Prof. Ganesh Bhattacharyya (1932 - 2006)

Post aggregated by 
M K Prasannna  & Mohamed Taher

Name Index of Messages

Devadason, F. J.
Gupta, D
Hariharan, A
Husain, Shabahat 
Mangla, P.B.
Savanur, S K 
Urs, Shalini

Message

Message from Dr. F. J. Devadason:

Prof. Bhattacharyya as many of you might know was my teacher, colleague and best friend.

My first association with him was in 1969, when I joined the Documentation Research and Training Centre (DRTC) as a student. I met Prof. Neelameghan first, and was happy that it would be fine to be a student there. But when I met Prof. Bhattacharya “Oh my goodness” (an expression which he uses  often in private communications),  I was really terrified and thought that it would be a tiresome affair to spend the rest of the 14 months in DRTC with this Professor. He was the very nature of Bengal (tiger) in his frowning expression, absolute strictness with regard to assignments and insistence on precise communication in writing and speaking.  “If you are not clear in what you say or write, then there is some aberration in your thinking” he used to say. But after a few months I realized that beneath that shell (it is an egg shell, actually) there is a soft and humane nature full of compassion and helping attitude.

He was fully dedicated to his work starting from the job of newspaper delivery boy to supplement his parents’ income to support his studies until his retirement as Professor and Head of DRTC and the Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore Branch.

He was a faithful disciple of Dr. S.R. Ranganathan fully devoted to expanding and extending his research. He has made several significant contributions to the field of Library and Information Science, his most significant contribution being the development of the Postulate-based Permuted Subject Indexing System (POPSI). Whosesoever would ever think of producing an approximation to classified sequence (organizing sequence) in alphabetic arrangement of subject headings. He thought about it and did it.  He also proposed “Classaurs” a faceted vocabulary control and indexing tool. He was a very good teacher with clear interpretation of fundamental principles and theories delivered with several illustrative examples.

He was a good orator. A lecture on “The Central Theme of Baghavath Gheetha” was arranged by the “Ladies Club of Malleswaram, Bangalore”. Swami Ranganathananda of Ramakrishna Mission gave the lecture. It was such a wonderful presentation that everyone was spell bound. When Swami Ranganathananda finished his oration, Prof. Bhattacharyya rose to give a Vote of Thanks as per the scheduled programme. At the same time almost everyone stood up, applauded and started to leave, as they all know very well, that  after such a presentation by Swami Ranganathananda  there would be nothing of importance afterwards.   Prof. Bhattacharyya called in a loud voice “Ladies and Gentlemen” and at the same time removed his famous brown colour coat in his characteristic style. Hanging it on the back of the chair he continued “Is it not appropriate for us to spend just 5 more minutes to thank Swami Raganathananda who had been standing for almost one hour to enlighten us?” The whole crowd   just sat down in absolute silence equally spell bound, and Professor Bhattacharyya spoke for about 10 minutes drawing an equally prominent applause for his vote of thanks.

He was fully and totally dedicated to DRTC and devoted his full time for the development of the institute. In fact, it is he who initiated PhD programme with Karnatak University but for which none in DRTC would have had the chance of doing PhD in Library and Information Science in India.

Almost all the students of DRTC have been immensely benefited by Prof. Bhattacharyya’s teaching. His presentations and papers have been widely acknowledged.  

My research work was totally based on his work and it would not have been possible for me to do my work but for his work.

I am extremely sad to hear about his departure, but I am sure his work will stand to the benefit of many.

I express my sympathy to all his relatives and especially to his daughters Bobli and Lovely and their family members. May God give them the strength to withstand this loss and wisdom to move forward?

F.J. Devadason

From: Davendra Gupta davendrak@...
To: "F.J.Devadason" <devadason_f_j@...
Dear Dr Devadason: 

I am really very sad knowing the sad demise of our beloved and respected teacher. You have given, in fact, very real and true description of that great personality. I had very personal relationship with him. He was my advisor  and guide in many respects. Indeed, it is great loss but would be remembered  for his great contributions by the profession. He was very emotional and sentimental during his days in Ethiopia when I spent about a year with him and that was my last contact with him. Well, world is like, one has to leave it at some  point of time.
Davendra

From A. Hariharan:

We heard the sad demise of Prof Ganesh Bhattacharayya, DRTC and a well known Professor in India.

On behalf of the Society for the Advancement of Library and Infomation Science(SALIS), I convey my condolensces to the bereaved family.

We all pray the Almighty to give strength to his family and let his soul rest in peace

A. Hariharan
President, SALIS, Chennai
[http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/corporatelibrns/message/2520]

From Professor P.B.Mangla

It is indeed sad to know about the demise of Prof. G.Bhattacharyya. I had know Prof. Bhattacharyya almost for four decades and always considered him an academic of high repute.He was fearless, outspoken and honest to the core in his academic pursuit.  He was a teacher par excellence. In his demise we have lost another towering personality in this profession. May his soul rest in peace. I pray that He may give sufficient of courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss. 
Professor P. B. Mangla
Professor Emeritus
Delhi
<manglapb@...> 

From Prof. Shabahat Husain:

Shocked on the sad demise of Prof G. Bhatacharya. He was undoubtedly a towering figure in the profession after Ranganathan, who shaped the careers of many by his influence or advice.
May his soul rest in peace
Prof Shabahat Husain
Dept of Library and Information Science
A.M.U. Aligarh
<shabahat12@...>

From Dr. Satya Krishna Savanur

Friends, I wish to echo what Dr Ganesh Bhattacharya had told us in one of his guest lectures at the Department of Library and Information Science, Karnataka University in the year 1972-73. He said, "What librarians need is one mile knowledge with one inch depth, and not one inch knowledge with one mile depth." How true! He has left great impact on all who came in contact with him. Dr S K Dr. Dr. Satya Krishna Savanur
Message at lis-forum@..., forwarded by Prof. Neelameghan  <anm2002@...>

Message from Dr. Shalini Urs 

Here are three photographs of GB during the UGC All India Refresher Course on ‘Trends in  Information Retrieval’  held in our Department during December 26 1982. MyDLIS had organised this and we had invited him to be the Director of the Workshop. 
Couple of my personal impressions of GB:

He was passionate about the field and a good orator 
He was thorough and very detail oriented 
He was wedded to his ideas and ideologies not ‘Accommodative’ of other opinions 

Prof. Shalini Urs shalini@...

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• Bio attached: Courtsey- Dr. Prasad
• Pic attached: Courtesy- Dr. Shalini Urs
• M K Prasannna: [mailto:a16694@...]   'corporatelibrns@yahoogroups.com'
• Mohamed Taher: [mailto:mt2222@...]