Fond Memories ......

Dr. Ashok Joshi was a Director with C-DAC and is presently with Bind View.

C-DAC was always a fun place. Most of the time, anyway. Early days were long but fruitful and fulfilling. There was a conference room in the NIC building (to your left as you come out of the University) that had white Formica paneling all around. We liberally used it as a white board. There are too many names to mention, but some must be: Lokesh Bhasin, Ajit Karnik, Dr. Bhatkar, of course, Raja Marathe, Sasikumar, Eknath, Vivek Sawant, Ragini, Group Captain Sharma (always addressed as Sahebji). I am sure I’ve left out quite a few. Everyone did everything. From scribbling architectural sketches to banging away on a Mac to producing Policy, Articles of Association. Everyone agreed that it should be an open, free environment but with a sharp focus.

The difficult part was convincing other institutions that C-DAC would complement them, not replace them. This became a continuing saga, and I am sure it carries on. Most institutions had C-DAC champions who saw in us kindred souls who honestly wanted to help them, but more importantly, learn from them. Few of us knew anything (or knew very little) about Super Computing, VLSI, Seismic Processing, Image Processing, Vehicle Dynamics, Computer Architectures, OS Kernels. We knew nothing about management either (at least I didn’t). That’s the best way. We had nothing to unlearn. Decisions were quick. Sometimes wrong, but mostly correct.

You met some giants. AKS Gopalan, first at SAC, and then Director of NRSA., Mr. Vasagam of VSSC. That alone made it worthwhile.

We always wanted to earn our keep. Sales and marketing were high in the priority list, not because we wanted to make money but if people pay for something it must be truly useful. There was a time when half of C-DAC went on a road show all over the country. Young puppies like you took trains and buses and bullock carts to travel all over, to colleges, research institutions, R&D labs. They gave presentations, gave sales pitches and, incredibly, came back with purchase orders. You should have seen the glow on their faces.

Groupie and I were rather close. We shared a common outlook on a number of issues. Both of us liked tinkering with our own hands and finding things out for ourselves. We also liked pan masala and snuff but that’s another story.

Sam Pitroda was a frequent visitor and an inspiring one. At one stage, when there were attempts to sideline him for other than honest reasons, it was heartening to hear speaker after speaker expressing solidarity with him. This was intellectual honesty. And courage.

Like any living, thriving place, there were arguments, heated discussions, disagreements. But they were almost always gentlemanly and civilised. A place where everybody agrees with you is a dead place. Looking back I see it was really Dr Bhatkar who always kept things in perspective and cool without ever losing his calm.

Mr. Parelker was our Registrar. A dependable, dignified figure who always wore a tie (me too). In times of crisis (of which there was no shortage) Mr. Parelker could be counted on to be supportive, collected and wise. He could speak too.

It was always a wonder to me how we could attract the best in the country in spite of the relatively frugal compensation. Many reasons, of course, but at least one was the opportunity to do something no one else had done, and in a free, happy atmosphere.

It was quite an adventure.