ABSTRACT
This book addresses contemporary understandings, initiatives and concerns of social development with computers, particularly in Almora, a small town in Uttarakhand, India. The story of the field of development is retold to remind the reader of the continuities of such initiatives and the special place technology occupies in visions of building nationhood, specifically in India. The argument is made that Gandhian self-sufficiency with local and “appropriate” technologies makes its way to contemporary propositions of empowerment with computers, but not without controversy. The popular notion of “leapfrogging” socio-cultural barriers is addressed, given its underlying and fundamental influence on IT policy for development in India. This goes hand in hand with new expectations and approaches to people and artifacts, particularly the computer, in facilitating economic and social empowerment.
