ITooHadaDreamBorninCalicut,Kerala,DrVerghese

KuriengraduatedinscienceandengineeringfromMadrasUniversityandMichiganStateUniversity,USA,respectively.

He began his career in dairying at the government’screamery in Anand, Gujarat, later joining the KairaDistrict Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited(now Amul). As Chairman of the National DairyDevelopmentBoard,heimplemented‘OperationFlood’.

Hehasreceivedcountlessawards,includingtheRamonMagsaysay Award (1963), Wateler Peace Prize (1986),World Food Prize (1989), Padma Shri (1965), PadmaBhushan(1966)andPadmaVibhushan(1999).

Dr Kurien is currently Chairman of the Institute ofRural Management, Anand, Chairman of the GujaratCooperativeMilkMarketingFederationandChairmanoftheNationalCooperativeDairyFederationofIndia.

Gouri Salvi is a Mumbai-based freelance journalist.She has worked withOnlooker and SundaymagazinesandwiththeWomen’sFeatureService.Shehaswrittenondevelopmentandgender issues,hasco-editedBeijing! abookon theUN’sFourthWorldConferenceonWomen,andeditedDevelopmentRetold:VoicesFromtheField,abookontheIndianCooperativeUnion.

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ITooHadaDream

VERGHESEKURIEN

ASTOLDTOGOURISALVI

LOTUSCOLLECTION

ROLIBOOKS

LotusCollection

©VergheseKurien,2005

All rights reserved.Nopartof thispublicationmaybe reproducedor transmitted, inany formorbyanymeans,withoutthepriorpermissionofthepublisher.

Firstpublishedinhardbackin2005Thiseditionpublishedin2007TheLotusCollectionAnimprintofRoliBooksPvt.Ltd.M-75,G.K.IIMarket,NewDelhi110048Phones:++91(011)29212271,2921278229210886,Fax:++91(011)29217185E-mail:roli@vsnl.comWebsite:rolibooks.comAlsoatVaranasi,Bangalore,Kolkata,Jaipur,Chennai&MumbaiCoverdesign:AratiSubramanyamLayoutdesign:NarendraShahiCoverpicture:GopashtamiPichhavai,Cotton,275cmx183cm(courtesy:AmrVastraKoshTrust,NewDelhi)ISBN:978-81-7436-407-4Rs.295

TypesetinPhotinaMTbyRoliBooksPvt.Ltd.andprintedatSyndicateBinders,Noida

Deathclosesall:butsomethingeretheend,Someworkofnoblenote,mayyetbedone.

…Come,myfriends,’Tisnottoolatetoseekanewerworld.Pushoff,andsittingwellinordersmite

Thesoundingfurrows;formypurposeholdsTosailbeyondthesunset,andthebathsOfallthewesternstars,untilIdie.

…Tho'muchistaken,muchabides;andtho'Wearenotnowthatstrengthwhichinolddays

Movedearthandheaven,thatwhichweare,weare;Oneequaltemperofheroichearts,

Madeweakbytimeandfate,butstronginwillTostrive,toseek,tofind,andnottoyield.

–Ulysses

AlfredTennyson

ContentsForeword

Prologue

EarlyYears

HistoryintheMaking

OnaRoll

ABillion-LitreIdea

OperationFlood

ToughTimes

StepbyStep

FromOrganisationtoInstitution

LifeofService

ALookBack

Postscript

Annexure

Index

Acknowledgements

IForeword

NDIA HAS BEEN IMMENSELY FORTUNATE TO HAVE IN ITS MIDST A SELFLESS,committedandself-effacingnationalistlikeDrVergheseKurien,whohasbeen

able todedicatehisworking life to improving thequalityof life andhealthofmillions of citizens of the poorest segment of India’s population andtransformingthemintoproductivemembersofsociety.

Thismemoirallowsusafascinatingviewofthechallenges,achievementsandfrustrationsofDrKurien’s full andcolourful life.DrKurienwasneverone tomincewords.‘Yougetwhatyousee’,andyouknowwhereyoustandwithhim.Itissoinhismemoirstoo.Hehasrecountedinstancesastheywereandhehasnotcloakedhisfeelingswithnicetiesrelatingtocertainpeople;atthesametimehe has been generouswith his praise for otherswhere he felt it necessary. Indoing so, his memoirs reflect a true sense of events as Dr Kurien saw themthroughouthislife.

AllofusshouldbeproudoftheachievementsofDrKurien.Atruevisionary,he built a series of institutions which made India the world’s largest milkproducer, developed a logistic chain to produce and deliver hygienic andnutritious milk to millions and created the world’s largest food marketingbusinessandthecountry’slargestfoodbrand(Amul).HeenabledIndiatonearlydoubleitspercapitamilkavailabilityandmadeIndia’sdairyindustrythelargestrural employment provider. The cooperatives he created have also becomepowerful agents of social change in empowering women and in embeddingdemocracyatthegrass-rootslevelinthecountry.

Hismemoirs reveal theexperiencesand inner feelings of a great nationalistwhohasmadeanenormouscontributionto thedevelopmentofruralIndiaandwho will leave his mark long into the future. The book should provideinspirationtomany:thattheyshoulddosomethingfortheircountry.DrKurien’sinvolvementwithdairyengineeringwasatwistoffate.Hewouldnormallyhavepursuedacareerinscienceorengineering.Whathe,therefore,didforthedairyindustryinIndiaistrulyamazing.OnecannothelpbutwonderwhatIndiawouldbe today if we had a thousand Dr Kuriens with this type of vision and withsimilarcommitment,dedicationandnationalspirit.

1September2004

RatanN.Tata

PROLOGUE

TOMYGRANDSON

Anand,2005

MydearSiddharth,

WhendidIwritetoyoulast?Ihavetroubleevenremembering!Intoday’sfast-paced world we have become so addicted to instant communication that weprefer to use a telephone. But speaking on the telephone only gives us animmediatebutfleetingjoy.Writingisdifferent.Writing–evenifitisaletter–not only conveys our present concerns and views of the events taking placearoundusbutitbecomesapossessionthatcanbetreasuredandre-readovertheyears,withgreat,abidingpleasure.

Whatiscontainedinthechaptersthatfollowis,ofcourse,morethanaletter.Youmaynotwishtoreaditallrightawaybut,perhaps,acoupleofdecadesormorefromnow,youwillpickupthesejottingsofmineagainandtheywillgiveyouadeeperunderstandingofwhatIhavedone,andthereasonsIpursuedalifeof service to our nation’s farmers. Youwill then discover in them a valuablereminderofthedaysjustbeforetheworldenteredthetwenty-firstcentury.Andyoumay want to share mymemories with those of your generation, or evenyounger,toprovidethemaglimpseoftheworldyourgrandparentslivedinandknew.

I started my working life soon after our country became independent. ThenoblesttaskinthosedayswastocontributeinwhateverwaywecouldtowardsbuildinganIndiaofourdreams–anationwhereourpeoplewouldnotonlyholdtheirheadshighinfreedombutwouldbefreefromhungerandpoverty.Anationwhere our people could live with equal respect and love for one another. Anation that would eventually be counted among the foremost nations of theworld.ItwasthenthatIrealised,inallhumility,thatchoosingtoleadonekindof life means putting aside the desire to pursue other options. Thistransformationtookplacewithinmefiftyyearsago,whenIagreedtoworkforasmall cooperative of dairy farmerswhowere trying to gain control over theirlives.

Tobequitehonest, service toournation’s farmerswasnot the career I had

envisionedformyself.Butsomehow,aseriesofeventssweptmealongandputmeinacertainplaceatacertaintimewhenIhadtochoosebetweenoneoptionoranother.Iwasfacedwithachoicethatwouldtransformmylife.Icouldhavepursuedacareerinmetallurgyandperhapsbecomethechiefexecutiveofalargecompany. Or, I could have opted for a commission in the Indian Army andmaybe retired as a general. Or, I could have left for the US and gone on tobecomeahighlysuccessfulNRI.YetIchosenoneofthesebecausesomewhere,deep down, I knew I couldmake amoremeaningful contribution byworkinghereinAnand,Gujarat.

Your grandmother toomade an important choice. She knew, in those earlydays, life inAnand could not offer even the simple comforts thatwe take forgranted today.However,sheardentlysupportedmychoice to liveandwork inAnand. That choice of your grandmother to stand by me has given me aneverlastingstrength,alwaysensuringthatIshoulderedmyresponsibilitieswithpoise.

Whenever Ihave receivedany recognition formycontributions towards theprogressofourcountry,Ihavealwaysemphasisedthatitisarecognitionoftheachievementsofmany peoplewithwhomI had the privilege to be associatedwith.IwouldliketostressevenmorestronglythatmycontributionshavebeenpossibleonlybecauseIhaveconsistentlyadheredtocertaincorevalues.ValuesthatIinheritedfrommyparentsandotherfamilyelders;valuesthatIsawinmymentorandsupporterhereinAnand–TribhuvandasPatel.Ihaveoftenspokenofintegrityasthemost importantof thesevalues,realisingthat integrity–andpersonalintegrity,atthat–isbeinghonesttoyourself.Ifyouarealwayshonesttoyourself,itdoesnottakemucheffortinalwaysbeinghonestwithothers.

Ihavealso learntwhat Iamsureyou, too,will findoutsomeday.Life isaprivilegeand towaste itwouldbewrong.In living thisprivilegecalled‘Life’,youmustacceptresponsibilityforyourself,alwaysuseyourtalentstothebestofyourabilityandcontributesomehowtothecommongood.Thatcommongoodwillpresentitselftoyouinmanyformseveryday.Ifyoujustlookaroundyou,youwillfindthereisalotwaitingtobedone:yourfriendmayneedsomehelp,yourteachercouldbelookingforavolunteer,orthecommunityyouliveinwillneedyoutomakeacontribution.Ihopethatyou,too,willdiscover,asIdid,thatfailure isnot aboutnot succeeding.Rather, it is aboutnotputting in your besteffortandnotcontributing,howevermodestly,tothecommongood.

Inlifeyou,too,willdiscover,asIdid,thatanythingcangowrongatanytimeand mostly does. Yet, there is little correlation between the circumstances ofpeople’s lives and how happy they are. Most of us compare ourselves withsomeonewethinkishappier–arelative,anacquaintance,oroften,someonewebarely know. Butwhenwe start looking closelywe realise that whatwe sawwereonly images of perfection.And thatwill help us understand and cherishwhatwehave,ratherthanwhatwedon’thave.

DoyourememberwhenyouaccompaniedmetothemagnificentceremonyinDelhiinwhichourPresidentawardedmethePadmaVibhushanin1999?Withgreat pride, you slipped themedal around your neck, looked at it in awe andaskedme very innocently if you could keep it.Do you remember the answeryourgrandmotherandIgaveyou?We toldyou thatofcourse, thismedalwasyours asmuch as it wasmine but that you should not be satisfied inmerelykeepingmyawards–thechallengebeforeyouwastoearnyourownrewardsfortheworkthatyoudidinyourlifetime.

And in theend, ifwearebraveenough to love, strongenough to rejoice inanother’shappinessandwiseenoughtoknowthatthereisenoughtogoaroundforall,thenwewouldhavelivedourlivestothefullest.

Iwouldliketodedicatethesemusingstoyou,Siddharth,andtothemillionsofotherchildrenofyourgenerationinourcountry,inthehopethatuponreadingthemyouwillbe inspiredenough togobravelyout intoyourworldandworktirelessly inyourchosenfield for the largergoodof thecountry, for the largergoodofhumanity.Remember, the rewards that come toyou thenare theonlytruerewardsforalifewell-spent.

Withmyfondestlove,

Yoursaffectionately,Dada

‘D

EarlyYearsRKURIEN,ONEFINALQUESTION,’ASKEDAYOUNGANDEAGERJOURNALISTnotsolongago:‘Whatareyourplansforthefuture?’

I remember being somewhat amused by this staple media question. Therecomes a time in a person’s life when the future starts to become a littleirrelevant;eachnewdayislikeabonus.Myresponse,Ithink,wasappropriate;eventoday,itbefitsmyeighty-threeyears.‘Atmyage,’Iexplained,‘onedoesnotreallyhaveafuture.Oneonlyhasapast.’

Lookingback,IrealisethatIhavebeenoneoftheluckyfewtohavelivedalifesobusy,sopackedwithplansandpurposethateightdecadesseemtohaveflownbyinatrice.IthinkIcantakeprideinthefactthatmymissionis,byandlarge,accomplished.ThetimehascomeformetostepdownandplacethereinsofthemanyofficesIhaveheldinfirmerhands.I,now,takepleasureandprideinhandingoverthebatontoyoungandablesuccessors.

Over the years it has beenmy privilege to hold a variety of offices. FromApril1950toJuly1973,IwastheManagerandthentheGeneralManageroftheKaira District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (popularly known as‘Amul’). From October 1973 until October 1983, when I reached the age ofsuperannuation, I was the Founder Chairman-cum-Managing Director of theGujaratCooperativeMilkMarketingFederation(GCMMF).Since then, Ihavecontinuedas the electedChairmanofGCMMF.For thirty-three eventful yearsbetween 1965 and 1998, I served as the Chairman of the National DairyDevelopmentBoard(NDDB),anorganisationpromotedby theGovernmentofIndia.Many different governments came to power in these three decades andeach allowedme to continue, despite my reputation of often crossing swordswith bureaucrats and ministers. As I write these memoirs I continue as theChairman of the Institute of Rural Management (IRMA), Chairman of theGCMMFandChairmanof theNationalCooperativeDairyFederationof IndiaLtd(NCDFI).Thesepositionsallowmetocontinuetoservetheinterestsofthenation’sdairyfarmersandruralpeople.

Often,thesedays,whilesittingatmyfavouritedesk(whichmycolleaguessothoughtfully packedoffwithmewhen I retired fromNDDB) inmy tastefullydecorated office, I glance out of the wide glass windows with pride at themeticulously kept, luxuriant sixty-acre IRMA campus. It is an expanse of

verdant, undulating lawns. I see faculty members walking to their lectures,studentsengrossedinconversation.

Theequallyimpressivegroundsoftheforty-acreNDDBcomplexliebarelyastone’s throwaway.Acoupleofkilometres fromthecomplexare thesplendidpremisesofAmulandcloseby,ofGCMMF.

Off the Mumbai-Delhi National Highway, about forty kilometres fromBaroda,ataninconspicuousturn,standsamodestblue-and-whiteboardwithanarrowpointingtowardsAnand,announcing:‘TheMilkCapitalofIndia’.ItleadsyoutotheofficesofAMUL,NDDB,GCMMF,IRMAandtothedairyfarmerstheyserveand represent,whichhaveearned this little townsucha lofty label.TheseinstitutionsmakeAnandtheprideofGujarat’smilkproducersandoftheentirenation.But itwasnotalways like this.Therewasa time,approximatelyfiftyyearsago,whenthiswasjustanotherdusty,sleepylittletownlikehundredsofothersthatdotourcountryside.IhaveoftensaidthatitwasasheerquirkoffatethatbroughtmetothissmalltowninGujarattowhichmylifehasbecomesoinextricablylinked.

Iwasbornon26November1921,inCalicut,Kerala,andwasthethirdoffoursiblings.Iwasnamed‘Verghese’aftermyuncle,RaoSahebP.K.Verghese,whohadmadeanotablecontributiontopubliclifeinhishometown,Ernakulam.Myfather,PuthenparakkalKurien,servedasacivilsurgeon inBritishCochin.Mymother was talented – she played the piano exceptionally well – and highlyeducated.Shecamefromanillustriousfamilywhichlaidgreatstorebylearning.Infact,byandlarge,theSyrianChristiancommunitytowhichIbelong,gainingmuchfromtheBritishpolicyofeducatingIndians,hadachievedahighlevelofliteracy.

When I turned fourteen, I joinedLoyolaCollege inMadras (nowknownasChennai), to studyscience. Iwasveryyoung formyclassbut I learnt tocopewiththestudies.WhenIcompletedcollege,in1940,Iwasstilltooyoungtogetadmissioninanengineeringcollege,soIdidanextradegree,aB.Sc.inPhysicsat Loyola.After this I enrolled at theGuindyCollege of Engineering, also inMadras, which then served the entire South India. I was very young when Ijoinedcollegeandhadtomanagemoreorlessonmyown.Ilearnttofendformyselfandbecameindependentveryearlyinlife.

I enjoyed my years at both the colleges, for not only was I academicallyinclinedbutIrevelledinsportstoo.Myfatherhadbeenanathleteofreputein

hisyouth, earning thenickname ‘hundred-yarddashKurien’ andhepassedonhisloveofsportstome.Irepresentedmycollegeintennis,badminton,cricketandboxing,withoutinanywayharmingmyexcellentacademicrecord.Boxing,Irecall,wasseriousbusinessincollegeandtookupalotofmytime.Wetrainedrigorouslywiththecoachandwouldoftenemergefullofcutsandbruises,blackeyes and swollen lips, andunable to eat. I also joined theUniversityTrainingCorps(UTC)andIamstillproudofbeingselectedastheoutstandingcadetofthe 5th battalion of the Madras UTC. Our Adjutant was Captain K.S.Thimmaiah, who later rose to become a distinguished General. My years atcollegewerebusybeyondimagination.

WhileIunderwenttrainingwiththeUTC,Ibecamequiteenamouredwiththedisciplineandexactitudeinculcatedbyarmylife,andbegantoyingwiththeideaofjoiningthearmy.Unfortunately,myfatherdiedprematurely,whenIwasonlytwenty-two.But amongour small SyrianChristian community, family ties areextremely strong and Iwas never allowed to suffer for too long the pain andsenseofterriblelossthataccompaniesthedeathofaparent.Onhearingofmyfather’s death,mymaternal grand-uncle,CherianMatthai, cameas soon ashecouldandtookmymotherandallofustoTrichur(nowThrissur)wherehelivedinalarge,well-appointedhome.

CherianMatthai was the Director of Public Instruction of the Cochin stateand,inthecommunity,wasfondlyreferredtoas‘MatthaiMaster’.Hewasthegrandoldman,thepatriarchofourfamilyandtheeldestbrotherofJohnMatthai(who later became India’s Finance Minister). Since John Matthai was of mymother’sage,theyhadbeenbroughtuplikesiblingsinthesamefamilyhomeinCalicut.‘MatthaiMaster’nevermarriedbuthelookedaftertheentirefamily.Hesent his brothers and sister to England for education.He lived in a sprawlinghouseonahundred-acre estate,with aboat club,gymnasium,golf courseandexcellentcooks.EversinceIcanremember,evenbeforemyfather’sdeath,weusedtospendoursummervacationswith‘MatthaiMaster’andwhatmemorabledaysthosewere!Thankstothislarge,closely-knitfamily,Ihaveintenselyhappyandgloriousmemoriesofchildhood.

AfterIfinishedmyengineeringmymother,whohadmanagedtodistractmymindawayfromthearmy,nowdeftlyguidedme towards tryingmy luckwiththe Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO). I relented and, in 1944, I wasselected by TISCO as a graduate apprentice. This was considered a veryprestigious selection then because the company took only ten ‘A class’

apprentices.IwasunawareatthattimethatverysoonIwouldbeconfrontedbyapeculiarproblem.

In thosedaysSirJehangirJ.Ghandywas theManagingDirectorofTISCO.Hereignedastheuncrowned‘KingofJamshedpur’.Suchwerehispowersthatifhesmiledatyou,youweremade for life; ifhe frowned,youweredoomed.Unfortunately forme,myuncle JohnMatthai,asaDirectoratTata Industries,was his boss and had requested him to consider my application forapprenticeship ‘if found competent’. Sir Jehangir had no choice but to obey,although I do believe I could have got in onmy ownmerit. I was posted toJamshedpurandevenifIsaysomyself,Iwasacompetentengineerandagoodapprentice.

As if JohnMatthaiputting inagoodword formewasnotbadenough,oneday he committed the unforgivablemistake of visitingme at the apprentices’hostel. We apprentices were the lowest in the officer category and no seniorofficer evervisitedourhostel.Everybodynoticedwhen JohnMatthai came toseeme.TheyrealisedwhoIwas.TheywereconvincedthatIwould,inevitably,be marked for rapid promotions in the Tata Group. Suddenly everyone wasextremely good to me and very careful around me. I found this unbearablyoppressiveandknewthatIwouldhavetodosomethingaboutitsoon.

Onmyuncle’snextvisit toJamshedpur,I toldhimpolitely,‘Idon’twant tostayhere.Iwanttogetout.IamnolongerKurien.NowI’mmerelytheboss’sgrand-nephew.’

‘Very, very commendable,’ he said, nodding his head. ‘But also extremelystupid.I’mtoldyouarethebestapprentice.Youwillcertainlygorighttothetophere.’

IwasadamantandinformedhimthatIhadalreadyappliedforascholarshipfromtheBritishgovernmentforhigherstudies.HewasextremelyunhappywithmydecisionandtriedveryhardtopersuademetostayonwiththeTataGroupwhere,nodoubt,mycareerwouldflourish.ButIhadmadeupmymindandthatmindtoldmeinnouncertaintermsthatImustgetoutofthissituation.

TheBritishgovernmenthadannouncedaschemetoselectaboutfive-hundredyoungIndianstosendabroadforspecialisedtrainingtoEngland,NewZealand,Australia,CanadaandtheUS.Iapplied,hopingtogoabroadandgetaMaster’sdegree inmetallurgyandnuclearphysics. Iwasoneof the luckyones togetacallforaninterviewwiththegovernment’sscholarshipselectioncommittee.

During the interview on the specified date, the Chairman of the selectioncommittee,afterinvitingmetositdown,askedmeonlyonequestion:‘Whatispasteurisation?’

I did not know exactly and I replied hesitantly but quite honestly, ‘I don’tknowtheprocessbutIthinkithassomethingtodowithsterilisingmilk….’

‘Correct,’hesaid.‘Youareselectedforascholarshipindairyengineering.’

Iwastakenaback.‘Dairyengineering?’Iaskedincredulously.‘Can’tyougivememetallurgyornuclearphysics?’

‘No.It’seitherthisornothing.Makeupyourmind,’hesaid.

Iwasinabitofaquandary,butIknewIhadtofindanexitfromTataSteel.IacceptedthescholarshiptogototheUSandqualifyasadairyengineerfortheGovernmentofIndia’sMinistryofAgriculture.

SinceIhadunwittinglyrevealedthatIdidnotknowanythingaboutdairying,beforeIleftfortheUS,IwassentforeightmonthstowhatwasthencalledtheImperial Dairy Research Institute in Bangalore (later the National DairyResearch Instituteof India) fora formal introduction tomilchcattleand to tryandunderstandthefundamentalsofdairying.AssoonasIreachedtheinstitutein Bangalore I knew I had made a serious mistake in leaving the Tatas. Theinstitute’s officers did not take too kindly to me. I was an outsider; I knewnothing about dairying and yet I had been selected for a coveted scholarship.Nobodybotheredtoteachmeanythingandoneoftheinstructorsinparticular–Kodandapani–tookaspecialdisliketome.ButIhadburntmybridgeandtherewasnoturningback.Istruckupafriendshipwithtwodairytechnologists,A.T.DudaniandPherozeMedora,andspentaconsiderabletimeatrestaurants,moviehallsandgenerallyhavingagoodtime.AsfarasIwasconcerned,IwasmerelymarkingtimetillIgotmyscholarshiptogoabroad.

In the winter of 1946, I left for the US abroad a ‘Liberty’ ship to joinMichiganStateUniversity,ostensiblytostudydairyengineering.WhatIactuallystudiedtherewasmetallurgyandnuclearphysics.TosatisfytheGovernmentofIndia,Itooksometokencoursesindairyengineering.Thefirstatombombhadbeen exploded and I saw nuclear physics as an area with tremendous scope.Dairyingdidnotfigureanywhereonmyhorizon.

Thosedays,MichiganStateUniversitywasconsideredtheworld’sbestplacefordairyengineering.Asluckwouldhaveit,PherozeMedora,myfriendfrom

theImperialDairyResearchInstituteinBangalore,alsojoinedtheuniversity,asdid his friend, HarichandM.Dalaya, whowas later to becomemy close andvalued colleague.Medora and Dalaya had studied together at the AgricultureCollegeinPoona(nowPune).DalayahadcometoMichiganStateUniversityonhis own steam since he came from a well-to-do family. Two other Indianstudents–HussainandMansoor–alsobecameclosefriends.Wewereagroupof five Indians – Medora was a Parsi, Hussain and Mansoor were Muslims,DalayawasaHinduandIwasaChristian.Averitableobjectlessoninnationalintegration.

Myeasy-going fun-filled lifestyleworriedDalaya tremendously andhewasconvincedthatIwouldendupinamess.Asfarashewasconcerned,therewasnohope forme.He took it uponhimself to adviseme, to beratemewhenhethought I was spending toomany evenings out, not studying enough and notspendingthemandatoryhoursinthelaboratories.Finally,onedaywhenIcouldnottakehisnagginganymore,Itoldhim,‘Dalaya,yougetyourdegree,I’llgetmine and then we’ll see. You’ll get it huffing and puffing, I’ll get minelaughing.’ And I proved this to Dalaya by getting my Master’s degree withdistinctionevenwhileIenjoyedlifetothefullest.

Thoseweregood,productivedaysattheuniversity.Ipursuedtennisandevenwonachampionship.Ispentstimulatingeveningswithmyfriends,debatedandargued vociferously; whenever the competence of the Third World wasquestionedoraracistremarkwasmade–notatallunusualinthosedays–Iputthe‘natives’soundlyintheirplace.

Ofcourse,Istudiedtoo.Myresearchwasonafascinatingsubject–heredityin cast iron – and Iwas totally engrossed in it. There had long been a beliefamongfoundrymenthat thereis‘heredity’incast iron.Myresearchexaminedwhetherthiswasmerefictionorafactandmythesisprovedthatitwasindeedafact–thathereditydidexist.Inawayitshowedhowyoucannotgetawayfromthepast–evenifitisincastiron–sowhenyoumeltdowncastironandmakeitintosomethingelse,itspastexistseveninthefaceofapparentchange.

Duringmyresearch,myprofessorandImadewhatisknownascolloidaliron,wherethecarbonisroundinshapeandnotinflakes.Thismeantthatcastiron,like steel, would also have the ability to stretch. These findings were veryexciting andwould have been path breaking.However, one daymy professorinformedmethatsomebodyelsehadbeatenustoit.Wehadcomesoclose.We

couldhavebecomemillionaires!Inaway,itwasgoodbecauseifIhadbecomeamillionaire,IwouldnothavelefttheUS.

Along with my four friends, I returned to India in 1948, after receiving aMaster’s degree in metallurgy and nuclear physics. It was the end of awonderful,carefreechapter inmylife.Whenthefiveofusreturnedhome,wesawwithhorrorhowtheBritishhaddividedourcountryandithadbeendividedwithoutevenseekingourpermission.HussainandMansoormovedtothenewlycreatedPakistan,andtherestofusgotdowntothebusinessofgettingonwithourlivesinIndia.Idulyreportedtothegovernment,whichhadsentmeonthescholarship,andwasinstructedtogetintouchwiththeMinistryofEducationinDelhi.Bythistime,myuncleJohnMatthai,whousedtobeaDirectorattheTataIndustries,hadbecometheFinanceMinisterofindependentIndia.IstayedwithhiminDelhi.

Those days, as a cocky, foreign-educated young Indian, I dressed rathernattily. My attire might have offended the sartorial sensibilities of some: myfavourite clothes were a green shirt, yellow pants and a green felt hat. Thusdecked out, I went one morning to see the Under Secretary, Education. TheUnderSecretarylookedmeupanddownandsaid,‘Oh,soyouareKurien?Youareoneoftheluckyones.Mostoftheothershavenojobsbutforyouwealreadyhaveajoblinedup.YouwillhavetoreporttoaplacecalledAnand.’

‘WhereisthisAnand?’Iasked.

‘It’ssomewherenearBombay,’explainedtheUnderSecretary.

AtMichiganStateUniversity, theDeanofEngineeringhadtakenalikingtome andwhen I finishedmy studies he recommendedme to a company calledUnionCarbide.UnionCarbidehadalreadyofferedmeajobwithabasicsalaryofRs1,000inCalcutta,wheretheyweresettingupafactory.Surely,then,Ididnot need this inconsequential government job? The Under Secretary was notverypleasedwithmydemeanour,possiblyevenlesswithmysenseoffashion.SowhenIinformedhimthatIwasnotreallyinterestedintakinguptheAnandassignment,hegotratheragitated.

‘Howcanyoutalklikethis?’heexclaimed.‘IwillsueyoufortheRs30,000that we spent on your higher education if you refuse to take up this job atAnand.’

ItseemedthatIhadnooption.TherewasnowayIcouldraisethemoneyto

repaythegovernment.IwouldhavetogotoAnand.AsIwasabouttoleavetheoffice,theUnderSecretaryaskedmetowaitwhilehegavememyappointmentletter.IhadpromisedmyauntthatIwouldbehomeforlunchandIwasalreadyrunning late, so I told him that I could notwait.He grew evenmore furious.‘You cannot wait for your appointment letter because you have a lunchappointment?Youngman,’hescolded,‘youwillnotgotoofarinlife,there’snodoubtaboutthat.Anyway,givemeyouraddressinDelhisothatIcanhavetheletterdeliveredtoyou.’

Iwrotedownmyaddress,whichwas‘C/otheHonourableDrJohnMatthai’,andspedhomeforlunch.

‘So,’askedmyunclewithasmile,‘didyougetyourrelease?’

Seeinghiminarelativelygoodmood,Iaskedhimifhewouldhelpmegettherelease.He refused emphatically, taking great pleasure in pointing out, ‘I toldyou not to leave theTatas. I told you not to take the government scholarship.Yourejectedmyadvice.Youwantedtobuildyourfuturewithyourownefforts.Sogobuildyourfuture.Iwillnothelpyou.Youhavemadeyourbed,myboy.Nowgolieinit.’

I felt cheated by the Government of India when I learnt later that I hadactually been selected for a job as a dairy engineer at the Imperial DairyResearchInstituteinBangalore.ThiswasaSeniorClassIposition.ButwhenIreturnedtoIndia,theofficersatthedairydepartmentgottogetheranddecidedtopostmetoAnandandsendadiplomaholder,Kodandapani,backtoBangaloreinmyplace.ForalongtimeIboreagrudgebecauseIfeltthatIhadbeencheatedoutoftheresearchinstitutejobwhichshouldhavebeenmine.Lookingback,ofcourse,IdonotknowwhatwouldhavebeeninstoreformeifIhadbeengivenwhatwasrightfullymydue.PossiblythebestthatcouldhavehappenedwasthatIwouldhaveendedupasDirectoroftheNationalDairyResearchInstituteandretired.Instead,IwassenttothisstrangeplacecalledAnand,where,unknowntome, a farmore challenging life lay ahead.TheDairyDevelopmentAdviser totheGovernmentofIndia,ZalR.Kothavala,latertoldmethatinmyconfidentialreport,mysuperiorshadwritten:‘Unlikelytobeanefficientofficer.’

Meanwhile, when the Under Secretary realised that I was John Matthai’snephew he recommended a higher salary of Rs 600 a month for me. Thisrequired thefinanceministry’sapproval,whichtheUnderSecretaryfeltwouldcertainlynotbedifficult.Littledidheknowmyuncle.

‘The financeministrywill never agree,’ declaredmy uncle.My aunt askedhimwhyitbotheredhimifIwasgoingtogetabettersalary.‘Itismyjobtoseehedoesnotgetit,’repliedJohnMatthai.SuchweretheprinciplesandstandardsoftheGovernmentofIndiathosedays.

