François Gautier | |
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Born | 1959 (age 57–58) Paris, France |
Residence | Auroville, Pondicherry |
Nationality | Indian |
Occupation | Journalist, historian and columnist |
Organization | Foundation for Advancement of Cultural Ties |
Spouse(s) | Namrita Bindra Gautier |
Website | FACT Museum of Indian history |
Writing career | |
Genre | Politics, Hindu Rights, Hindutva |
Subject | Politics, Hindutva, Indian History |
Notable works | The Wonder that is India, Un Autre regard sur l'Inde |
Notable awards | Panchjanya's Nachiketa Awards, Bipin Chandra Pal Award |
Years active | 1982–present |
François Gautier (born 1959) is a French political writer and journalist based in India, since 1971. He has served as the "South Asian" correspondent for the French-language newspaper Le Figaro. Gautier is the founder of the Foundation for Advancement of Cultural Ties (FACT), an NGO which is 'committed to highlighting the magnificence of India and the threats to its sovereignty'. He is also the founder of the Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum of Indian history in Pune which is a private museum that houses exhibits on Indian history.[1]
Francois Gautier was born in 1959 in Paris. He was given an upper-class Catholic education. Gautier has said he had problems fitting in and he was expelled from several European boarding schools he was sent to. He attended IDRAC business school in Paris before dropping out to become a writer. He worked in a small newspaper before it was shut down. He then wrote a film script for a friend, but the film was not released.
Gautier came to India at the age of 19 in 1969. He was part of the first wave which came to establish the city of Auroville. He initially did not intend to stay in India for long and intended to travel the world. However, he met Mirra Alfassa and was influenced by her. He spent 7 years in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, after that.
François Gautier is married to Namrita Bindra Gautier, whose mother was a Hindu and father was a Sikh. Gautier primarily resides in Auroville in India, and visits his family in France annually.