'French crepes, Gitanes, and some coffee ' - by K J S Chatrath

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Hindu's" review of K.J.S. Chatrath's book 'India in the Debates of French Parliament 1945-1988' - shared by K J S Chatrath

 

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

INDIA IN THE DEBATES OF FRENCH PARLIAMENT 1945-1988 By K.J.S. Chatrath, Indian Publishers Distributors; Delhi, Rs. 450.

Members of the elite Indian Administrative Service are an unhappy lot! One is not really sure what makes some of the brightest young men and women of our country, join this service. Desire for power?  Eagerness to fulfil parental aspirations? Greed for dowry? A yearning to serve this country?

Whatever, be the reason that prompts them to enter the service a large number of them get disillusioned all too soon, It not really a career to amass, wealth (that is, by honest means); It doesn't mean either much power as in the old ICS and the more conscientious get thrown hither and thither by their political masters, The more they stay in the service the more frustrated and bitter they become and it is no wonder that a large number resign to take to other careers either in academia of journalism, or  business, or simply fade  out of the country.

Those sensitive officers who are trapped in the service due to financial or family considerations silently suffer humiliations, and many try to get a little solace by developing some absorbing literary interest. The numerous serving IAS officers he who, after ten or fifteen yours in the administration, want to go through the long, painful and tortuous, process of getting a doctorate degree is an indication of their desire for some escape route to self-respect.

Their overwhelming eagerness to make a mark in areas other than their professional work of administering the country has produced some important figures and names like Chaturvedi Badrinath writing a profound philosophical treatise, Iravatham  Mahadevan making distinguished contributions to the decipherment of the Indus Valley script, or Upamanyu Chatterjee producing fine high quality novels, come, to our minds Immediately. Though not quite in the same class, Dr. Chatrath belongs to this genre of serving IAS officers contributing something substantial to the world of scholarship.

This volume is derived from Dr. Chatrath's Ph.D. thesis which traced France’s diplomatic relations with independent India. What was the nature of the interest on India shown by the French parliamentarians especially after India became free and France had no colonial type of pecuniary interest.  Unlike the British Parliament, which except on a few momentous occasions, paid hardly any attention to Indian affairs throughout the two centuries of British rule, the French Parliament seems to have taken a lively interest in Indian affairs. 

Dr. Chatrath has given a cogent account of his interest and speculates on the reasons for this continuing invelvement in Indian matters by the representatives of the French people. According to him, the reasons are “Bonds of an erstwhile colonial power with her old colonies’, ‘the need to project France as the champion of the Third World causes’, and the ‘strong cultural interests and connections.’

 Rightly does he say that ultimately economic and commercial relations were the foundations of this interest in India, but in achieving the objectives of increased commercial relations, “cultural interests also get intensified.”   In the seventies, after the petrol price increases, the need was to increase external trade and this could be done effectively by the utilization of the assistance of culture.”

What we get in this volume is a selective reproduction of a good deal of material such as Reports of Parliamentary Delegations to India, questions posed by the members with the answers given by the official spokesman, and a few relevant speeches. In all these one finds much of the same cocktail as one would find in the working of any other house of representatives- self interest parading as the voice of conscience to downright ignorance, and occasionally some good sense as well.

The peculiarity of the French Parliamentarians is that besides the alleged insularity of the French, they have shown far more knowledge and interest in India than Parliamentarians from other countries with whom too India has had historic ties.

It is interesting to see that, exceptions apart, French Parliamentarians do not exhibit any trace of ex-Imperial arrogance or feeling of superiority. On the contrary it is refreshing to find a note of humility in some of the writings. In a report submitted to the National Assembly by a delegation that toured India, we find the following statement: "If one has had a chance of visiting India, one understands better the, vanity with which we go and how it is necessary to have, humility and prudence for understanding this continent!' This advice could be equally given to our own journalists and social scientists.

The value of this book is that it brings together a lot of unavailable material, and that too in English translation. Admittedly the author had to work with a miscellaneous set of source materials, but even so the organisation could have been tighter in the interest of the casual reader. The book badly needed a copy editor, and although the get-up is good, the lack of an index is distinct disadvantage.

But the more serious criticism of this effort is its pedestrian and narrow character. With his knowledge of French, the amazing and brilliant writings of the modern crop of French historians from Marc Bloch to Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie would have been accessible to Dr. Chatrath, and yet he seems not to have read them. If he had, Dr. Chatrath gives no evidence of it in his writing.

