Re: [LIS-Forum] A K Dasgupta passes away

Dear SB Ghosh - Sir I join you in offering my condolences for Arun-daa (Sir). I very much agree with you that though he was not in the teaching profession, his teaching abilities were beyond any words. I had the privilege of working on a short assignment at ASCI Hyderabad in 1982, under his tutelage where I learned the techniques of information search from him. However due to my personal constraints, I was unable to work under his guidance in a long-term arrangement. Nevertheless, the brief association is worth cherishing! Regards Sharmila Ghosh On Thu, Jul 31, 2014 at 9:48 PM, SB Ghosh wrote:

Dear Colleagues The DAY the 28th July 2014 is a very awful day when we have lost two doyens of LIS in our country. Just I was recovering from the shock of loosing Prof A.Neelameghan, another message--the passing away of A.K.Das Gupta comes. I came in contact with Arun Das Gupta in 1959 when I was undergoing Cerificate in Library Science of BLA. He was my teacher and teaching Book selection. The two principles of book selection which he taught is still echoing my ears.. At that time he was with ICI Ltd. He used to visit GSI Library often for references when I became closer to him. I was not aware that his affection to me has been so much till I could see his writing published in the Felicitation Volume on Collaboration on International Librarianship published by IGI Global(USA), brought out to honor me. Afterwards he left Kolkata and Joined INSDOC and I was transferred to Lucknow . When I was at Lucknow , His wife had to come there for some work . He contacted me to make arrangement for her stay. I I suggeseted that she might stay with me which she did (Incidentally Ashoka Das Gupta his wife was my class mate at the Diploma in Librarianship in CU). Since then our bond went went on increasing. When I went to INSDOC for AIS he left INSDOC and Joined ASCI, Hyderabad. He used to teach reference service at INSDOC. His technique of teaching the subject was a model which I followed when I taught the subject at INSDOC. Though he did not joined teaching profession, but his teaching methodology and techniques were unique. He was Librarian in true sense of the term and I have heard his aptitude of library services from many administrative officials whom I met from Time to time. Though he was at Hyderabad we were at regular touch and whenever he used to visit Delhi , he used to spend days in my house became close to my mother as her son. Whenever I used to Visit Hyderabad he never allowed me or my wife to stay any where other than with him. After I shifted to Kolkata, we used to be in touch intermittently Last time when I could talk to him was about five months back when he called me to have some details about me for his writing a chapter of the book which I have mentioned earlier. With his loss I have lost a well wisher and affectionate brother I and my wife deeply condole his death. May his soul rest in peace. With his demise the country has lost a Great Librarian and well wisher of the profession.

Prof S.B.Ghosh Ex-Scientist INSDOC and Former Professor and Head IGNOU

On Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 7:52 PM, jharavu wrote:

...

I am deeply grieved to report the passing away of by our dear A K Dasgupta, who was affectionately referred to by his students as Arunda (elder brother Arun).

Above all, he was a wonderful human being. His scholarship, his objectivity and strong determination never to be swayed by mere names but only by intrinsic worth, his eagerness to add to his professional usefulness to his users, the respect and love he got from his bosses, users and mentors like Sri. B S Kesavan and Prof. Neelameghan, his wide reading, his contacts with scholars in many areas of knowledge and his ability to interpret his findings across many areas of knowledge was truly exemplary. Whenever I visited his home in Banjara Hills, I found him surrounded by tons of newspapers and books on all matter of subjects.

When he retired from ASCI, I remember we discussed his options: whether to join NIRD or the Eenadu Newspaper group. I was quite clear that he would make his mark in a totally non-librarian area which indeed he did, showing to professionals like me that a librarian should aim for scholarship and not get bogged down in the nitty-gritty of librarianship and empty terminology.

What a great example he set for all of us.

With his passing away we have all lost a little of ourselves.

Haravu

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