Vinayshil Gautam
In the last two decades, the public discourse has seen certain key buzzwords. These words have become almost like a religious chant. They would number about two dozen words and cover about a dozen themes. The interesting part is that these chants are now transcending geography and becoming part of the lexicon of most political leaders who have a large media interface.
In the list are phrases such as ‘connected digital universe’, ‘energy conservation’, ‘climate change’, ‘strengthening industrial base’, ‘seeking deeper and fairer internal markets’, ‘better coordination between units and the centre’, ‘balanced trade agreements’, ‘fundamental rights’, ‘mutual trust’, ‘demographic consideration’, ‘power of the youth’, ’empowerment of women’, and ‘pollution control’. The ghost writer had never had it so easy. Speeches are becoming predictable, and they can be churned out at the speed of papads.
In this list, the word ‘digitisation’ is beginning to occur with higher frequency than before. Maybe this is as it should be. However, the danger is of seeing the dialogue transforming into babble. Now, even Rahul Gandhi has a view on digital empowerment. Who doesn’t?
The ground conditions are somewhat different. A course resolution is on. Digitisation is a reality in the new dimensions which have emerged in the inter-state and inter-societal engagements. The digital imperative has left a deep impact. The architecture of engagement is torn with conflict. Wooing has moved to the digital space, threatening has moved into digital space, naturally, therefore, online snooping is a flourishing business.
Several specialisations are dying and new ones emerging. New forms of violence have emerged. The entire operation of many armies, navies and air forces have gone digital. Central access network holds the key. Numerous networks based on broadband satellite with optical fibre cables with countrywide reach, across various stations, have become a reality.
A new sociology is emerging which is trying to develop trade-offs between communication network and higher incomes. Markets are widening, information flows are online. Transaction costs are low but no one knows for sure the per capita cost of the mobile. Sometimes, landlines appear to be rendered redundant and, invariably, in some other times they seem inevitable. The paradoxes are large.
Interestingly, there are more mobile phones in under-developed areas in the world than the economically better off areas. Sub-Saharan Africa has often been cited as an area of huge electronic growth.
Where there is huge statistical jungle to contend with, one needs the compass of knowledge. There are contradictions. While telecommunication of medical data or exchange of pathological information has tended to be on the upswing, the actual use telemedicine is relatively few. The geo-capital techniques for monitoring food security, say in Africa, and identifying food in secured communities of Cambodia are few, but the potential remains high.
The digital push needs to be as much for the development sector as the commercial sector. The tempting approach of confusing digitisation with use of the internet has to be resisted. It is necessary to understand that only enduring change through this intervention will happen, if we do not fall prey to a reductionist approach. Digitisation covers the entire spectrum of life, from calculations to storage to techniques of communication. It is a huge challenge. We have to understand it before we come to grips with it.
The brave new information society with mobile offices, multitasking, new forms of stress, revaluation of work and structure of companies are experiencing a re-definition of the concept of time. Intelligent debate on it, in India, is yet to begin.
That, unfortunately, is unlikely to happen unless the decibels of sloganeering are lowered and opinion leaders acquire a basic insight into digital literacy. Colleagues in institution, associates in profession, family members, the public all need to help the process. The intervening variables of digitisation is going to affect, define and comprehensively impact relationships and networking. The personal and the professional dimensions are going to be deeply affected.
