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solutions, and then present cold, clinical analyses worthy of an auditor to convince
people that they would work.
Dewang’s swashbuckling style managed to win over an otherwise dispassionate
bureaucracy to his cause. That was no mean achievement. He fired their imagination,
and when necessary, even shamed them into action. If he had to use audacity and
bulldozing to get his way, he did so. Say what you will about his tactics, they were
effective. In Dewang’s book, that was what counted.
He had an uncommon talent for working with the system. Industry associations
must work closely with government and other institutional authorities. There are
myriad problems in dealing with them, not the least being procedural and
hierarchical hurdles. Dewang uncomplainingly accepted these as the rules of the
game, and played them so well that they ceased to be speed-breakers for him.
He won over not only the bureaucrats, but even their political masters. Dewang
had a natural streak of politics in his personality. It is a sad comment on our
political reality that this sounds so deprecating. Dewang’s activism exemplified
what may be called “good politics.”
He called attention to the issues that were dear to his heart in the corridors of
power, where getting a hearing for anything is a feat in itself.
He interacted at virtually every level of the political spectrum. He was involved
with state-level e-governance initiatives, as well as with the Central government for
infrastructure policy-making and foreign trade and investment recommendations. At each
level, their special political objectives were never out of his purview.
He could balance the conflicting prerogatives of multiple political parties to bring
them to a mutually acceptable policy platform. He proactively and positively guided
the political decision-making process and this contribution has been publicly
acknowledged by many politicians themselves.
Despite knowing that the quality of governance is so poor, corruption is so deeply
embedded in public life and that the judicial system has more delays than solutions
to offer, he was proud to be an Indian. The dignity and progress of the nation were
high on his agenda.
We, who were close to him, knew that he had political ambitions. He genuinely
wanted to be in a position where he could make a real difference. The limelight
