Fred Negrit
Fred Negrit (born 7 June 1949) is a French educator and cultural promoter, known for his contributions to preserving and promoting Indian languages and culture in Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France in the Caribbean. He is the founding president of the Guadeloupean Council for Indian Languages, the first institution dedicated to Indian language education in the French West Indies.[1][2] Early life and educationNegrit was born in Guadeloupe. He completed a Master of Arts from the Université des Antilles Guyane (UAG) in Pointe-à-Pitre.[3] He also obtained a Hindi Pravesh Certificate from the Central Hindi Directorate in New Delhi.[4] CareerNegrit worked as a teacher for 35 years in government schools and retired as a vice-principal.[3] Motivated by his interest in Indian heritage, he began offering free classes in Indian languages, including Hindi, Sanskrit, and Tamil, at his home.[2][5] In 2002, he founded the Guadeloupean Council for Indian Languages (CGPLI), which remains the first and only Indian languages school in the French West Indies.[6] Under his leadership, the school expanded to teach other regional Indian languages and became a centre for cultural activities, celebrations of Indian festivals, and community engagement.[7] RecognitionIn 2024, the Government of India conferred upon him the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, for distinguished service in literature and education.[1][4][8] The honour reflected the recognition of his decades-long role in fostering India-France cultural ties.[9][10] He also received a Gold Medal from the Red Cross for over two decades of voluntary service.[2] See alsoReferences
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