Quite unknown to me, a unique and revolutionary experiment had beenunfoldingforsometimeinthelittletownofAnandwhereIwassoontomakemyhome.Itwasherethatafledglingmilkcooperativewasdesperatelytryingtohold its own.At that time, themilk business in the regionwas almost totallycontrolledbyashrewdandremarkableParsigentlemancalledPestonjeeEdulji.He had never been to school, had no education, but was clearly a cannyentrepreneur. The manner in which Pestonjee came to monopolise the milkbusinessinAnandisaninterestingandinstructivestory.

Around 1942-43, a large number of Britishers stationed in Bombay (nowMumbai)fellsick.Afteranintensiveinvestigation,theauthoritiesidentifiedtherootof theproblemas themilk theyweredrinking.Asampleof thismilkwassentfor testing toa laboratory inLondonsince theBritishwouldnot trustanyIndian laboratory. There was a one-line response from London. It said quitesimply:‘ThemilkofBombayismorepollutedthanthegutterwaterofLondon.’Thus, when milk in Bombay was found unfit for consumption, the Britishgovernment felt compelled to create the post of amilk commissioner.AmilkdepartmentwasestablishedtoworkoutaschemetoimprovethequalityofmilkcomingintoBombay.

Interestingly, this was the first time the government had intruded into ourcountry’smilkbusiness.ItisevenmoreinterestingthattheBritishgovernmentwasforcedtodosonotbecauseofanysocialistideals(whichindependentIndiasubsequently adopted) but because the private sector hadmessed things up somuchthatitbecamenecessaryforthegovernmenttostepin.

The first thing they did was to look for a nearby source of adequate milksupplyand itwas inevitable that theystumbleduponKairadistrict,whichwasfamous even during those days for its dairy industry. Around 1895, anEnglishmanhadstartedabutterfactorysomefifteenkilometresnorthofAnandinthisdistrict.AGermanalsosetupacaseinfactoryinthevicinityandin1926,Pestonjee Edulji put up a large factory manufacturing butter and marketed itrather cleverly under the Western sounding brand name of ‘Polson’. Polsonbuttersoonbecameahouseholdname.

ANewZealander–Foster–wastheManageratPolson.Thesepioneers–theEnglishman, theGermanand the Indian–werecreatingamarket for themilkfromKairadistrict.Asalwayshappenswhenamarketiscreated,theproducersreact. In thiscase, thefarmersofKairadistrict respondedandmilkproductionincreased. InKaira district, therefore, before therewas even anymention of amilk cooperative, the farmershad increased their production to such an extentthat thedistricthadalreadybecome the largestandbest-knownmilkpocket intheentireregion.

ZeroinginonKaira, theBritishgovernmentof theBombaystate thenaskedthe owner of Polson dairywhether itwas possible for him to sendmilk fromAnand to Bombay city – some 350 km away. Never before had liquid milktravelledsuch longdistances inahotcountry likeours.ButPestonjeewasnotoneto throwuphishandsindespair.Heexperimented.Hepasteurisedmilk inhiscreampasteuriserandtransportedittoBombayinaratherprimitivefashion–inmilkcanswrappedingunnybagswithchilledwaterpouredonthecans.HefoundthatitreachedBombayinfairlygoodcondition.Thiswasthebeginningofthe government’s Bombay Milk Scheme – probably the first milk scheme tosupplyliquidmilktoanydistantcityinIndia.

Bombay thusbecameamarketnot just formilkproductsbutalso for liquidmilk.ItwasanadditionalmarketforKairadistrictandanincentiveforitsdairyfarmers.Bombay–thecommercialandindustrialcapitalofIndia,thecityoftherich and famous – was now directly linked to Kaira. It was certainly anenormous stimulus, which further increased the production of milk in Kairadistrict.Thesewereallundeniablyvitalpioneeringefforts in thedistrict’smilkindustry.

Pestonjee–orPolson–found thisarrangementwith theBritishgovernmentquite satisfactory. He demanded a processing charge from the government,which thegovernmentagreed togive.Hedemandedadditionalequipmentasagrantandthat,too,wasprovided.ThenPolsonmadeonemoredemand.Hetoldthegovernmentthatforhimtodohis jobmoreefficientlyandsupplyBombaywithmoremilk,theyshouldpassalegislationwherebyinallthevillagesaroundAnandnoonebesideshimcouldcollectmilk.This,too,wasdone,whichmeantthatcontractorsappointedbyPolsonmonopolisedmilkprocurement.

Polson was happy, the Milk Commissioner of Bombay was satisfied and,aboveall, themilkcontractorsandmerchantswereecstatic.Thedairyfarmers,

ontheotherhand,weredejectedandmiserable.Thefarmersverysoonrealisedthattheincreasedprice,whichPolsonobtainedfromthegovernment,wentintothepocketsofPolsondairyandworse,muchofitwentintothegraspinghandsofthemilkcontractors.Onlyaminisculeamountoftheincreaseinpricereachedthem.

ThiswasthetimewhenIndiawasstrugglingforitsfreedomfromBritishrule.Kaira’sfarmerscomplainedabouttheirexploitationtoSardarVallabhbhaiPatel,a prominent leader of the freedom movement and Deputy Prime Minister ofindependentIndia,whocamefromKaramsadvillagejustafewkilometresfromAnand. Sardar Patel was the man who abolished the rule of the rajas andmaharajas overnight andwelded the country intoonenation; hewas the ‘IronMan of India’, a great administrator and patriot. He firmly believed that arevolutioninmarketingthefarmers’produce–whichwouldbebeneficialtothefarmers – was necessary. Sardar Patel was convinced that in order to savethemselves, the farmers needed to control the procuring, processing andmarketingofmilk.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s vision has always been a source of greatinspiration. After fighting for and winning freedom, he recognised thatindependence was more than a political task. He knew that our rural peoplecouldneverbecomereallyfreeuntiltheywereliberatedfromtheexploitationofmoneylenders, fromthesocial illsandburdensofcasteandclass.SardarPatelbelieved that theway toaddress theseproblemswas tobuild rural institutions,andinstitutionsofresearchandteaching,thatwouldservethefarmers’economicinterests;institutionsthatwouldcatertotheneedsoftheruralpeople.

Sardar Patel urged the dairy farmers to organise milk cooperatives, whichwouldgivethemcontrolovertheresourcestheygenerated.HeassignedMorarjiDesai, his deputy, to coordinate this effort.At ameetingof the dairy farmers,Morarjibhaiaskedforvolunteerstoserveaschairmanoftheorganisation.Afewpeople volunteered, but Morarjibhai looked around and spotted TribhuvandasPatel sitting quietly in the gathering. Tribhuvandas was then a young andcommitted freedomfighterand theelectedVice-Presidentof theKairaDistrictCongressCommittee.

‘Don’tyouwanttobethechairman?’Morarjibhaiaskedhim.

‘No,Saheb,’ repliedTribhuvandas. ‘I’ve just comeoutof jail for the fourthtimeandmyhealthisnotsogood.Ijustwanttogohomeandrecover.Besides,I

don’tknowanythingaboutthedairybusiness.’

Morarjibhaiheardhimoutandsaid,‘Soyoudon’twanttobethechairman?Inthat case, you shall be the chairman.’ And Tribhuvandas was selected as theChairman of the Kaira Cooperatives. Morarjibhai probably believed that ifsomebodywanted to be the chairman badly enough, then hewould definitelyhavesomevestedinterest,andthatwascertainlynotright.

Tribhuvandas launched the exercise of organising the dairy farmers and hesoonmanagedtoformacoupleofcooperativesocieties.Whilethefarmerswerewillingtotaketheirleader’sadvice,takingonthevestedinterestswasnoteasy.Apartfromanythingelse,sincemilkissuchahighlyperishablecommodity,thefarmersofKairawerevulnerable, leftwith littlechoicebut toacceptwhateverthe contractor paid. Exploitation increased. The cooperatives suppliedmilk toPolsonwhowould process it and supply it to Bombay. Predictably, problemscroppedup.Polsonwould ‘discover’ flies in themilk;hewouldsay itdidnotsmellfresh;hewouldnotgiveafairfattestorpayments.Hetriedeverytrickhecouldtobreakthecooperatives.Whatwasthenextstepthen?

Itwasthenthatthefarmersandtheirleader,TribhuvandasPatel,againwenttomeet Sardar Patel, who gave them only one bit of pithy advice. ‘Polson nekaadhimukho,removePolson,’hesaid.Itsoundedasimpleenoughdirectivebutitwasnotsoeasytoaccomplish.HealsotoldthemthatiftheywantedmaximumbenefitfromtheBombaymarket,theyhadnootheroptionbuttocooperatisethedairymovementintheirdistrictand,aboveall,toowntheirdairy.Hegavethemthis advice in 1945, before India was free. He warned them that the Britishwould not like it because they would see in this a ruse to embarrass theirgovernment;theywouldthinkthathe,SardarPatel,wasorganisingthefarmersagainsttheBritish;thatbyformingthecooperative,hehadpoliticalendsinmind–whichhedidnot.Knowingfullywellhowdifficult itwouldbe,SardarPatelcautionedthefarmersofKairadistrictthatiftheywantedtoachieveallthistheymustbepreparedtofight,notforgettingthatinanyfighttherearelosses.‘Thelosseswillbeyours,notmine,’hetoldthem.‘Butifyouarepreparedtostruggle,to bear the losses, to fight the Milk Commissioner of Bombay and hisdepartment,thenIampreparedtoleadyou.’

Asthefarmerswerefedupofbeingexploitedtheyreadilyagreed.WhatisofgreatsignificanceisthatthecooperativedairymovementinKairadistrictstartedasafarmers’initiativeagainstthegovernment,theMilkCommissionerandthe

departmentofDairyingoftheBritishGovernmentofBombay.

Oncethefarmersdecidedthattheywouldfightthegovernment,SardarPatelsentMorarjiDesaitocarrythestruggleforward.InJanuary1946MorarjiDesai,whowasthentheSecretaryoftheGujaratProvincialCongressCommittee,cameto Kaira district and held the first meeting under a banyan tree in Chaklashivillage, some tenkilometres fromAnand.At themeetingonly two resolutionswerepassed.Thefirstsaid thatnomilkwouldbesold toPolsondairyand thesecondsaid:‘WeproposetohaveacooperativeineachofourvillagesinKairadistrict and a union of these village cooperatives at Anand will handle theprocessing of milk. This will enable the farmers to gain control over theprocurement,processingandmarketingofourmilk.’

It was Morarji Desai who led this initial farmers’ movement against theBombayMilkScheme(BMS).HedemandedthattheBMSacceptmilkfromthefarmers’ cooperativedirectly andnotmerely themilk supplied to it byPolsondairy. Aswas expected, the demandwas rejected and so he declared that thefarmers would go on strike against the government’s Bombay Milk Scheme.Thiswas the famous fifteen-daymilk strikeofKairadistrict, duringwhichallthemilk thatwascollectedby the farmerswaspouredon the streetsbutnotadropwasgiventoPolson.Polson’smilkcollectioncametoagrindinghaltandtheBMScollapsed.

At this stage theMilk Commissioner – an Englishman – and his deputy, afamousdairymanofIndia,DaraKhurody(wholaterbuiltBombay’sAareyMilkColony),decidedtovisitAnand.Theysawthatthefarmerswereadamant,theirspiritswerevery strongand their strikewasunlikely to end.Khurodyadvisedthe Milk Commissioner to concede to their demands. ‘Look at their leaderTribhuvandasPatel,’hesaid.‘HewearsaGandhitopi,hecannotspeakEnglish.How is he going to handle this milk business? This is not New Zealand orDenmark.ThisisIndia.Milkbusinessisatechnicalthing.DoyoureallythinkthecooperativesinAnandcansucceed?Concedetotheirdemands;theyareonlydoomedtofailure.’

Thiswas exactlywhat Tribhuvandas Patelwas hoping for. Throughout thatyear,hetrudgedtirelessly,mileaftermile,fromvillagetovillage,almostsingle-handedly persuading the farmers of Kaira district to form cooperative milksocieties. Towards the end of that year five societies were registered and byDecember1946TribhuvandasandthedairyfarmersregisteredtheKairaDistrict

CooperativeMilkProducersUnionLimited(KDCMPUL).

Fortunatelyforus,wewonindependencesoonafterandSardarPatelbecametheDeputyPrimeMinisterofafreeIndia.TribhuvandasPatelwenttoDelhitomeetSardarPateltoinformhimofthepersistingdifficultsituationinAnand.Healsomentionedthatthefarmersfeltanacuteneedtohavetheirowndairy.Therealreadyexisted inAnandaveryoldgovernment researchcreamery,whichhadbeenbuiltin1914andhadfallenintodisuse.ThiswasthesamedairywhichhadoncebeenusedtomakecheesefortheBritishtroopsinMesopotamia(nearIraq)duringWorldWarIandwhichtheNationalDairyResearchInstitute(NDRI)hadacquiredfromtheGovernmentofIndiaonlease.Itmaybeapocryphal,butthestory went that the cheese that was made here and consumed by the BritishtroopskilledmoreBritishsoldiersthandidtheenemy!

Sardar Patel told Tribhuvandas tomeet the thenMinister for Agriculture –Rajendra Prasad – and ask him to give the dairy to the farmers’ cooperative.However,hisbureaucracyopposedit,sayingthatgovernmentpropertycouldnotbesimplygiventoanyonegratis.Therefore,onthesageadviceofbureaucrats,apart of this dairy along with some of the machines, was given to the KairaCooperativeUniononarentofRs9,000peryear.TherestofthedairyremainedwiththeNDRI,whichuseditforitsownresearch.

ThiswasaWorldWarIvintagedairyand,understandably,inanawfulstate.Itwasacuriousassortmentofancientmachines:aboiler,which,whenthepressurewasbuiltupwouldstartasteamenginewhichwould thendriveashaftacrossthelengthofthedairy,painfullyworkingtheancientmechanism.Therewereallkindsofpulleysandbeltsandpumps.Allveryimpractical,antiquatedstuff.

It was around this stage in the life of the Kaira Cooperative Union that IhappenedtoarriveatAnand.AsIhaveoftensaid later, Iwas throwninto thislittle dusty town in Gujarat and into the lives of the dairy farmers of KairadistrictbywhatIconsidertobeasheeraccidentoffate–whatturnedouttobeastrangepre-plannedactofdestiny.IhadalwaysimaginedthatIwascutoutfor‘biggerandbetter things’– foraglamorous, fast-paced life inabigcity,a jobwithaprestigiousfirmandthepleasuresoftheluxuriouslifestylethatgowithit.Ananddidnotfigureanywhereinmyschemeofthings.ButIhadtohonourthecontractwiththeGovernmentofIndiawhichhadenabledmyhigherstudiesintheUSandtherefore,hereIwasinAnand,afishoutofwater.

~

It was Friday, 13 May 1949, when the train from Bombay pulled into theramshackle station at Anand. There to receive me was none other thanKodandapani, lookingquitepleasedwithhimself sincehecouldnowreturn toBangalore. Accompanying him was the elderly, friendly caretaker of thegovernmentresearchcreamery,knowntoallas‘BarotKaka’.Theyescortedmeto my new office at the creamery, which was then being run by the NDRI.Kodandapani very consideratelywarnedme not to take charge on that day asFridaythe13thisconsideredanunluckyday.Headvisedmetowaitforaday.‘No,’ I said. ‘Idon’t likewhat I seehere.Letme takecharge todayandallowthingstogowrong.I’mnotinterestedinstayingheretoolong.’

In1949,Anandhadapopulationofapproximatelytenthousandpeople.Itwasthe antithesis ofmy life inNewYork,which I had then just left behind.NewYorkwasbustlingandbusy,Anandwasdullandsleepy;NewYorkwasvibrantand liberal, Anand was excruciatingly unexciting and conservative. It was soconservative that nobodywas prepared to rentme a house or even a room. Iseemedtohaveallthepossibledisqualifications.Iwasanoutsider,aMalayali.Inaddition,IwasaChristianandanon-vegetarian–anoutrageforthestrictlyvegetarianGujaraticommunity.Andtotopitall–Iwasabachelor!Whichself-respecting Gujarati family would let out a room to an unmarried MalayaliChristian?

Afterdaysofsearchingforaroom,Imanagedtorentanabandonedgarageofthe house next to the dairy, which was occupied by the research institute’sSuperintendent.What a twist of fate – fromcomfortable lodgings in glitteringNewYorktoagarageindrearyAnand.Thegaragehadalarge,greasypitinthemiddle,wheremechanicsmusthaveoncestoodtotinkerwiththeundersidesofcars.ButIwasanengineerandIcouldnotallowsuchthingstogetinthewayofbasic comfort. I filled up the pit. Therewere nowindows, so I created them.There was no bathroom so I put up three corrugated sheets and a makeshiftbathroomwas ready.This ishowIstartedmy lifeatAnand.Nobodygavemeanything–andinthelongrun,thatdidmealotofgood.

IhatedAnand.IwantedtorunawaybutIcouldnotbecausetheGovernmentofIndiahadpaidformyeducationintheUSandIwasundercontracttoworkwherever theysentme, foraperiodoffiveyears. Ididnothave themoneytopay thegovernment toget a release from thebond. Itwas justmymisfortunethattheysentmetoAnand.Butsoonlifebegantotakeonapatternofsorts.Iwould report towork everymorning, tinker aroundwith themachinery, try to

findsomethingtodoinaplacewhereeveryoneseemedtobelievethatyoucouldgetawaywithoutdoinganywork. I startedsmokingheavily,didnotbother toshavemost days and as a result looked shabby and unkempt.My felt hat andcolourfulclotheshadnousehereandI tooktohangingaroundinmyworkingclothes–khakioveralls.MosteveningswerespentplayingcardswithBalaRao,the Chief Chemist at the dairy, and some young men from the nearby BeediTobaccoResearchStation.

Thehighlightofmylifewastogoback‘home’tomygaragefordinner.Myelder brother, who then worked with the Birlas and lived in Hyderabad, hadtaken pity on me and sent me his trained cook-cum-butler, Anthony. Everyevening without fail, at dinnertime, Anthony appeared before me in my tinygarage like a genie from Aladdin’s lamp. He would be dressed up in hisimpeccablewhite uniform,with a sash and a turbanperfectly inplace, fixmewith an unwavering look, and announce in all seriousness: ‘Master, dinner isserved.’ And, indeed, my small, rickety table would be flawlessly set in onecornerof thederelictgarage.Itmusthavelookedlikeasceneoutofafarcicalcomedybutitwassuchtouchesthatkeptmysenseofhumourintactduringthosedrearydays.Anthony–allcredittohim–stuckitoutwithmeformanyyearsatAnand.

ThegovernmentresearchcreamerywhereIwassupposedtoworkactuallydidnotconductanyresearchwhatsoever.Ourassignmentherewastomanufacturesmall quantities of milk powder from buffalo milk. This hardly required anyresearchbut in their typicalbureaucraticway, thegovernmenthadmanaged toturnitintoaproduction.Inrealitynoteventhefirststepoftheprojecthadbeenset inmotion.WhenIcame toAnandeven the roller-dryerswerenotworkingduetoaminorfaultwhichtookmeexactlytenminutestosetright.Itcertainlydid not need someonewith aMaster’s degree in engineering to be able to dothat.Oncetheroller-dryerswereworking,producingmilkpowderwashardlyanachievement.

Mysupervisorwasalazy,good-for-nothingfellow.Hewouldcometoworkateleveno’clock in themorning,use the institute’s staff ashispersonal servantsanddonowork.Everymorninghewouldsaunterintomyofficetohaveacupoftea and pass the time. One day I suggested to him that since we were nowproducingmilkpowderandwealreadyhad five tonsof it,weshould thinkofselling it.He began to complain about how difficult thatwould be as nobodywouldwanttobuyit.Ithoughtthatsinceitwasgoodqualitymilkpowder,any

biscuit manufacturer would be happy to buy it from us. My supervisor wasextremely sceptical.Those days Iwould frequently escape toBombay, stay attheTajHotelandliveitupforafewdays.Thiswasmyrestandrelaxationtimeand itwas sacrosanctbecause itwas theonly thing thatkeptmegoing in thisgodforsakenplace.Nothingwouldpersuademetomissthisreprieve.Iofferedtotryandsell themilkpowderduringmy trip toBombay.Mysupervisoragreedandonmynext jaunt to the city I approached a biscuitmanufacturer, showedhimthesamplemilkpowderIwascarryingandnegotiatedapriceofRe1perpound.Hegavemeapurchaseorderforfivetonsthatwehadinstockandwiththatinmypocket,IreturnedtoAnand.

Itwasassimpleas that.Alittlebitofcreativethinkingandinitiativeonmypart and the work was accomplished. It made the sheer incompetence of mycolleagues at the research creamery in Anand even more intolerable to me. Icould see that they had no interest in doing anything, not even the mostelementaryofjobs.Theyemployedtwentypeopletoruntwosmallroller-dryerswheninanyothercountrytwentysuchroller-dryerswererunbyoneman.Iwasthe new dairy engineer to theGovernment of India Research Creamery and IrealisedverysoonthatIhadnoworkatall.MyfrustrationatthisdeadeningjobbeganrisingandIstartedtowritetotheMinistryofAgricultureinDelhieverymonth,submittingmyresignation,sayingthatIwasdrawingasalaryofRs350for doing no work and instead of wasting government money I should beallowed togo.After someeightmonthsof this theymust have felt that Iwasbecominganuisanceandtheyfinallywrotebackacceptingmyresignation.

Duringthoseeightmonths,however,IlookedaroundandsaidtomyselfthatsinceIfoundmyselfplacedinthisunhappysituation,Imustfindsomethingtodo.Thisiswhatanyonewithagoodeducationwoulddo;otherwisetheso-calledgoodeducationisworthless.

Atthattime,acooperativewasacompletelyalienconcepttome.ButwhileIknewnothingaboutcooperatives,Iwasquiteintriguedbythebandoftenaciousdairy farmers and their leader, Tribhuvandas Patel, at the Kaira CooperativeUnion next door to our research creamery. It seemed to me that they werestrugglingagainstanimpossiblesituationandIsecretlyfeltthattheywouldgetnowherewithalltheirstruggles.YetIcouldnothelpbutadmiretheirdriveandcommitment to the cause. Inmy free time –which I had in plenty – I beganhelpingthisuniquegroupofpeoplenextdoor.ThiswasmyfirstencounterwithTribhuvandasandmyfirstintroductiontoKaira’smilkcooperatives.

UHistoryintheMaking

NDER THE LEADERSHIP OF TRIBHUVANDAS PATEL, THE KAIRA DISTRICTCooperativeMilk ProducersUnionLimited (KDCMPUL) began operating

fromthedismalhalfofthegovernmentcreamerytheyhadrented.Theylabouredpainfully to get the rusty World War I equipment to function. However, themachineswouldbreakdownatregularintervals.SinceIwasa‘foreign-returned’engineer who worked at the government creamery next door, Tribhuvandasbeganaskingmefor‘expert’advice.Inanycase,Ihadhardlyanyworktofillmytimeat thedairyand insteadofwhilingawaythehoursplayingcardswithothers as idle as myself, I would walk across to the cooperative and fix themachinesfor them.ThisbecameapatternuntilonedayafterIhadpatcheduponeofthemachinesfortheumpteenthtime,totallyfedup,ItoldTribhuvandas:‘Scrapthisdairy.Withthisantiquatedequipmentyouwillnevermakeasuccessofthebusiness.Icancontinuetohelpyoutofixitupbutthisisnowaytorunyour milk cooperative.Why don’t you borrow somemoney and buy moderndairy-plantequipment?’

Tribhuvandaswenttohiscolleague,MaganbhaiD.Patel, theViceChairmanof the cooperative, for advice. Earlier, Maganbhai had sent Prof. Pandya,AgricultureEngineerandProfessorofAgricultureatthecooperative,tohelp.IspentanentiredayexplainingtoProf.Pandyawhatneededtobedonewiththemachinery.Hetookextensivenotesandtowardstheendoftheday,heclosedhispaperssaying,‘Ican’tdoit.Iamunabletounderstandthis.’Nowtherewasnoone else to deal with it. Therefore, when Tribhuvandas sought Maganbhai’sopinion,hesaid,‘Youhavenoalternative.FollowKurien’sadvice.Borrowsomemoney.’

Tribhuvandasrevertedtomeforadviceonthetypeofnewmachinerythatwasrequired.Isuggestedthat theyshouldgetaplatepasteuriser,whichwouldcostthemaroundRs40,000.Itwasanenormousamount.Tribhuvandasmanagedtoborrow the amount from his large-hearted, affluent brother-in-law, with apromisethatthecooperativewouldrepayeverypaisa.

His brother-in-law reassured him: ‘Tribhuvandas, don’tworry.You take themoney.Youandyourmadideas–there’snowaythisdairywillwork.AnywayIdon’tneedthismoneysoyoudon’thavetoworryaboutit.’Tribhuvandas,amanofintegrity,paidhimbackeverypaisa,withinterest,oncethecooperativewasin

apositiontodoso.

Tribhuvandas requested me to order the plate pasteuriser on behalf of thecooperativeonmynextvisit toBombay.AfterconsultingDalaya, Idecided toorder themachinery fromLarsen&Toubro (L&T).Withcash inmypocket, Iwalked into theofficeof theL&TManager,AxilPetersen,and toldhimthat Iwanted to order a Silkeborg Pasteuriser. I must have been quite a sight –unshaven,shabbyandunkempt.Petersenlookedatmea littleoddlyandaskedme if I knewhowmuch themachinewould cost. I assuredhim that I did.Atwhich,withthetypicalarroganceofthecoloniser,heaskedtoseethemoney.Ipulledout a thickwad,ofRs40,000, frommypocket and ratherdramaticallythrewitonhisdesk:‘Youcanseeitrightnow,’Iadded.

Petersen was obliged to take my order and promised to deliver the platepasteuriserassoonaspossible.Withthejobcompleted,Ienjoyedtherestofmyholidaybeforereturningtotheboredomofmyjob.

Every month I sent my resignation letter to the Secretary, Ministry ofAgriculture,Government of India, each timepointingout that thegovernmentwaspayingmeasalaryfornowork.AroundthistimemyfriendMedora,nowachemist with the Bombay Milk Scheme’s laboratory at Anand, asked me toaccompanyhimandhisbrotheronaratherunusual trip.HisbrotherwantedtoconsultachhayajyotishiinCambay.Thechhayajyotishimeasuredyourshadowin thenoondaysun,consultedhiscollectionofancientparchmentsand lookedfortheonethatmatchedwiththemeasurementofyourshadowandpredictedthefuture.

Medora’sbrotherwantedhis shadow ‘read’becausehewaskeenongettingmarriedandwasseeking‘spiritual’adviceaboutwhethertheyoungladyhehadinmindwastherightchoice.Ifoundthisentireexercisequiteridiculous.Ihadnever had faith nor interest in the ‘occult sciences’. I went along with theMedoras because anything was a good change from the monotony of life atAnand.

AfterMedora’s brother got his shadow ‘read’, they persuadedme to do thesame.SoasnottoappearaspoilsportandalsoforsomefunIstoodinthesunwhile the jyotishi measured my shadow. Shuffling through the bunch ofparchment-like leaves,and findingwhathewas looking for,he readout: ‘Youhavenofaith.’Itoldhimhewasabsolutelyright;Iwasanatheist.Ignoringme,he continued to read out some details about my family and childhood which

turnedouttobeabsolutelyaccurate.Hethenaskedmeifheshouldreadmemyfuture.BythistimeIwasratherintriguedsoIagreed.

Among the many things the jyotishi told me, a particular detail remainedfirmlystuckinmymind:‘Youareveryunhappyinyourjobrightnowbutwithinamonthyouwillchangeitandthenyoushouldjustsitbackandwatch,’hereadout.‘Yourcareerissetforaphenomenalrise–thekindyoucanneverimagine.’Ihadsmiledscepticallytomyselfthen,butinhindsightwhathepredictedcouldnothavebeentruer.WithinamonthIleft thegovernmentcreamerytojointheKairaCooperative.Therest,astheysay,ishistory.TilltodayIhavenotarrivedatanyrationalexplanationforthechhayajyotishi’sprophecies.Certainlyitdidnot turnme into a believer. I continue to have no faith in occultmatters andconsiderthislittleincidentassimplyoneoflife’scuriousaccidents.

I returned toAnandwith theMedorasand soon forgotabout theprediction.Other,more important developments took precedence.My persistent letters totheMinistryofAgriculturefinallypaidoffandthegovernmentdecidedtoacceptmyresignation.Iwasdelighted.Atlast,Iwouldescapethisgodforsakenplace.Ibegan to pack my bags joyfully. Just as I was packed and ready to leave,Tribhuvandasarrivedatmygaragedoor.‘Ihearyouareleaving,’hesaid.‘Haveyoufoundanotherjob?’ItoldhimthatIhadnotbutIwasgoingtoBombaytolookforone.

‘Inthatcase,whydon’tyoustayheretillyougetanotherjob?’heasked.‘Youconvinced us to order all this expensive equipment which is coming in nextweek andnowyou are leavingus in the lurch.Noneof us here knowhow toerectallthosefancymachines.Whydon’tyoustayhere,setuptheequipment,getitworking,teachourpeoplehowtorunitandthengo?’

TribhuvandasPatelwasaverydifficultmantorefuse.InthemonthsthatIhadknown him I had come to realise that he was an exceptional person oftremendous integrity and totally committed to the cause of the farmers. Iconsidereditanhonourtoworkwithhimandagreedtostayonfortwomonthsona salaryofRs600amonth.Twomonths, I thought,wouldbeanadequatetime to setup theequipmentandget theplantworkingefficiently.Littledid Irealise that this two-month contract was to be merely the beginning of mylifelong association with Tribhuvandas and the milk cooperatives of Kairadistrict.

Tribhuvandasgraduallyinvolvedmedeeperanddeeperintheworkingsofthe

cooperative. He toldme that he neededmy professional skills to operate andmanagethedairyforthefarmersandthatthefarmerswouldbegratefulifIwereto stay on at Anand. It was his vision that made him quick to motivateprofessionalslikemetocontributeourservicestobuildfarmers’cooperatives.Itwasmyfortune,orfate,callitwhatyoumay,thatTribhuvandastookafancytome and that I recognised an opportunity in what he was asking of me. Anopportunitynotonlytoservemyselfbutalsotoworkforthelargergood.Thisisone of the most important lessons in life that I was to learn. Working withTribhuvandasandKaira’sdairy farmers, I saw thatwhenyouworkmerely foryourownprofit,thepleasureistransitory;butifyouworkforothers,thereisadeepersenseoffulfilmentandifthingsarehandledwell,themoney,too,ismorethanadequate.

When I first began working with Tribhuvandas, the farmers and thecooperatives, I had not dreamt in my wildest dreams that this unusualcombination of talents and strengthswould revolutionise dairying in India.Atthat critical formative stage of the Kaira Union, Tribhuvandas was the mainreason theexperimentworked.Hewas theChairpersonof thecooperativeandbecause he was at the helm, no government or political interference waspossible.DuringthosedayswhentheCongressPartyruledwithoutchallenge,hewasaninfluentialCongress leader inGujarat.Hisopinioncarriedgreatweightwhen the party namedministers andmembers of Parliament from the region.However,soclearandunshakeablewerehisprioritiesthatifanypoliticianeventriedtoputasmuchasafingeronthefarmers’milkcooperatives,hewouldhavecutofftheirentirehand.Therestofuswatchedandlearnt.

