I respect Francois Gautier for his knwoledge on Indian history; perhaps he knows more of Indian history than many Indians!
I also respect his arguments that history cannot be ignored and we have to learn from it, otherwise we may be condemned to repeat it as we have so often done recently.
But I do not agree with him that we will be able to follow the French and the Germans by learning to live with each other just because of this exhibition on Aurangzeb. Scholarly as it might, the exhibition will also be the hotbed of learning ground for many fundamentalists on both sides. This may be dangerous. I hope not!
Between the frustrations of the past and the hopes for the future, there is beautiful today which we would like to discolour with a paintbrush from the past. Do not do it. Live the present amicably for the future!
