RANJAN DAS : A WIZARD OF CORPORATE SKY

Ranjan Das, Managing Director of SAP INDIA LTD is no more ! He was 42 years old and considered, by many Corporate Gurus, as the ‘Wizard of the Business Management”. His passing away has created a void in the world of international business. The obituary of Ranjan appeared in National and International electronic & print media all over the world including The WALL Street Journal to Economic Times to quote a few. Assam remained mute spectator to this sad incident, perhaps, in agony; no Assamese knew how to react! He succumbed to heart attack soon after the morning work up on 21st October, at his residence in Bombay.

Ranjan was an energetic boy from Guwahati, Assam, with a determined dream in his eyes. He was born and raised initially at Guwahati by his middle class parent from Uzanbazar. His father was an Assistant Director of Industries. Ranjan had his initial schooling in Guwahati and later studied in Indore and Delhi. He graduated from MIT and did his MBA from Harvard Business School during his mid twenties, all on scholarship from both the well-known university itself.

When he died on October 21st he was only 42 years old. Ranjan’s meteoric rise was a story of success of will power, of Assamese middle class, over money. He always dreamt big. He was restless to achieve his dream. Rajan was selected as the Managing Director and CEO of SAP India Ltd., an international company, promoted by five Germans working once for IBM. Today IBM is one of their licensee in ERM business. Ranjan joined the group eight years ago as its Senior vice president when he was only 34 years old. He had a meteoric rise and within four years he headed his department in USA. On 2007 he was selected to head the organization in INDIA when he was only 39 years old.. A very few Indian has been able to achieve such a distinction in international arena of high business. SAP is the world’s greatest ERP company. Today, IBM, Price water house, TCS, WIPRO even Infosys are their licensees. HCL has joined the bandwagon too.

Ranjan came to India in JULY 2007 and created a niche in the business world. It is an accepted fact that SAP became one of the greatest success stories of Asia during last two years of his leadership. He could defy recession. WHEN MANY COMPANIES were STRUGGLING HARD DURING THIS PERIOD HE took SAP to a great height. Every business head were admitting superb business sense of Ranjan. Ranjan was a fitness freak too. He used to run five miles a day, used work up at gymnasium every morning to keep him fit. He was a fit person alright. Last year he participated in a cross country race in Chennai. Alas, his fitness manias brought him down and he died just after arriving home from gymnasium down below of his apartment. Hearing the news, his mother, at Guwahati, was stunned and devastated in such a way that she could not even manage to visit Bombay to attend the last right of her eldest son.

With his huge success in India, Ranjan was considered to be the next CEO of world wide SAP. If he would have survived the heart attack he would have been the first world leader of business from Assam.
Alas! Ranjan’s death was a misfortune for ASSAM nay to Indian middle class rise. He would have taken professional skill to a rarefied height of international success.

I met Ranjan way back in the later part of eighty when he came to see me seeking my help when his American visa was rejected due to miss understanding of a clause in his i-20. Ron Lorton was then the Console General in Kolkata. During our discussion the miss interpretation was cleared and visa was granted to Ranjan. The MIT offered Ranjan full fees to pursue his studies leading to bachelor degree in computer science. Ranjan studied for full four years and came out with flying colours. After a brief work in Oracle he tried and obtained a scholarship from HARVARD for MBA. He came out with flying co lour and founded a company. He named it “Pataki net work.com.” His dream was not fulfilled. He joined back Oracle. Achieved greater success. German Bosses of SAP were observing him. They gave him an offer which he could not refuse for he wanted to fulfill fill his dream. Ranjan always felt that a Middle class Assamese is not inferior to anyone in the world. He wanted to prove it by his hard and dedicated work. He alwys felt to be a topper, is not important but sincerity of purpose, devotion and hard work are vital for success in life or in death. He strived to achieve that dream. He was successful too. He felt four hours sleep is good enough for a young man. HE hardly slept, mostly dreamt, worked and exercised. Perhaps HE PROVED HIMSELF WRONG. He needed more sleep to ward off his stress.

