person with such rich heritage of Christianity will definitely try and undermine all efforts of development so that conversion can continue unabated.
She is with all but Hindus. And Shri Francois Gautier is known for his credentials. So its not expected from her, a christian, to ever support a Hindu or Hindu sympathizer.
Jai Bharat!