In1950whenIformallyjoinedtheKDCMPULasGeneralManager,wewerea newly-independent nation. Our cooperative was helping to bring economicindependencetothedairyfarmersofKairadistrict.Thereweresomanythingstodo,somanychallengestoovercome,somanyopportunitiestoseize.Wefeltexhilaratedfromknowingthatwhatweweredoingwasimportant–crucialforourfarmersandforthenewnation.Thegreatestsatisfactionandjoycamefromthe priceless reward that comes when farmers whose lives depend on yourefforts appreciate what is being done for them. For me, helping to build andshapeacooperativeownedandcommandedbymilkproducershasalwaysbeenthegreatestreward.

~

Igrewwiththecooperativeandlearntnewlessons.Oneofmyfirstexperienceswastolearnthatwithineverychallengethereisanopportunity.

OneoftheuniqueproblemswithIndiandairyingisthatbuffaloesgivedoublethe milk in winter than in summer. In those days, however much milk wasproduced,wehad tosend itall toBombayor itwouldspoilandbe lost.DaraKhurody, the Milk Commissioner of Bombay, was displeased with thefluctuationinsupplyanddecidedthatwemustsendthesameamountofmilktheyearround.Thisiswhenmylegendaryrun-inswithhimbegan.

I said: ‘Mr Khurody, buffaloes give double the milk in winter and I don’tknowhowtoplugtheirudders.I’mafraidyouwillhavetoacceptallthemilk.’

He became extremely angry and retorted: ‘But the people ofBombaydon’tdrinkonebottleofmilkinsummerandtwobottlesinwinter.It’syourproblem,notmine.Icannottakethemilk.’

IknewthattheBombayMilkSchemedidnothaveadequatemilktosupplytoitsconsumersandsoitimportedmilkpowderfromNewZealandandconvertedit to liquid milk to meet the city’s demand. I believed that since there wasadequate liquid milk available within the country, the practice was bothunnecessary and unfair to our farmers. Never one to shy away from battle, Iconfrontedhim:‘MrKhurody,areyoutheMilkCommissionerofBombayorofNew Zealand?’ I asked. ‘Why are you importing milk powder from anothercountryinsteadoftakingmilkfromourownfarmers?’

‘Howdareyou?’heshoutedback.‘Whoareyoutoquestionthegovernment?’And the matter ended there. Khurody refused to take the surplus milk andcontinuedtoimportmilkpowderfromNewZealand.

Itwas around this time that I discovered some of the intriguing benefits of‘importing’. For some itmeant a trip abroad, for others inflated invoices andother devices aboutwhich the less said the better. Suffice it to say that Iwasunabletostoptheimport.IcomplainedtotheGovernmentofIndia,too,butallmyarguments fellondeafears. Ibegan tosee then thatwhen thegovernmententersbusiness,thecitizensofIndiagetcheated.Thegreatestrepercussionofthegovernment entering into business is that instead of safeguarding people fromvestedinterests,theythemselvesbecomethevestedinterest.

Although we were supplying large quantities of milk to the BombayMilkScheme, therewas no dearth of obstacles in ourway.Once theMilk Scheme

officialsclaimedtohavefoundaflyinthemilkwesupplied,ahugehueandcrywasraisedandthemediasplashedthenews.Iimmediatelysuspectedfoulplayand suggested to theMilk Commissioner’s office that they should do a post-mortemofthefly.Iwantedtoseeiftheflyhadmilkinitslungs–ifso,thenithad drowned in themilk; but if not, then a dead fly had been put in there toframe our cooperatives.Miraculously, the uproar quietened down and nobodymentionedthehaplessflyagain.

Another incident that could have created a huge scandal for us was alsonipped in the bud. Medora, who worked in Khurody’s laboratory in Anand,stayedwithDalayaandmeandwewereclosefriends.BythistimeIhadmovedfromthegarageintoanoldgovernmenthousewherethethreeofus–bachelors–stayedtogether.Oneevening,Medorareturnedhomefromworkandwithanextremely worried look on his face said to me, ‘Hey Kurien, we’ve foundformalin in the cooperativemilk.’ Iwas shocked. Formalin is a poison and issometimesusedillegallyasapreservativesinceitkillsbugsandbacteria.Butitisacumulativepoison.Wehadtoinvestigateandfindoutitssource.

We began the search and finally identified the truck which carried thecontaminatedmilk.Wewent to each of the six villages fromwhere the truckcollectedthemilk,tofindoutthesourceofformalin.WelearntthatitcamefromthemilkcollectedfromPansoravillage.Wewentthereimmediately,calledthesociety’sChairmanandsearchedthecollectioncentre.Sureenough,wefoundabottle of formalin.When we enquired about the presence of the bottle at thecentre, he explained to us quite gleefully, ‘Ohwe add thismuch (indicating asmall amount) to every can and then, Sir, there are no rejections!’Hewas anilliteratefarmerandextremelyhappythatallrejectionoftheirmilkhadstoppedsince they started adding formalin.Wewerehorrified andaskedhimwhohadadvisedhimtodothis.HelookedatMedoraandsaid,‘Sir,yourchemistcameandtoldmetodothis.Infactheevenboughtthebottleforme.’

Medora was acutely embarrassed. As soon as we returned to Anand hequestioned the two chemists who had done this and dismissed themstraightaway.He,however,hadnoauthoritytodismissanystaff–onlytheMilkCommissioner could do so and that too after an enquiry and a due officialprocess. Fortunately, Khurody was understanding about it. He reprimandedMedora for acting impulsively and then sent the DeputyMilk Commissionerwith a suspension order to be served to the two chemists and to conduct anenquiry.LifeatAnandwasgettinginteresting.

OneeveningTribhuvandassentmeamessagesayingthattheDeputyMinisterfromBombaywasarrivingbytheGujaratMailnextmorningandIshouldmeethimattheAnandrailwaystation.Thosedays,thejobofreceivingVIPshadbeeninformallyassignedtome,perhapsbecauseIwasperceivedasayoungbachelorwhohadnothingbetter todo.WhenIwenttoAnandstationatfive-fifteenthenextmorning, I learnt that the visitorwasDeputyMinisterY.B.Chavan,wholater became Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Defence Minister and DeputyPrimeMinisterofIndia.

IaccompaniedtheMinistertothedairytoshowhimtheprocessingofmilk.After the tour I took him tomyhouse and aswe sat there talking I thought Ishould tell himaboutKhurody’s repeatedattempts to sabotage theprogressofKaira’s milk cooperatives. Seeing how upset I became while recountingKhurody’s games, Y.B. Chavan took me to the next room – away from theCongress Party workers who had come to meet him – and said, ‘You areabsolutelyrightinallthatyousay.ThereisnothingIcandorightnowasIamonlyaDeputyMinister.But I think it ismyduty to tellyou thatwhatyouaredoingiscorrectandyoumustalwayscontinuetofightfortherightsandcauseofKaira’smilkproducers.’

By1952, theKairaDistrictMilkProducersUnionLimitedwas into its fifthyearofoperation.Fromamodest200litresadayin1948,milkcollectionhadnowreached20,000litresperday.Themilkcollectionareawasexpandinganddispatches of pasteurised milk from Anand to the Bombay Milk Scheme byinsulated railway vanswere increasing.With the growing demand formilk inBombayandthepotentialtoprocuremilkdeeperfromthehinterland,Irealisedthatverysoonwewouldneedanewdairywithenoughlandtoaccommodatearailsiding.IknewthatasGeneralManageritwascrucialformetoexpandmyknowledgeandhonetheskillsneededtorunamoderndairy.Thechancetodosofellintomylapmostopportunely.

That sameyear, twoCentralGovernmentministers–FinanceMinisterC.D.Deshmukh and Agriculture Minister K.M. Munshi – came to Anand toinaugurate the new agriculture institute. Agriculture Secretary Vishnu Sahayaccompanied the ministers. Finding appropriate accommodation was still aprobleminAnand,IofferedtohosttheSecretaryinthespareguestroomofmymodestbungalow.

Wordabout thefastgrowingKairaUnionhadobviouslyreachedDelhi, too,

andSahayasked toseehowourmilkcooperativeworked. I tookhimtosomenearby villages and explained to him the Kaira Cooperative’s procurement,processingandmarketingsystem.Whenwereturnedhome,Sahaylookedatmeandsaid,‘Iamveryhappythatoneofthefellowswesentabroadhascomebackanddonesomethingworthwhile.’HewasreferringtotheGovernmentofIndiascholarshipthathadfinancedmygraduateworkatMichiganStateUniversity.

Ideliberatedforamomentandthentoldhim,‘YoutookmefromasteelplantandsentmeabroadtostudydairyengineeringwhenIdidn’tevenknowwhatacow looked like. Was that any way to select people for specialised overseastraining?Ilearntnothingofuse.Imerelyhadagoodtime.Sodon’ttakecreditforwhatIhavedone,orforthefactthatyousentmeabroad.’

‘That’sveryfunny,’smiledSahay.

‘Notatall,’Ireplied.‘It’sverytragic.’

‘Whatshouldwehavedonethen?’askedSahay.

‘Youshouldhavetakenafellowlikemenow,who’sworkedforthreeorfouryearsinadairyandhaspickedupsomeknowledgeandknowswhattolookfor,’Isaid.‘IfyoucansendmeoutnowIcanlearnsomethingreallyworthwhile.’

‘Well, if that’s theright thingforyoutodo,whydon’tyougosomewhere?’Sahayasked.

‘Gohow?Andwhereisthemoney?’Isaid.

Andourconversationendedthere.ItwasprobablythenthatVishnuSahaygotthe idea of sending me to New Zealand on a senior fellowship under theColomboPlan.MyfellowshiplastedfromOctober1952toApril1953.Ispentthe first fivemonths inNewZealand, the haven of dairying, and another twomonthsinAustralia.InNewZealand,IwasattachedtoProf.KelvinScott,headofthedairyengineeringdivisionoftheNewZealandDairyResearchInstituteatMasseyAgriculturalCollege.WhenProf.Scottheard that IhadearlierstudiedunderProf.A.W.FarrallatMichiganStateUniversity,heinsistedthatIsharehisofficeanddesk,treatingmeasanequalratherthanhisstudent.

NewZealand,Idiscovered,wasacharmingcountryfullofveryfinepeople.Hardlysurprising,sincemostpeopleinNewZealandwerefarmersandfarmersaregood-naturedpeople.IhadbeenprovidedabeautifulMorrisMinor.Ononeoccasionapolicemanstoppedmeandaskedtoseemydrivinglicence.WhenI

told him that my driving licence was back in India he simply asked me todemonstrate how to reverse the car and allowedme to go.Prof.Scott andhiswifewerewonderfultome.TheirhousewasalwaysopentomeandIcanneverforget the many occasions when I enjoyed their warm hospitality. Their two-year-old daughter was a delight and always the highlight of my visit to theirhome.

New Zealand, I soon learnt, had no private dairies. The New ZealandCooperativeDairyCompanymanagedalldairyplants.Eachunitmanufacturedaspecificproduct.Partofmytrainingobligedmetovisiteachplant in turnandstudyitsproductionprocess.Imusthavevisitedahundreddairyplants.Imadeitapointtospeaktoeveryclassofworker,eventhetruckdriverswhotransportedmilkanditsbyproductsbetweendairyplants.Ilearntaboutheatbalancesheets,heat transfers,wastemanagement and everything that goes into the successfulmaking ofmilk powder.Themost valuable partwas that I had to learn aboutmanufacture ofmilk powder from cow’smilk even as I would have to comeback to India and organise efforts to makemilk powder from buffalo’s milk,sincemostofourmilkcamefrombuffaloes,notcows.

In the early fifties, manufacture of milk powder from buffalo milk wasconsideredimpossible,althoughwehadactuallydoneitonasmallscaleinourresearchcreamery.Toadd toourconcern inKaira, reputeddairy technologistssuchasProf.WilliamRidettoftheNewZealandDairyResearchInstitute,NewZealand, and Prof. H. D. Kay of the National Institute for Research andDairying,Reading,UK,upheldthisview.However,mytrainingatNewZealandmademe confident that itwas, indeed, possible to producemilkpowder frombuffalomilkevenonacommercialbasis.OnmyreturnIknewIwouldhavetopersuademy friendandcolleagueDalaya to seehow this couldbedone.Thiswasabreakthroughthatwasunimaginableatthattime.

MyfivefascinatingmonthsinNewZealandandAustraliaendedwithanofferfrom the Government of New Zealand for aid to develop dairying in India,especially in Kaira district. New Zealand gave 50 per cent of the promisedassistanceasagifttotheKairaUnionandtheother50percentasaloantotheGovernment of India.Needless to say that this gesture from theNewZealandgovernment formed part of a dream to which the interacting faith of a greatmanypeoplefinallygavesubstance.TheofferofaidandassistancefromNewZealandcontributedsignificantlytothestruggleofthefarmersofKairadistrict.Of course, by providing me training and orientation in their country, New

Zealand also helped rural producers of Kaira district to strengthen theirpartnership with professionals – to ensure that modern technology can alsobenefitourvillages.

TheKairaCooperativegrewfromstrengthtostrength.Weworkedincessantlyand managed to turn it around until it started making profit. At this point Ivoiced an idea which had been germinating in my mind for a while. I toldTribhuvandasthatwewouldneedanothermoderndairyandweshouldtryandgetsomelandforit.IcalculatedthatthisnewplantwouldcostsomeRs40lakh.Hewasstunnedandsaiditwouldbeverydifficulttoraisesuchahugeamount.OncemoreIplayedmycardsright.ToemphasisehowimportantIbelievedthenewdairywas,ItoldTribhuvandasthatifthecooperativedidnotagree,Iwouldhavetoleaveandlookforanewjob.AshehadthefirsttimeIhadthoughtofleaving,Tribhuvandaspersuadedmetostayandsomehowmanagedtoraisethemoneyforthenewdairy.Hehadtheforesighttorealisethatthedairycouldnotberunwithoutprofessionals.

Tribhuvandas Patel was a man of extraordinary ability, leadership andintegrity. Yet he recognised that his strengths needed support and had to becomplementedbytheskillsofprofessionals.Heheededandrespectedmyadviceasaprofessional–justasheexpectedmetoheedandrespecthisviewswhenitcametothecooperativesideofbusiness.HeknewKaira’sfarmersandhowtheythought. What is important is that although he was one of Gujarat’s mostimportant political leaders, he never interfered with the operations of thecooperative.Hesupportedmeandmyteam,helpingtoensurethatwemadeourbestcontributiontothecooperative’ssuccess.

Icannotemphasiseenoughthatour‘miracle’atAnandwouldnothavebeenpossible had Harichand Dalaya not been on our team. I knew that the KairaUnionhadtremendouspotentialbutIwasalsoawarethattherewasalotIdidnotknowaboutdairying.DalayahadstudiedwithmeintheUSandduringoneofmyvisitstoBombay,overalonglunch,IpersuadedhimtojoinmeatAnand.Hewasoneof thegreatestdairymenIhavemet.AYadavfromUttarPradesh,DalayatookgreatprideintracinghislineagebacktothegopisofLordKrishna!Hewasbornandbroughtupamongthemilkproducers;hisfamilyonceownedalargedairyinKarachi.Unfortunately,DalayawasforcedtoleaveforIndiawhenthePartition tookplace.Thedairy,with three hundredmagnificent redSindhicows,hadtobecloseddown.Dalayawasnotjustadairyman.Hewasabrilliantdairy technologist aswell.When he joined us, I told him that our division of

labour would be very simple: I had the gift of the gab, he had the expertknowledgeofdairying;Iwoulddothetalking,hewoulddothework!HemusthaveapprovedofthisbecausehestayedwithusinAnandforthirty-fiveyears.

Tribhuvandas, Dalaya and I soon came to be known as the KairaCooperative’s ‘triumvirate’.Eachoneofuswasdistinctlydifferent inmannersand skills.Perhaps anorganisationneeds amixat its helm.Togetherwewereabletopropelthecooperativeforwardrapidly.Itisnotthatweneverdisagreed.Wedid,buteachhadsuchatremendousrespectfortheintegrityandthestrengthof the other two that all disagreements were resolved privately and maturelywithoutallowingoursharedvisiontoeverswervefromthelargercause.

Another personwho came intomy life in Anand, and touchedme andmyfamily,wasManibenPatel,SardarVallabhbhaiPatel’sdaughter.ManibenvisitedAnandandthecooperativeregularly.Shewasneverformallypartof theKairaCooperative;shehadneverheldanoffice.Shekept in touchonlybecauseshewasSardarPatel’s daughter and sheknewhowconcernedher fatherhadbeenabout thewelfare andprogress of the dairy farmers ofKaira. Shewas alwayswelcomeatAnand,not justasSardarPatel’sdaughterbutbecauseofherownqualities as ahumanbeing.Although shewasa rather formidablewomanandhadacrustyexteriorIdiscoveredthatshehadaverysoftheartandwebecameextremelygoodfriends.

Manibenwasawomanoftremendoushonestyandloyalty.Shehaddedicatedherentirelifetoherfather.ShetoldmethatwhenSardarPatelpassedaway,shepickedupabookandabagthatbelongedtohimandwent tomeetJawaharlalNehru in Delhi. She handed them to Nehru, telling him that her father hadinstructedherthatwhenhediedsheshouldgivetheseitemstoNehruandnooneelse.ThebagcontainedRs35lakhthatbelongedtotheCongressPartyandthebook was the party’s book of accounts. Nehru took them and thanked her.Manibenwaitedexpectantly,hopinghewouldsaysomethingmore,buthedidnot,soshegotupandleft.

IaskedherwhatshehadexpectedNehrutosaytoher.‘IthoughthemightaskmehowIwouldmanagenow,oratleastaskiftherewasanythinghecoulddotohelpme.But he never asked,’ she explained. Shewas extremely disheartenedandinawaytheincidentrevealedtheextentofstrainintheNehru-SardarPatelrelationship. It was quite distressing to see that neither Nehru nor any of theother national leaders of the Congress Party ever bothered to find out what

happenedtoManibenafterherfatherdied.

Shedidnot have anymoneyof her own.AfterSardarPatel died theBirlasaskedhertostayattheBirlaHouseforawhile,butthearrangementdidnotsuithersosheleft tostayinhercousin’shouseinAhmedabad.Shehadnocar,soshetravelledinbusesorbythirdclassintrains.Later,TribhuvandashelpedhertogetelectedasamemberofParliamentandso shegota first-classpassbut,like a true Gandhian, she continued to travel only third class. She wore onlykhadisarismadeoutofthreadshehadspunherselfandwherevershewentshecarriedherspinningwheel.

Rather predictably, after Sardar Patel diedManiben transferred her father’sfixationtoMorarjiDesaiwho,unfortunately,didnothaveanytimeforher.ShewouldaccompanymewheneverIwenttomeethimandhewouldmakeherwaitin another room while he called me into his bedroom. I used to find hisbehaviour quite upsetting and once I raised it with him. I told him that hisindifferencetoManibenbotheredme.Iexplainedtohimthatshehadcomeallthewaytoseehimandinsteadofbehavingsocurtly,asmileandakindwordfrom him would make her day. He never meant to be rude but somehow hetreatedherwithindifference.

Afterall thesacrificesthatSardarPatelmadefor thenation, itwasverysadthatthenationdidnothingforhisdaughter.Inherlateryears,whenhereyesightweakened, she would walk unaided down the streets of Ahmedabad, oftenstumble and fall until somepasserbyhelpedher up.When shewasdying, theChief Minister of Gujarat, Chimanbhai Patel, came to her bedside with aphotographer.Hestoodbehindherbedandinstructedhimtotakeapicture.Thephotographwaspublishedinallthenewspapersthenextday.Withalittleefforttheycouldsoeasilyhavemadeherlastyearscomfortable.

~

WhenIreturnedfromNewZealandinApril1953,mymindwasburstingwithplansforournewdairyandtobegintheproductionofmilkpowder.Butfatehadplannedahappydetouralongthatpath.Forawhilenow,myfamily–especiallymy mother – had been unhappy about my bachelor status and had beensuggesting that I get married and ‘settle down’. I was extremely wary of thepractice of ‘arranged’marriages andhadmanaged to resist all attempts ofmywell-meaning family to trapme intomatrimony.However, this timemyeldestbrothercalledmeandtoldmeveryfirmlythatImustgotomymother’shomein

Trichurtomeettheyoungladywhomhehadalreadymetonmybehalf.IfIdidnot hurry, he hinted, the lady would not wait for me. This ‘young lady’ wasSusanMollyPeter,whoseparentswereextremelyclosefriendsofmyfamily.

Ourfamilieswentbackalongway.MyfatherandMolly’swerebothdoctorsandhadstudiedtogether.Thefamiliesmetoftenandkneweachotherverywell.Itwasquiteamazing thatdespiteour familiesbeingsoclose,MollyandIhadneverseteyesoneachother. Itwaswithagreatdealof trepidation, therefore,that I headed for Trichur towards the end ofMay 1953, almost certain that Iwould return to Anand still a bachelor. I must have been uncharacteristicallynervouswhenImetMollyforthefirsttimebecauseshelatertoldmethatIspenttheentire timewithher talkingaboutManiben!Suffice it to say that aftermyfirstmeetingwithSusanMollyPeterIinformedboththefamiliesthatIwasnotgoing backwithoutmarrying her.Andwhat ismore, thewedding had to takeplacewithinfifteendayssincebothDalayaandTribhuvandaswerescheduledtogoabroadandmyquickreturntoAnandwasunavoidable.Itmusthavecreatedanorganisationalnightmareforboththefamilies,butsomehoweverythingwentoffwithoutahitch.

Theonlypracticaldetail I recallabout theweddingwaswhenmyaunt,MrsJohnMatthaiwhohadcomefortheevent,askedmewhatIplannedtowearforthe ceremony.Shewas horrifiedwhen I showedhermyold suit,which I hadpurchasedwhenIwenttotheUS.Sheimmediatelycalledforhertailortotakemymeasurementsandhadasilkkurtaanddhotimadeforme.MollyandIweremarriedon15JuneintheAllSaint’sC.S.IChurchatTrichur’sMissionColony.

Theceremonytookplaceattena.m.,andatfourp.m.thesamedaywewereonthetrainforBombaywherewehadtomeetTribhuvandasandDalaya,whowereontheirwaytocatchtheirflightoutofthecountry.AfterthatweboardedthetrainfromBombay,whichreachedAnandatfour-thirtyinthemorning.Thewedding had been such a whirlwind affair that I had no time to inform mycolleaguesatAnand.Asaresult therewasnobodyat thestationtoreceivemybrideandme.Aquiethomecoming.MyhousewasliterallyacrosstheroadfromthestationandsoMollyandIpickedupourbagsandwalkedhome.‘Home’wasamodesthousewithabedroom,adrawingroom,akitchenandaguest room,whichwasthenoccupiedbyanofficialvisitorfromDenmark.

InhindsightIhaveoftenwonderedhowMollymanagedsogracefullyduringthoseearlyyearsofourmarriage.WithbothTribhuvandasandDalayaaway, I

divedheadlongintoworkandwasalmostcompletelyimmersedintheproblemsfacing the fast-growing dairy. There was very little time for the luxury ofpersonaladjustments.IworkedlateandtravelledagreatdealandMollyhadtofendforherself.Moreover,until1958thedairydidnothaveaguesthouse.Sincemy housewas seen as the unofficial guest house forKairaCooperative, therewasanendlessstreamofvisitorsandhouseguestswhohad tobe lookedafterandprovidedmeals.

IcouldnothavebeenaneasypersontolivewithduringthatperiodandIstillrecallhowonoccasions,duringourlittledisagreements,IwouldtellMollythatIshould never havemarried because at least then she would not be occupyingspaceinmyhousewhichwassodesperatelyneededtohostmoreofficialvisitorsto the cooperative! But Molly, with her poised and serene manner and anenviableinnerstrength,putupwithmyimpatientandidiosyncraticways.

She did have support from some of our extraordinary friends inAnand. Tobeginwith,therewastheinimitableManiben.OnceManibenrealisedthatMollydidnotconformtoherpreconceived,stereotypicalnotionofaChristianwoman–westernised,frock-cladandforward–shewasthrilled.ShetookMollyunderher wing. She had always been fond of me but after I got married,Manibenbecamealmostpartofourfamily,asurrogatemothertous.Oneofthefirstbitsof advice she gave Molly was: ‘You must always remember that you areKurien’ssecondwife.Hisfirstwifeisthedairy.Don’teverforgetthatanddon’tmakeyourselfmiserablebybeing jealous.Andnever,never try tosnatchyourhusbandawayfromhisfirstwife.’

Besides Maniben, our friends R.H Variava and his wife Zarine wereexceptionallykindandcaringtowardsus.Variava,whohadworkedwithPolsondairysince1939asDeputyManager,wasnowtheManager there.Despite thefactthathewasanofficerwithourrivaldairy,Variavahadgreatregardformeand for the work that Kaira’s Cooperatives were doing. The Variavas werequintessentiallyParsi–warm,large-hearted,selflessandgiving.ItwasbecauseofpeoplelikethemthatMollydidnotfeellikeanoutsider,cutofffromherownpeople,inthislittletown.LikeManiben,theytoolovedherlikeadaughterandoften,whenI leftAnandonmy travels, theywouldwhiskheroff tostaywiththem so that she did not feel lonely. Zarine Variava was a good-natured andfriendly person who frequently and sportingly bore the brunt of my practicaljokes.TheVariavaskeptpoultry.ThisprovidedanincentiveformetobetwithZarineonsomethingor theother,providedofcoursethatIwascertaintowin.

The prize was always a chicken and as a consequence, our dining tablefrequentlyboastedofchickencurrywhichtheVariavashappilysharedwithus.

TheKairaCooperativecontinuedtoexpand.Inordertotackletheproblemofsurplusmilkinwinterweconcretisedourdecisiontomanufactureourownmilkpowder. Dara Khurody may have spurned our surplus milk, but to give himcredit, he did bring toAnand representatives of theUnitedNationsChildren’sFund(UNICEF).Whentheysawthepredicamentwewerein,theypromisedtodonate to the dairy equipment for making milk powder. Hearing about thismagnanimousUNICEFoffer,asupremelyconfidentKhurodydeclared:‘Powdercannotbemade frombuffalomilk. I havea letter from thegreatdairy expert,Prof.WilliamRidettofNewZealand,whosaysitistechnicallyimpossible.’

Iwastolearnyetanothervaluablebutsadlesson:thatthetechnicaladviceof‘experts’ is all too often dictated by the economic interests of the advancedcountries and not by the needs or ground realities in developing countries.Withoutexception,technicalexpertsfromEnglandandNewZealandtoldusthatbuffalomilkcouldnotbeconvertedtomilkpowder.

Weshowedthemhowitcouldbedone.

~

In 1956 the UNICEF representative, T. Glen Davies, came to India. DonaldSabinofUNICEF’sFoodConservationDivisioninNewYorkwashissenior.Astheyhadindicatedtous,UNICEFwaskeentoprovideassistancetohelpussetup a milk powder plant in India. The terms of assistance required freedistributionofmilktochildrenandexpectantmothersvaluedatone-and-a-halftimesthecostoftheplant,toberepaidoveraperiodoffiveyears.

JivarajMehta,thethenChiefMinisterofBombaystate(whichthenconsistedofMaharashtraandGujarat),calledmeforameetingastheGeneralManagerofKDCMPUL, and told me that I should accept this plant for the KairaCooperativeUnion. Iwasa littleapprehensivesince itwouldmeanpaying theadditional 50per cent of thevalueof the equipment donated. I suggested thatperhapstheGovernmentofBombaymightwanttohelpinrepayingtheamount.ButJivarajMehtaexplainedtomeaboutthemoratoriumonrepaymentforfiveyearsandIagreed.Tribhuvandasduringthistimewasonatripabroad.Awareofthis,theChiefMinistersaid,‘Kurien,youareonlyaManager.YourChairmanisoutofthecountry.Youshouldcallaboardmeetingandaskthemtoapprovethis.

Infact,betterstill,callageneralbodymeetingofKDCMPULandaskthemforapproval.’Healsopromised to ask theDeputyMinister fromKaira,BabubhaiJessubhai Patel, to speak to the district leaders to facilitate the entire process.TheKairaUnion’sgeneralbodyapprovedandacceptedUNICEF’sproposal.

However, onemajor hurdle remained. The final approval for the assistancehad to be obtained from the Milk Commissioner of Bombay state. We wereaware ofKhurody’s thoughts on thematter. Hewas convinced that theKairaCooperativecouldnevermakemilkpowderfrombuffalomilkand,infact,hadproduced letters from experts to support his claim. In the face of Khurody’sopposition,Ifearedwewouldneverget theUNICEFassistance.Itwastime,Irealised,totakemattersintoourownhands.

DalayaandIdecidedtogotoBombaytomeetDinkarraoDesai,Ministerinchargeofdairying.WehadonemeetinginthemorningwiththeMinisterduringwhichKhurodypersistentlystonewalledtheproposal.Wewereunabletoarriveatanyagreementsowedecidedtomeetagainafterlunchtotryandthrashoutmatters.DalayaandIneededanurgentbreakfromthetenseatmosphereintheMinister’s room sowe decided to go out for lunch. Aswewere driving to arestaurantDalaya suddenly exclaimed, ‘Hold on. There is a Larsen&Toubropowderplantsomewherehere inBombaywherewecandemonstrate thatmilkpowdercanbemadefrombuffalomilk.Thiscanprove toKhurodyandDesaithatitispossible.’

InourexcitementweforgotthelunchandheadedinsteadtotheL&Toffice.HereweweretoldthatthemachinewewerelookingforhadalreadybeensoldtoTeddingtonChemicals,aBritishlaboratorycompanyinAndheriinBombay.Iasked the L&Tmanager,Axil Petersen, ‘Would you be interested in an orderfrom us for setting up a large milk powder plant?’ Petersen replied that theycertainlywouldbe.‘ThenpleasespeaktotheAndherilaboratoryandaskthemtolendustheirpowderplantforademonstrationtomorrow.’HavingmadewhatPetersenmusthave thoughtaverystrangerequest,wereturnedtoourmeetingwiththeMinister.

Petersen made the necessary arrangements with Teddington Chemicals andtelephonedDalaya even aswewere in themiddle of ourmeetingwithDesai,Khurody andUNICEF representativesSabin andDavies that afternoon.WhenDalayatoldmethateverythinghadbeenorganised,Iannouncedatthemeetingthatatninea.m. thenextday,atTeddingtonChemicals’ laboratoryinAndheri,

wewoulddemonstratehowtomakemilkpowderfrombuffalomilk.Theywereastounded.IthenaskedKhurodytoorganiseforsomeskimmedbuffalomilktobebroughttothelaboratorythenextmorning.Heagreedtodosoreluctantly.

ThenextdaywemetattheAndherilaboratorywhereDalayaandIproceededtoconvert thebuffalomilkintomilkpowder.Khurodywasstillsceptical.‘Butwhat about its solubility?’ he demanded. I was prepared for this question. Isimply added themilk powder to a beaker of distilled water and it dissolvedcompletely.‘Butwhataboutitstaste?’Khurodypersisted.IpromptlyofferedthereconstitutedmilktoDinkarraoDesaiwhosippeditandsaidittastedabsolutelyfine.

‘It has now been proved thatmilk powder can bemade from buffalomilk.UNICEFwill assistKairaUnion to setup thepowderplant,’ anexcitedSabinannounced.

