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He is an Indian at heart

He is a Frenchman but has fallen in love with India. Meet Roland de La Moussaye

ROYALTY'S HUMBLE FACE Roland de La Moussaye

Although a living relic of French royalty, Roland de La Moussaye does not wave his royal connection in your face. On the contrary, he tries to divert attention from it.

Actually, the man likes to believe he is more Indian than French. His love for India can be measured by his air tickets. "I have been to India 44 times, since 1955 when I went to Calcutta."

He's not a here-today-gone-tomorrow traveller. Every time he visits the country, he stays on for six months, trying to visit every nook and cranny. Over the years, he has met illustrious Indians — from Salim Ali to Indira Gandhi. And also a few unscrupulous godmen. "They are a blight. They tarnish the country's image."

When he is not visiting India, Roland stays in London or Paris. Only a few years ago, he would either be in India or touring the world, teaching French language and literature, on behalf of the French Government, at overseas universities. Today as a retiree, he has more time for India. And he is on a quiet mission — reminding Indians of the cultural advantage they enjoy without being fully aware of it.

"India has something to offer to the world; but it seems to be in danger of losing that very thing." The Frenchman has great respect for the Indian family built on the bedrock of the arranged marriage system. He is often piqued by derogatory references to it. "Who said only Indians go in for arranged marriages," counters Roland. "It used to be prevalent in France as well."

On both sides of his family, arranged marriages were the norm, until the present generation. The forebears of his father Olivier de La Moussaye and mother Isabelle de Broge never trusted their sons and daughters to find themselves suitable spouses. According to Roland, a willingness to entrust one's future with one's parents points to a refreshing humility and faith. He says India abounds in humility. Probably for this reason, whenever he talks about his family, royalty does not figure in the conversation, but people who were popular because of their humility.

He has a great fondness for Prince Louis-Victor de Broglie of the French Academy, Permanent Secretary of the Academy of Sciences, and Professor at the Faculty of Sciences at Paris University.

Not because he was an exemplary scientist, but because he was humble man. In 1929, the man won the Nobel Prize for Physics "for his discovery of the wave nature of electrons". The French Academy held a felicitation ceremony.

The invitees were in attendance, in glimmering coats and flowing skirts. Their sartorial pomp was matched only by the expensive vehicles that had brought them to the venue.

But the man of the moment did not make it on time. When he walked in, he created a flutter. His cheap coat was soiled and his hat had a couple of stitches. And his words caused the greater surprise — "Sorry, my bicycle was in disrepair. So I had to walk all the way."

The point is: In India, Roland has had the pleasure of meeting many such men. The Indian lifestyle is easy-going and less materialistic; and the country's spiritual tradition answers many existentialist questions.

About a year ago, he lost his adopted daughter Chouli, who was of Thai origin and a Buddhist, under tragic circumstances. He could not come to terms with the loss even after visiting renowned psychiatrists around the world.

When the situation was hopeless, he was told about an Indian healer called Dikshit who uses the Vedas to offer solace to the broken-hearted. "I don't understand his approach, but it works."

Roland's parting words provide food for thought. "If India loses its Indianness, it will be a loss not only to the country, but to the whole world."

PRINCE FREDERICK

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