Koenraad Elst is a Belgian writer and orientalist . He was an editor of the New Right Flemish nationalist journal Teksten, Kommentaren en Studies from 1992 to 1995, focusing on criticism of Islam, various other conservative and Flemish separatist publications such as Nucleus, 't Pallieterke, Secessie and The Brussels Journal. Having authored fifteen English language books on topics related to Indian politics and communalismhis writings are frequently featured in right-wing publications. Elst was born in Leuven, Belgium into a Flemish Catholic family. Some of his family members were Christian... missionaries or priests. He graduated in Indology, Sinology and Philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven. He then obtained a Ph.D. from the same university. The main portion of his Ph.D. dissertation on Hindu revivalism and Hindu reform movements eventually became his book Decolonizing the Hindu Mind. Other parts of his Ph.D. thesis were published in Who is a Hindu and The Saffron Swastika. He also studied at the Banaras Hindu University in India.
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