‘But…,’beganKhurody,tryingtointroduceyetanotherdoubt.

‘No more “buts” please,’ Davies said, cutting him short. Then pointing toDalayaandmeheremarked,‘Ilikethecutofthefacesofthesetwoyoungladsandweare,indeed,goingaheadwiththeproposal.’

The Bombay state government finally approved the project. Dalaya and IreturnedtoAnandvictorious.

ItwasonlymuchlaterthatDalayaconfidedtomethatitwasablessingthatKhurodydidnotseemtoknowtoomuchaboutthetechnicalaspectofdairying.Heexplainedthatmakingmilkpowderfromskimmedbuffalomilkisnotverydifferentfrommakingpowderoutofskimmedcowmilk.Theproblemcanoccurinthecondensingunit,whereunskimmedbuffalomilkmaycurdle.Butsincethecondensing unit operation was not part of our demonstration in Bombay,Khurodywasnonethewiser.

‘And now how will you solve that problem?’ I asked Dalaya, a trifleapprehensive.

‘Don’tworry.Eventhatcanberesolvedbyadjustingthebalanceofthesaltsinthemilkthatisfedintothecondensingunit,’heexplained.

Theprojectgotunderway.UNICEFsentusacablestatingthatfollowingtheirtenderproceduretheyhaddecidedtodonateaDutchVolmamilkpowderplanttotheKairaUnion.Iwasalittleworriedaboutthis.IcalledDalayaandothers

for a discussion. We realised that it was imperative that the powder plantsuppliershouldhaveanIndianofficetoprovideongoingsupportandservice.Isent a cable toUNICEF saying: ‘KairaUniondoes notwant aVolmapowderplantbutaLarsen&ToubroNiropowderplant.’

Evidently,UNICEFwas unhappy about this and retortedwith a curt cable:‘UNICEF is not accustomed to being toldwhich powder plant to supply. TheKairaUnionrisksjeopardisingUNICEFassistance.’

IcouldnotbackoutatthisstagesoIcalledupH.M.Patel,whobesidesbeingafriendandsupporteroftheKairaCooperativeUnion,wasalsoatthattimethePrincipalFinancialSecretary to theGovernmentof India.Asalways,heheardme patiently. I explained the situation to him and sought the Government ofIndia’sbackingtotakeonUNICEF.H.M.Patelassuredmeofthegovernment’ssupportandalsobackedmepersonally.Withthatsupport,IsentanothercabletoUNICEF saying: ‘KairaUnion is not accustomed to being toldwhat it shouldhave.Willing to jeopardiseproject ifUNICEFdoesnotgiveLarsen&ToubroNiroplant.’

We learnt another useful lesson:with adequate support, confrontation at theright time pays off. UNICEF agreed and theKaira CooperativeUnion got itsL&Tpowderplant.

TheKairaCooperative’solddairywasrightinfrontoftherailwaystationinan extremely congested area. As we searched for a suitable site for the newdairy,ouromniscientBarotKakainformedusthatKhurodyhadalreadygotlandfor a government dairy in Anand. After some long and occasionally heateddiscussions with Dinkarrao Desai we managed to get this land for the KairaCooperative.Thenewdairywasbuiltthere.

We decided to invite the President of India, Rajendra Prasad, to lay thefoundation stone for the Kaira Cooperative Union’s new dairy. It was animportantoccasion.Forthefirsttimeinthehistoryofthenation,farmerswouldactuallyownthecountry’smosttechnologicallyadvanceddairy.Therealisationof farmers’ dreams rested on the plant’s capacity tomanufacture powder fromsurplusmilk.

On15November1954thetraincarryingthePresidentcameintotherailwaysiding at the dairy. He was taken straight to the site and the customaryceremoniesbegan.First thebhoomipoojawasperformed.Thehighlightof theeventwaswhenthePresidentwasabouttoplacethefirstfoundationstoneinthe

earth, suddenly, to everybody’s amazement amouse came scampering by andjumpedoverthestone.TheentiregatheringwasovercomewithjoybecausethemouseisseenasLordGanesha’svehicleand,therefore,consideredauspicious.

~

Oncethedairy’sfoundationstonewaslaidbythePresidentofIndia,Maniben,whowasaCongressMemberofParliamentatthattime,askedme,‘Whenwillyourdairybeready?’Itoldherthatitwouldbereadyinaboutayear’stime.Sheasked me who I had in mind for its inauguration and I replied, ‘JawaharlalNehru,ofcourse.’Shesaid:‘Wellifyouwanthim,Ibettertalktohimsoonandbookhimforthatday.’ShespoketothePrimeMinisterandinformedmethathehadagreed to inaugurate thedairyon31October–SardarVallabhbhaiPatel’sbirthday.

A bit nervous, I called Dalaya and told him that the date for the formalinauguration had been fixed. ‘We are building India’s firstmilk powder plant.We’vebeen told thatpowdercannotbemade frombuffalomilk.Andhereweare fixing the date for the dairy’s opening.How arewe to build this dairy inelevenmonths?’

But Dalayawas confident and toldme that we should not back out at thismoment and that the dairy would, indeed, be ready in time. So I spoke toManiben, confirming the date. It was decided that the Prime Minister wouldarriveatAnandontheappointeddate,inauguratetheplantanddedicateittothememoryofSardarPatel.Wehad thePresident to lay the foundationstoneandthePrimeMinistertoinauguratethedairy.Awinningcombination.

Thingshad tomove fast.With the inaugurationdatealready fixed,wewerecommitted to settingup thenewplant in record timeandwehadour shareofproblems.

As the construction work began we started getting some thirty to fortywagonloads of material each day, which had to be kept at the siding. I wasinformedthattheStationMasterwasdemandingRs5perwagonfordoingthis.Iwas livid and immediately telephoned F. J. Heredia, who was then Kaira’sCollectorandDistrictMagistrate,demandingsomeaction.Herediaaskedmetocalm down.He came over himself and tookmewith him tomeet the StationMaster.Herediasaidtohim,‘IamtheCollectorandIhavecomeheretothankyou.’IlookedathiminamazementbutHerediacontinued,‘Ihavecomehereto

thankyouforallthatyouaredoingtohelpbuildIndia’sfirstmilkpowderplant.Youmust be very proud that you are able to play a role. So I have come onbehalfoftheGovernmentofBombaystatetothankyou.AndIwouldalsoliketotellyouthatinmyreport,Iamgoingtomentionallthethingsyouaredoingtohelptheworkofthedairy.’

Icouldn’tbelievemyears.‘Whatareyoudoing?’Iaskedhim.‘Iaskedyoutotakeactionagainsthim.’

‘Yes, yes, I understand,’ explained Heredia. ‘But the most I can do is totransferhim.Thenanother stationmasterwill come.Hewill alsobe likehim.Therewillbenodifference.Sowhathaveweachieved?Nowwehave,ingoodsense, sounded him a warning. He will behave properly.’ And indeed, thetechniqueworkedandtheStationMasterbecameahelpfulfriend.

Then, justwhen things appeared to bemoving smoothly,Molly and Iweresittingdowntolunchonedaywhenamessengercamerunningandinformedusthat there had been an accident in the boiler house. I rushed to the dairy.Somehow,Khurodytoohappenedtobetherethatdayandhearrivedatthesceneofthedisasteraswell.Theroofoftheboilerroom,whichwasbeingconcreted,hadcollapsed.Itwasahorrifyingsight.Wehadnoideahowmanyworkerswereburiedunderthathugepileofconcrete.

Khurody, who was watching all this from a distance, remarked caustically,‘Naturally,whenyoupeoplebuildpillarslikematchsticks,whatdoyouexpect?’Iignoredhimandtoldthemechanictobringabulldozerquicklyandpulloutthebeam.Themechanicbegandithering, saying that itwasdangerousand if theydidthatthewallwouldfalloverthem.SoItoldhimtomoveoutofthebulldozerandIoperatedthebulldozerandpulledthebeamoutmyself.

Once that was done, with the help of some workers, we removed the wetconcrete before it solidified. Fortunately, not a single person was seriouslyinjured.Theonlythingthathappenedwasthatthreestitches,whichIhadinmybottomafteraminorsurgery,broke,andtoeverybody’shorror,Ihadapatchofbloodonmypants!

Another hurdle cropped up when Larsen & Toubro sent a team of Danishengineers tohelp.Trouble further increasedwhen itwasbrought tomynoticethattheseengineerswerenotpayingheedtoDalaya’ssuggestions.Icalledthemand gave them a warning, ‘Please remember that when Dalaya speaks, he isspeakingforme,heisspeakingfortheownerswhoarepayingyoursalaryand

youmustcarryouthisorders.WhoareyoutoquestionDalaya?Hisjudgementisfinalandyouwilldoithisway.’

I also telephoned Toubro and called him toAnand.He came the very nextmorningandpromisedtotalktohisengineersandgetbacktome.

Whenhefinallycametomeetme,Dalayawaswithme.Toubrosaid,‘Fromthismoment onwards, I holdmyself responsible to you and toDalaya. Everyweek Iwill give you a report of our progress.’After thatwe had no cause tocomplain.Workproceededsteadily.

Finally,IsetofftoBombaytoorderthetwoboilersforthedairyfromafirmcalledJ.N.Marshall.IlearntthattheshipcarryingtheboilerswouldonlyreachBombay inSeptember,amonthbefore the inauguration. IknewtheprocessofberthingandoffloadingcouldtaketimesoIapproachedMorarjiDesai,whowasthentheChiefMinisterofBombaystate,requestinghimtoensurethattheshipcarryingtheboilerswasgivenpriorityforberthing.Morarjibhaipromisedtodowhateverhecouldandhecalled theChairmanof theBombayPortTrust.TheChairman, however, refused, saying that only the board of the Bombay PortTrust could take such a decision. Morarjibhai asked him to convene a boardmeetingtheverynextday.

TheBombayPortTrustBoard cast thevote in our favour and the shipwasgivenpriority.Buttheracewasstillnotover.IspoketoafriendintheRailwayBoardandaskedhimtoinstructthedriverofthegoodstraincarryingtheboilerstotravelnon-stopfromBombayPorttoAnand.Hewasshockedatmyrequestand asked, ‘But what about the other goods being carried to intermediatedestinationslikeSuratandBaroda?’Iconvincedhimthatthosegoodscouldbeoffloadedonthetrain’sreturnjourney.Aftermanyhoursof tensenegotiations,theboilersfinallyarrivedatAnandstation,barelyfifteendaysbeforetheplantwastobeinaugurated.

Meanwhile Marshall’s son-in-law, Darius Forbes, and four other engineerswerealreadyinAnandtosetuptheboilers.Theseyoungengineershadhopedthat theexperienceatAnandwouldactuallybeapractical lessonfor themandtheywouldlearnhowtoerectboilers.Theywereshockedtolearnthattheywereexpectedtosetupandcommissiontheboilerswithinthefortnight.TheymadeapaniccalltoMarshallinBombay,whoquicklysummonedthebesterectionandcommissioningengineersfromhisPrincipalsinScotland.Finally,difficultasitistobelieve,theboilerswerefiredwithbarelyadaytogofortheinauguration.

Theboilersbegangeneratingsteamandthefirstbatchofmilkpowderrolledout ina trial runof thenewplant,pastmidnight.So thrilledwerewewith thesuccessthatallofuspresentthereindulgedinaspontaneousmilk-powderfight!Just four hours later, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was scheduled toinauguratetheplant.

Ourfriendandwell-wisher,ChiefMinisterMorarjiDesai,hadalreadyarrivedinAnand four days before the inauguration.Clearly, he had been ‘briefed’ byKhurodyinBombay,forhetookmeasideandsaidanxiously,‘Kurien,Iamtoldtheplantwillnotbe ready in time.Howcouldyoudo this? Ihave invited thePrimeMinisterandnowwhatwillItellhim?Khurodysaysnobodyhasbuiltandcommissionedapowderplantinoneyear.’

Itriedtoputhismindatrestandassuredhimthattheplantwould,indeed,bereadyforinauguration.

‘And just in case Khurody is right? What will you do then?’ countered aworriedMorarjibhai.

‘Sir, finally, what is to be shown to the PM is powder rolling out of thehopper,’Isaid.‘Ifneedbe,somebagsofmilkpowderwillbekeptonthenextfloor and fed into the hopper from an inlet upstairs, even as the PM is beingshownaround.’

Morarjibhaiquietlywalkedaway.Hissilencewasaconsenttothislittletrickwehadupoursleeve,shoulditprovenecessary.

Butontheappointedday–31October1955–wehadnoneedtocheat.

JawaharlalNehruarrivedatAnandtotremendousfanfare.Hisdaughter,IndiraGandhi, accompanied him.We first took them to my house.We had alreadyreceived detailed instructions about his breakfast, and howhe liked his coffeeandmilkpipinghot.However,wewerefacedwiththeslightproblemofgettingtherighttrademarkroseforhisbuttonhole.Ithadtobegotinadvancebuthadtobekeptattherighttemperaturebecauseitmustlookabsolutelyfresh.Ithadtobe the right shade of red, the right size and in just the right degree of bloom.Mollyhadtoexperimentwithmanyarose.ShefinallyfiguredoutthatwewouldhavetostoretheflowerinthefridgeforacertaintimeandthenkeepitatroomtemperatureforacertaintimebeforeofferingittothePrimeMinister.Wedidallthisandhadtheroseallreadyforhim.Tooursurprise,whenJawaharlalNehrucameoutofthebedroom,healreadyhadaroseinhisbuttonhole,pickedfrom

the flowervase inhisbedroom.Thenhesawuswith the roseonaplatter.Heimmediately removed the one from his buttonhole and put on the oneMollyofferedhim.

Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were taken on a guided tour of thecomplex.Ourmachines seamlessly rolledoutmilkpowdermade frombuffalomilk.Ofcourse,thereweresomehitches,butnothingthatwecouldnothandle.For instance, Darius Forbes and his group of engineers were eager to beintroducedtotheIndianPrimeMinister.WhenItookNehrutotheboilerhousetheywere so excited that instead of returning to the boiler house to stoke theboiler and monitor the steam flow, they began following the VIP entouragearound.Bythetimeweenteredthedairy,theoverheatedmilkwasfrothinginthevessels.FortunatelythePrimeMinisterdidnotknowthatitwasnotsupposedtofroth and the engineers returned to the boiler room in time to prevent furthermishaps.

Khurody proved to be another nuisance. Every time I began explaining toNehruaboutthedairy,hewouldbuttin.HecontinuedtointerfereuntilMorarjiDesaifinallynoticedthisandpulledhimbackbyhisshirt.

Unfortunately,while the formal introductionswerebeingmade to thePrimeMinister,duetoanoversight,Toubrowasleftout.ThereforeafterthefunctionIinvitedhim tomyhousewhere JawaharlalNehru and IndiraGandhiwereourguests for the day. At home he remarked cheerfully to Molly, ‘Mrs Kurien,Cleopatrausedtobatheinass’smilk.Youcannowbatheinbuffalomilk!’

Iwenttohim,takingToubrowithmeandsaid:‘Sir,Ihavekepttothelasttheman to whom I owe the most. This is Mr Toubro.’ The Prime Minister andToubrohada longchat.Toubrohadbroughthisownphotographeralong–anextremelywell-trainedfellow.Manymemorablephotographswere takenwhileToubrochattedwiththePrimeMinister.

It all ended well. Certainly, Tribhuvandas, Dalaya and I had taken somecalculated risks and they had paid off. Free India’s first Prime Ministerinaugurated the nation’s first modern dairy products’ plant and gave anencouragingspeechpraisingtheKairaCooperativeforitsinitiativeandcourage.As thePrimeMinisterwas leaving thepremises,Morarjibhai said tohim, ‘MrKurienhasnotjustbuiltandcommissionedthisdairyinrecordtime,butthisisthe firstmilkpowderplant in theworld thatmakesmilkpowder frombuffalomilk.’

ItwasoneofthemomentsthatIhavetreasuredallmylife.JawaharlalNehruturnedtome,embracedmeandsaid,‘Kurien,I’msogladthatourcountryhaspeoplelikeyou–peoplewhowillgoaheadandachieveeventhatwhichseemsunachievable.’

We can never forget, however, that the Kaira District Cooperative MilkProducersUnioncouldnothavebuiltthisnewdairywithoutgeneroushelpfromothers.UNICEFgiftedusdairymachineryworthRs800,000and in return forthis we had to distribute Rs 12 lakh worth of milk or milk powder free tochildren and expectant mothers. The Government of New Zealand donatedequipmentworthRs300,000undertheColomboPlanaswellastheservicesofone of their best engineers to help install the equipment. And of course, theGovernmentofBombaygavealoanofRs1,000,000.Therestofthemoney(thedairy ultimately cost Rs 48 lakh, exceeding by Rs 8 lakh the budgeted sum)camefromtheKairaCooperative’sownfunds.ItwasthelargestdairyinallofAsia. Sardar Patel’s dream of the farmers owning their dairy had finally beenrealised.

ThosedaysIwasinthehabitoftakingawalkaroundthedairyjusttoensurethat all wasmovingwell and efficiently. One daywhile I was on one ofmyunannounced rounds in the cold store, I spotted an old employee, with a bigmoustacheandabeard,whohadopenedthelidofoneofthemilkcansandwassuckingthecream.Suddenly,helookedupandsawme.Westaredateachotherforamoment.Therewascreamdrippingfromhismouth,ontohischinandhefaltered, ‘No, no Saheb, I am not drinking, I am not drinking.’ I just turnedaroundandwalkedaway.But theverynextday, I told theManager thateveryworker had to be given half a litre of milk. These men were handling vastquantitiesofmilkalldaylongandtheywerehungry.Itwasnotfairthattheydidnothaveashareofthemilk.

~

Itwasduringthisperiodthatmywife’sbrother-in-law,K.M.Philip,whoranhisowncompany,PhilipsTeaandCoffee,urgedmetostartthinkingseriouslyaboutthe finer points of marketing Kaira Cooperative’s products. Over many aninvolved discussion at his house in South Bombay, I was initiated into theminutiaeof runningabusiness–details suchasbranding,distributionand theneed to retain an advertising agency. I returned to Anand and spoke to mycolleaguesaboutallthisand,tobeginwith,wetriedtofindanappropriatebrand

name.

Severalheadswereputtogetherandduringanintensebrainstormingsession,achemistinourlaboratorysuggested,‘Whynot“Amul”?’Itseemedtobejustwhatwewerelookingforintermsofportrayingtheimageandtheidealsbehindourcooperativeventure.ThewordcamefromtheSanskritword‘amulya’whichmeans‘priceless’anddenotedandsymbolisedtheprideofswadeshiproduction.Itwasalsoshort,catchyanditcould,rathereffectively,beusedasanacronymfor Anand Milk Union Limited – certainly easier on the tongue than KairaDistrict Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited. It met with completeapproval and ‘Amul’ came to stay. In 1957 Kaira Cooperative registered thebrand‘Amul’–awordthatwouldsoonbecomeahouseholdname.

BythistimeIhadrealisedthat ifwewantedtoholdourowninthemarket,theprofessional servicesofanadvertisingagencywerevital.K.M.Philipalsoveryastutelyurgedus to leave thebusinessofadvertising to theprofessionals.He suggested a few names. Among the names he gave us were J. WalterThompson, Grant Advertising and Press Syndicate. As we wanted an IndiancompanywefinallysettledforPressSyndicate.

Notunexpectedly, IencounteredsomeresistancefromTribhuvandas.Hedidnot quite understand advertising. Unused to the marketing world, he wasreluctant tocommitmoneyforanadcampaignforAmulbutter.IwantedRs2lakh to startwith and hewas quite shocked. ‘Rs 2 lakh? For advertising?’ heasked,disbelievingly.ButIinsistedand,therefore,herelented.

ItwaswithbutterthattheKairaUnionstarteditscareerintheworldofbrandsandJitKantawalawholookedaftertheAmulbutteraccountatPressSyndicatedidanexemplaryjob.HemanagedtogiveAmuljusttheimagewehadinmind–thatofaprecious,‘priceless’productthattheconsumercouldtrustcompletely.

Iwasgettinginvolveddeeperanddeeperintotheworkingofthecooperative.In the course of reading and studying what cooperatives were and what theystoodforIbecameconvincedthatthecooperativestructureistailor-madeforthedairyindustry.ItwaslittlewonderthenthatintheUS,thecapitalofcapitalism,85percentofthedairyindustrywascooperative.InNewZealand,DenmarkandHolland,100percentand inerstwhileWestGermany95percentof thedairyindustry was cooperative. So with Amul we had proved the point that it wasapplicableinIndiatoo.

ThemoreIworkedwithKaira’sfarmersandthemoreIsawthehardlifethey

andtheirfamiliesled,themorecommittedIbecametotheircause.AstheChiefExecutiveoftheircooperative,mymaingoalbecametoensurethebestdealforthefarmers,withinmycapacity,withoutexploitingtheconsumer.Thebestwayto do this was, of course, to give the consumer products of extremely highqualityandthatiswhatweatAmulworkedhardtodo.

VerysoonIwasconvincedthatoneofourkeyareasofconcentrationwouldhavetobemarketingoftheseproducts.Oneoftheearliest lessonsIhadlearntwasthatAmulexistedbecause,barelyafewhundredkilometresaway,Bombayexisted.Therecouldbeproductionhereonlybecauseamarketwasthere.Therecould have been no production of anything unless it wasmarketed at a priceadvantageoustothosewhoproducedit,whichprovidedthemwithanincentiveto producemore andmore. Indeed, therewould have been noAnand if therewerenoBombay.For thisreasonaloneIwouldpaymytribute to theBombayMilkScheme.

Fromtheverybeginning Iwasconvinced thatacooperative, too,mustbeabusiness enterprise and it has to run as a business enterprise. If a cooperativeforgets this, itwillfail; itwillcollapse.Iensuredfromthestart, therefore, thatAmulalwaysoperatedasabusinessenterprise–butatalltimeskeepinginmindthat the businesswas tomaximise the price paid for themilk, not in order tomaximise the dividend, as is the case in the private sector. We did this bymanufacturingvalue-addedproductswhichallowedustogivefarmersahighermilkpriceeveryyear.

Fromliquidmilkwewentintotheproductionofmilkpowderandverysooninto butter. Until then, the manufacture of butter had been almost totallymonopolisedbyPolson.Verysoon,withmoderntechnologyatourdisposal,webroke into the buttermarket and soonAmul butter became a roaring success.SadlyforPolson,however,Amul’striumphinbutterpresagedtheirdoom.

OnedayafterKairaCooperative’smilkpowderplantwasupandrunningfullspeedahead,wewereinformedthattheChiefMinisterofBombaystatewantedtovisit thedairyandhewouldarriveatAnandearlynextmorningbyGujaratMail. The ChiefMinister was none other than Y.B. Chavan, who had earliervisitedAnandasaDeputyMinister.Oncehehadseentheplant,heaskedmeifwe could go to some quiet place to talk. Leaving the rest of his entouragebehind,Itookhimtomyresidence.

‘I remember, Kurien, when I visited Anand as a DeputyMinister, you had

confidedtomethatyouwerehavingalotofproblemswiththegovernment,’hesaid.‘AtthattimeIwasunabletohelpyou.IamtheChiefMinisternow.SotellmeallyourproblemsandIwillsolvethemimmediately.’

IwasverytouchedthathehadrememberedbutIansweredhiminallhonesty:‘Ihavenoproblemsnow,Sir.’

Chavan looked rather amazed and wondered what had happened to all mytroubles with Khurody. But Khurody was far smarter than I had anticipated.OnlytwodaysbeforetheChiefMinisterwastovisitAnand,hecalledmefromBombayandsaidthatourbattleshadgoneonforlonganditwastimetoburythe hatchet. ‘Kurien, let us be friends,’ he said tome.Not one to let such anopportunity pass by, I asked him to make a commitment that he would stopmessingaroundwiththeKairaCooperativeandinstead,wouldhelpustosecurethegrowthandfutureofthecooperative.Heagreedandfromthattimeonwardswegotontoatotallydifferentfooting.

Withthepassageoftime,IrealisedthatonecouldnotblameKhurodyandhiscolleagues for their attitude. In India, all along,development as aprocesswasalwaysaffectedfromthetopdownstyleoffunctioning.Naturally,becausealongwith our freedomwe had inherited a bureaucracy,whichwas designed by theBritishtorule,nottoserve.TheBritishwayofdoingthingshadalwaysbeentoget things done through a government department and after independenceweIndiansmerelycontinuedthissystem.

Unfortunately, we forgot that the biggest asset of India is its people. Anysensiblegovernmentmustlearntounleashtheenergyofitspeopleandgetthemtoperforminsteadoftryingtogetabureaucracytoperform.

WhatwedidattheKairaCooperativeUnionwastogiveademonstrationofwhatpeople’senergiescando–whattheycanacquireandhowbrilliantlytheycan perform provided they are guided by honest and sincere leaders likeTribhuvandas; provided their energies are combined with the skills ofprofessional managers to give that energy some direction and thrust. Whenhundreds of thousands of small milk producers joined together to formcooperativesandwhenpeople likeDalaya,myself andmanyothers joined thecooperativesasmanagersandtechnicalexperts, thenSardarPatel’sdreamofamilk-producers’dairybecamea reality. It isnot thatgovernmentofficials lackability;itisthattheytrytoachievedevelopmentthroughastructurethatisnotdesigned to achieve it. Our belief at Anand has always been: let the people’s

energiesbeunleashed.

~

In1956aratherdelicateassignmentcamemyway.IvisitedSwitzerlandattheinvitationofNestlebutwithaveryspecificbrieffromtheMinistryofIndustries,Government of India. Industries and Commerce Minister, Manubhai Shah,wantedmetoasktheexecutivesatNestlewhattheywereuptoinourcountry.Under the excuse of producing condensedmilk, theywere importing not justmilkpowder,butalsosugarandthetinplateforthecans!

Onmy arrival at the airport atNestle’s headquarters atVevey, aNestle car,aboutamilelong,waswaitingtowhiskmeofftothebesthotelintownwheretheyputmeup. ImetwithKreeber, oneof their twomanagingdirectors, andsomeother officers.Thediscussions turnedpretty heated. I told them thatmygovernmenthadgiventhemalicencetosetupaplantinIndiasothattheywouldproducecondensedmilk fromIndianmilk,not from imported ingredients.TheManagingDirector toldmethat itwasnotpossible toproducecondensedmilkfrom buffalomilk, which was available in India. I said to him, ‘If you don’tknowhow tomake it, come tome. Iwill teachyoubecause I believewecanmakeitoutofbuffalomilk.Iknowitismorecomplicatedthanmakingitfromcow’smilkandthereareproblems,buttheyarenotinsurmountableproblems.’

WhenIassuredthemthatitcouldbedone,theysaidthattheirexpertswouldhavetocomeandsetuptheirplant.Thentheywantedtheentiresharecapitalintheirhands.Inthosedaysgovernmentallowedonly49percentsharecapitaltoforeigners; 51per cent had to be Indian.Kreeber said they couldnot agree tothat.So I showed themawayoutof that too. I said that49percentcouldbewithNestleAlimentanaand51percentcouldbeownedbyNestleIndiaandinthisway theentireproject could stay in theirhands. Iwas, in fact, facilitatingtheirentryhere.

Ultimately,theDirectoragreedtosetupaplantinIndia.AtthispointItoldhim that they couldbring in anynumberof foreign experts they likedbutmygovernment hoped that, in five years, Indians who would be trained for thepurpose would replace these experts. Kreeber’s response to this was that theproduction of condensed milk was an extremely delicate procedure and they‘couldnotleaveittothenativestomake’.

Atthis,Ilostmytemper.Gettingtomyfeet,Ithumpedthetableloudlyand

said: ‘Pleaseremember thatyouarespeaking toadamned“native”. Ifyouaresuggesting that even after five years of training, the “natives” are not fit tooccupy any position of authority in Nestle you are insulting my country.Mycountry knows how to do without you.’ And I stormed out of the meeting –whichIhopewaswhatanyself-respectingIndianwouldhavedone.

OnmyreturntoIndiaInarratedtheincidenttoManubhaiShah.TheMinisteraskedme:‘Sothenwhat’sthesolution?’IsaidthesolutionwasthatAmulwouldhavetomakecondensedmilk.

Wegot toworkandafter twoyearswebeganmanufacturingandmarketingourcondensedmilk.Oncethiswasdone,IwrotetotheMinistersaying:‘Bantheimportofcondensedmilk.’Thegovernmentissuedtheban.

Some weeks later I received a phone call from Manubhai Shah in Delhi.‘Kurien,doyourememberthiscompanycalledNestle?’heasked.ItoldhimthatIdid.

‘Well,’he said, ‘they’rehereand theywant to seeme.They’vealreadymetmy officers and it appears that they now want to set up a plant in India. IrememberallthethingsyoutoldmesoI’vedecidedtotellthemthatIwillnotsee themunless theyproducea letterof introduction fromyou.Nodoubt theywillcometoseeyouandnowit isuptoyou,Kurien, todecidewhetherAmulcanmeetallofIndia’srequirementsincondensedmilkorwhetherNestlecanbegiven room to play any role. If you give that letter of introduction I will seethem;ifyoudon’tgiveit,Iwillnotseethemandtheywillgoaway.Itisyourdecision.’

TheNestleteamarrivedinAnandtoseeme.TherewerefourexecutivesandamongthemwasKreeber.Assoonastheyenteredmyroom,Isaid,‘Beforewesit down to our discussions, I think you should go to our dairy. Look at ourcondensedmilkplant,thenwe’lltalk.’TheydidasIhadsuggested.Whentheyenteredmyroomagain,Ihadmyopeningshotready.‘Well,MrKreeber,’Isaid,‘whatdoyouthinkofthe“natives”now?’

Kreeberturnedredintheface.Withthegracetosoundhumble,hesaid:‘Sir,Ihave come here to apologise to you for our rudeness when you visited us. Iapologise on behalf of Nestle Alimentana and on my own behalf. Will youpleaseacceptourapologies?WewanttoparticipateinIndia’sdairydevelopmentandwewilldoitonlyaccordingtotherulesyoumaylaydown.’

EvenwhileIgavetheNestleteamtheletterofintroductiontheyhadcomefor,whichsubsequentlyallowedthemtoputuptheirplantinMoga,Iknewthatoncethey gained entry into ourmarkets, theywould do exactly as they pleased.Amultinationalneverplaysbytherulesinsomebodyelse’scountry.Thisisoneofthemanyreasonswhyourowneconomicpoliciesneedtobelookedatagain.Itis only logical that nobody will invest money in another country unless theyhope to take more money out than they brought in. So how does foreigninvestmenthelpus?Idonotthinkthatforeignersshouldnotbeinvitedintoplaya role but I think it should be a rolewhich India decides andwhich they arerequiredtoplayinIndia’sinterest.ForeigninvestmentcanonlyhelpusinareaswhereIndiancapital,Indianknow-how,isnotavailable.

If the multinationals are desperate to capture the Indian consumer market,which is as large as the whole of Europe put together, then sadly, successivegovernmentshavemadethiseasyforthem.Theonlyinstrumentlefttousistodefeatthembyproducingbetterandcheaperproductsthantheydo.Inthedairysector, our cooperatives have continued to hold their own, even against giantslikeNestle.Ifourcooperativeshadnotbeenaround,wewouldstillbeimportingbaby food, condensed milk and sundry other dairy products just as ourneighbouringcountriesaredoing.Itakegreatprideinstatingthatitiswe–ourfarmers and their cooperatives – who disciplined foreign capital in dairyproductsinthiscountry.