S. Ambirajan, The Hindu, Chennai, India, May 3, 1994.

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'George Pompidou Center, Paris to close for works for 5 years' - shares K J S Chatrath

 

Pompidou Center will close for five years starting in the summer of 2025 for major renovations. The iconic museum will undergo a complete overhaul to address safety, sustainability, and accessibility issues

The Centre Pompidou (Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou) is a building complex in Paris, France. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture . It is named after Georges Pompidou, the President of France from 1969 to 1974 who commissioned the building, and was officially opened on 31 January 1977 by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

Centre Pompidou is located in the Beaubourg area of the 4^th arrondissement of Paris.

It houses the Bibliothèque publique d'information (BPI; Public Information Library), a vast public library; the Musée National d'Art Moderne, the largest museum for modern art modern in Europe; and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research. The Place Georges Pompidou is an open plaza in front of the museum.

The Centre Pompidou will be closed for renovation from 2 March 2025 until 2030.

 

Review of book 'India in the Debates of the French Parliament (1945-1988)' in the Economic Times, New Delhi...shared by K J S Chatrath

 

                  THE ECONOMIC TIMES NEW DELHI SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 1994

Indo-French ties
 

'CHATRATH has attempted in this book to explain the rationale behind the interest exhibited by French parliamentarians in India.

Among the reasons cited by the author are the "bonds of an erstwhile colonial power with her old colonies", France's desire to be projected as a "champion of Third World causes", and the "strong, cul- tural interests and connections" between the two coun- tries. 

One would tend to agree with the French belief that economic relations between two countries can be built through the "assistance of culture". Chatrath has delved deep into French parliamentary records to present a representative reproduction of material like reports of parliamentary delegations to India, questions relating to India posed by MP's and their answers, and speeches.

The book will be helpful for researchers looking for material on this rather off-beat subject.
India in the Debates of the French Parliament (1945-1988), KJS Chatrath, Indian Publishers & Distributors, Rs 450.'

The heavenly French 'mille-feuille'......Ooh-Aahs K J S Chatrath

 

I am a self-professed Francophile but I find the brouhaha over 'French Cuisine' to be highly over rated. One has to compare it with innumerable ways of Indian cuisine to find its limitations. 

However to be even-handed I find French pastries to be just heavenly. Take for example a mille-feuille. Literally meaning  'thousand-sheets' it is also known by the names Napoleon in North America, vanilla slice in the United Kingdom, and custard slice.

 It is a French dessert made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream. Its modern form was influenced by improvements made by Marie-Antoine Careme.  (Source: Wikipedia)

Indo-French ties on the upswing- KJS Chatrath lists out recent some news items.

 

	Defence to energy, deepening of India-France ties amid geopolitical shifts | Explained News The Indian Express The PM's visit had two key dimensions: the AI Action Summit which he co-chaired with President Macron, and consolidating India-France ties, ...
	​Shared understanding: On India-France ties - The Hindu The Hindu Beyond India-France bilateral ties, the Prime Minister of India's visit to France had broader strategic implications for the two countries.
	Express View on India-France ties: A stable partnership in a turbulent world The Indian Express Amid uncertainty, France has emerged as a reliable partner for India. The acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France in 2016 further cemented ...
	India-France Bilateral Dialogue on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Paris (February 14, 2025) Ministry of External Affairs India-France Bilateral Dialogue on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Paris (February 14, 2025)
	India-France Relations 2025 - INSIGHTS IAS INSIGHTS IAS The India-France strategic partnership has reached new heights, with significant agreements in nuclear energy, defense, and AI. While challenges ...
	India, France hold talks on disarmament, non-proliferation in Paris - Business Standard Business Standard India-France, India France flag, India, France. Representative ... India offers multi-barrel rocket system Pinaka to France amid growing ties. Flag as irrelevant
	India-France relations: A strategic layer cake - Firstpost Firstpost Much like a perfect mille-feuille, the Indo-French relationship relies on balance—between hard power and soft diplomacy, commerce and strategy, ...
	India, France to bolster defence cooperation, expand technology collaboration India Today India and France highlighted their longstanding defence ties, with a focus on air and maritime assets. Progress in constructing Scorpene submarines in ...
	India-France strengthen ties on nuclear, defence, AI - IndBiz | Economic Diplomacy Division Economic Diplomacy Division During a historic visit to Marseille, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron deepened Indo-French strategic ties, agreeing ...
	India and France plan to develop small modular nuclear reactors - BBC BBC India and France plan small modular nuclear reactors. 2 days ago. Share ... The leaders share a warm relationship, but both will have their own ...