Thursday, November 03, 2005
Sanjoy Dasgupta
The man indirectly responsible for my interest and involvement in simpact is no more.
Sanjoy was the visionary who while conceiving of the first Bangalore IT.com
was able to think about both sides of the IT coin: the commercial and technological on one side and the impact on society on the other side. It was he who insisted
that we look at a broad-based view of the impact of ICT on developing countries: the Global Village Seminar mentioned in my first post is the result of
Sanjoy's vision. It is only Sanjoy who could have thought of the Bangalore Declaration on IT, converting what otherwise would have been just another seminar into a provoactive exercise.
It is indeed a poor homage to Sanjoy that seven years after
the above, we find the current cynical and highly politicised wranglings about the
role of IT and its impact on Bangalore and its infrastructure. There is no one either in government or in the IT industry that appear even to be thinking about
the broader aspects of ICT. During the IT boom, ICT was touted as the
silver bullet for every ailment. Today, IT is the villain for everything that ails
Bangalore, starting from overgrown and unplanend infrastructure to lack of
job opportunities to locals.
Sanjoy was one of the earliest adminsitrators, anywhere in the country, to realise
the potential of ICT. I enjoyed the time I spent with Sanjoy during the
planning and preparations of the Global Village Seminar, admired his passion for
making a positive change with ICT and have gained considerable personal satisfaction
in the road I have taken since then.
May his soul rest in peace. Knowing Sanjoy, I doubt it. I am sure he has already embarked on some passionate task wherever he is.
Good luck my friend!
Sanjoy was the visionary who while conceiving of the first Bangalore IT.com
was able to think about both sides of the IT coin: the commercial and technological on one side and the impact on society on the other side. It was he who insisted
that we look at a broad-based view of the impact of ICT on developing countries: the Global Village Seminar mentioned in my first post is the result of
Sanjoy's vision. It is only Sanjoy who could have thought of the Bangalore Declaration on IT, converting what otherwise would have been just another seminar into a provoactive exercise.
It is indeed a poor homage to Sanjoy that seven years after
the above, we find the current cynical and highly politicised wranglings about the
role of IT and its impact on Bangalore and its infrastructure. There is no one either in government or in the IT industry that appear even to be thinking about
the broader aspects of ICT. During the IT boom, ICT was touted as the
silver bullet for every ailment. Today, IT is the villain for everything that ails
Bangalore, starting from overgrown and unplanend infrastructure to lack of
job opportunities to locals.
Sanjoy was one of the earliest adminsitrators, anywhere in the country, to realise
the potential of ICT. I enjoyed the time I spent with Sanjoy during the
planning and preparations of the Global Village Seminar, admired his passion for
making a positive change with ICT and have gained considerable personal satisfaction
in the road I have taken since then.
May his soul rest in peace. Knowing Sanjoy, I doubt it. I am sure he has already embarked on some passionate task wherever he is.
Good luck my friend!
