The invisible French writing by Indians: Express Research

Express Research

EXPRESS RESEARCH

Dear reader,   We all know of the worldwide popularity of English writing by Indians as one of the most successful products of 200 years of British colonial rule in India. But did you know that a handful of Indian writers have also been writing in French? French, like English, has also been a South Asian language ever since the 17th century when agents of the French East India Company and French travellers arrived in India. French writing by Indians though, is not only small but also largely invisible on account of lack of significant readership.    Our story this week traces the unique journey of French literature in India. The first Indians to write in French belonged to Bengal and Goa, which were not under French control. Paradoxically, those parts of India under French rule hardly produced any literature in the language until very recently. Contemporary writers from the erstwhile French colonies like Ari Gautier and K Madavane have been producing literature in French with the hope of preserving the history and culture of a region that is fast fading.    Read the story: Unseen, unread… the poignant story of French writing by Indians   Our other story this week follows the politics over Somnath Temple in Gujarat, where earlier this month PM Narendra Modi inaugurated a range of projects and cited the number of times it had been raided and how it re-emerged everytime. The narrative of the Somnath Temple’s destruction and resurrection has served political purposes, both during the colonial period and in an independent India.   Read the story: How past reconstructions of Somnath Temple have reflected politics of the time   Sincerely,   Adrija Roychowdhury

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How past reconstructions of Somnath Temple have reflected politics of the time   Unseen, unread… the poignant story of French writing by Indians   'Hindu revivalism?': Why Jawaharlal Nehru disapproved Rajendra Prasad's presence at Somnath temple inauguration   Before the spiritual Aurobindo, the political Aurobindo Ghose

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