IOnAroll

NAWAY,THEBEGINNINGOFTHEENDOFPOLSONCANBETRACEDEVENbeforethisperiod.IntheearlyyearsoftheKairaCooperative,whenthequarrelbetween

Polson and the cooperative was reaching its peak, Khurody came up with asolution.HesuggestedtotheMinisterofAgriculture,DinkarraoDesai,thatthedistrictshouldbedividedintotwopartssothatonewouldnotcollectmilkfromthe other’s villages. When I heard about it, I knew we had to be extremelycarefulaboutourchoiceofvillages.IdecidedtodrawupamapandtakeittotheMinister.ThemapwoulddivideKairadistrict into roughlyequalpartsbut thehalf that generated more milk would be ours, and the other half could go toPolson.

Thus prepared, I went to the Minister. Khurody, Polson and a few othersattended themeeting. Ipresented theproposal to theMinister. Iexplained thatwehaddividedthedistrictbetweenusandthiswouldputanendtoourconstantbickering.Helookedatmymapandsaid,‘Hmm,seemsokay.’

Polsonquizzed,‘WhereisNaar?’

Iexplained,‘Naarisinourpartofthemap.’Polsonaskedaboutacoupleofothermilk-richvillagesandItoldhimthose,too,fellinoursection.

‘Thenwhatareweleftwith…,’PolsonbegantoarguebuttheMinistercuthimshortsaying,‘wehavenowdiscusseditthreadbare,thereisnothingmoretodiscuss.Wehavealreadydividedthedistrict.’

Asweallwalkedout,Polsonturnedaroundtohiscontractors’Supervisor–amanwhowas always armedwith a revolver – and askedhim: ‘Whowas thatyoungfellow?’

TheSupervisorrepliedthathedidnotknow.

Polson was furious and shouted at him: ‘You don’t know? He has walkedawaywitheverythingandyoudon’tevenknowwhoheis?’

But thatwasnotgoing tobeenough. Ihad touseeveryopportunity thrownmywayandturnittotheadvantageofthedairyfarmers.

OnedaywehadaVIPvisitortoAnandand,afterlookingaroundthedairyhecame tomyhouse,whereIofferedhimacupofcoffee.Ashewas leavingheturnedtomeandasked:‘Whatdidyousayyournamewas?’

‘Kurien,Sir,’Ireplied.

Hesaid,‘Ilikeyou.Ifthereisanythingyouwantatanytime,callme.Anditwillbedone.’ I latercame toknowthat itwasT.T.Krishnamachari (popularlyknownasTTK),thethenMinisterofCommerce.

Initially,whenwestartedmarketingourbutter,wefounditextremelydifficulttoputitinthemarket.ThemarketswerealreadyfloodedwiththeNewZealandDairy Board’s Anchor butter and Pestonjee’s Polson butter. I immediatelythoughtofT.T.Krishnamachariandwrotealettertohim:

DearShriKrishnamachari,

WhenyouvisitedAnand,youtoldme,ifIneededanything,youwouldbeabletohelp.Ineedyourhelpnow.Iamnotabletomarketmybutter.Willyouorderacutontheimportofbutterby25percent….

Thereplycameback:MydearKurien,

AsdesiredbyyouIhaveorderedacutof25percent….

Therewerenomeetings,no files,nodiscussions.After sixmonths, Iwrote tohimagaininforminghimthatourbutterproductionhadincreased,andaskedifhewouldincreasethecutonimportofbutterto67.5percent.

Therewasanacuteshortageofforeignexchangeinthoseyearssomyrequestwasreceivedfavourably.Oncemore,TTKwroteback:‘Asyoudesired,Ihaveorderedacutof67.5percent.’

Aboutthreetofourmonthslater,IreceivedaletterfromTTK,saying:MydearKurien,

Asyoumaybeaware,thereisaveryseriousforeignexchangecrunch.Ihavebannedtheimportofbutter.NowpleaseensurethatthereisnoshortageofbutterintheIndianmarket….

Nowhowcouldwefail?Itallcametogethermarvellouslyforus.Usuallypeopleaskthegovernmentforimports;weweretheonlyonesaskingthemtoreduceit.Welcomingthisdemand,TTKdecidedtobanbutterimport.

Our first product to be branded was butter. Of course, the early years ofproduction were anything but smooth sailing. We encountered some of thestrangestofproblems.

Polsonhadalwaysmadebutterfromstalecream.Henevercollectedmilktoget fresh cream.The creammerchantswould supply himwith cans of cream,

whichwentintohisbutterproduction.Sometimesthesecansofcreamwouldbekeptforaslongastendayswithoutrefrigeration.Manypollutants–sometimeseven maggots – contaminated the cream and turned it malodorous. Polson’sManager,Foster,foundananswertoallsuchproblems.Heacquiredavacreator–amachinethatheatscreamforpasteurisationwithinjectedsteamthatquicklyraises its temperature.Themachinealsocreatesavacuum,which removes thesteammoleculesso that itdoesnotdilute thecream.ForPolson, thevacreatorserved a dual purpose: along with the steam, the vacuum also almost totallyremoved the foul odour from the stale cream. Some odour though did remainand,ironicallyenough,becameaproblemforusatAmul.

Ourbutter,likebutterfromNewZealand,wasmadeoffreshcream–milktocream to butter, all in the same day.Whenwe introduced this butter into themarket, people exclaimed in distaste: ‘What kind of butter is this?There’s noflavour in it. It’s flat!’ Of course, the Parsis in Bombay city’s popular Iranirestaurantswouldnot touch it (althoughIsuspect thiscouldaswellhavebeenbecauseoftheirloyaltyto‘aproPestonjee’,Polson).Thiswasaseriousproblemandwehadtofindasolutionquickly.Wedid.Attheendofthebutter-makingprocesswe began to add a permitted chemical additive called diacetyl,whichalsogavethebutteranadded‘flavour’.Thissolutiontoaratherunusualproblemwas legal as long as we printed the line ‘permitted flavours added’ on thepackets. In its new form, Amul butter became more acceptable – and salesshoweddramaticimprovement.

There were also the niggling but important issues of the amount of salt,moistureandcolour tobeadded.Basicquestionshad tobedebated,discussedanddecidedupon.Saltismuchcheaperthanfatsothemoresaltweaddedthemoremoneywe couldmake.Besides, the addition of salt gives the product alonger life. But should we cheat our customers? And what should be themoisturecontentofbutter–shoulditbethemaximumpermittedlimit?OneofthebasicprinciplesthatAmulstoodfor–givingthecustomerqualityproducts–would never allow us to cut corners. Value for money was then, and hasremained,thefundamentalprincipleforAmul.

Then the colour of the butter had to be considered. The colour of NewZealand butter was naturally yellowish because their cattle always ate greengrass, which gives a yellowish tinge to the milk. In Denmark, dairy farmersfollow another system – in summer their cattle eat green grass so themilk isnaturallyyellow;inwintersincethecowsfeedonhaytheyneedtoaddcolour.

Weused buffalomilk,which is absolutelywhite and thereforewe had to addcolour. A number of such delicate balances had to be maintained but, withexperience,wecouldworkthingsout.

Polson was completely convinced that a dairy farmers’ cooperative wouldnever be able tomake butter. Pestonjee had gone to the extent of getting themanufacturers’nameplates removed fromall themachines inhisplant, so thatnobodycouldbuy thosemachinesandcopyhismethods.Hewasanold-timerand his methods of conducting business were old-fashioned. Some of hisconventional but impractical ways of working were evident in his office inBombay.There,hekeptaslatebehindhisdeskandoneofthedailytasksofoneof his stafferswas towrite down the number of cans of cream that came intoBombay Central from Gujarat and the cans that came into Victoria TerminusfromMaharashtra.Oncehehad thefiguresPestonjeewould turnaroundinhischair,cogitateforawhileandthendecidetokeepthepriceofbuttersteadyorincrease itbyoneannaperseerandcreambyhalfananna.Heconducted thisexerciseeveryday.

However, he was becoming increasingly agitated because Amul butter hadbeen put into the market at a steady price. One day he said to Variava, hisDeputy Manager, ‘Teach your friend some sense. This is not the way to dobusiness.’HealsoconvincedVariavatopersuademetovisithiminBombay.Soon my next visit to Bombay I went to Polson’s office. He was extremelyhospitableandspentaconsiderabletimetalkingtome.HethenadvisedmeveryearnestlytostaywithhiminhishouseinBombayforsometimeandlearntheintricaciesofthedairybusiness.Hegenuinelybelievedthatpricesneededtobechangedregularlyandthathecouldhelpmeunderstandthisconcept.Ididnotarguewithhim.Ineverwishedtooffend,muchlessdoanythingtoharmPolson.TheunwrittenruleattheKairaCooperativewastoleavehimalone.Wesimplyallowedhimtodohisdairybusinesshiswayandwedidoursourway.

Pestonjee always lived in Bombay, which was Polson’s headquarters. Heowned two dairies – one at Anand and the other in Patna. In those days myhouseandofficewereinthesamebungalowandeverymorningataboutelevena.m.Foster,Polson’smanageratAnand,woulddropbyandhaveacupof teawithmebeforegoingtowork.Onedayhecametomyoffice,hewasforty-twoyears old then, and said, ‘You know Kurien, I never thought this KairaCooperativewouldamounttoanythingorthatitwouldtakeoffthegroundatall.But thendamn it,youarrived.Onceyouarrived Iknewthe futureofPolson’s

was doomed and I’ve decided to resign from here while I’m still relativelyyoung,sothatIcangobackhometoNewZealandandgetanotherjob,startanew life.’And that’swhathedid.Afterhe left,Variava tookover asPolson’sManager.

Whenwebuiltourdairy,Variavasaid toPestonjee, ‘Youhaveno ideawhatthismanKurienhasdonehere.Youmustgoandseethecooperativedairy.’Hiscuriosityaroused,Pestonjeecametovisitus.Itookhimaroundtheplantmyselfandexplainedeverythingtohim.Hewassimplystunned.Thenhedidsomethingthatreallytouchedme.Heputbothhisarmsaroundmeandsaidinallsincerity:‘MayKhudablessyouforallyouhavedonehere.’

Pestonjeewas,indeed,averyfineman.Heneverdidhisbusinessinabadormalicious way. There was always a very healthy competition between PolsonandAmulandwehadcordialrelationsthroughout.Wehadagreedthatwewouldneverforcehimout.HisbusinessdiedoutnaturallywhenitcouldnotwithstandthecompetitionfromAmul.

When Pestonjee died in November 1962 his son Minoo took over themanagement.Andthebusinessgraduallywoundupforgood.UnlikePestonjee,whohadstartedhislifewithnothing,Minoowasborninthelapofluxury–thetypewhocanturnintoaspoiledbrat.

PestonjeeknewhissonwellandleftthemanagementofonlythePatnadairytohim.ThemanagementofAnanddairywenttoPestonjee’sson-in-law,LtCol.Kothawala.OnedayMinoocametomeandsaid:‘Ifyouwanttoruinanything,ruintheAnanddairy.Don’ttouchthePatnadairybecausethatoneismine.’Thestatementrevealedthekindofmanhewas.

Periodically,MinoowoulddiscussthesaleoftheAnanddairywithme.Onedayhetoldmethathehadspokentotheboardandthistimehewasabsolutelyseriousaboutsellingthedairy.Ispoketoourboardmembers,whoagreedthatweshouldbuyit,andapricewasdecided.ThenMinoobackedout.Hecameasecondtime,againofferingtosell.OncemoreIgottheboard’sapprovaltobuythedairyandagainhebackedout.WhenMinoocametomefor thethirdtimewantingtosellthedairy,Iorderedhimtogetoutofmyroom.ItoldhimthatifhewasseriousheshouldbringhisentireboardtoAnandtomeetandtalkwithourboard.Hebroughthis entireboard– averydistinguishedboard– andwediscussedthesaleandthedealwasclinchedatRs17lakh.

Thenextday,Minoosold thesamedairy toaMarwarigentlemanforRs17

lakhand, some said, tookanotherRs17 lakhunder the table forhimself.Theboard of directors of Polson were aghast and exceedingly embarrassed. Theycame to seeme and apologised profusely, saying that they never expected hewould do something like this. The legitimate amount of Rs 17 lakh went toPolson Ltd, while it is said that the under-the-table amount went into theDevakaran Nangi Trust which later went broke. By some mysterious divinejustice, Minoo lost his entire Rs 17 lakh. This was the end of Pestonjee’slegendaryPolsondairy.

WhenMinoosoldthedairytotheMarwarigentleman(whoboughtitonlyforits real estate value), the first thing theMarwari didwas to order the bust ofPestonjee,which graced the entrance, to be removed and thrown out.VariavacalledupKothawalatoinformhimofthisandheimmediatelytelephonedmetosay: ‘Dr Kurien, can you please save my father-in-law’s bust from beingdisgraced?’IpromisedhimthatIwouldandithassincethenbeengivenprideofplace in NDDB’s library, a reminder to all of the role that Pestonjee EduljiplayedinthehistoryofIndiandairying.

~

The launch of our butter actually began rather inauspiciously.We had alreadydecidedtoappointTTK&Sonsasourdistributors.T.T.Krishnamachari,whobythistimewastheFinanceMinister,ownedthecompany.WhentheAmulbutteradvertisements began appearing, TTK was livid as he thought it wouldcompromisehisreputation.

Hesaid,‘Igiveyoutwenty-fourhours.Canceltheappointment.’Soliterallyovernight,wehad tofindotherdistributorsforAmul.Over timeandformanyyears,AkbarallyswereourdistributorsinBombay;SpencerandCoinMadras;EmpireStoresinDelhi;andJamesWrightinCalcutta(nowKolkata).

There was no stopping the cooperative once it won the butter war againstPolson. Between the late 1950s and the early 1960s, we had established atoehold in themarket fornotonlymilkpowderandbutterbut alsocondensedmilk,cheeseandbabyfood.

Howweevolvedourbabyfoodformulaisaninterestingstory.Weweretoldthat the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) had alreadydeveloped and tested a formula. I had requested the National ResearchDevelopmentCorporation (NRDC) to give us a grant ofRs 10,000whichwe

couldgivetotheCFTRIfortheuseoftheirformula.

Dalaya, Molly and I drove down to Ahmedabad for a meeting withSubramaniam,DirectorofCFTRI.HeinformedmethatKasturbhaiLalbhai,theChairmanofNRDC,hadaskedmetomeethimathishousefortea.ItoldthemthatmycolleagueDalayaandmywifewouldalsocomewithmeand Iwouldnotcomealone.SubramaniamcheckedwithKasturbhai,who invitedallofus.SoweallwenttoKasturbhai’shouse.Teaarrived.AndthenKasturbhailookedatusandsaid, ‘Iexpectedmucholderpeople. I findyouareveryyoung.SoIbetterbefrankwithyou.’ThenpointingafingeratSubramaniamhesaid,‘Thismanisacrook.Youthinkhehasmadesomegreatdiscovery.Hewillgiveyousomehalf-bakedformulaandthenyouwillhavetospendmillions,cleaninguphisformulaandmakingitusable.ThenyouwillfindthathewillgoandsellittoGlaxo.Youstillwantthatformula?’

Isaid,‘Yes,Sir.Ido.’

‘Allrightthen,thereisnoneedtodiscussanythingfurther,’saidKasturbhai.

All through that time,Subramaniamwasverysilent.Themeetingwasover.Allofusfinishedourteaandgotintomycartodriveback.DalayaandMollysatinthebackseatandIdrove.Subramaniamsatnexttomeinthefront.Hewasextremelynervousandkeptonfiddlingwithhistie.Hehadneverexpectedthistohappen.Afterabouthalfanhourofcompletesilencehesaid,‘He(referringtoKasturbhai)spokeverybadly….’

Isaid,‘Yes.’

Subramaniam continued: ‘He had no business to do so. I don’t knowwhatmadehimsaythat.’

WereturnedtoAnandandasithappened,Dalayarealisedthatwecouldnotuse their formula at all.Hehad to change the formulabefore it couldbecomeusable.Andyetwehadtopayahugesumasroyalty–Rs30to40lakh–overtheyearstotheCFTRIthroughNRDC.

Finally,ourbabyfoodwasreadytobelaunched.Theproductwassignificantforus.Weplannedtouseourmilkpowder,fortifyitwithvitaminsandsetupourbaby food in competition with the giant, Glaxo. It was going to be a verydifficultgoaltoachievebecauseAmuldidnothaveapremiumfoodimage–ithadanagro, rural image.Withourbaby foodwewerebravely trying to enterwhat,forus,wasunchartedterritory.Wehadtomakethecorrectimpressionon

the minds of mothers with new babies without trying to underminebreastfeeding; we had to step into highly hygienic and sanitised areas likenursing homes – and through all this we had to keep in mind that we werechallengingGlaxo.

As we had expected, baby food became the centre of controversy. Activistgroupscameoutvociferouslyopposingtheadvertisingofbabyfood.However,anticipating this,aspartofouradvertisingcampaign,webroughtoutanAmulBabyBookwithachapterexclusivelydealingwith thesuperiorityofmother’smilk. Some years later we also brought out an advertisement in the pressadvocating breastfeeding. We took great pains to say that baby food wasnecessaryonlyinthosecaseswherethemotherwasunabletobreastfeed.Andtothosewho accused us of nearlymonopolising the baby-foodmarket, I alwayspointedoutthatthemonopolywasactuallyheldbythemothersofIndia,as93percentofourbabieswerebreastfed.

Ourmethodswent beyondmerely advertising in themedia.The advertisingagenciestookaholisticviewofmarketing,beginningwithteachingnewmotherstoreconstitutemilkproperlysothatthebabieswouldnotgetmalnourished.Forthefirst timeinIndiatheagencyconductedextensivesurveysinthreecitiestofind out the behavioural and consumption patterns of consumers.We realisedfrom these survey findings that extensive educationwas needed.Wewere thefirsttoseethatmilkisdeficientinVitaminAandsincethereisnoothersourceofVitaminAforthebaby,thebabyfoodwouldhavetobefortifiedwithitandalsowithVitaminDfortheabsorptionofVitaminA.Togetconsumerapprovalformilk powder thatwasmade from buffalomilk instead of cowmilkwas abattletoo.Certainlyitwasaconstant,uphillstrugglebut,ultimately,oursclearlybecamethebetterbabyfoodinthemarket.

Interestingly, at one stage, Glaxo approached us, willing to give amanufacturingcontractforitsbabyfoodtoAmul.Isaidwecouldconsideritonthe condition that it would carry theAmul brand name. This so incensed theGlaxobossthatheissaidtohavedeclared:‘Amulwillneverbeabletosellitsbrandofbabyfoodandwhentheirtinsbeginrottingontheshelves,Iwillhavethem collected and thrown into the Arabian Sea!’ Such was the arrogance ofmultinationals.

~

In1962,thecloudsofwaragainstChinadarkenedthenation.Igotacallfrom

thePrimeMinister’sofficeaskingme tocome toDelhi foranurgentmeeting.Also present at the meeting were some Generals and a senior bureaucrat,Shivaraman.IwasinformedthattheIndianArmyneededmilkpowder,andtheyaskedmehowmuchwecouldprovideandhowsoon.

Isaid,‘Athousandtonsandwithinsixmonths.’

OneoftheGeneralslookedatmeandsaid,‘That’snotenough.’

Isaid,‘Okay,then1,500tons.’Theysaidthat,too,wasnotenough.

‘Isupposewestopwastingtime,andyoutellmethequantitythatyouneed?’Iasked.

‘Weneed2,750tons,’camethereply.

Iaskedforapieceofpaperasanideabeganforminginmymind.Iwasawarethat there was another milk powder plant in Rajkot, which belonged to theGovernmentofGujarat.Itwasasmallplant,butIknewthatifweputtogetherallthepowderandgaveittothearmy,sacrificingtheentirecivilianmarket,thenwecouldfulfilthiscommitmentinsixmonths.

SoIdidaswiftcalculationonapieceofpaperandsaid,‘Itwillbedone.Now,canIgo?’

TheGeneralexpressedapprehension,‘Supposingyouletusdown?’

‘That isnot thewaytospeaktoMrKurien,’Shivaramansaid.‘Wehavethehighestregardforhiswords.Ifhesaysthathewilldoit,hewillcertainlydoit.Andbesides,mayIknowwhatotheralternativeyouhave?’ThatquietenedtheGeneral.

ThenShivaramanaskedme,‘Whatcanthegovernmentdoforyou?’

Isaid,‘Whatdoyoumean?’

Hesaid,‘Loans?Grants?Anythingyouwant?’

Isaid,‘MrShivaraman,yousaidthereisanemergency,andifAmulusesthisemergency to squeeze money out of the government, then it is an unworthyorganisation.Iwantnothing.’Fromthatdayonwards,Shivaramanwasanally.

Onmywayback toAnand, I stoppedatAhmedabad,went to theSecretary,AgricultureoftheGujaratgovernmentandupdatedhimaboutthedevelopment.‘I havemadea commitment, and that commitment isonbehalfof theGujarat

government,’Isaid.

TheSecretary assuredme that if a commitment had beenmade theGujaratgovernment would back me fully. I explained to him that for this to work Iwould also need control over the Rajkot plant. The Secretary immediatelysummoned Pheroze Medora, the government officer at Rajkot, and told him,‘Whatever Kurien wants, has to be done. Henceforth, he is the boss. He hasmadesomecommitmentonbehalfoftheGujaratgovernmentandwewillbackhim.Wewilldoeverythinghewants.’

So itwas that sincewewerediverting all ourmilk andmilkpowder to thearmy, our butter disappeared from the market.Minoo Polson decided to takeadvantageofthisandincreasedthepriceofhisbutter.Whilehereweweretryingtomeet the government’s requirement,MinooPolsonwas encroaching on ourmarket.

OncemoreIwenttomeettheMinisterinAhmedabad.TheMinister,whowasalsofromKairadistrict,askedme,‘Whatdoyousuggest?’

Isaid,‘Sir,youcannotsitstill.YoushouldputanembargoonPolsonsothathecannotproducemorebutterthisyearthanwhatheproducedlastyear.’

TheMinisteragreedandanembargowasput.Polson’sbutterproductionwasfrozen. It served the purpose. Minoo Polson was furious and he asked for ameetingwith theMinister. TheMinister askedme to attend thismeeting too.MinooPolsonarrivedwithhisentourage–hislawyerGagrat,andVariava.TheydemandedtoknowhowtheMinistercoulddosuchathing,howcouldhefreezetheirproduction,bywhatauthorityandunderwhatlaw.

Itoldthem,‘Iamgivingaway800tonsofmybuttermarket,sacrificingmyentire civilianmarket, and youwant to take advantage of it, and increase thepriceofyourbutter?Howcanyoudothis?Thisisantinational.’

The Minister asked them if my accusations were correct and Variavaimmediatelysaid,‘Yes.’

Thestrangestthingwasthattheirlawyer,Gagrat,wasnotawareofthis.Theyhadkept him in thedark andhewas furious.He asked, ‘Is this correct?Whydidn’tyoutellme?Youdon’thaveacasetostandon.Comeon,let’sgo.’

TheygotupandwalkedtothedoorwhereIwasstanding.WhenMinoocamenearme,IsaidtohimrightthereintheMinister’soffice,‘Youbloodybastard.

Youcomehere,andspeakliestotheMinister.Iwillcastrateyou.’Heturnedredin the face. Turning to theMinister he said, ‘Sir, seewhat he is saying.He’ssayinghewillcastrateme.Standinginyouroffice,infrontofyou.’

‘Youcan’tcontrolKurien,’theMinistersaidtohimwithasmile.‘Youbetterjustgoaway.’

~

Wehadoneclearadvantageinthat,unlikeprivatecompaniesimpatienttomakeprofits, tosell, toshowtheshareholdersandbosses that theyweredoingwell,wewereverypatient.Itwouldbeaslowandsteadyprogressforus.Wekeptoursights clearlyon the target– theproducersmustget theirdue. Inour case theproducerwasafarmer,mostlyamarginalfarmer.Thechallengewastoseethatthe farmers’ interests continued to remain paramount. Butwe knew that evenwhile we kept our farmers firmly in focus, we had to make the products asattractive as possible to the market. We sought help from advertisingprofessionals.

Over time, the accounts for various Amul products were divided amongvariousadvertisingagencies.WhileAmulbutterbynowwastheleadingbrandelsewhereinthecountry,inBombayitstilllaggedbehind.In1966,therefore,theAmulaccountwasgiven toAdvertisingandSalesPromotionCompany (ASP)withthebriefthattheyshoulddislodgePolsonfromits‘premierbrand’positioninBombay.ThiswaswhenEustaceFernandesofASPcreatedtheAmulmascot–themischievous,endearinglittlegirl.TheimageoftheAmulgirlwentdownso well with consumers that very soon it became synonymous with Amul.BesidesEustaceFernandes,wecanneverforgettheinvaluablecontributionsandcommitmentofpeople likeUshaKatrak,K.KurienandSylvesterDaCunhaatASP. Together, the team at ASP gave Amul butter its memorable and catchycampaignpunchlineof‘Utterly,butterly,delicious’–whichbrokeallrecordstobecomeoneofthelongest-runningcampaignsinIndianadvertisinghistory.

As thenumberofAmulproductsbegan increasing, itwas time togoa stepfurther.TillthenthesystemwastobringalotofemptytinsfromBombaytobepackaged with Amul products. The quantity of tins kept increasing and weneededseveralgodowns,becausefourteendays’stockoftinsisahugenumber.OnedayIsaidtoDalaya,‘Dalaya,thisissuchnonsense.Webringthesedamnedempty dabbas here. They are not really empty – they have the polluted air ofBombayin them–and theyaresimplyfillingupourgodowns.Whydon’twe

justuseoneofthosegodownstoputupadabba-makingunit?’Everyoneagreedthatitwasagoodidea.Anentrepreneur,HarshadKapadia,wasalreadymakingpackaging tins in collaboration with Metal Box. My dislike to partner withforeigncompanieswaswell-known.Yet,alwaysquicktorecognisethepotentialin partnerships that could be turned to the advantage of our institution, IpersuadedKapadiatocollaboratewithAmuldairy.AcompanycalledKairaCanwasformed.WegaveKapadiaonegodownand theyputaconveyorbelt fromtheredirectlytotheAmuldairytotransportthetinsforpackaging.Itwasaverytimelystepanditsavedusalotofmoney.

~

Weprogressedandevolvedstepbystep.TheKairaUnion–orAmul–wentontobecomearolemodelfordairydevelopment;wedidnotknowit then,but itwas to ultimately give birth to a number of institutions, including India’sNationalDairyDevelopmentBoard(NDDB).

Much of the success of the Kaira Cooperative – or the ‘Anand pattern’ ofdairy cooperatives, as it came to be known widely – has its roots in thedemocratic structureof theexperiment. In1946TribhuvandasPatelbegan thisexperiment modestly with two cooperative societies and a couple of hundredlitres ofmilk.Today,Anand alone has a district cooperative unionwith 1,017village cooperative societies federated into it. Each village has its owncooperative milk society and the farmers become members of their villagecooperative.Thatvillagecooperativeisguidedbyamanagingcommitteeelectedbythemembers.ThechairmenofeachofthesemanagingcommitteesformthegeneralbodyofthedistrictcooperativeunionofAnand.Andthatdistrictunionowns the plant. The general body elects their board of directors to guide andoverseethemanagementofthedistrictunionandthedairyplant.

AdheringtothefederalsystemofrepresentationworkedwondersintheKairaUnion– systemwherevillagecooperativesare representedat thedistrict levelthrough the district federation; and the district unions represented at the statelevelthroughthestatefederations.Democracy–andgrass-rootsdemocracyandbuilding democracy through the federal concept – essentially requires thatweareaccountabletothetierbelowus.Thestateisresponsibletothedistrictwhich,inturn,isaccountabletothevillagecooperativeswhichareaccountabletotheircurrent573,962farmermembersinKaira’s1,017villages.Thequantumofmilkcollectedperdaytodayis7.39lakhlitres.

Today,thetotalturnoverforthisonedistrictcooperativeistothetuneofRs5,092millionayear,throughthesaleofitsliquidmilkandotherdairyproducts.Thismeansthatifwedeductmanufacturingexpenditure,wearedistributingRs3,943milliontothefarmerseveryyear.Eachyear,becausethefarmermembersproduce more, they get back that much more. All this has been happeningwithoutanybodygivinganysubsidy.Thefarmfamilyisproducingacommoditycalledmilkwhichitmarketsandonwhichitmakessubstantialprofits.Thedairycooperativemovement,inspiredbyAmul,isIndia’slargestemploymentschemeandhasmorethandoubledfarm-familyincomes.

ThestoryofAmul,however, isnotmerely thestoryofgarneringprofits forthefarmers.Asthecooperativesstartedfunctioning,somethingfarmoreuniquebegan taking place in the villages of Kaira district. In many ways, the milkcollection at the village societies transformed the very social fabric of thosecommunities. Take for example, the farmer and his wife. The farmer has acoupleofacresofland,sometimesless,whichhelooksafterandhiswifelooksaftertheironeortwobuffaloes.Sheinvestsalotoftimeandenergyincaringforthecattleandtherefore,forallpracticalpurposes,thoseareheranimals.WiththedairybusinesspickingupinKaira,herincomethroughmilksoonbecameequalto her husband’s income through his land and that led to a different kind ofequationbetweenthem.

There were other implications too. From the very beginning the villagecooperativesocietiesinsistedthatthequeueformilkcollectionwouldbeformedon a strictly first come first serve basis. Imagine the situationwhen 5,40,000farmermembers stand in line at 960villagemilk collection centres across thedistrict,irrespectiveofsex,religionandcaste.Whatdoesitdotoa‘high-caste’BrahmintostandbehindaHarijanbecausehecameafterhim?WhatdoesitdototheHarijantostandinfrontoftheBrahminbecausehecameearlier?Isitonlyanorderlymilkcollection?Isitnotablowtothecastesystem?Whatdoesitdotobothofthemtowatchtheirmilkflowintothesamecan?Inanothersituation,avillagerwhosebuffalohasrundrybuysthemilkfromthecentrethathasbeencollectedfromboththeHarijanandtheBrahmin.Dotheseexperiencesnotbreakdowncasteprejudices?Ofcourse,wewereneversonaïveastobelievethatthecaste system would be eradicated overnight – it is, unfortunately, much toostrongly and deeply embedded in the Indian system. But what the processcertainlydidwastobeginchippingawayatsuchabhorrentbiases,andsomenewpractices–suchasaqueuesystemregardlessofcastehierarchy–wereaccepted

because of the milk collection and payment system which we put in placethroughthecooperativesinAnand.

Ourvillages in India aredirty;ourvillagemilk collectioncentreswerealsosomewhat dirty, but they were distinctly cleaner than the rest of the villagebecausesomebodysprinkledwater tokeepthedustdown,somebodyputsomeglazedtilesoutsidetokeepitclean,somebodyusedaflit-guntokeepthefliesaway,someoneusedsanitizers towash thepotsandpans.Thesewere the firstfewstepstowardssanitation.Howcouldwetalkofcleanmilkproductionunlesswetalkedofsanitation?

