I Too Had a Dream - Verghese Kurien

'I Too Had a Dream' by Verghese Kurien, Architect of 'Operation Flood', the largest dairy development programme in the world, was 110th of 2021. Though with me for long, it's the mesmerising, Amul Ad's and recent, cooperative society and Amit Shah Ad's that prompted me to re-read this, and of-course this was not documented before. 

 Dr Verghese Kurien has enabled India to become the largest milk producer in the world. A man with a rare vision, Dr Kurien has devoted a lifetime empowering the farmers of India. This was not his dream, son of a doctor, who was good in sports and studies, got into Tata, but quit as his uncle was heading there, and he did not want to take favours. He got to know of scholarship for higher studies and applied for it. Wanting to do Mechanical or metallurgy but he was assigned Diary, of which he had no clue. On returning, he was assigned the job in Ananda, which he was reluctant to take up, but was forced to as a payback for his scholarship. His Unlce John Mathai was the FM, but would show no leniency towards him.  Thanks to his wife, who agreed to his wishes, there was no looking back, once at Anand.  He has engineered the milk cooperative movement in India. It was a sheer quirk of fate that landed him in Anand where a small group of farmers were forming a cooperative, Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited (better known as Amul), to sell their milk. Intrigued by the integrity and commitment of their leader, Tribhuvandas Patel, Dr Kurien joined them. SThe 'Anand pattern of cooperatives were so successful that, at the request of the Government of India, he set up the National Dairy Development Board to replicate it across India. He also established the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation to market its products. In these memoirs, Dr Verghese Kurien, popularly known as the 'father of the white revolution', recounts, with customary candour, the story of his life and how he shaped the dairy industry step by step, with a billion litre idea, converting the organisation to an institution. 

He remained in this small, sleepy town of Anand for over fifty years as an employee of farmers. He was never able to give this up for what many call "a better life". Over the years he spoken ceaselessly of this idea, hoping to enthuse young women and men to adopt his passion as theirs. There have been many who took up the challenge.'

Profoundly inspiring, these memoirs help up comprehend the magnitude of his contributions and his multifaceted personality.With a forward by Ratan Tata and Prologue to his grandson and children of his generation from him, conveying us to be brave enough to love, strong enough to rejoice in another's happiness and wise enough to know that there is enough to go around for all, so that we can live our lives to the fullest, go bravely into the world, and work tirelessly in the chosen field for the larger good of the humanity. Life is a privilege and to waste it would be wrong. In living this privilege called 'Life', you must accept responsibility, use your talents to the best of your ability and contribute somehow to the common good. Anything can go wrong anytime, yet there is little correlation between the circumstances of people's lives and how happy they are. 

THE UTTERLY BUTTERLY DELICIOUS STORY:

Creative Director and Writer - Manish Jhaveri , Illustrator - Jayant Rane, Advertising and theater Guru - Rahul daCunha, are the people behind the Amul ads.

AMUL stands for Anand Milk Union Limited. In Hindi, the word Amul means something very precious. It is a milk product cooperative dairy company based at the small town of Anand in Gujarat state of India. Amul is the largest producer of milk product and milk in India.Amul was founded on 14 December 1946 in Anand, Gujarat, India. Amul was founded as a result of revolution to help poor dairy farmers and landless labourers. Eventually, this small cooperative grew to become a very big Indian brand. Amul also played a major role in making India the world's largest producer of milk. It is not owned by a single person but by 3.6 million milk producers of Gujarat. 

It is a part of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), India’s largest food products marketing organisation.Also, it is the world’s ninth largest dairy company.

In 1946, Gujarat was in the middle of the nationalist movement.

During this period, Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and started a revolution to help poor dairy farmers and landless labourers.

He gathered many farmers and met Vallabhbhai Patel.

Vallabhbhai Patel suggested they form a cooperative of their own.

During that time, Polson was exploiting the Indian dairy farmers.

The hard- work of the farmers was not well compensated and the middle-men wiped out the money which rightfully belonged to farmers.So, Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel with the suggestion of Vallabhbhai Patel determined to end the monopoly of Polson Dairy by forming a cooperative with fellow farmers as its members.

The success story of Amul’s cooperative model was well recognised and this model was implemented all over the country, resulting in The White Revolution (Operation Flood).

In Ulysses ~ Alfred Tennyson writes:

Death closes all: but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note, may yet be done.

....come, my friends,

"Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

...Tho' much is taken, much abides: and tho'

We are not now that strength which is old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.