For Chini

This is for a man one of his colleagues described today as the "finest" civil servant he had known, one with an over-riding, nearly "ruthless" -- meant in the best way -- dedication to the public interest and public service. A razor-sharp mind, an insatiable appetite for knowledge, an abiding contempt for ritual, and he could tell a story to make you gasp with laughter.

That was V Srinivasan, "Chini" to his friends, ex-IAS, creator of SICOM and later CIDCO, thus part of the vision of New Bombay from the beginning. And after he retired from the IAS, Chini was the spirit behind SOSVA.

Left us October 25. Left many of us in tears. You were part of my earliest memories, Chini, and always-delightful company. I'll miss you.