Ranjan has remained a symbol of empowerment to new generation. From a primary and high school of Guwahti, secondary school of indore he showed how a middle class boy can get admission in MIT and HARVARD without having a penny of his own. In his entire dream and dedicated work it was his lovely wife RUPA contributed most. It was Rupa who took control of entire home affairs raising two boys and agreed to relocate from Bay area, for the sake of his dream, to India. Behind every successful man there remains a lady. Rupa fulfilled her responsibilities with pleasure. She was a journalist herself. She will miss him most.

Ranjan was a great person who loved his state most, named his company in USA with Assamese name. His dream to make ASSAM known for professional leadership remained unfulfilled. Hope someone from Assam will fulfill his dream in future! Once in Boston, accepting his hospitality, I asked him ‘who inspired you most to dream great?’ Without batting an eyelid he replied “It was my Mother who inspired me to dream and it was Rupa who tried to transform it to reality”. Today, Ranjan is no more, but his legacy continues to inspire young boys from Assam to dream… Today we salute to Ranjan’ s indomitable spirit. Let his soul rest in peace.

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FAREWELL TO A GIANT OF A FRIEND: PULAK

Pulak Lahiri was a giant of a friend. A friend in need is friend indeed! I met pulak long back when I was a young boy of seventeen. It was the day of admission and I was looking for the place where interview would be held. Noticing my hesitant steps a smart slim and confident looking person came forward and asked me " Have you come for the admission interview?" I nodded my head hesitantly. He showed me the way and told "Go ahead. Best of luck . Throw away your all inhibition. Dame it ! you are going to be a Cottonian indeed". Later, I knew the person was Pulak Lahiri, a well known football player of the school and college tournaments. Pulak was an educationist, Sportsperson, writer, a sports journalist and a compassionate friend but above all he was a humane per excellence!

He used to live at a hilltop house at Sukleshwar temple near Panbazar. Pulak was a class senior to us and was intimate with Pradip Baruah, then a great table tennis player and a brilliant college theater personality. Pulak, Khagen Dutta Baruah and Pradip were friends from youth.All were sportsmen to the core of their heart, friendly and vibrant.During the college days of Cotton I was not very intimate with pulak. Yet, we used to meet him at college canteen or and at Ashoka, panbazar for a cup of tea sometime. He was a witty person. His knowledge of sports was vast We used to nick named him as "Encyclopedia the sportica". Whenever there was any doubt on records relating to sports, pulak's was the final words. "How many times Viay Hazare scored centuries?" OR Did DaTTU Phadker played for Bengal or Bomaby before inclusion in Indian team"? "Who was the first Indian to score triple century"? All queries were settled by Pulak.

During our post graduate days, Pulak used to educate us which are the best shops in calcutta that catered to the tasty Sandesh in season. Is it Bhimnag or Nakur or SenMahsoy? He would always vote for Nakur. Which is the best printing press? Saraswati or Gossain. He would always select Saraswati. Which one is the best Bangla magine "Desh or Amrita"? He would name "Desh" to be far superior. Not that those things mattered much to us . yet it was good information in a collegiate rendezvous.But Pulak was always at the centre of the rendezvous. He used to preside over the session naturally. In fact he used to magasticaly preside over the gossip session and was known as the "Firstclass Addabaz". For him our general knowledge was at its best. After our post graduation we went away in two different directions. He went to education and I joined business house. But our common link remained to be the creativity. Since LBS have remained my major publisher, very often we used to meet at the bookstall presided over by Khagendra Nath Dutta Baruah.Here also though Butu presided over the session, Pulak used to be the Master of the ceremony. Here I used to meet many wellknown writers including Biremdra Kumar Bhattacharyya,Lakhmi Nandan Borah, Sananta Tati and Suren Medhi. As soon as pulak saw us coming, he would yell to Darika,an assitant, for organising hot black tea and ask us " hey, how about a peg of Rum now?" The black tea was nick named as Rum. Most of the time I would reply " rather a glass of coffee liqure would be preferable". Bhutu, knowing my preference, always sent for Coffee from Ashoka.