Very early in the cooperative’s history,we realised that a teamof dedicatedveterinarians was vital to the project. Soon, one of Kaira Union’s biggeststrengths was this group of veterinarians, who visited every village once infifteen days and treated all sick animals without charge. Take the case ofdystokia,where a pregnant buffalo cannot calve because the uterus is twisted.Everyvillagerwhoownedabuffaloknewthatthiswasalmostalwaysfatalfortheanimal.Therewasatimeinourvillageswhenallthatthevillagerscoulddowas to commiserate with the woman who owned the buffalo. Now, throughtelephones,theysendforthecooperative’sveterinarian–theirveterinarian.Dayor night,MondayorSunday, the veterinarian gets therewithin hours of beingcalled.Hesees theproblemimmediatelyandherollsuphissleeveandgets towork.Heliesbehindthebuffalo,putshishandintothevagina,herollsonewayandhasthebuffalorolltheotherwayandhesuccessfullybringsthecalfout.

This efficiency shown by our veterinarians led the villagers to question theinefficiency ofmedical facilities provided to them. Therefore the CooperativeUnionthoughtofbeginninghealth-careprogrammesforthevillagers,especiallyforwomenandchildren,andtheTribhuvandasFoundationwassetup.

Once theAmuldairywasreadyweinitiatedaprogrammewherebywetookvillagewomen–membersofourcooperativesocieties–onguidedtourstoshowthem theirdairy.Theywereproud toenter thismodernAmuldairy, to see thelushgreenlawns,themagnificentbuildings,thegleamingstainlesssteelandtoknowthattheyownedapartofitandhadashareinitsprofits.

Similarlywebegantakingthemtovisit thecattle-feedplantsandexplainingtothemhowfeedisformulated,whyithas18percentprotein,andwhatproteinis.Weinformedthemwhyweaddvitaminsandminerals;whyafemalebuffalowhoisdryinthelastmonthsofpregnancyshouldbefedproperlyeventhough

sheisnotgivingmilk,asafoetuswasgrowinginsideher.Couldthesewomennotrelateallthistotheirowngrowingfoetuses?Wereweonlydiscussinganimalnutrition? We started taking our women cooperative society members to theartificialinseminationcentres,too.Theironlydemandwasthatnomalememberfromtheirvillagebepresentduringthesevisits.Weshowedthemhowsemeniscollected fromabull;wemade them look throughmicroscopesat live semen;weexplainedtothemthemysteriesofconceptionandbirthbyusingcharts.Didtheythennotask:‘Isthisnotwhathappensinhumansbeingstoo?’Couldwenotthenleadthemontobirthcontrol?

WhatthenwastheKairaCooperative?Itwascertainlynotonlyaboutmilk.Itwas very soon becoming an instrument of social and economic change in ourruralsystem.Itwasevolvingintoaprogrammethatinvolvedourfarmersintheirown development. This I learnt very early on through my years of workingcloselywithTribhuvandasandthefarmersofKairadistrict:truedevelopmentisnot development of a cow or buffalo but development of women and men.However, you cannot developwomen andmenuntil and unless youplace theinstrumentsofdevelopmentintheirhands,involvethemintheprocessofsuchdevelopment and create structures that they themselves can command.What,therefore,isagovernmentatitsbest?Itisagovernmentthat‘governs’leastandinsteadfindswaystomobilisetheenergiesofourpeople.

Amul – or theKaira Cooperative, or the ‘Anand pattern’ of cooperatives –demonstratedwithoutadoubtthatthebiggestassetofIndiaisitspeople.Overfive decades ago Iwas compelled to come toAnand.What began as ‘bondedservitude’ turned out to be five decades of reward and satisfaction. The onlycredit I can claim is that I had the good sense to remain inAnand in spite ofopportunitiesthatcamemywaytogotoDelhiorotherplaces.IchosetoremaininAnand, as an employeeof farmers, allmy life. Itwas thewisest decision Ihaveevertaken.

During the 1960s I came across the writings of Barbara Ward, a famouseconomist. She had a remarkable career which included advising two USPresidents, John F.Kennedy andLyndonB. Johnson. Itwas JohnKennedy, Irecall,whosaidthatoneofthepleasuresoftheworldwastositatherfeetandlisten toher talk. Iwas fortunate tohave thepleasureof listening toherwhenshe came to Anand. She was an extremely beautiful and inspiring person inmanyways.

Ward, perhaps more than anyone else at that time, helped to map out aninternational agenda for alleviating poverty and tackling its causes. She urgedtheworldtoworktowardsthesaneandsustainablemanagementofourplanet’sresources. She believed that ‘with equal social and economic emancipation’,povertycanbetackledwithinthelimitsimposedbyecologyandtheavailabilityofresources.Shealsofeltthatthereisbutoneconstraintpreventingasolutiontothe twin problems of poverty and environmental degradation – a constraintwhich could well prove insurmountable – and that is, ‘whether the rich andfortunate are imaginative enough, and the resentful and underprivileged poorpatientenough, tobegin toestablisha truefoundationforbettersharing, fullercooperationandjointplanetarywork’.

It was a concept that deeply influenced me and I pledged to myself that,through my work with Anand’s cooperatives, I would try to make a modestcontributiontothevisionofpeoplelikeSardarPatelandBarbaraWard.Tothisextent I believed myself to be a part of a mission that would prove that theultimate end of developmental programmes is not merely the mechanicalmodernisation of the production of milk, but rather, it is the beginning of aprocess where our rural majority can control their future and build forthemselvesaricherandmoresatisfyingcommunity.

WhenIstartedmyworkinglifeasanapprenticewiththeTataIronandSteelCompany, J.R.D.Tatawasnot running thesteelplant;hisAmericanGeneralManagerheadedit.Tataproductivelycombinedtheprofessionalmanagementhehired,withhismoneypower,commonsense,abilityandcharacter.Butwithoutthat professionalmanagement the companymay never have succeeded.TodayIndia is among the most industrialised nations in the world. How did thishappen? It happened because we combined our native shrewdness and themoney our great industrialists had with professional management. I wasconvincedthatthebiggestpowerinIndiaisthepowerofitspeople–thepowerof millions of farmers and their families. What if we mobilised them, if wecombined this farmer powerwith professionalmanagement?What could theynotachieve?WhatcouldIndianotbecome?

But before this could happen, that ‘true foundation for better sharing, fullercooperation’ which Barbara Ward spoke about had to be built. If the starkimbalancebetween the cities andvillages, between industry and agriculture inourcountrywastobecorrected,itbecamenecessarythatfarmersbeorganised.Keepingthisinmind,itbecamenecessaryforusatAnandtoerectstructuresthat

would include our people into the decision-making process. What use isdemocracyinDelhiifwedonothavedemocraticinstitutionsatthegrass-rootslevel?Whatisavillagesocietyifnotaschoolwhereourfutureleadersshouldlearnhowtomanagetheirownaffairs?Whatisadistrictunionifnotacollegewhere theelected representatives cangetpostgraduate training inmanagementandbusiness?

ThereisnothingwronginbuildingflyoversinDelhi.Whatisnotfairiswhenwe do not also build an approach road to villages across the nation. There isnothingwronginhavingfountainswithcolouredlightsinthecapital.Afterall,Delhi should be beautiful. But it is unjustified when we have not provideddrinkingwater toallourvillages.There isnothingwrong inhavingamodern,private hospital in Bombay, or the All India Institute ofMedical Sciences inDelhi,orotherlargemedicalinstitutionsinourbigcities.Butitisnotjustifiedwhenwehavenotarrangedtohavetwodropsofamedicineputintotheeyesofafarmer’snewbornbaby,andthatbabygoesblind.Whilethiswouldhavecostus nothing, we have preferred to spend crores of rupees in building five-starhospitalsincities.Whydoesthishappen?Becausepolicymakingisinourhands–inthehandsoftheelite–andnaturally,evenunconsciouslyperhaps,whenwemakepolicieswemakepoliciesthatsuitus;weusurptheresourcesofthislandsomewhatshamelesslytobenefitourselves.Themostcharitableinterpretationofitisthatwedoitunconsciously.

Ioptedtoremainanemployeeoffarmersallmylife,notbecauseIcouldnotget a job in the city of Bombay or any other city anywhere else. Itwas onlybecauseIfeltthatIhadthebestjobthatIcouldeverget.NordidIdoitoutofanygreatnobilityofcharacter–IdiditbecauseIrealisedIhadajobwhichgavemethegreatestpleasure,thegreatestsatisfaction.Theideaofworkingforalargenumberoffarmerstranslateditselfintotheconceptofworkingforsocialgood.Isoonrealisedthatmoneyisnottheonlysatisfactionthatonecanseek,thatthereare severalother formsof satisfactionandallof thesewereavailable tomeatAnand.

~

Soon, Amul’s success began making waves across the nation. Word of themiracleofthiscooperativedairytuckedawayinasmallcornerofGujaratspreadfarandwide.Anandemergedoutofitsearlieranonymitytofindaplaceonthecountry’smap.Peopleflockedtothissmalltowntoseehowthis‘Anandpattern’

actuallyworked.Wasitreallypossibletobringwelfaretothepeoplewithoutthehelpof thegovernment?Couldsuchanorganisation trulyfunctionwithout theexpertiseofbureaucrats?Therewerethose–evenamongthegovernment–whoacknowledgedmyroleasaprofessionalmanagerwhowasnotoriouslyruthlessin bringing to the farmerswhatwas rightfully theirs.One suchpersonwasC.Subramaniam,theUnionMinisterforAgriculturein1964.

One day Subramaniam summonedme for ameeting inDelhi. Themeetingwas scheduled for threep.m. that afternoon. I hadnevermetC.Subramaniambefore and had no idea what to expect. I got there five minutes before theappointmentandwasaskedtomeettheJointSecretarywhoseemedverytenseandkeptlookingathiswatchnervously.IaskedhimwhattheMinisterwantedfrommebuthesaidhehadnoidea.Atexactlytwominutestothree,hejumpedupfromhisseat,tookmedownthecorridortotheMinister’sroomandstoppedin front of the door. He looked at me. Very politely, I said, ‘After you,’ andwaited.He shook his head vehemently, saying: ‘I only came to show you thedoor.Iamnotsupposedtobeintherewithyou.’SuchwastheawesurroundingC.Subramaniam.

Ienteredtheroomaloneandsawthisslightlybuiltman,dressedinsparklingwhiteclothes,sittingbehindahugedesk.Iintroducedmyself.Heaskedmetositandcameimmediatelytothepoint:‘IwantyoutotakeoverasChairmanoftheDelhi Milk Scheme – DMS – under such terms and conditions as you maystipulate.’

Iwastakenaback,tosaytheleast.ItoldhimthatIwasnotlookingforajobandIdidnothaveanyintentionofcomingtoDelhi.

‘Didyounothearme?’theMinisteraskedsternly.‘Isaidonsuchtermsandconditionsasyoumaystipulate.Sostipulateyourconditions.’

I told himmymain condition – that I would not leave Anand. He lookedsomewhatdismayedandsaid,‘ThenwhatshallIdo?IwastoldthatyouaretheonlymanwhocansetthingsrightatDMS.Sotellme,whatcanyoudoforme?’

ItoldhimIwouldtakealookatDMSandtellhimwhattodowithit.‘Okay,’hesaid.‘Thegovernmentacceptsyourproposal.’

WhenIstartedscrutinisingtheworkingofDMSitwaslikeopeningacanofworms.Therewasabsolutelynothingthatwasbeingdoneright.Indeed,forusitwas an unforgettable lesson in what ought not to be done. First of all, DMS

followedthebizarreandirrationalpracticeofrationingmilk.Sincemilkwasarationedcommodity, ifyouwere living inDelhi theauthoritiesobligedyoubygiving you amilk card. In addition and beyond all reasoning,milkwas beingsoldatfarbelowthecostprice.Iwasaghast.WhyshouldthepeopleofDelhigetmilk at subsidised rateswhen the rest of Indiapaidmarket rates?Thosedays,peoplewhowere given themilk ration card inDelhiwere proud to have theprivilegeofholdingthiscardbecauseitwouldgetthemDMSmilkatRs2alitrewhen the market price was Rs 5 a litre. Of course, the system was grosslymisused,assuchsystemsinvariablyare.Thereusedtobeserpentinequeuesatthe DMS booths each day. Total chaos reigned early in themornings outsidetheseboothssincegoonswouldbewaiting tocornerasmuchof thesupplyastheycouldandsellthemilkatapremium.

Amongst a host of other harmful practices, I noticed that all the milk wassuppliedtoDMSbymilkcontractorswhoprocureditfromthefarmers.Thiswasarecipefordisastersincethecontractors’lobbywasanextremelypowerfulonein Delhi, one which controlled many politicians as well as the DMSmanagement.Sopowerfulwasthecontractors’influencethatnooneatDMShadthegutstorejectevensubstandardmilk.DMShaditschillingcentresatdifferentplacesandthecontractorssuppliedmilktothesecentres.IfeltthatthesechillingcentresshouldhavebeenmanagedbythestatesinwhichtheywerelocatedandDMSshouldbebuyingmilkfromthemratherthantryingtomanagethecentresitself.

DMSwasdesignedandestablishedbythegovernmenttosupplyliquidmilktoDelhi’s consumers. However, they never seemed to collect enoughmilk tosupply to the city’s inhabitants and had to resort to importingmilk powder inordertoreconstituteitintoliquidmilk.Itwasperplexing,therefore,tofindthatevenwhentheydidnothaveadequatemilktosupplytothepeople,theyhadsetup a milk powder plant. The rationale for a milk powder plant can only besurplusmilk.What ismore,DMShadalsosetupplants formaking flavouredmilk,curds,butter,gheeandotherproducts. Itbecameonly tooobvious tomethat all these had sprung up to provide Delhi’s pampered politicians andbureaucratswithdairyproductsatsubsidisedrates.Inturn,thegovernmentwassubsidisingthedairyfromtaxpayers’money.Itwasabsolutelyshameful.

AfteracoupleofdaysofintensiveinvestigationintotheworkingofDMS,IpreparedareportandwentbacktoC.Subramaniam.Isaidtohim,‘Sir,Imustinformyouthatthingsareverybad.Everythingisinaterriblemess.Howcana

governmentministryhopetorunadairyindustry?’

‘Well,howlongwillittakeyoutocleanupthemess?’heasked.

‘Icancleanitup,Sir,butthequestionarises,whataremypowers?’Iasked.

He looked at me unblinkingly and said, ‘Your powers will be those of theFinanceMinisterandtheAgricultureMinister.’

Iwasstunned.NeverbeforehadanyonebeengiventhepowersoftwoUnionMinisters.‘Sir,withduerespect,youcanlendmeyourpowersbuthowcanyougivemethepowersoftheFinanceMinister?’

‘I didn’t know you at all,’ he explained. ‘It was Finance Minister, T.T.Krishnamachari, who toldme: “Send for Kurien if youwant to clean up thisplace. Put him in charge – he’s the only onewho cando it.”That’swhy I’vecalledyou.Soyouseethere’snoproblemingivingyouthepowersofthesetwoministers.Nowtellme,howlongwillittake?’

I told him it would take me six weeks to clean up DMS. He was verysurprisedandlookedextremelysceptical.IalsotoldhimthatIknewonlysomeaspectsof theoperationbut therewereotherswhoknewtheotherfacetsandIwouldneedtohaveateamworkingwithmeifweweretooverhaulDMS.‘Thegovernmentacceptsyoursuggestion,’hesaidinhisinimitablestyle.‘Buildyourteamandletmeknowwhotheyarewithinsevendays.’

And then, to my surprise, he added: ‘I am sacking Dr Sikka, the currentChairmanofDMS.’

L.C.Sikkawasaveryableman.Hewashighlyqualifiedandheknewhisjobwell.‘ButDrSikkaisaseniorcolleagueofmineinthedairyindustry,’IsaidtoC.Subramaniam.‘Mustyousackhim,Sir?Canyounotgivehimanhonourableexit?’

‘We’llsee,’saidtheministercryptically.

IaskedhimifIcouldgoandmeetSikkaandtellhimwhatwashappening.Heallowedme to do so and so I called Sikka and asked him if I could see him.Sikkadidnothaveaclueaboutthedevelopments,andsoIbriefedhimaboutmymeeting.

‘Whatthehelldoeshemean?’Sikkaexclaimed.‘I’vebeenappointedbythePublic Service Commission. How can he sack me?’ He was understandably

upset.

‘Idon’tknowtherules,DrSikka,’Isaidtohim.‘ButIdoknowthismuch–thisSubramaniamisa ferociousman. Iwouldn’t like to tanglewithhimandIwouldadviseyoualsonot tomesswithhim.Myadvice toyouwouldbe thatyoushouldquitbeforehesacksyou.’

Just then the phone rang. It was the Minister’s Special Assistant, R.Venkataramanan,wholaterbecametheGovernoroftheReserveBankofIndia,informingSikkathattheMinisterwouldliketoseehim.Sikkalookedatmeandsaid,‘Soit’strue?’

Isaidtohim,‘DrSikka,fondasIamofplayingpracticaljokes,wouldIcometoyouanddosomethinglikethis?’

‘ThenwouldyouliketocomeandinspectDMS?’heasked.

IassuredhimthatIwasnottheretoinspectanydairybutthatIhadcometohimbecausehewasacolleagueandIwantedtogivehimtheinformationthatIhad.

C. Subramaniam calledDr Sikka to his room and asked him to submit hisresignation.ThatishowIgotinvolvedinthecleaning-upofDMS.Therewassomuchcorruption.Somanyvestedinterestsonwhosetoeswehadtostepon.Butwecleaneditup.Ihand-pickedmycoreteamofsevenpeople,whichincludedDalayaandMichaelHalse(ofFoodandAgricultureOrganization)fromAnandandN.S.Dave, the head ofmilk distribution from theBombayMilkScheme.PeopleweresurprisedatmychoiceofDavebecauseAmulandBMSwereseenas rivals, but I knew without a doubt that Dave was the best man in milkdistribution.Forthedurationofsixweeks,DalayawasstationedinDelhiandIdivided my working week between Anand and Delhi. We worked round theclock for forty-two days. We played merry hell with the DMS – we had to.Withinforty-twodayswemoppedupthemessanditbecameabrandnewdairy.

Howdidwedoit?Webroughtinanotherninety-twopeople–expertsintheirrespectiveareas–fromAmul,fromthecooperatives,whoactuallyworkedinthedairy.Theseninety-twopeoplewerenotvisiblebuttheyworkedtirelesslyinthedairy.Eventheministrydidnotknowoftheirexistence.InDelhitheysawonlythesevenofusfromthecoreteam.

MostoftheemployeesatDMSwereondeputationandwebegantheclean-upprocess by reverting all those who were useless. The way the organisation

worked,itcameasnosurprisethatithadbeenrunningatahugelossforyearstogether – something to the tune of Rs 10-12 crore per year. I told thegovernmentthatiftheywereseriousaboutchangingthings,firstandforemost,theywouldhavetostopallthesubsidies.Afterall,whoweretheysubsidisingitfor?Theyweresubsidisingfortheprivilegedclassandfavouringthecontractorswhowere exploiting the farmers.A shockwavewent through thegovernmentanditcausedtremendousturmoil.Itshookupthepoliticiansandvestedinterestsin Delhi. Till then, the milk price in Delhi was being fixed by the CentralCabinet.Igotthatchangedaswell.RemovingrationingmeantthatIfirstfixedthepriceofmilktowhatIthoughtitshouldbesothatthedairydidnotloseanymoneyonit.TheMinister,too,wasworriedaboutwhatwouldhappenwhenweremovedtherationingsystem,buthehadfullconfidenceinme.

Aspartoftheoverhaul,IalsodecidedtogettheDMSmilkboothsredesigned.Theolderoneslookeddismal.IwantedsomethingthatlookedfriendlyandIalsowanted the Delhi consumer to know that changes were taking place for thebetter.My team worked hard behind the scenes, streamlining the system andgetting the milk procurement process in perfect order. Once everything wasready,we scrapped rationing overnight atDMS.Suddenly,milkwas availableforeveryoneinDelhiatthesameprice.C.Subramaniamwasrelievedwhenhesawthatnothinguntowardhappened.

AlotofpeoplemaycallthewayIconductedtheDMSoperationreckless.ButIwasnotreckless.Iknewthatchangeslikethesemustbeeffectedovernight–they should not be brought about gradually, giving the vested interests ampletimetomobiliseandcreatetrouble.Ofcourse,itcouldhavemisfired.However,Iwasgametotakewhateverconsequencescamemyway.Asithappened,luckwasonourside.Abouttheonlyreactionthat tookplacewasthatsometwentywomen–supposedlyhousewives–werebroughttoKrishiBhavanthenextdaytoagitate.Themedia,whichbynowwasclearlyonourside,reported:‘Twentyhealthy,obviouslynotstarvingwomen,wenttoKrishiBhavantoprotestabouttheremovalofrationing….’Andattheendofoursixweeks,whenwewenttoDMStosaygoodbye,weweregheraoed.Theministryhadtosendarmedpolicetobringthesituationundercontrol.

I know that by the end of this entire process, I made a lot of enemies inDelhi’s corridorsofpower. It didnotbotherme,however,becauseduring thisperiodIalsofoundafriendinC.Subramaniam.Wehititoffextremelywellandhe supported me throughout. He saw the way I worked and understood the

valuesthatIbroughttomyworkandIthinkhegrewveryfondofme.Inturn,Ibecamehis lifelongadmirer. Ithad takenapersonofhis stature, integrityandstrength to take the first step to set things right in at least one area ofgovernment’sfunctioning.

Onceour sixweekswereoverandmy teamhaddeliveredachanged,cleanDMS,theMinisterwantedanewchairman.Hethoughtthatweshouldputsomeseniordefenceofficerinchargeandthatwayperhapssomedisciplinecouldbeinstilled into the organisation.We interviewed some defence people but couldnotfindanyoneappropriateamongthem,andsowelookedatothergroupsandfinally we came down to IAS officers. After a long unsuccessful hunt,Subramaniamaskedmetofindsomeone,sayingthathewasfedupof lookingforacompetentchairmanhimself.ItoldhimthattheonlyIASofficersIknewwereinGujarat.HeassuredmethatitdidnotmatterifIgotsomeonefromthere.This post was valuable not in itself but it was godsend for bureaucrats whowished to get to Delhi. I suggested the name of H.T. Sadhwani, one of thesecretaries from Gujarat. He was a good man, mild-mannered, gentlemanly,highlyrecommendedbytheHomeSecretary.IthoughtthatatthatjunctureDMSneeded a gentleman in charge. When C. Subramaniam was finally taken toinspectthecleaned-upDMS,itwasthenewChairman,Sadhwani,whoshowedhimaround.

My difficult assignment successfully completed, I turned my full attentiononcemoretoAnand,plungingmyselfagainintotheever-increasingworkofthecooperative.

~

In 1957 the Kaira Union registered the ‘Amul’ brand.While that year was amomentousoneforusatthecooperative,ithadbeenanequallypropitiousoneformepersonally.In1957,MollyandIwereblessedwithababydaughter.Wenamed her Nirmala. With her arrival our little family was complete and herinnocenceandpurityfilledourhomewithunboundjoy.

The years had passed quickly and by the time we finished the DMSassignment,Nirmalawas already a lively and loving seven-year-old.One day,noneotherthanManibenverystarklybroughthometomethefactthatIwasnotspendingenoughtimewithmydaughterbecauseofmywork.WhenIgothomethatevening,itwasratherlate.Maniben,whowasononeofherregularvisitstoour home, was sitting in the verandah, spinning khadi. As I walked in, she

lookedatmesternlyandsaid,‘Soyouhavecome?Nowsitdownhere.’

Iobeyedherbiddingandthenshesaidtome,‘DoyouknowthatIwasknownasoneof“thethreewitchesofDelhi”?’

‘Whoweretheothertwo,Maniben?’Iasked.

‘RajkumariAmritKaur andFatima Jinnah,’ she replied. ‘AnddoyouknowhowIbecameawitch?’

‘No,Maniben,’Isaid,bynowquiteintrigued.

‘My father was always very busy fighting for the independence of India,’Manibenbeganexplaining.‘Hehadnotimeforme.Hewasalwaysbusyandinour traditional Gujarati families, the fathers cannot even hug or cuddle theirdaughters.Mymother died very early and althoughmy father lovedme verymuch,hecouldnevershowit.SoIwasbroughtupwithoutanyloveandInevergotmarried.When you are brought upwithout any love like I had been, youbecomeawitch.Doyouwantyourdaughtertobecomeawitch?’

‘No,Maniben,’Isaidinsomehorror.

‘In that case, get home by six o’clock,’ she orderedme. ‘Nirmala has beenwaitinghereforyouforalongtime.Eighthoursforyourdairy,eighthoursforyourfamilyandeighthoursforsleep.Ifyoudon’tfollowthis,yourdaughterisboundtobecomeawitch.’

I took her advice to heart at that moment but I confess, despite my goodintentions, I could not spend as much time with Nirmala as Maniben hadprescribed.Most of the time it seemed as ifmy entire life was consumed byworkandIwasconsciousthatMollyhadtoconstantlystepintomeetmostofthedemandsfortimeandattentionfromourgrowingdaughter.Itooksuccourinthe fact thatwe had some extremely close and loving friendswho treatedmyfamilyliketheirown.

Oncewhile returninghome fromschool,Nirmalagot into awrongbus, gotlost and landed up in a nearby village. Suchwas the sense of familiarity andtrust, that all that this little girl did spontaneously was to go to the milkcooperativesocietyinthatvillageandthepeopletherebroughtherstraighthometo Anand. All of Anand had turned into a supportive, extended family.Unfortunately,astherewerenohighschoolslocallywefinallysentNirmalatoStMary’sschool–aboardingschoolinPoona.Wemissedhersorely.

BesidesManiben,MorarjiDesai,too,whowasveryfondofus,wasaregularhouseguest.WheneverhevisitedAnandhestayedwithus.BothManibenandMorarjibhai were strict vegetarians but they always insisted on eating theirspeciallypreparedmealswithus,atthesametablewhereoftenMollyandIatenon-vegetarianfood.

Duringthisperiod,JawaharlalNehruvisitedAnandtwice,onceaccompaniedbyhis daughter, and each time they, too, stayedwithus. ItwasduringoneofthesevisitsDalayaandIhadoneofourrarequarrels.AnofficialfunctionhadbeenheldatthedairyandahugecrowdhadturneduptoseethePrimeMinister.After the functionwasover, the staffwaskeen that thePrimeMinister shouldwalk throughthecrowd.Justashewaspreparing todoso,oneofhissecurityofficers from behind shouted, ‘The PrimeMinister will not walk through thecrowd.’Andlikeanobedientschoolboy,heturnedaroundandcamebackandwereturnedtomyhouse.

Atthedairy,thepeoplewaitingtoseehimwere,naturally,verydisappointed.Theyturnedrestiveandsaidthattheywantedtoseethedairy.Dalaya,whowasthere,orderedtheworkersatthedairynottoallowthecrowdinside.SoonIgotacall from the dairy telling me that the farmers were getting upset and weremakingascene.Theyweresayingthatitwastheirdairyandtheywouldliketoseeit.Itoldthepeopleatthedairy,‘Letthemin.’Dalayacametomeinpanicandsaid,‘Whatareyoudoing?Theywilldestroythedairy.’

Isaid,‘Dalaya,letthemdestroythedairy.Wecanalwaysrebuildit.Butifwedestroytheinstitution,wecanneverrebuildthat.Letthemin.’

Dalaya was furious and he strode off saying that he was going to quit.MorarjibhaicametoknowofthisandhewenttoDalaya’shouseandcalmedhimdown. The dairy remained unharmed even after the crowds had seen it, andDalayacontinuedwithus.

IABillion-LitreIdea

N1964THEKAIRAUNION’SNEWCATTLE-FEEDCOMPOUNDINGFACTORYsponsoredbyOxfamwas ready atKanjari, approximately eight kilometres fromAnand. It

was a modern, automated plant, a first of its kind in India. This was arevolutionarystepforthedairyindustryofthecountry.Wethoughtthatsuchaplantshouldbeinauguratedbythenation’sPrimeMinister.WeinvitedthePrimeMinister,LalBahadurShastri,tocometoAnandandofficiallycommissiontheplant. The occasion was to be Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary, 31 October.Shastrijiacceptedourinvitation.

Anand,however,didnothaveahotelfittoaccommodatehim.TheacceptedpracticewasthatIwouldhosttheVVIPs.Itwassometimesatiresomebusinessbecauseofthesecuritydrill.Forinstance,onceastategovernoronhiswaybackfrom Ahmedabad to Baroda wanted to have breakfast with me. His securitypersonnel turned up to inspect the facilities at my house even before thehouseholdwasawake.Theymeasuredthebedin theroomwherethegovernorwas to rest and, to their horror, found it short of the regulated length (thegovernorwasanunusuallytallman).Gettingabitwearyofallthenit-picking,ItoldthemthatHisExcellencywouldjusthavetoliediagonally.

Shastriji’s demand proved to be even more complex. He made an unusualrequesttomodifytheprogrammewehadpreparedforhim,sendingmanyofusintoabitofatailspin.HesentwordtotheChiefMinisterofGujarat,BalwantraiMehta,thathewouldliketocomeadayearlierandspendanightinavillageastheguestofafarmer–preferablyasmallfarmerinKairadistrict.

AsfarasIknew,noIndianprimeministerhadeveraskedtostayinavillage,sonaturallythisunusualrequestcausedsomeconsternation.TheChiefMinisteraskedmetohelpthemarrangethisstay.ItoldhimthatifIndia’sPrimeMinisterwenttoavillage,atleastthreehundredpolicemenwouldbedispatchedtothatvillage even before he arrived.Most villages inKaira district had an averagepopulation of around three hundred and with such a strong concentration ofpolicemen the village would resemble a police camp. Why would the PrimeMinisterwant to go to a village to see a police camp?However, if the PrimeMinister reallywanted to seeavillage in itsnormalandnatural condition, theChiefMinisterwouldhavetoentrustthePrimeMinister’ssecuritytome.

BalwantraiMehta sent for F. J. Heredia, the Home Secretary, Gujarat, and

informedhimofmysuggestion.Herediawasnotatallconvinced.‘Thiswillnotdo,’hesaid.‘Ifsomethinggoeswrong,it’smyneckonthelineandnotKurien’s.I’m sorry I cannot agree to this. The security of the Prime Minister is mybusinessandIwillnotdelegateittoanyone.’ButhedidunderstandthepointIwastryingtomakeandsincewewerefriendshepromisedtoarrangeitinawaythatwouldmeethisneedsaswellasmine.

‘How will you manage it when Kurien insists that there should be nopolicemenandyou say therehave tobepolicemen?’ theChiefMinister askedhim.

‘It’squitesimple,’explainedtheHomeSecretary.‘Noone–simplynoone–shouldknowthatthePrimeMinisterisgoingtothevillageorwhichvillageheisvisiting.ThenthePrimeMinisterwouldbesafe.’

This seemed to make sense. Secrecy was to be the basis of our securityarrangements.

‘Inthatcase,youandKurienarrangeeverything,’BalwantraiMehtaagreed.

Heredia and I met. We picked Ajarpura, a village a few kilometres fromAnand. Ajarpura had one of the oldest registered milk cooperatives in thedistrict. I also identified the farmer – Ramanbhai Punjabhai Patel – andexplainedtohimthattwoforeignerswerevisitingus;sincetheywishedtospendanightatthevillage,couldhearrangefortheirstay?Ramanbhaiwasperplexedas to why any foreigner would want to do that. I convinced him that theseforeignerswereabitquirkyandaskedhimifitwouldmatteriftheystayedinhishouseforonenight.Iaskedhimnottodoanythingspecialexcepttidyupabitandcleanupthebathroom.Heagreed.

