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Infosys Unmeelan meet
Infosys Technologies brought its art and ideas forum, Unmeelan, to its Chennai Development Centre December 21. Attended by more than 1,300 Infoscions, the event saw the three-panelist team of Rajdeep Sardesai, managing editor, NDTV, Ramesh Ramanathan, co-founder - Janaagraha, and V Ravichandar, BATF, indulge in a thought-provoking debate on public-private partnership as the latest model of governance.
Moderated by Rohini Nilekani, the chairperson of Unmeelan, they argued that this model of governance brings to the table the result-oriented processes of the private sector and the objective-oriented systems of the government.
Unmeelan literally means 'making things clearer', figuratively implying the awakening of the intellect. It is the cultural club of Infosys, acting as a platform for art and cultural expression and allowing Infoscions to think beyond their work purview.
A brainchild of N R Narayana Murthy, chairman & chief mentor, Infosys Technologies, Unmeelan has been organising various programmes involving admirable performances by renowned artistes as well as intellectually-driven panel discussions on relevant topical issues.
Speaking on the success of the programme, Rohini Nilekani said, “It is very satisfying to see a dream being realised. Unmeelan has been very well-received by Infoscions ever since it was started in 2000. While there are ample opportunities for Infoscions to hone their software and technical skills, through this initiative, our endeavour is to provide avenues to enhance their artistic and cultural interests as well.”
This year’s Unmeelan in Chennai saw the participants - the panelists and the audience - debate on a topical issue concerning the development of the country. Participants argued that it was imperative to engage civil society and people outside the government in different activities of the government, for the cause of development.
“We must engage with the government in order to solve our problems jointly”, said V Ravichandar who spoke on the efforts of the BATF to create a platform for accountability for different civic bodies in Bangalore. “The BATF also sought to open a channel for these organisations to connect with the citizenry at regular intervals, and to create a transparent system of funds-based accounting.”
Commenting on the common misrepresentations of the Indian mentality, Ramesh Ramanathan said, “I am yet to see an apathetic Indian. I see only Indians who have lost hope.” Ramanathan further stressed on the need to exhibit what he called ‘practical patriotism’. He exhorted the participants to start finding out more about their local governments, commenting, “Citizens will give their time, but they need a mechanism to engage, and they need to engage locally.”
Adding to these points of view, Rajdeep Sardesai said, “We are seeing a ‘secession of the successful’, where the younger generation aspires for a better quality of life than their parents did and consciously distancing themselves from the bad governance they see around them.” He further remarked that, “Governments will experience a generational change, making them more responsive to collective action than currently seen."
Summing up the debate, Rohini Nilekani, who also moderated the discussion, said, “The number and quality of questions from hundreds of participating Infoscions is an indicator of both their anguish and their desire for collective action in this country.”
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