One day during ninties of the last century pulak came to me at looit Sora where I used live then for sometime while visting Gauhati. He said let us edit a book of poems written by Nabakanta Barua. I was surprised. I asked him Did you ask the permission of the poet? His poems are wellknown already. Why do you want to edit it? Already all the copies of "Hey Mahanar..." were sold out. He replied "it would be different kind of publication where some of the selected poems of the poet would be printed. Bhutu wants to publsih it that way. He took permission of Barua sir with a rider that in this project you should be also associated". The conversation of that day ultimately resulted in a slick book of poems later, which was distributed along with a CD of recitation. The publiction was recived well by younger generation. Bhutu's dream came true for the efforts put up by Pulak!

Pulak's son worked for a while as an executive in our company. One day he rang up from Gauhati informing me that he is visiting calcutta to meet me. I asked why do you have to visit calcutta? I would visit Gauhati next week. we can meet then. He insisted that he needs to met me soon. I asked him to tell me over phone his problem. He hesitated first then told "Look Gautam, I am very upset. My son wants to leave the job at garden.
what is this? I do not want him to leave the job of Magor. He is getting a job in Bombay." I replied " convey my greetings to him. Tell him he has done well. You should not stop him. It is his life. Why should you interfare? If he does not change how would he go up?" Ultimately he agreed to the request of his son and allowed him to join the new job. Pulak somehow thought in case his son leaves the job I would feel bad and he would be embarassed. This was a wrong perception of his. When I explained he felt relieved. He never wanted to upset his friends from Youth till now.

I am little surprised to hear the sad news of his demise. He had no0 sickness and was robust. I got the news too late. This was the time when terror did hit Gauhati. everyone was talking to me but forgot to mention about his demise the same day when more than Ninty people died. When I got the news it was too late. His son came, performed last rites including memorial and religious services. Whom do I communicate with for expressing my grief? I talked to my wife and thought I would visit gauhati and meet Pradip Baruah ,his life long friend to express my condolences. Pulak was never a high flier, always a high achiever with silence. He truelly left for his heavenly abode silently without the gaze of his lots of admirers.He was great person full of humility and humanity. I lighted up a lamp today to pay my respect to the memory of Pulak. Surely, God will bless him!

IN MEMORIAM OF A CHILDHOOD FRIEND .....

It was a dark fall evening.On 20Th October,2008, lazily sitting on the western balcony of my house at Kolkata, I was reading a poem written by my friend Dr. J.l. Borkakoti of London School of Economics. The first paragraph of the poem was significant:

" To suck life from the booming drums
when blood freezes the skull,
Is not for you
To seek shelter from the strokes scythe,
From the stare of vacant shining plates."

Hardly I finished reading the first stanza, the telephone rang . I picked up the
phone. It was Smita, my daughter in law, from Castaic , LA. She enquired about our health and welfare. After exchanging pleasantries she pensively revealed the sad news of demise of Tapan Kumar Dutta. Smita said in a husky voice, uncle Tapan passed away peacefully at Hospital in Los Angles. I became thoughtful. Memories of past years passed through my mind. Only a few days ago I called up Aparna,his lovely wife enquiring of Tapan's health. But I could never realised that end was so near.

I lost track of Tapan after our college days for he went outside the State for his higher studies and to work, there after for a long time, abroad. I continued to work in India. In fact we never met during our working life though I continued to get information about his development, well being and career. Almost after twenty five years again we first met in LA(courtesy Dr.Maya and Anjan Bhaumik)& there after in Guwahati whenever he used to visit home. (During my visit to USA on official work during Seventies & eighties I never met him for he was working then in Saudi Arabia).
The news of Tapan's demise made me sad & nostalgic.It was a personal loss for me. He was my childhood friend. We lost track of each other for long years but regained contact almost after twenty five years. Tapan was a vibrant person. He had a personality which impressed everyone. He could endear himself with all ages. Tapan was not only an efficient engineer but a very compassionate human being. The thought of his death so early made me pensive. After receiving the news I went to my study and prayed for a while for the peace of the departed soul. We also invoked the blessings of God to provide strength to his wife and children to withstand the loss with a sense of resignation. A leaf of my childhood days passed by my eyes.....