OnthedayofthePrimeMinister’svisit,ataboutfive-thirtyp.m.theguardofhonourwaskept readyand all theofficial arrangementsweremade to receivehimatmyhouseinAnand.Theministers,too,hadarrived.Atthisstage,IcalledtheCollectorandhandedhimasealedenvelope.

‘What’sthis?’theCollectoraskedinsurprise.

‘It’smerely a letter signedby theHomeSecretarywhich says that there’s aslight change in the Prime Minister’s programme and you will now takeinstructionsfromme,’Itoldhim.

TheCollector and I thendrove to thevillage.Ramanbhai, after sprucingup

his hut and sprinkling water to keep the dust down, was waiting for his two‘foreignguests’ toarrive. Iwent tohimandsaid, ‘Nowyoushouldknowwhoyour twoguests reallyare.Theyare thePrimeMinisterofIndiaand theChiefMinisterofthestateofGujarat.’‘ThePradhanMantriinmyhouse?Whathaveyoudonetome,Saheb?’exclaimedRamanbhaiinanguish.

‘Nothing,’Isaid,tryingtocalmhim.‘Believeme,they’regoodpeople.JustasgoodasyouandI.Youtreatthemasyouwouldtreatanyguestofyours.’

‘Saheb,’hesaid,‘Ihavenotcookedanythingspecial.Youtoldmenotto.’

Iassuredhimthattheydidnotwantanythingspecial.IintroducedhimtotheCollector,theheadofhisdistrict,andthenIsaidtothetwoofthem,‘IleavethePrimeMinistertobothofyou.YoulookafterhimnowandI’mgoinghome.’

I explained to them thatShastriji hadno fixedprogramme.Hewould comehereanddecidewhathewantedtodowhilehewasaguestofthevillage.ItoldthemthatIhadtoreturnhomebecausemywifewasthere,copingalonewithalltheotherguestswhohadnoideathatthePrimeMinisterwouldnotbearrivingthatday.

Accordingtotheplan,asthePrimeMinister’sconvoydrovefromAhmedabadtoAnand,thePrimeMinister’scaralonewasdivertedtoAjarpuravillagewhiletherestoftheconvoyproceededtoAnand.

Shastriji reached the village in time, met Ramanbhai and his family andshared their simple dinner. Then hewent for awalk around the village. Eventhough he was recognised, he moved around freely among the villagers. Heinvitedhimself intotheirhomes,satwiththemandtheirfamiliesandtalkedtothem at length.Hewanted to know about their lives,what thewomen of thevillagedid,whether theyownedanybuffaloes,howmuchmilktheyproduced,howmuchwere they paid, did they get any incentive to increase production,whywere theymembersof this cooperativeandhow theirvillage societywasfaring.Hecontinuedthestreamofquestionsatgreatlength.

HevisitedthehutsofHarijansinthevillage.Hesatwiththemandtalkedtothem. He visited the Muslim families in the village. Till two o’clock in themorning,hewasbusytalkingtothefarmersandtheirfamiliesabouttheirlivesandtheirproblems.TheHomeSecretaryhadtoremindhimabouthisnextday’sprogramme,whichwas to begin at seven a.m.Hewas forced to retire for thenight.

The next morning the Prime Minister visited the village milk cooperativesocietyrunbytheelectedrepresentativesofthevillage.Imethimthereforthefirst timeandexplained tohim theworkingof thecooperative.Onlyafter thisdidhecometoAnandandtomyhouse.Later,hedeclaredopenthecattle-feedcompounding factory and addressed the gathering with an inspiring speech.Thenwereturnedtomyhouse.

At home, he satmedownand toldme something extremely interesting.Hesaid, ‘Under the Second and Third Five Year Plans, we have built so manydairies.Allofthemownedandrunbythegovernment.Allofthemunmitigateddisasters, running at a loss.But I heardAmul dairy and its products are likedthroughout the country. It is available throughout the country and has anextremelyhighgrowthrateeveryyear.Iwanttoknowwhythisparticulardairyisasuccesswhenalltheothershavefailed.ThatiswhyIdecidedthatIwouldstayhereandfindout.AndthatiswhyIspentanightwiththevillagers,tryingtofathomthereasonsforthesuccessofAnand’sAmuldairy.ButIamsorrytosay,Kurien,thatIhavefailed.

‘Ilookedatthesoil.Goodsoil,butnotasgoodastheIndo-Gangeticplains.Iaskedabouttheclimatehere.Coldinwinter,veryhotinsummer,Iwastold.SoitisinmostofIndia.Nothingspecial.Ienquiredabouttherainfall.Thirtyinchesofrainforthreemonthsoftheyearduringthemonsoon–muchliketherestofthecountry.Ihadexpectedtoseetheentirelandscapegreen,withcattlegrazingcontentedly,but thewholeplace isbrown, just like the restof India. Ididnotfindanyabundantavailabilityoffodderandfeedhere.Ilookedatyourbuffaloesanddon’tmindmysayingthis,Kurien,buttheyarenotasgoodasthebuffaloesinmyhomestateofUttarPradesh.Thosebuffaloesarecertainlybetterandevengivemoremilk.Lastly,Ilookedatyourfarmers.They’regoodpeople–farmersare always good people – but they are not as hardworking as the farmers ofPunjab.Ican’tfindasinglereasonwhyAnandissuchagreatsuccess.Now,canyoupleasetellmewhatisthesecretofitssuccess?’

IassuredthePrimeMinisterthatallhisobservationswereabsolutelycorrectbut that there was one difference, which he had failed to notice. The solitarydifference was that Amul dairy was owned by the farmers themselves. Theelected representatives from among the farmers managed it. These electedrepresentativeshademployedmeasaprofessionalmanagertoruntheirdairy.Iwasanemployeeofthefarmers.

Inthisdairythatwasownedbythefarmers,therefore,myjobasaManagerwas tosatisfy thefarmerswhosuppliedmilk to thedairy. Ihad toprovide theinfrastructure to the farmers to help them increase production. I had to ensureincreasedproduction so that theybenefited. I couldnever refuse to collect themilktheysupplied.Thiswasadairythatwassensitivetotheneedsoffarmersandresponsivetotheirdemands.IexplainedtothePrimeMinisterthatjustasinAnand,inalladvanceddairyingcountries,thedairieswereownedbyfarmers.IpointedouttoShastrijithatallwehaddoneatAnandwastoprovethatwhatwastrue forNewZealand,Denmark,Holland and even theUS,was also true forIndia.

Theyemployedme,aprofessionalwho,intheirjudgement,wascapableandhonest.Theywere satisfiedwithmy trustworthiness, competence andhonesty.They leftme free to run thecooperativeas I thoughtbest.What ismore, theyhadprotected and supportedmeduring the initial stagesuntil I foundmy feetanddidnotallowanyonetointerferewithmywork.

TheCooperativeSocietiesActofIndiaisastagnantact.Itdoesnotencouragethecreationoftrulydemocraticinstitutions.Itisnothingbutanappendageofthecooperativedepartmentofthegovernment.ButtheKairaCooperative–Amul–in spite of such an actwas a true and functioning cooperative because of theeffortsof itsChairman,TribhuvandasPatel,whowasselectedbySardarPatel,andthefarmershadcompletetrustinhim.Iexplainedallthis,atgreatlength,toourPrimeMinister.

ThePrimeMinister,whohadbeenlisteningtomeavidly,lookedexcitedandsaid,‘Kurien, thismeansthatwecanhavemanyAnands.TherearenospecialreasonstohaveanAnandonlyinGujarat.’

Inoddedmyheadinagreement.

‘So then, Kurien,’ he continued, ‘from tomorrow you shall make it yourbusiness toworknot just forAnand,not just forGujarat,but for thewholeofIndia.TheGovernmentofIndiawillgiveyouablankcheque,itwillcreateanybody,anystructureyouwant,providedyouwillheadit.PleasereplicateAnandthroughout India. Make that your mission and whatever you need for it, thegovernmentwillprovide.’

Iheardhimoutand then toldhim thatbefore Icouldagree tohis request, Ihad certain conditions. The first was that I would remain an employee offarmers. Iwouldnotbeanemployeeof thegovernment. Iwouldnot accept a

singlepaisafromthegovernment.WhenShastrijiwantedtoknowthereasonforthecondition I toldhim that anemployeeof thegovernment inevitablyhas topleasehissuperiors;anemployeeoffarmershastopleaseonlythefarmers.

Mysecondconditionwasthatthenewbody,responsibleforreplicatingAnandthroughout the country, shouldnot be located inDelhi. ‘People inDelhi thinkabout many things but they hardly ever think about farmers,’ I reasoned. ‘InAnandwecanthinkofnothingelseotherthanfarmers,agricultureanddairying.Wehavenoother interests.Sowhateverbody thegovernmentcreatesmustbelocatedatAnand.IrefusetomovetoDelhi.’

ThePrimeMinisteragreedtoboththeseconditions.

~

PrimeMinisterLalBahadurShastriwasapeople’sleaderineverysenseoftheterm.Hecame toAnand, saw theworkingof the cooperatives and recognisedthemasinstrumentsforsocialandeconomicchangeintheruralsector.Iftherewas anything thatwas closest to theheart of this diminutivebut greatman, itwasthewell-beingofourcountry’sruralpeople.

ShastrijileftAnandandheadedbacktothecapital.InDecember1964hesentoutaDO(demi-official)lettertohiscabinetministersandtothechiefministersand governors of all states, in which he stated his intention of launching aprogramme which would form Kaira Union-type cooperatives all over thecountry. ‘We envisage a large programme of setting up cooperative dairiesduringtheFourthPlanandthiswillnodoubtbebasedontheAnandmould…,’theletterstatedinnouncertainterms.

SoonenoughIwasinvitedtoDelhiforameetingwiththeMinisterforFoodandAgriculture,C.Subramaniam.Ihadalreadyworkedcloselywithhimwhenhe had asked me to overhaul the Delhi Milk Scheme. At our meeting, theMinister discussed with me the idea that the Prime Minister had mootedregardingreplicatingmilkcooperativesinthecountryandthenheaskedmehowmuchmoneyIwouldneedtostartofftheproject.Bearinginmindthatwewouldneedtobuysomebasicofficeequipmentsuchastypewriters,tablesandchairs,ItoldhimthatIwouldneedRs30,000.

Subramaniam laughed. ‘Rs30,000?’heasked inamazement. ‘What areyougoingtogetwithRs30,000?Ithoughtyou’daskforRs30crore–evenRs300crore….’

I assured him that Rs 30,000 would be sufficient and he promised me hewould arrange for the funds.But his bureaucracy evidently had other plans. Iwas to learn soon that the bureaucrats were extremely upset that the PrimeMinisterwent tosomeplacecalledAnand,metsomefellowcalledKurienanddecided to create aNationalDairyDevelopmentBoard,when theMinistry ofAgriculturealreadyhadadairydivision.Theyfelt–fairlyorunfairly–thatbycreating a dairy development board the Prime Minister was questioning theefficiencyof theministry’sdairydivision.Thiswasviewedasan insult to theMinistryofFoodandAgriculture.

Much later, when I got to know C. Subramanian better, he told me howofficialdomhadputupabitteroppositiontothePrimeMinister’sproposalforanationaldairyboard.ThebureaucratsofDelhibelieved that therewasnoneedforsuchabodyandifatallithadtobesetupitmustnecessarilybelocatedinDelhi.Subramaniamalso informedme that seeing the truculent attitudeof thebureaucrats, thePrimeMinister toldhimthat theprojectwouldworkonly if itwas done in themanner that I had suggested, following theAnand pattern ofcooperatives.

Within thebrief twodays that Iwas inDelhi I realised that IwouldnotgeteventhemodestsumofRs30,000whichIhadrequested.Thebureaucratsputscoresofconditions.FinallyImetC.SubramaniamagainandtoldhimthatIdidnot want to create any dairy board and it would be much better if I simplyreturnedtoAnand.IrequestedhimtoinformthePrimeMinisterthatIhadleft.

TheMinistertriedtotalkmeoutofitbutwhenhesawthatIwasadamanthesaid:‘WhatshallItellthePrimeMinister?’

Iwas livid. ‘Youtell thePrimeMinister thatKurien isnotabeggar.Hehasnot comehere to ask for alms,’ I said toSubramaniam. ‘If youdidn’twant togive even Rs 30,000 you should have just said so. I would have managedwithoutit.’

‘Doyoumeantosayyoucancreate theNationalDairyDevelopmentBoardwithoutourmoney?’heasked.

IassuredhimthatIcouldandlefthisoffice.

I returned toAnandandat thenextboardmeetingof theKairaCooperativeUnionIconfidedtothemembersthatIhadaproblemonmyhands.Iexplainedto themwhathadhappened and said that thePrimeMinister had askedme to

create more Anands in the country but I would need their support andcooperation to be able to fulfil Shastriji’swishes. In otherwords, itwas onlywith their help that I could set up the NDDB. Once more, I saw the starkdifferencebetweenthewayagovernmentbureaucracyworkedandthewayourcooperativeworked.IthadtakentwodaysinDelhifortheAgricultureMinistertotryandgetclearanceforasmallamounttostartoffaprojectwhichthePrimeMinister himself was keen on initiating – and even he failed. Here, at thecooperativeboardmeeting,inamatterofminuteswefoundawayinwhichtheprojectcouldbefinanced.

Therewasonlyoneconcernthatwasvoicedbyoneoftheboardmembers.Hesaid:‘Whyareyoudoingallthis?WhycreatemoreAmuls?Youwillonlycreatemorecompetitionforus.’

WhereuponIexplainedtotheboardwhatIfelt–thatonedairyforsuchabigcountrywould not be enough in the long run.However bigwe thoughtAmulwas,itwouldnotbeabletomeetthecountry’sneeds.Thecountry,asShastrijihadrealised,neededseveralAmuls.Moreover,weshouldalsokeepinmindthatoneAmulwasonlyonestick–itcouldbebroken–ahundredAmulstogetherwouldbeverydifficulttobreak.ThereforeitwouldbeinAmul’sinteresttohelpcreatemoreofit.

Once the board was convinced with my reasoning, we worked out themodalitiesofcreatingthefundsfortheorganisationandNDDBwassetup.TheGovernment of Gujarat gave us the responsibility to build three cattle-feedplants.We built themwithAmul’s help at a cost of Rs 30 lakh each.NDDBcharged5percentroyaltytobuildthese,sowecollectedalakhandahalffromeach andwere able to putRs4.5 lakh inNDDB’skitty. IwasmadeNDDB’sHonoraryChairman,anotherAmulemployeewasmadetheHonoraryTreasurerandthethirdHonorarySecretary.SincewewerealreadyemployeesoftheKairaCooperative,wereceivednosalaryfromNDDB.TheofficespaceforNDDB–oneroomwithadeskandacoupleofchairs–wasalsowithintheKairaUnionpremises. Almost everything that the NDDB got was provided at the cost ofKairadistrict’sfarmers.Thetechnicalandmanagerialcompetenceof theKairaCooperative – the entire army of Amul – was placed at the disposal of theNDDB.Intheearlyyears,therefore,NDDBhadanincomebutnoexpenditure.That was how NDDB was created – with absolutely no help from thegovernment.

NDDB’s brief was to replicate Amul – or the Anand pattern of milkcooperatives – throughout India. In essence, it meant that dairying had to berescued from the government and given to the dairy farmers to whom itrightfullybelonged.Ifbynowmyintermittentinteractionswiththegovernmenthadrevealedtomeonetruth,itwasthattheworkofgovernmentshouldonlybetogovern.Thegovernmentoughtnot toget intobusinesses.Thegovernment’srulesandregulationswerecertainlynotmeanttorundairies;theyweremeanttoadminister the country. Itwas inevitable, therefore, thatwhen the governmenttriedtorundairies–asintheDelhiMilkSchemeortheCalcuttaMilkSchemeortheBombayMilkScheme–theyturnedouttobeutterdisasters.ThiswasthepointthatShastrijiunderstoodandthatiswhyhewantedNDDBtobecreated.

Once theDairyBoardwas inplace I thought that itwas time toproceed tofulfilthemandategiventome.Ibeganwiththeneighbouringstate(bythistimeBombaystatehadbeendivided intoGujaratandMaharashtra)andapproachedtheChiefMinisterofMaharashtra.Whattranspiredwasafascinatingprocess–aprocessthatwasfollowedlikeapatternbymostoftheotherstatesIapproached.Itprovidedmewithaninsightintotheworkingofthebureaucrat’smind.

When I got to Bombay and asked the Chief Minister if I could create anAnandinMaharashtra,heseemedmorethanagreeableandheputmeintouchwith the Agriculture Minister. The Minister, in turn, arranged for a meetingbetweenmeandtheMilkCommissioner.ItookgreatpainsinexplainingtotheMilkCommissionerwhatwewereattemptingtodoatNDDB.

‘So,accordingtoyou,thedairyshouldbeownedbythefarmers,’heobserved.‘ThenwhatshouldIown?Youwilldismantlemydepartment.IknowwhatyouhavedoneinGujaratandthereisnomilkcommissionerthere–thereisnotevenamilkdepartmentthere.’

I said to him, ‘I agree there’s nomilk commissioner ormilk department inGujarat,butthereismilkinGujarat.’

He was not moved and he told me that the farmers in Maharashtra weredifferent,thatmyideaswereallwrongandwhilethesestrangeideasmayhaveworkedinGujarattheywouldnotworkinotherstates.

IhaveneverbeenonetogiveupeasilyandbynoweveryonewhoknewmeknewthatIthrivedonchallenges.Sinceitwaswellknownthatthelogicalandnatural enemy of the Milk Commissioner is the person who holds thedesignation of theDirector of Animal Husbandry, I decided tomeet him and

explaintohimthattheprivilegeofcollectingmilkfromthefarmersmustcarrywith it theobligation tohelp the farmer increaseproductionbyprovidinghiminputs.Anandatthattimehadseventyfiveveterinariansemployedbyfarmers,withninehundredfirst-aidworkers.Wehadourownbreedingstations;wedid300,000artificialinseminations.Iwasquitesurehewouldbeimpressedbythesefigures.

Hisresponsewas:‘Thenwhatwillhappentomydepartment?’

Isaid,‘Surely,whathappenstoyourdepartmentisirrelevant?Whatmattersishowitbenefitsthefarmers.’

Evidently, he did not think so and he threwme out saying that these ideaswould not work there. Then I went to a third gentleman – the Registrar ofCooperatives.Iexplainedtheentireraisond’etreofAmulandNDDBtohimaswell.

‘You are absolutely right Kurien. Cooperation is the only way,’ he said. ‘Ihaveanexcellentchap,adeputyregistrarwhoisdueforpromotion.We’llmakehimthejointregistrarandputhiminchargeofthisproject.’

By this time I was fast losing my patience. ‘My friend, you have notunderstoodanything,’ Isaid. ‘Acooperative isanorganisation that ismanagedbyfarmers.Ithastoberunbythepeopleemployedbythefarmersandnotbygovernmentofficers.’TheRegistrarofCooperativeswasnotconvincedeither.

We approached state government after state government trying to impressuponthemtheneedformilkcooperativesthatwouldfollowtheAnandpattern.Whenthereactionfromallstategovernmentswaspracticallythesame–thatmyoutlandishideasperhapsworkedinGujaratbutwouldnotworkintheirstate–IrealisedthatitwasnotpossibletodowhatthePrimeMinisterwished.TocreateAnands in thecountrywouldprove tobeextremelydifficult,onlybecause thebureaucracywouldnotpermitit.

Indevelopingcountries,oneofthebiggestobstaclesisthatthepeopledonothaveanypower. Itwasquiteclear that thestategovernmentofficialswerenotgoing topermit thecreationofdairiesownedbyfarmers–particularlywhenIexpected them to release funds from state resources. I then came to theconclusionthatifwewantedtodevelopandcreatemoreAnands,wewouldneedto have our own funds. Then I could go to the state governments and say tothem:‘WewillgiveyouRs5croretocreateanAnandinyourstatebutonone

condition– thatyouensure thatvillagecooperativesareorganisedandmilk iscollected through cooperative structures; that a dairy is organised for themilkfarmersandagenuinefarmers’cooperativeisestablishedwherethefarmerswillownthedairy.’

TheseedsofOperationFloodbegangerminatinginmymind.

~

WorkingfromasmallroomintheAmuloffice,mycolleaguesH.M.DalayaandMichaelHalsehelpedmefinaliseaproposal thataimed toacceleratedomesticmilkproductionandthatwaseconomicallysoundandsociallydesirable.

MichaelHalsewasanFAOexpertandaHarvard-trainedVisitingProfessorattheIndianInstituteofManagement(IIM)inAhmedabadonaFordFoundationgrant.HeusedtovisitAnandveryoftenashewasresearchingonanagricultureproject at the IIM and was keenly interested in our work with the dairycooperativesofKaira.WehititoffextremelywellandwhenhistermattheIIMwasdrawingtoaclose,Iaskedhimtojoinus.ButwecouldneverhavematchedthemoneyhewasgettingfromtheFordFoundationsoIcameupwithanidea.FromthefourmilliondollarsweborrowedfromtheWorldBankforOperationFlood,wegaveamilliondollarstotheFAO,togetMikeforus.

MikeandIworkedincloseandharmoniouscoordination.WheneverIgotanidea, Iwould callMike.The two of uswould sit and discuss it at length andMikewould takedownextensivenotes.Ourdiscussionswouldoften continuefor a couple of days.ThenMikewoulddisappear, often for four or fivedays.Whenhefinallyreturnedhewouldhaveaperfect,beautifullycrafteddocumentusingmylanguageexactly.ThisishowweproducedtheentireOperationFlooddocumentbetweenthetwoofus.

InmanywaysthismarkedthebeginningofIndia’squestforfoodsecurityinmilk.Itwasnocoincidencethatthefinalisationofourproposaloccurredon31October1968–whichwasSardarPatel’sbirthanniversary–andinAnand,soclosetohisbirthplace.SardarPatel’sbirthdayalwaysmarkedthelaunchingofanimportantprojectforthedairyfarmersofKaira,forinthelate1940shehadplayedacriticalroleincreatingthemilkcooperativeinAnandandcontinuedtoinspirethefarmersandtheirleaderswithavisionthatwouldensureitssuccess.

Some twenty years later the success of that cooperative, which had startedwith merely two cans of milk and a handful of milk producers, became the

driving force behind a national programme to increase the country’s milkproduction.Notmanywillrememberthistoday–andindeednottoomanyinthegovernmentwerewillingtoacknowledgeitthen–buttherewasanurgentneedtoinitiateanationalprogramme.

In1950-51percapitaconsumptionofmilkinIndiawas124gmperday.By1970thisfigurehaddroppedto107gmperday,probablyoneofthelowestinthe world and certainly well below the minimum recommended nutritionalstandards.Ourdairyindustrywasstrugglingtosurvive.Weproducedless than21milliontonsofmilkperannumdespitethefactthatwehadthelargestcattlepopulationintheworld.Thingswerebeginningtolookgrim,particularlygiventhe importanceofmilkandmilkproducts in the Indiandiet.When theNDDBteam formulated a proposal forwhatwe rather ambitiously named ‘OperationFlood’,itwashardlysurprisingthatthegovernmentquicklyovercameitsearlierindifferencetotheprogrammeandfinallyapprovedtheproposaltoenhancemilkproductionthroughthecooperativemethodonanationalscale.

TofullyunderstandtheneedforaprojectlikeOperationFlood,itisimportanttoknowabitaboutthepatternsofcattleandmilkmovementinthosedays.Allthe research that our pioneering NDDB team did pointed to one extremelyworryingtrend.Thatwas,thatinthe1960s,theroutineandsenselessdestructionofourhigh-yieldingmilchanimalswas intrinsic to themilksupplysystemsofourmajorcities.InBombayandCalcutta,especially,thenumberofcattlekeptinthecityhadincreaseddramaticallyduringtheprecedingthirtyyears.

InBombay,forinstance,wheretherewasnotenoughroomforpeopletolive,100,000buffaloeswerekeptinthemostawfulconditions.Thesebuffaloeswerebrought into the city each year from the rural hinterland, as soon as they hadcalved.SomeofthemwerebroughtfromasfarawayasPunjab.Thecalfalwaysaccompanieditsmothertoencouragetherapidletdownofmilk.Thefirstthingthat they did in the citywas to train themother to let downhermilkwithoutsuckling the calf. The process took about fifteen to twenty days after which,since therewasneither thespacenor themoneyto lookafter it in thecity, thecalfwasmercilesslydestroyed– frequentlystarvedordrowned.Calfmortalitywas100percentwithin twentydaysof theirarrival inBombay.Thus100,000calves– theprogenyof thefinestbuffaloes in thecountry–werekilled in thecityeverysingleyear.

As urban dwellings started expanding rapidly, cattle-keepers in these cities

hadtogofurtherandfurtherafieldforsuppliesofgreenfodder.Therefore,theyusedonlythehighestyieldinganimalsinordertogetprofitfromtheirhighcostmilkproduction–andtheyfounditunprofitabletofreshenamilchanimalwhenher lactationended.Whatdid theydowith themotherbuffalo?After seven toeightmonthsthebuffalowentdry,andifshedidnotconceive–whichsherarelydidinthecity–shewassentofftotheslaughterhouse.Theyoungeronesweresentbacktothevillagesmilesawaytocalveagainandproducemoremilk.Themortality of buffaloes in Bombay city thus was about 50 per cent each year,whichmeantthatanastounding50,000ofthebestanimalsweredestroyedinthecity alone. Calcutta was no better except that there, since cow’s milk waspreferredforthefamousBengalisweets,thebestcowsandtheircalveswouldbetakentothecityandthendecimated.

Thefalloutfromthisdestructionwasunbelievable.Inawidearc–stretchingfromGujarat,throughPunjabandUttarPradesh–thebestreservesofourmilchanimalswererobbedoftheirhigh-yieldinggeneticmaterial,asbuffaloes,cowsandtheircalveswereherdedintothecitiesoveroneortwoshortlactationsandthenthoughtlesslyslaughtered.

Besidesthis,truckloadsofcattlefeedandfodderwhichhadtobetransportedtothecitiescontributedtotheincreasingpressureonroadandrailwaysystems.Eachkhatal(stable)contributeditscattle’swaste,dungandurine,tothecities’overloaded sewage systems and made the already precarious environmentunhealthier.

Nordidthemilkthusproducedaffordcitizensmuchnutrition.Apartfromthehighlyunscientific andunhygienicmethodsofmilkextraction, thecities’milkproducers found that their stable’s supply of milk barely covered their costs,whichincludedtheextortionaterateschargedbytheirmoneylenders.Therefore,they would dilute the milk with water – usually impure water – and theconsumerwouldgetmilkthatwasbothadulteratedandhighlypriced.

The government’s liquidmilk schemes (like theBombayMilkScheme), onthe other hand, did not have the capacity to meet their city’s entire needs.Moreover,asmoderndairies,theycouldnotdilutethemilktheyproduced.Forsometime–whenimportedmilkpowderwascheapandthegovernmentsparedthe foreignexchange– they importedpowder tosubsidise theiroperationsandmarginallyexpandtheirmeagresuppliesofmilk.Fewmilkschemes,however,couldmeetmore thanone-thirdof their city’s needs andwhen theydepressed

pricesby theuseof importedpowder, theydiscouraged localmilkproduction.Effortsbymost liquidmilkschemestoincreasetheirpricesonlyledtoprivatevendors raising their prices equally – so that, aided by dilution, they couldcontinuetooutbidthemilkschemeforruralmilkinthecity’smilkshedareas.

Theultimateloserwasthecommonconsumerandherchildren.Inthecities,motherssawmilkgettingincreasinglythinnerandmoreexpensiveeachyear,asthe city got filthier and more unhealthy to live in. In the countryside, theordinary milk producer saw her best milch animals going to the city forpremature slaughter – while the milk that she produced from her remaining,lower-yielding buffaloes and cows still brought her only a small share of therupeethatthecityconsumerspaidforthatmilk.

This was the anti-dairy development cycle that our proposal for projectOperationFloodsoughttoreverse,byworkingoutmethodswherebymilkwouldnotneedtotraveltocitiesonthehoof.TheprojectenvisagedtheorganisationofAnand-pattern cooperatives inmilksheds across the country fromwhere liquidmilkproduced andprocuredbymilk cooperativeswouldbe transported to thecities.WeexpectedthispartoftheprojecttocosttothetuneofRs650crore.Weknewverywell that theGovernmentof Indiahadmanydemandson its fundsandifweweretoaskforthisamountfordairydevelopmentwewereunlikelytogetit.Thereforeweevolvedauniquemethodologyoffundingourprogramme,totheextentofthatRs650crore.

Exactlyatthisstagethereemergedacurioussituationinthedairyindustryofthe developed world. For us, this turned out to be an extremely beneficialcoincidence.Inthelate1960s,therewasaglutofmilkproductsinthedevelopedworld. This presented uswith a unique opportunity – an opportunity thatwasunlikely to recur, because thedevelopedcountrieswouldbeunlikely to repeatsuch a costly error, one which had produced such large surpluses of milkproducts.IrealisedthatweatNDDB,asthoseresponsiblefordairydevelopmentin Indiamust, therefore, quickly evolve a programme thatwould utilise thesesurpluscommodities fromEurope togenerate funds required to finance theRs650croreforOperationFlood.

Ourproposalhad thepotential tonot just stem thealarmingdecline inmilkproductionbuttoreversethetrendtotheadvantageofbothconsumersandmilkproducers.Theplanwastousedonatedmilkproductsfromoverseastofacilitateprotectionofhigh-yieldingcattle,resettlementofcity-keptcattleandtoobtaina

commanding share of the market for the liquid milk schemes in four majorIndiancities.

Thiswasourproject‘OperationFlood’whichverysooncametobereferredtoas‘thebillion-litreidea’.

Atonelevel,theEuropeanEconomicCommunity’s(EEC)growingmountainsofmilk powder and lakes of butter oil could have posed a potential problem,which could have crippled our dairy industry. The European countries werealreadylookingforasolutiontotheirsurplusessincethesearenotcommoditiesthatimprovewithage.IfeareditwasonlyamatteroftimebeforesomekindlyEuropeangentlemandecidedthattheappropriatethingtodowastosendthosecommoditiestohelpfeed‘India’sstarvingmillions’and, indoingso,crushforall time the growing aspirations of our dairy farmers. For if our governmentacceptedthisaid–asitsurelywould–andputittoconsumptionbypoorpeopleorchildren,itwouldtherebystimulateademandwithoutmakinganyattempttofulfil that demandwith internal production thereafter. How could our farmerseverhope tocompetewithdonatedorconcessionalmilkandbutteroil sold tosatisfyoururbanconsumers?

In every crisis, if you look carefully, you will spot an opportunity. Myinsistence on finding and seizing that opportunity has often been a source ofannoyanceformanyofmycolleaguesbecauseitmeansthatunlikemostpeople,Inevertrytosidestepacrisis.Rather,themoremonstrousthecrisis,themoreIamtemptedtorushatit,graspitbythehornsandmanoeuvreituntilitgivesmewhatIwant!

At this juncture,manyenormouscrisesappearedon thehorizonandIcouldonlythinkofputtingthemalltogetherandtransformingthemintoanexcellentopportunity.IconvincedmycolleaguesthatwemusttalktheEuropeanleadersinto donating the commodities, but not simply to meet urban demand. Weplanned toconvince themthat theyshouldgift thecommodities to theNDDB,which would sell them at prices comparable to our farmers’ prices, forreconstitution into milk and then for sale in our metros – again at pricescomparable to our farmers’ prices. We would thus utilise the donatedcommoditiestobuildamarketforqualitymilkinourcities.

