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was probably a personal bonus for him.We will never know if he had any other motive and
to make conjectures now would be unfair and inconsequential.
In some ways, Dewang, the person, was overshadowed by his own image. It was
perhaps his misfortune that many saw little beyond his mannerism, his lisp and his
wig. They were nothing more than superbly utilized stage props by an astute and
accomplished actor.
He was a creature of his environment. He came to
NASSCOM to occupy a vacuum, a place that others directly
occupied in the business of software could not legitimately
take. NASSCOM needed a face and voice unfettered by vested
interest. He can only be faulted for a job too well done.
Having taken center stage with the aplomb he had, he could hardly
be expected to retire to the wings.
He has been correctly described as a showman. Maybe, the politically correct terms
should be media manager and image builder. It was the only way he knew to cut through
the media clutter.That was not a bad thing at all for his cause.
Despite being steeped in the rarefied atmosphere of technology, Dewang was
never blind to its larger impact. He was passionate about having the benefits
of technology penetrate down to the poorest of the poor. His anecdotes about
Chameli Devi and Mr. Bob Krishnamurthy are eloquent testimony to his feel for
the pulse of the masses. He could relate the advantages of technology to the larger
public good. His slogan “Roti, kapda, makaan, bandwidth and bijli” was well-known.
Dewang’s strange media hunger was one of the driving passions of
his life. Only Dewang knew how much it must have added to the
stresses that cost him his life.
There is an interesting sidelight to this issue. I was upset with him
about his unnecessarily high profile, which I felt was distracting
him from more serious tasks. He pleaded helplessness, telling me
how he was caught between the devil and the deep sea.
If he said “No” to the media, he would be perceived as an arrogant individual and
if he said “Yes” it would lead to an overexposure. However, saying “Yes” would at
least help build opinion in favour of the industry.
Dewang discussing industry concerns with Harish Mehta, during
a nasscom Mumbai members meeting