We both were born in forties of last century & grew up together in the same area of Uzanbazar, Guwhati town of Assam. This was the area where we were raised in our early childhood.We played here & went to private libraries and were educated in well known schools.I met Tapan for the first time when we were twelve years old through a neighbourhood friend Utpalananda Bharali. Utpal and Tapan were great friends and classmate in Don Bosco. I was in Kamrup Academy. Both the schools were well known for its games and social activities beside academics. Don Bosco was an English medium school and Kamrup Academy was a vernacular school. Tapan learnt English under the supervision of Father Burns,an Irish Priest of Catholic order. Naturally Tapan could articulate his thoughts exceedingly well in English as a young boy. His power of expression impressed me most and I was awe struck during those days listening to vocabulary of Tapan. I felt proud when Tapan used to come to our house to invite me for a game of table Tennis.There was a famous photo studio own by late Dhani Ram Borah near our house in M.C. Road. In fact this was a great rendezvous for famous people like Kamkhya Nath Thakur,(artist and commissioner of scout) Purna Bharali,( Scientist) Golap Chandra Chowdhury( Headmaster) & Kirti Ram Baroowah(Doctor). All of them were famous people in their own right and they used to gather together regularly. In later years famous players of Assam used to meet at the same place to listen to radio commentary of test cricket. Tapan used to come to the studio to meet us and to play table tennis. In spite of our different schooling background we became good friend . This was possible for Tapan loved meeting and mixing with people.

Tapan was very intelligent & witty.He did not mind cracking jokes at his own expense. He was a fantastic human being. Though he was a student of science yet he loved recitation of poetry. I still remember when we met after twenty five years, his first question was : "Hey! what about your poems? Do you still write or not?" He was very happy that my poems in English were published by Oxford book of Kolkata. He had amazing power to remember small thing of life ! Helpful to his friends Tapan always enjoyed the achievement of his friends. A brave person always ready to face the turmoil coolly but never minced words. Even under challenging circumstances he never hurt any one. Humility & polish behaviour were his strength. The sportsman spirit was his hallmark.

As we passed out our matriculation we joined Cotton College.Tapan took to Tennis then . He played later regularly in India club. I played tennis for a short period but devoted more time to writing poetry, play and recitation.Tapan never took part in dramatics but he was very much interested in poetry. He used to encourage Ishan and me in our endeavour to write and recite poetry. I feel his loss greatly. How can I forget, it is at his suggestion, a group of Assamese resident gave me a reception, in a meeting, in LA few years back for writing a book of poems "A windowful of Sky" published by Oxford Books.

Tapan lived a truly satisfying life.Over the years we both grew up to become a senior citizen. I admired Tapan in my younger days for his vibrant personality. Yet I admire him now for his outlook towards life. He loved to enjoy life as it came!Tapan used to tell, "for a fool retired age is a bitter winter, but for a wise person it is a golden time for enjoyment." He told me "you must take care of your health to be able to reap the full benefit of retired life". Today Tapan is no more but his words are alive in my mind.There is a great difference between simply living a long life and living a full and rewarding life. According to a Buddhist philosopher "What is important is how much rich texture and colour we can add to our lives during our stay here on earth. However long that stay may be quality is the true value,not the quantity."
I am happy that Tapan lived a full & rewarding life. He added colour to his environment and in his relation with friend. He would be remembered for the quality of life he lived. Tapan's departure would crate a great void in us. We will be remembering him always- a bright vibrant friend who was long lost but regained eventually at last.! We pray Almighty for the peace of the departed soul.