PCAIT needs to get its act together

Perhaps the most dynamic channel association in the north is the Jalandhar
Computer Dealers Association (JCDA). Led by my friend Rajiv Khanna, who was
earlier its General Secretary for six years and is now the President, it is the
only really active association in the cities North of Delhi. No other
association is active in the real sense. They all exist on paper.

As a result of the good work being done by JCDA, it ranked third in the
annual association survey conducted by IDC in May. For an association, which
exists in a small city like Jalandhar, to have ranked at such a high position is
a great achievement. And now, it is taking it a step further by organizing a
three-day exhibition at the end of October. Again, this would be the only IT
exhibition conducted by an association anywhere in the North.

Asim Raina Editor

Now, you must be wondering why I am talking about JCDA when the headline of
this piece refers to PCAIT. The reason why I am referring to JCDA and the good
work it has been doing is that other associations need to take lessons from them-especially
PCAIT in Delhi. After the initial flurry of activity, this association of Delhi's
channel community seems to have gone into a slumber. Things seem to be just
drifting along with hardly any worthwhile work being done.

Just five months back in May, I had written that PCAIT deserves four cheers
for the work it has done and the promises it has made. However, now I am not too
sure that it really deserves the cheers. Maybe I was a little premature in
giving it such high marks.

There are some valid reasons why I am now giving this association such low
marks. Firstly, except one or two people, none of the executive council members
are considering it worthwhile to spend their time and energy on association's
affairs. This shows in the attendance at the meetings where the quorum is just
about at the half way mark. As a result of this low attendance, very little work
gets done.

Secondly, as and when an opportunity comes up to do something of substance,
it is not taken up. There are too many people in the executive council who do
not properly apply their minds to the opportunities being made available.
Instead, far too much time is spent on discussing mundane stuff.

This is certainly not to say that PCAIT is no longer relevant. It is very
relevant and an important entity for the capital's channel community. All it
needs to do is to look at others-JCDA is one example-and take some lessons.
The rest will automatically fall into place.