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Down to grassroots
Dr. Sankar Datta is one those IRMAns who do IRMA proud owing to their stupendous achievements
The friendly eyes behind the rugged demeanour topped by a shock of grey hair and the hearty, full-throated laugh all serve to seal the presence of first batch IRMAN, Dr. Sankar Datta. A development evangelist, Dr. Datta has several aces up his sleeve. This down to grassroots IRMA alumnus, ex IRMA faculty member and former Dean of The Livelihood School launched by BASIX, has been instrumental in the setting up of the BASIX Group of Companies, a new generation livelihood support institution. He also initiated and led the first livelihood project of PRADAN, a prominent livelihood-related NGO, among many other things.
So, what made this livelihood veteran choose a career in the development sector?
“It was a conscious choice,” affirms Dr. Datta in his deep and sonorous voice, “because of some interesting events in my life.” The kernel of activism, in a manner of speaking, was sown early in life. In the man’s own words, “Sir Leonard Knight Elmhirst, who had helped Tagore set up Shantiniketan, came visiting once. I went along with a bunch of eager youngsters to obtain his autograph which, to our greatest surprise, was signed as ‘Chasha’ (meaning peasant in Bengali).
“‘Sir’ was the title given to me by the Queen and ‘Chasha’ by the people. I take pride in the latter,” were Sir Elmhirst’s words. The words made a deep impression on young Datta.
But there was another incident that served to fan the fire of idealism in the young Shantiniketan student.
Growing up in Shantiniketan, Tagore’s iconic institution, in the 60s and early 70s, exposed him to the cauldron that West Bengal had become thanks to the Naxalite movement. A movement that had been sparked by a spirit of idealism to begin with. As a starry-eyed greenhorn he, along with some friends, went to meet Ashim Chattopadhay, a towering figure of the movement. The legendary revolutionary, viewing the motley group of youngsters made a stirring comment: “You are too young to understand what we are trying to achieve with this struggle; you won’t be able to appreciate our true purpose right now. If you really want to do something worthwhile and if you want to truly understand rural India then go and study agriculture.”
Agriculture was a discipline taught in Shantiniketan. “Yet,” the Vice Chancellor (of Shantiniketan) suggested that I join Pantnagar University”. Having found his true calling he wanted to now give his dreams a definite shape. It happened while trekking with his friends around the hills around Pantnagar. “While threading our way through the hills we would come across ascetics with whom we would engage in interesting discussions on life and philosophy. It was during one such trek that I came across an ascetic who advised me to do management.
Coincidentally, IRMA posted an ad in the national dailies inviting its first batch of students. I saw it as providential- a message straight from the heavens.” It was a message that took him from the east of the country to a corner further away in the west.
The young IRMAN joined MP Oil Federation upon graduating as its spearhead team leader. “Manthan was our bible and Girish Karnad our hero. My team and I were super excited about our work, visiting the villages and motivating farmers, organizing farmer collectives, and promoting soybean cultivation among heaps of other things,” he enthuses. There is one incident at MP Oil Federation that stands out clearly in memory. “It was about to rain heavily and I asked that the soybean stacks be covered with tarpaulin,” he recalls, his eyes twinkling. “I got a letter from the head office the following day enquiring why I hadn’t taken prior written permission. I replied saying that saving the soybean stacks was more important than seeking orders at the time.” It was his way of thumbing his nose at the bureaucracy.
It was around this time that he met the famous social entrepreneur Vijay Mahajan who persuaded him to join the Anand Niketan Ashram in Gujarat’s Mundamor to help set up farm forestry in the region. “I was intrigued by the idea and gave my consent. Vijay came to meet me at my office at 9 in the morning and at 11 o’clock we got into a train at Hoshangabad. I descended at the Bhopal Railway Station,” he recalls, “while Vijay went further on to Delhi.” He submitted his resignation at the MP Oil Federation’s head office in Bhopal. The MD, at the time, was Najeeb Jung, the former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, who tried to dissuade Datta. In vain, as it turned out. “He did persuade me to go on leave without pay, though…” he sighs.
This was just the beginning. From action consultant at Anand Niketan to CEI Fellow at IIM (Ahmedabad) to Associate Professor at IRMA and later Professor at Azim Premji University to Director of Indian Grameen Services, Dr. Datta has seen it all. He now works in an independent capacity as a livelihoods advisor. His recent engagements include Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation, Ernst and Young, and TRIPTA Orissa Livelihood Mission peppered with teaching assignments with institutions like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and Xavier University and Bhubaneshwar. A true IRMAn in soul and spirit.
                                                                     By: Saikat Ghosh (PRM 37)