Pradeep Biswal  

It was the afternoon of 2nd April, 2016. The first edition of Odisha Knowledge Hub Lecture Series was organized in the spacious RD Department Conference Hall of the Secretariat. Senior Ministers, secretaries and other senior officers were present on the occasion. The Chief Minister joined in a video link from his office and inaugurated the event. Collectors were video linked from the district headquarters.

Dr. R. Balakrishnan, then Development Commissioner and a man of great vision was the man behind this innovative programme. As Additional Secretary in the Planning and Convergence Department, I was closely associated with organizing the event. The speaker was the legendary Shri Subroto Bagchi, one of the founders of the global IT giant Mindtree.

Subroto Bagchi

Shri Bagchi enthralled the audience with his erudition, simplicity and beautiful presentation. Briefly, he narrated his journey of life starting from one LD Assistant in Industries Department in the Secretariat in 1977 till then and how his life had reached a full circle. Of course, it proved to be the beginning of a new journey for him and soon after he was appointed as the Chairperson of the newly established Odisha Skill Development Authority with a Cabinet Minister rank. He volunteered to take up the assignment with a token honorarium of one rupee.

After the memorable meeting that day, he presented a few copies of his books, including his famous autobiography – ‘Go and Kiss the World.’ The life history of this great man is quite impressive and amazing for any reader. It’s an inspiring story for the youngsters aspiring to achieve something bigger in life. I had commended it to many of my friends who eloquently praised Shri Bagchi at the end of reading the book. I lost my copy being unable to recollect the name of the noble friend who had forgotten to give it back to me after reading.

Few months later  I called him on an official assignment and sought his advice. He was then occupying an office space in unit three near Sriya Square. I reached his office at the appointed time and a surprise was waiting for me. On hearing my arrival, he came out of his chamber to receive me. I was awestruck by this gesture and the humility of his personality.

He was very focused, to the point and down to earth in his approach. His depth of knowledge and wisdom was outstanding. He appreciated the work by my team and assured us to help us in the matter. The next meeting was fixed with the team members. We prepared a blueprint and timeline for each activity. We proceeded with the work as per the schedule and he was kind enough to go through all the documents shared with him and make suggestions wherever needed. In those days, I met with an accident and had to go on leave.

But I used to get the feedback from my team and get the task accomplished as per the timeline fixed. Shri Bagchi stood behind us like a rock. His inspiration and guidance were  very much helpful. He prepared the final draft and took all care to bring out a unique document both in form and content. Of course, it could not see the light of the day for various reasons. It’s nothing surprising in the Government.

Susmita Bagchi

I developed a close personal relationship with him. His spouse, Smt Susmita Bagchi was my contemporary, and we had not only common friends but also common interest in literature. She is a major Odia fiction writer and her illustrious parents , Sakuntala Panda , herself a writer and editor of then highest circulated Odia monthly Sucharita and Harihar Panda , an amazing person who led an independent life resigning from an administrative job were well known to me.

When Shri Bagchi shifted to his renovated office at Rajiv Bhawan, I had the privilege of meeting him on various occasions. As usual, he used to receive me with a warm greeting and see me off near the exit. Each time he will ask about my writings and my family. We exchanged our books. Whenever I present him a book, the very next day I get a call from him with his comments. His warmth of affection was wonderful and can endear one within no time. He is a very disciplined and organized person. He is also a perfectionist.

Last time I had presented him a poetry collection in English published by a reputable publisher from outside the State. I never saw the printed version. When Shri Bagchi glanced through the book, he could notice the mistakes. I was ashamed. Immediately, I asked the publisher to reprint the book and thankfully she did it within a month.

He is always so humble that in social gatherings he comes forward to greet me and enquire about me as a genuine friend, forgetting his social status. In his office, one will notice a few chairs around a round shaped table and no show of status as expected for a person of his stature. He has a global presence and has earned distinguished friends across different spectrums of life. Many of the subsequent speakers in the Knowledge Hub Lecture series were mostly his friends and acquaintances.

Once he invited me to his house for an evening sitting and it was quite fascinating to spend time with this beautiful couple who shared such a mature relationship. Both their children are abroad and the couple have now dedicated themselves to the cause of the people of India and the State. Shri Bagchi has made a dent in the Skill map of India and his dream to make Odisha the skill capital of the country has made substantial progress and brought laurels from all quarters.

On the other hand, Susmita has done commendable work in Mo School Abhiyan and could garner support from the alumni across the State and even abroad to make remarkable reforms in the schools in our state. Both of them proved to be role models in philanthropy and attracted national attention for their charitable contributions  in the establishment of healthcare institutions in Bhubaneswar and Bangalore for the needy and poor. They have left a cozy life abroad and came back here to religiously perform their social obligations. I feel proud of my association with them.

(Mr. Pradeep Biswal is a bilingual poet writing both in Odia and English. His poems are widely anthologized. He is also an editor and translator of repute. A retired IAS Officer, Mr. Biswal presently holds the position of Member, Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority and stays with his family at Bhubaneswar. Views are Personal)

Tags: #SubrotoBagchi #Mindtree #SusmitaBagchi #SkillDevelopment #Odiaicons #skilledinodisha #OSDA #OdishaSkillDevelopmentAuthority #Startup #Entrepreneurship #Ofbusiness #Founderstory #FintechStartup #B2Bstartup

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

16 COMMENTS

  1. Well written appreciation of an exceptional individual who has set new heights of philanthropy in our State.

  5. You hv very appropriately summarised the personality of such a renowned person and son of the soil.We need more number of oriyas of the like of Subrot Bagchi.

  6. The commendable work the great Bagchi couple are doing have been beautifully presented in the article.

  7. “Open your mind before you open your mouth”, the powerful quotation by the eminent personality Mr Subroto Bagchi is truely perfect.
    The presentation of the article is very important and helpful for the coming generations.
    Salute to you bhai for your powerful skill of writing.🙏🙏

  9. Well crafted article. True presentation of the noble personality. Congratulations sir.

  11. Its well written. I am also very proud of my relations with both of them. They are wonderful people. Your write up is lucid and interesting. i hope, our young generation will learn a lot from this illustrious couple.

  14. This is an outstanding presentation of an autobiographical sketch based on personal learning through interactions with a charismatic personality, Sri Bagchi dedicated to the cause of social empowerment .

  15. You have shown excellent understanding of the personality of the great Subroto Bagchi .I personality enjoyed reading this.

Comments are closed.