Connecting Technologies and Connecting Minds
Asoke K. Laha,
President & MD,
Interra IT
The inventions of fire, wheel and steam engine and many more such innovations fuelled our civilization to grow - and keep growing. In pursuit of success, wealth and technology upgrades, we often tend to forget that mere rat race for these would not add value to the human civilization. The great social darkness encoded in and signified by the digital gap (along with various other synergic gaps of economy, class, gender, education, etc.) keeps growing side by side, thereby defeating the core values of human civilization. The difference between the rich and the poor and that of the educated and not educated or not-so-well-educated results in serious illnesses in the human society which, in turn, breed hatred, fear, mutual suspicion, wrong beliefs and actions such as fanaticism and fundamentalism.
The human beings invent the tools for better living, but they lag behind in their proper and fair use. The seed of destruction is lying within our society itself, we ignore more serious latent diseases and deceive ourselves and our neighbours in believing we are doing well and will do better and there is no glaring mistake in the path we are following. The whole story of computer industry and later the internet sadly reflects this problem. It is not an accident that Aravind Adiga's novel The White Tiger selects an entrepreneur in Banglalore connected with outsourcing. The man comes from the vast dark area of uneducated deprived and exploited people and stands up to the values we supposedly consider unassailable, beyond affront, doubt and questioning.
There should be a strong and passionate movement of encouragement and practice of basic human values in guiding the economic and digital progress in today's world. We cannot live in peace and prosperity forever while neglecting our neighbours and the environment. Internet is for doing e-commerce as well as spreading decent human values. The balance today in our lives tilt heavily towards self interest only. Corporate vigilance and governance can never be implemented by guidelines and memoranda we do not believe in. Neither should this movement be something driven from the top. The businessmen and technology people should increasingly attend the problem of social conscience, of giving back in return of what they have gained from society. The whole digital revolution can be scaled up and channelled into a social and human bonding campaign which will attempt connecting minds along with different technologies.
I do not forget the cynics who cry foul always and everywhere. A, they say that human beings will be human beings and it is futile to try to pretend more noble or grand that they really are. B, they point out that civilization has never run in straight premeditated course, but will always be subject to chance factors and accidental compulsive forces in and around the society. C, they forever doubt any good action, any goodness of heart and question any move as foul or near- foul and suspicious. Let me try to answer them one by one.
Human beings - it is proven many a time in the history - have individually or collectively excelled themselves in courage, patience, intelligence and innovativeness. Besides, it is not required to be a Gandhi or Mandela to be aware of your community and be responsible to them within your limit and ability.
The history of civilization is a fierce battle between natural and accidental forces versus human control and the scientific progress made so far proves our increasing influence over our environment.
It is good to be alert and suspicious for dishonest intentions, but it is for ourselves to find out if all so-called good people were criminals or hypocrites. Human characters are mixed bags, but there are always people who fight their own negativities better than others.
Digital and technological connectivity today is beyond doubt high priority, especially in a country like ours. However, the purpose would remain defeated until we connect our minds and reasonably care for one another.
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