The Western Influence
Showing On As IIT Alumni In The US
Decides To Take Dow Chemicals As Sponsors For Their 50th Alumni Meet
At The US
EmPower Research Knowledge
Services, By Arunava Das (Media
Analyst)
July 15, 2008
(In response to an
article, “IITians say no to Dow” published in Silicon India on
July
15, 2008)
It is really a shameful act of blemishes
committed by a host
of IIT’ians at the US
to invite Dow Chemicals as sponsors for their upcoming 50th Alumni
Meet in the country. As far as I know and everybody will agree that to
get into
any one of the IIT is a big ask which requires umpteen dedication
towards
studies and those who eventually get into are considered the gems of
the
country. As gems of the country, we have responsibilities on our
shoulders, we
Indians rest our hopes on them that they graduate with flying colors
and bring
name and fame to the country. India
shines with them. India’s
economy grows with them as she finds a place in the global economy
chart. No
doubt the past decade has seen a real bloom in Indian economy and will
continue
to bloom this way as it heads towards the future. We are one of the
few
countries with China
who has the youngest pool source of youth who are considered to
contribute big
time to the country’s growth, be it economy, politics, industry,
finance,
revenue, foreign trade, healthcare sector, hospitality sector or
retail sector.
Hence, as responsible citizens of India,
we need to refrain from acts that can harm the Indian policy and the
fame that India is a
proud owner of.
United Carbide is one such company that will
remain etched
in the history books as being responsible for one of the worst
industrial
tragedies of all time, The Bhopal Gas Tragedy that took place on the
fateful
night of December 3, 1984 that left 3800 people dead and thousand
affected of
the gas leak. Many are suffering still now and many have not even got
justice
till date. The Dow Chemicals now owns Union Carbide. Under such
circumstances,
when IITians in India have already rejected either campus recruitment
or call
for sponsors from Dow Chemicals, the India based IITians would have
expected
their states based counterparts to also follow the suit but instead
they were
in with a sudden shock and surprise as they discovered that their
counterparts in
the US have infact endorsed Dow Chemicals as the sponsors of their
50th
Alumni Meet Golden Jubilee function which will be organized under the
aegis of
IIT-Bombay Heritage Fund in New York between July 18-20. This shows
that once
we leave our motherland for a career in the western world, we also
leave behind
our cultural heritage in India.
According to a Mumbai based IIT-Bombay alumni, Mr. Janak Daftari, a
group of
IIT-B alumni, mostly from Silicon Valley, in total disregard to the
sentiments
and the callous practices being followed by the firm (Dow Chemicals)
in their
(alumini's) origin country, has gone ahead and under the aegis of
IIT-Bombay
Heritage Fund are organizing a two-day golden jubilee function in New
York
between July 18-20. Following this incident, many IIT alumni including
faculty
and current students in India
have decided to boycott the grand event. Another Delhi
based IITian, Ravi Kuchimanchi, said, “In 1984 when the gas leaked
in Bhopal, I and other
students in IIT-Bombay were shocked and angry. Today I am shocked to
see,
instead of forcing Dow to fork up money and clean up the Bhopal site,
the organisers of the 50th
anniversary celebrations have sought its money. As IIT alumni we can
do
better.”
It needs to be seen now whether the event goes on
smoothly
and how many alumni attend the meet. According to ex IIT-B, Janak
Daftari,
"Obviously, the golden jubilee celebration is being done privately
but
then there is a tacit approval from the senior administrators. After
all they
are seriously contemplating to attend the event even though scores of
faculty
members have opposed the sponsorship itself.” However, it would be
better as to
see that such blemishes do not occur again as this tarnishes the
global image
of India
and as the responsible gems of the country, we need to respect our
identity.
