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Dominique Lapierre shares his name with his wife. Her name is also Dominique

Photo: H.Vibhu and Priyadershini S.

Indian ethos Dominique Lapierre, who was in the city recently.

“Dominique Lapierre. Date of Birth. Date of death. Citizen of honour of the city of Calcutta.” And undoubtedly for this French writer and philanthropist, Calcutta (Kolkata) is the city of his heart.

But Kochi too is special, he says. “Kochi is the city of tolerance, of compassion, of love. Kochi is showing the way of harmony that should be followed by the whole world.” Having been to the city three to four times before and this time on a brief stopover from a week long cruise with friends and guests, Lapierre was once again overwhelmed by the city.

“We were very keen to see the place where Vasco Da Gama lived. My guests and I will return,” said Lapierre introducing some of the distinguished guests of the visiting entourage. “I am just a humble writer who has decided to show his love for India, to try and change a little bit of the injustices.... I am not Bill Gates or the World Bank. Many of my guests here help me financially in our humanitarian projects.” And he introduces Mr. Dominique De Coster who has vineyards in France. With typical French courtesy De Coster announces to the esteemed gathering that Indian wines are getting to be the same standard as French wines and that soon India will be famous for its wines. “Ms. Paule Viallard is an eminent French scholar and gives lectures on Hinduism and Indian religions. There is Cristina Mondadori from the famous Italian publishing house,” informs Lapierre. And are they too diehard Indophiles like him? “Yes, yes. I am happy that India is changing and becoming a big world power. My only concern is that the new shining India should shine for everyone and not just the middle class or people on computers.”

At a private dinner he attended at Le Colonial, with wife, Dominique.

And this holiday on the seas that they have been enjoying: “We left Mumbai a week ago and have been to Goa, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, now Kochi and then Chennai, before flying back to France. Before this I spent a week with my wife doing different projects in the Sunderbans to which we bring medical relief in four hospital boats.” And Sunderbans is Lapierre’s new joy.

He speaks intently about his cause for the neglected group of islands.

“The water there is so saline that when I bought a pineapple there, it was salty.” Dominique Lapierre shares his name with his wife (her name is also Dominique) who’s a solid support to his humanitarian endeavours. “Now my sister too is involved in the projects,” he says when asked about his family.

Guests from France

And just as dinner gets underway, Lapierre pops two capsules. And as you wonder what he’s having that for, he says in charming humour. “Ask my wife. She gives me these special vitamins to make me more intelligent but the treatment has failed so far,” sending everybody into guffaws. Playing host to the hilt and talking away with facile grace one can see why Dominique Lapierre has touched Indian hearts and minds so deeply. He is beyond doubt a people’s person, making time, listening gently, smiling, laughing heartily and reaffirming his faith in the Indian polity.

Nandingram in his city of joy? “No politics, I never speak politics when I am in India. I respect the politics. I am happy and proud when things go well and sad when they go wrong but I have enough confidence in the Indian people that all situations can be resolved to good end.” And the rickshaw bell, the symbol of Kolkata that is on him always, “I am a reincarnated rickshaw puller,” he says and informs the gathering that at the security the bell was kept aside to be returned later.

With golden fried prawns and seafood chowder arriving, Lapierre is still not finished with his pet obsession, humanitarian work. “It is very touching to see those little children, when you go to Bengal, to see those little boys and girls telling you, ‘I’m handicapped but I can do everything.’” And it is the spirit of these little ones, the deprived and the destitute that drives Dominique and Dominique combine. And the two sitting in the stylish dining room at Le Colonial, far away from their field of work are still in mind and spirit with the helpless and the poor.

Finally the gulab jamuns arrive, which are one of Lapierre’s favourite mithais. And then there is only the big thank you for this couple“It’s my honour,” says the writer. “Do you know that at Dee Cee Books after I finished addressing a group of journalists , a young lady came up to me with ‘The City of Joy’ and said, ‘This book has helped me become a better woman.’ What better tribute can there be than this,” he says, bowing in deferential namaste.

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