However,itwasonethingconvincingmycolleagues,quiteanothergettingthegovernment to appreciate and move the proposal forward. I had sent theOperation Flood proposal to the government with great enthusiasm and was

quitecrushedthattherehadbeennoresponsewhatsoeverfromDelhi.

Then one day, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gujarat, Imdad Ali,telephonedmeandsaid,‘Kurien,Iamintrouble.’IjokinglysaidtohimthatiftheIGPwasintrouble,thenallmustbewellinthestate.Hesaid,‘Mybigboss,HomeSecretaryL.P.Singh,iscomingfromDelhionavisit.He’sspendingtwodaysinthecity.Ihavemanagedtoworkouthisprogrammeforadayandahalf,but I find that there is stillhalf aday leftwhenhehasnothing todo.Could IbringhimovertoAnand?’

Itoldhimhecould.IreceivedL.P.SinghinAnandandshowedhimaroundtheAmuldairy.Hewasamazedtoseewhatthecooperativeshadmanagedtodo.Ithentookhimhomeandthereoveracupofcoffee,theHomeSecretarybegantoaskmewhywedidnothavesimilarprojects in thecountry,andwhymorefarmers’institutionswerenotmanagedbyfarmers,andsoonandsoforth.

This was just the opening I was waiting for. ‘It’s because of your damnedbureaucracy,’ I said angrily. ‘Because they don’t ever recognise anything elsedonebyanybody.Theydon’tevenknowaboutAmuldairy.Yourbureaucratsdonotwantexperts.Theydon’twant thosewhostrengthen thepeople; theyonlywantthosewhostrengthenthebureaucracy.’

Then I told L.P. Singh that after the Prime Minister’s visit and on hissuggestion, I had already sent a proposal to the government explaining howAnand could be replicated in the rest of the country. But this proposal wasgatheringdust in theofficeof anofficer at thePlanningCommission.Wehadlearnt that thisofficerwaswaitingforanswers to twoquestionswhichwereinhismindbutwhichhehadneverasked! Ihadalsosentacoupleof reminderswhichweretotallyignored.ItoldtheHomeSecretarythatIwassofedupthatIhadfinallyquittrying.L.P.SinghaskedifhecouldhaveacopyoftheproposalandIhandedhimonewhichhetookbackwithhimtoDelhi.

A few days later I got a call from him telling me that he had read thedocument and had spoken to theCabinet Secretary, the Secretary,AgricultureandvariousotherseniorbureaucratsandhewantedmetocometoDelhitomeetallof them.Stillpeeved thatmyproposalhadbeen ignored for so long, I toldhimthatIhadnoplanstovisitDelhianytimesoon,butwhenIdid,Iwouldlethimknow.

Afteraboutamonth, Ihad togo toChandigarhforameetingsoI informedtheHomeSecretary that Iwascoming toDelhiat sevenp.m. thateveningbut

wouldleaveforChandigarhatsixa.m.thenextmorning.‘Irealisethatwewillhaveno time tomeet,’ I said, ‘but since Ihadpromisedyou, I am lettingyouknow.’

When I reachedDelhi at seven p.m. therewas a car waiting forme at theairport.IwastakendirectlytoL.P.Singh’shouse.Hehadmanagedtogetalltheseniorbureaucrats to themeeting and they said, ‘Well ifMohammeddoesnotcometothemountain,thenthemountainmustcometoMohammed.NowtelluswhatisthisOperationFlood.’

Ispentthreehourswiththem.L.P.Singhlookedatthegatheringandsaid:‘Hehas asked nothing fromus, other than to forward his proposal toRome.Howcomewehavenotdonethisyet?HehasalreadyspokentotheexecutivesattheWorldBank,hehasspokento theDirector-GeneralofFAOandsoon,andwehavejustbeensittingonit?Whatkindofbureaucracyareweheading?’

The bureaucrats immediately toldme that theywould hold aCommittee ofSecretariesmeetingattendedbytheCabinetSecretary,Shivaraman,andIshouldalsobepresentbecausetheywouldapprovetheproposalatthismeeting.ThisishowOperationFloodwasfinallyapprovedbytheCommitteeofSecretariesandsanctioned by the Government of India. No politician was involved in thissanction.When Iwent toRome to present the proposal at themeeting of thetwenty-twonations,B.R.Patel,theAgricultureSecretary,accompaniedme.

The proceeds from this project ultimately financed the creation of acooperativestructureinIndiawhich,asIwritein2005,involvesaroundelevenmillion dairy farmers in twenty-four states of the nation. These farmers todayown their own dairy plants, aremembers of cooperatives, cooperative unionsandfederationsandmarketsomeofIndia’sbest-knowndairyproducts.

Toperationflood

HE YEAR 1965 WAS FAIRLY MOMENTOUS FOR ME. THAT YEAR, MICHIGAN StateUniversityconferredonmeanhonorarydegreeof‘DoctorofScience’amid

great fanfare, thereby promoting me from an ordinary ‘Mr Kurien’ to ‘DrKurien’.

In September 1965, NDDBwas registered as a society under the SocietiesRegistrationAct,1860.MycolleaguesandI,energisedwithourgrandschemefor Operation Flood, impatient to implement it, were thinking of ways andmeansofreceivingthegiftedcommoditiesandutilisingthemtogeneratefundsforvariousactivitieswithintheproject.OurproposalenvisagedindetailhowtheEuropeansurplusesweretobeusedtospeedupIndia’sdairydevelopment.

Inanutshell,ourapproach involved threebasicsteps.Thefirstwas that thedonatedmilkproductswouldbereconstituted,inordertoprovidetheBombay,Delhi,Calcutta andMadras liquidmilk schemeswithenoughmilk toobtainacommanding share of their markets. Next, the funds realised from thisreconstitutionandsaleofdonatedproductsweretobeusedtoresettlecity-keptcattle and help them to breed and to increase organised milk production, itsprocurement and processing. Finally, this entire operation would be directedtowardsstabilisingthepositionofmajorliquidmilkschemesintheirmarkets.

Wesent inourproposal to theWorldFoodProgramme(WFP)forapproval.As we eagerly awaited a response from them, we had a reason to worry.Kesteven,anAustralian,ChiefoftheAnimalProductionandHealthDivisionoftheFAO,warnedusthatunlesswegotourproposalthroughveryfast,westoodtoloseit.Heconfirmedtouswhatwealreadyknew–thattheEuropeanUnionwasinahurrytoutilisethefoodaid.Buthealsotoldussomethingwedidnotknow.

Kesteven confided to us that he had heard whispers that Nazir Ahmed, aPakistaniwhowastheheadoftheWFPforthisregion,wantedtheaidtogotoPakistan. Nazir Ahmed had copied our entire proposal and sent it to theAmbassadorofPakistan inRome,advisinghimtosimplysubstitute thenamesof cities – change Bombay to Lahore, Calcutta to Karachi and so on – andsubmititasPakistan’sproposaltotheWFP.

I was aware that Nazir Ahmed was deeply prejudiced against the Indian

government. I remember that he had once askedme how a Christian likemecould be designated Chairman of NDDB. I had replied: ‘Mr Ahmed, that isbecauseIndiaisnotPakistan.WhenyourcountryattackedIndia,theCollectorofKutch district was a Christian, the IGP in Gujarat was a devoutMuslim, theHomeSecretaryofGujaratwasaChristianandtheGovernorofGujaratwasaMuslim.ThatisIndiaforyou.’

Kestevennowurgedusthatifwedidnotpushharderandfaster,theaid–oratleast half of it –might go to Pakistan.However,NazirAhmed’s ploy did notworkandIwasaskedtomeetacommitteeoftheWFPtoformallypresenttheproposal for Operation Flood. With no help from the government, NDDBplannedtheprogrammeandnegotiatedthedetailsofEECassistance.

IcanstillrecallmyvisittoRomeinOctober1968topresentNDDB’sprojectproposaltoatwenty-fournationexecutivecommitteeoftheWFP.TheSecretary,Agriculture,of theGovernment of India at that timewasB.R. Patel, later theViceChairmanofAirIndia.AssoonashemetmeinRomehesaidtome,‘Lookhere,Idon’tknowanythingaboutanyofthissoyouhavetohandleitall.Myjobwouldbeentirelylimitedtosaying:“India’spointofviewwillbepresentedbyDrKurien.”AndwiththatIwillendandyouwilltakeover.’

One thing I abhor is delivering speeches from prepared notes. Very oftencolleagues have helpfully tried to presentmewith notes formy speeches butonceIstanduptofacetheaudience,theneedtosharemyfeelingsandthoughtsleads me to quickly put those notes aside and speak extempore. I had notpreparedawrittenpresentationfor thisgatheringinRomeeither.Yet, IwassocompletelyimmersedintheconceptofOperationFloodandsoconvincedthatIdeliveredan intensely impassionedspeech,completelyoff thecuffbut straightfrommyheart.Imusthavegivenaprettygoodperformanceandmyargumentsmusthavebeenconvincing,forIreceivedanastoundingresponse.

Theimpactofmypresentationwastangible,foralmostallthosepresentcameuptocongratulateme.Tworesponsesinparticulardelightedme.TheheadoftheAustraliandelegationshookmyhandwarmlyandsaid:‘Icameheredeterminedto oppose your project but after you spoke, how could I?’ And I felt anothersenseofvictorywhenaPakistanidelegatecametomeandsaid:‘DrKurien,mybriefwasverysimple:“Opposeeverything that Indiaproposes”.Butafteryouspoke, I simplycouldnotdo that.Sopleaseunderstand thatmy silence ismysupport.’

Essentially, the focus of my speech was on how food aid, when usedjudiciously,couldbecomeaninstrumentforsocialandeconomicwell-beingandnot something that would mar and destroy that country’s self-sufficiency. IconvincedthedelegatesthatbeinganemployeeofthefarmersofIndiaIwouldusethisaidforthegoodofmycountry,notforthegoodoftheEEC.Iwarnedthem that I would not allow them to create by their donations a permanentmarket here – I would not allow them to ‘dump’ their dairy products in mycountry.AndbecauseI recognised that foodaid isa two-edgedswordIwouldnotwielditunskillfully,therebycuttingourownthroat.

Iinformedthemthat,infact,inIndiaone-thirdofthemilkbeingsuppliedinthecitiesofBombay,Delhi,CalcuttaandMadraswasfromimportedpowderbutI was the only one who spoke of it. Even baby-food manufacturers usedimportedmilkpowder.ItoldthembluntlythatIrecognisedthatfoodaidwasan‘investment’bydonatingcountries.

Ifadonatingcountrygivesus$100millionworthofmilk, theyare, in fact,investing$100millioninthecountryatatimewhenthereisaworldsurplusinmilkandglobalpricesaredown. Iwasaware that theyweredoingsowithanintention,hopingthatitwouldhavearesidualimpact–thatis,iftheydistribute$100millionworthofmilk,atleast$10millionresidualdemandwouldremaininmy country,whichwould, perforce, have to bemet by imports. Therefore,they expected a 10 per cent return on their investment, which was not a badreturn.

Moreover,sincetheyweregivingtheaidatatimewhenthepricesweredownandlater,whenIndiawasrequiredtobuythecommodity,thepriceswouldhaveshotup,that10percentcouldhaveactuallybecome20percent.Itoldthemthatdonating countries were well aware of these tricks when they gave food aid.They would, in fact, like to see India, an important milk-producing country,buckleunderitsfeet.

I assured them that it was my job to see to it that this did not happen. IpromisedthemthatIwouldnotallowIndiatobecomedependentontheirgifts;Iwouldnotallowtheseproductstobedistributedinmycountryatapricelowerthanwhat Indian producers could demand; I would not allow it to become adisincentivetoproducemilkhere.

Mygovernmenthadnominatedme–asChairmanofNDDB–toreceivethesegiftsbecauseIwasawareofwhatneededtobedonetoprotecttheinterestofmy

country.SinceIservedthefarmers,themilkproducersofIndia,IwouldneverallowthelargessetodamagetheinterestsoftheIndianfarmers.Iconvincedthegathering that the food aid would be handled differently and would not bedistributedatlowpricesintheministers’constituenciestomakethempopular–notevenintheconstituencyofthePrimeMinister.Aboveall,Ihopedthattheywould understand that this projectwasworkable because itwould not have abureaucratatthehelm.

Havingsaidallthis,IalsostressedthatitwascrucialthatIndiareceivetheaidbecause it would give us an opportunity to replicate theAnand pattern at thenational level. The money so generated would be used solely to stimulateproductionandcreateastructurethatwouldensureacontinuityofthisprocess.Withouttheircooperation,Ipointedout,theprojectwouldremainameredream.

Afteraprolongedsession,NazirAhmedfelthemusthavethelastword.Heasked,‘Howcanwebesurethatyourproposalisfoolproof?’Therewassilenceamongtheaudience.Ithenreplied,‘IthoughtIhadmadeitfoolproofbutIseethatIhavefailed.’Afteralongsilenceeveryoneburstoutlaughing.

Clearly,myargumentswereconvincing.TheproposalforthedonationoffoodaidfromEurope toIndiawasapprovedbytheWFPandtheprojectagreementwas signed between theGovernment of India and theUnitedNations/WFP inMarch1970. It had takenover a year from the timemy colleagues and I firstconceptualised the project, but now we had won our first battle to initiateOperationFlood.

Atfirst,NDDBwastobetheoperatingauthorityfortheproject,handlingthedonatedgift commodities, selling them to thedairyplantsandusing the fundsthusgeneratedfortheimplementationofOperationFlood.However,itwasfeltthatsinceNDDBwasmerelyaregisteredsociety, itwouldnotbeabletocopewithsuchamassivetask.Therefore,inFebruary1970theGovernmentofIndiasetupanewpublic-sectorcompany,theIndianDairyCorporation(IDC),undertheIndianCompaniesActof1956,toreceivethegifts,generatefundsbytheirsale and disburse the funds to implement Operation Flood. NDDB was tocontinue as a technical consultancy body, responsible for preparing feasibilitystudies,undertakingdairyprojectsonaturnkeybasisandsoon.ThegovernmentappointedmeChairmanofIDCtoo.

InJuly1970,NDDBofficiallylaunched‘thebillion-litreidea’withitsgoaltotakeIndia’sdairyindustryfromadroptoaflood.Itwastobecomethebiggest

dairydevelopmentprogrammeintheworld.

~

ThepurposeofOperationFlood,ofcourse,wastoreplicateAnandinanumberof India’smajormilksheds.Thebasicprinciplesunderlying this project are sosimplethatmanypeopletendtooverlookthem.InhindsightitamazesmehowallthedairiesbuiltinIndiabeforeOperationFloodignoredthem.

The first of the principleswas that ifwewanted to producemilk,wemusthaveamarketforitandthatmarketmustbesuchthatthepersonproducingthecommoditymustprofit.AfterourexperienceatAmul,weknew thatwecoulddepend on our farmers. The farmers have a long and ancient tradition behindthemandagreatwisdombornoutofexperience,andonceweassureamarketandagoodprice,theywillproduce.

Unfortunately,ourdirectorsatanimalhusbandryandourdirectorsofthemilkdepartmentdidnotunderstandthisfundamentalprinciplewhenever they talkedof increased production; they spoke endlessly of better seeds, fertilisers,irrigationorofvaccines,Holsteinsemen,Jerseysemen,warmsemenorfrozensemenandsoon.Noneofthesepeopleeverspokeaboutmarketing,whichwasso central to increased production.We at NDDB knew that therewould havebeennoAnandunlesstherewasaBombay.Therecouldbenoproductionunlesstherewas amarket.Marketing, therefore,was the dominant orientation of theprojectasawhole.

Another lesson we had already learnt at Amul was that we could not linkprocurementandmarketingrigidly.Itwastruethatinthecaseofmilkwecouldnotsellmorethanwecollectedandneithercouldwesellless,andtherefore,themarket needed to expand just that much more. However, if we had linkedprocurement and marketing rigidly, we would have created a situation wheremarketshadtoexpandatexactlythesamerateasproductionorprocurement–which is impossible.What, for instance, would happen in summer, when theproductionandprocurementofmilkgoesdown?Themarketwouldnotshrinktosuitus.Soweknewthatthemomentwelinkedthetworigidly,thingswouldnotwork.

The second basic principlewas that anAnand could not be created next toBombay.Forinstance,weknewthatifwehadtriedtocollectmilkfromwithinaradiusofthirtymilesofBombay,astheDelhiMilkSchemetriedtodoinDelhi,

itwouldbedoomedbecausethenallyouneedisadoodhwalabhaiyya–alocalmilkman–onabicycle.ExpensivestructuresliketheDelhiMilkScheme,withthousandsof employees and the IASmenon top,wereunnecessary tomerelycarrymilk some thirtymiles into town to the consumer.With theiroverheads,theycouldneverhavehopedtocompetewiththedoodhwalabhaiyyaandwon.Thelocalmilkmanaddswatertothemilkeverysummerwhenthemilksupplydrops;wheninwinterhehastoomuchmilk,herefusestocollectmorethanhewants from the farmers. Government departments, naturally, could not do allthis. Thus, while government dairies continued to collect, pasteurise anddistributeacertainquantityofmilkdaily,theydidsonotasviableunitsbutasloss-makersdependingonheavysubsidy.

We atAnand knew that ifwewanted to get hold of procurement, not onlymustwe fightwith thosewhocollectmilk– the traders, themilkmerchants–andpersuade thefarmers togive themilk tous,butwemustalsoattack thosesamemilkmerchantsintheareaswheretheysoldthemilk.Wehadalreadydonethis in Baroda. The cooperatives in Baroda could not capture the availablemarketinsummerbecausetheydidnothaveenoughmilk.Inwinterwhentheyhad all the milk, there was no market. When the Chairman of the BarodaCooperative came to me with this problem, I proposed to him a cooperativesolution.IsaidthattheKairaCooperativewouldgivethem25,000litresofmilkfromAnandinsummer,sotheycouldcaptureanadditional25,000litremarket.Inreturn,theycouldsendustheirexcesssupplyinwinter.Whenwedidthis,theBarodaCooperativefoundthatinsummertheircollectionautomaticallywentupby25,000litresbecausetheircompetitorlostthatmuchinthemarket.

ThroughOperation Floodwewould get commodities from Europe and putthat milk into distribution, capture the market in Delhi and the other cities,wherebythemerchantswouldlosethemarketandthecollectionofmilkwouldfallintoourlaps.These,then,werethesimpleprinciplesunderlyingthisproject,mostofthembasedongoodsoundmarketing.Thebedrockofallthis,naturally,wouldbethecooperativesystem,whichwouldnotprovideanyroomforthosesuckingawaymarginsexploitingboththeproducerandtheconsumer.OperationFlood would, therefore, help in establishing a direct link between those whoproduced the milk and those who consumed it, and the cooperative structurewouldensurethetransferofthemaximumshareoftheconsumer’srupeetotheproducer.

Whenmy colleagues and I designed and proposedOperation Flood, in our

minds the project had other, larger implications too, besides achieving self-sufficiency inmilk.Wealsowanted to ensure thedevelopmentofwomenandmen belonging to one of the most neglected sections of our society – ourfarmers.Wewereconvincedthatthiscouldbedoneonlyifweinvolvedthemintheprocessofdevelopment.WhentheBritishruledustheysaidwhygivethese‘natives’anyfreedom,theywillonlymakeamessofit.Similarwasthe‘brownsahib’mindset. Itwas strange and ironic thatwe forgot how to trust our ownfarmersdespitethefactthatourownancestorsmusthavebeenfarmers.

Knowingtheattitudeofourbrownsahibs,IwasexpectingoppositionandwashardlysurprisedwhenitcameasOperationFloodbegan,becausedairyingwasalreadydominatedbygovernmentalstructures.Onehundredgovernmentdairieshad alreadybeenbuilt indifferent parts of the country.Whenever therewas aproblemadepartmentwascreatedtolookintoit,acommissionerwasappointedandajointcommissionerimmediatelyfollowed.Awholecumbersomehierarchywascreated,inkeepingwiththebureaucraticapproachinIndia.

On the other hand, Operation Flood was to be completely decentralised.Villagematterswouldbehandledbyvillagesocieties.Milkwouldbecollectedbypeopleofthevillages;atthedistrictlevelthedairieswouldbehandledbythedistrict unions; at the state level themarketingwould be taken care of by themarketingfederations.Inourdairycooperativestructure,theproductionofmilkis kept in the hands of the small farmers, the marginal farmers and landlesslabourers. The entire structure, therefore, fits in with the spirit of India, of adecentralised,ruraleconomy.Thecooperativestructureneverencourageshuge,bureaucratic systems, for it knows that mammoth bureaucracies cannot besensitivetotheneedsofpeople.Unfortunately,ourbureaucracyhasbeenagainstsuchdecentralisedsystems.

Naturally, therefore,wehaddifficulty ingettingsuch structures acceptedbycertain bureaucrats. In many states there already existed dairy developmentdepartments employing 25,000 people. These departments imagined that theyexistedinordertogivejobstothesepeople.Ibelievedtheyexistedonlypartlytogivejobsandpartlytoprovidemarketingfacilitiestomillionsoffarmers.Thiswasafundamentaldifferenceinourapproachandproblemsandconflictsaroseconstantly.

‘Where cooperation fails, there fails the only hope of rural India’.Interestingly, this was a statement made by the Royal Commission of

Agriculture before independence, but very few in our country recognised thetruthbehind it.Unfortunately, as things stand today,many Indiancooperativesdonotfunctionefficientlybecausetheyhavebeenmadeofficial,bureaucratised,politicisedandtherefore,theyhavebeeneffectivelyneutralised.If,ontheotherhand,thesecooperativesarerestoredtothefarmers,andthefarmersareleftfreetomanagethem,theywillbecometrulydemocraticstructures.

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OperationFloodmadeourcountryself-sufficientinmilkandthiswasachievedentirely through the cooperative structure. Today, eleven million farmers intwenty-two states across the country own two hundred dairy plants handlingeighteenmillion litresofmilkaday.This is a remarkableachievement.Whilewe in India tend to take our achievements for granted, this feat elicited highpraise and admiration throughout the world. It did, however, take decades ofsustained,hardwork.

In 1955our butter importswere 500 tons per year.Today, our cooperativesalone produce 12,000 tons of butter. Had it not been for Amul and thenOperation Flood, it is estimated that butter importswould have gone up from500tonsto12,000tons.Similarly,weimported3,000tonsofbabyfoodin1955.Today our cooperatives alone produce 38,000 tons of baby food. By 1975 allimportsofmilkandmilkproductsstopped.Theonlyimportpermittedwasthatof food aid under Operation Flood – 37,000 tons of milk powder and about11,000tonsoffat.ThatwasaboutonepercentofthemilkproductionofIndia.Toproclaim–asourcriticsdid–thatthisonepercentwouldmakeusdependentonfoodaiddidnotmakesense.Wecouldhavedonewithoutthatonepercent.ButthatonepercentwasimportanttousatNDDB/IDCbecauseitgeneratedthemoney we needed and set the stage for marketing, which was necessary tostimulatedairydevelopmentinourcountry.Ithelpeduscreatethenationalmilkgrid through which milk from the rural milksheds was transported to sevenhundredtownsandcities.Itenabledustocreatethislargecooperativestructurethroughwhichmillionsofdairyfarmersandtheirfamiliesbenefited.

Having ensured that the food aid from Europe would come to India, someothersystemsneededtobeputinplaceinternallyiftheentireoperationwastowork.OneoftheissuesIdiscussedwiththeagricultureministrywasthatifI,asChairmanofNDDBandIDC,weretoguaranteethesuccessofOperationFlood,ifIweretoberesponsibleforincreasingthemilkproductionofthiscountryand

developing its dairy industry, then NDDB/IDC would have to be the officialcanalisingagencyfortheimportofmilkpowder.IhadseenthatinNewZealandtherewasonlyonesellerofmilkpowder–whoeverwantedmilkpowder,hadtogototheNewZealandDairyBoard.Wefiguredthatsimilarly,iftherewereonebuyerinIndia,thenthescaleswouldbemoreevenlybalanced.TheGovernmentofIndiaagreedtothisrequestbutthistooledtoahugecontroversy.

Much of the controversy arose because people did not fully understand theroleofacanalisingagency.Thecommonconceptionwasthatasthecanalisingagency,NDDBwoulddecidehowmuchoftheimportedmilkpowdershouldgotowhom.Thiswasnottrue.Acanalisingagencymerelycanalisedtheimportofthecommodity.ThosedaystheMinistryofIndustrialDevelopmentdecidedhowmuch milk powder should be given to baby food manufacturers, how muchshouldbegiventomaltedfoodmanufacturers,tocondensedmilkmanufacturersandsoon.ThisministryprovidedNDDBaconsolidatedlistofwhowastogethowmuch.TheMinistryofAgricultureinformedushowmuchshouldgotothevariouscityliquidmilkschemesandgaveusalistforthat.ThejobofNDDBasthe canalising agency was only to import milk powder for India on the bestpossibletermsanddistributeitasperthegovernment’sallocation.

Weperformedbothtasksdiligently.AsthecanalisingagencyIthinkwestrucksome excellent deals with milk-producing countries. When I went to NewZealand, Imetmy counterpart there, theChairmanof theNewZealandDairyBoard, and I told him that I wanted to buy somemilk powder and that theyshould sell it to me at the same price they sold to England. After somebargaining,heagreed.ThenIsuggestedthatthefreightbehalfofwhatitwastoEngland since thedistancewashalf. It took farharderbargaining topush thatthrough.HavingdonethatIsaidtohimthatifhewantedmetobuymilkpowder,he shouldalsogiftme some forwewere, after all, adevelopingnation.SincethiswasagovernmentdecisionhecalledtheMinisterforAgricultureoverlunchandIconvincedhimthatiftheGovernmentofNewZealanddonated5,000tonsofmilkpowder,wewouldbuyanother5,000 tons.Once they agreed to this Iconvincedthemtocontinuethisagreementforthreeyears.Theyagreed.ThenIwenttoAustraliaandItalkedtotheirminister.Afteracoupleofdaysofintensebargaining, they, too, agreed to the same terms for one year. In effect, thus, Imanagedtogettheimportsforourcountryathalftheprice.Thatiswhatagoodcanalisingagencydoes.

We were equally efficient on the distribution side. I had already told the

Government of India that while NDDBwould give importedmilk powder toanyone that the government allocated, if we suspected anybody on thatallocation listwewould inform thegovernmentand take steps tocleanup thecorruption.The government had no doubt about our intentions – to choke outimportsofmilkpowderwithinfouryears–andtheyagreed.Thiswaswhatwasdoneanditwasagreatachievement.

Atonetime,NDDBreceivedalistfromthegovernmentwhichhadlisted276baby food factories for allocation inKarnataka. I knew thatKarnatakahad, atbest,onebabyfoodfactoryandsoIsentoneofmyofficers to investigate.Hecamebackwiththeinformationthat275oftheseso-calledfactoriesweremerelynameboardspastedonwallswithoutevenasingleofficetothatname.Thishadbecome lucrativebusiness.Dummyfactorieswere registeredandunscrupulousbusinessmengotimportlicensesworth10millionrupees.Theysoldthesefor30million rupees and pocketed 20 million rupees. They never even touched themilkpowder.

IaskedtheMinistryofAgriculturetoinquireintothislist.Iwarnedalltheseso-calledbabyfoodandcondensedmilkmanufacturers:‘Gentlemen,thegameisup.Nowyou’re talking toadairyman,not to thewisepeopleofDelhi,soyoumustbecareful.YouweregivenalicenseinordertomakebabyfoodandotherdairyproductsfromIndianmilk,notinordertoimportmilk.Fromnowon,yourimport licensewill be cut by 25 per cent each year so you have exactly fouryearstogetmilkproducedinthecountry.’

Whenever imported milk powder was allocated, we informed themanufacturers that thiswould be given at a pricewhichwould be at least thepriceitwouldcostthemiftheyboughtmilkinIndia.Theywouldgetnosubsidyandwewarned them that importswould be cut by 25 per cent each year. SowhetheritwastheBombayMilkScheme,theDelhiorCalcuttaMilkSchemeorNestleorGlaxo,theyhadtostartprocuringallthemilktheyneededwithinthecountryinfouryears.Ihadthefullsupportofgovernmentatthehighestleveltodothisand, therefore,Icouldconfidently tell themanufacturers thatnomatterhowmanystringstheypulledtheywouldnotgetimportedmilkpowderbeyondfouryears.IfanybodyneededproofofNDDB’sintegrityinthis,itwasevidentinthefactthatoneofthosewhohadtheirimportlicensecutby25percenteachyearwasAmulbecause,likeotherbabyfoodmanufacturers,Amul,too,heldanimportlicense.

Thesestrictrulesthatweadheredtoasthecanalisingagencycreatedalotofwaves.Many felt that the government had investedNDDBwith far toomuchpower.Someofthemanufacturerssupportedme;someofthemopposedme.ButIhadlaiddownthetermsandconditionswiththeapprovaloftheGovernmentofIndia,whichrecognisedthatduringOperationFloodIwouldneedtodoallthis.IhavetoreiteratethatthiswaspossiblebecauseofShastriji’svisittoAnandandsubsequentlyhis totalsupport totheprojectandhiscompletefaithinus.AfterShastriji’s tragicdeath, IndiraGandhibecame thePrimeMinisterandshe, too,wasalsoextremelysupportive.BythenIwasalreadyontoagoodwicket!

DidallthisreallyinvesttheNDDBwithtoomuchpower?Perhapsitdid.Butitwasapowerthatweexercisedprudentlyoverthosewhotriedtoexpandourcountry’simportsunnecessarily;itwasapowerweexercisedoverthosewho,bytheir corrupt practices, held the country back from true development. Wesucceededinthedairysectorbecauseweweregiventhepowertostopthem.Butwe did not cut their throats ourselves. We were clever enough to get PrimeMinisterShastriandhisgovernment–andsubsequentprimeministersandtheirgovernments–tocutthethroatsofthecorrupt!

IhavealwaysmaintainedthatsincealltheselfishandambitiouspeoplefromourvillagesconstantlymakeabeelineforBombay,Delhiandotherglamorouscities,thepeoplewhoareleftbehindinourvillagesareonlythegoodpeople.Itis necessary that we mobilise these good people and involve them in theprocessesofdevelopment.OperationFloodwasoneprojectthatplaceditsfaithsquarely in thesepeopleof rural India.Whatweneeded todowas toorganisethe farmers, place them in command and be their employees to provide thetechnical, administrative and other strengths. This unbeatable combination atNDDBiswhatbecametheorganisation’sirresistibleforce.

When Operation Flood was sanctioned I knew that it was a massive andextremelycomplexoperationandwewouldneedallthehelpwecouldpossiblygetfromallquarters.Itwasinthisconnectionthat,oneday,IcalledonJ.R.D.Tata, Chairman of one of India’s largest industrial houses, one known for itscommitmenttoqualityandforitspatriotism.Imethimandexplainedtohimtheentire concept behindOperationFlood. I toldhim that such an enormous taskwouldbeextremelydifficult topulloffaloneand I requestedhim tosparesixmanagersfromthehouseofTatasforoneyear,tohelpusimprovethenation’sdairy industry. I could pay them only public-sector salaries, butwithin that, Iassuredhim,IwouldpaythemthebestthatIcould.Attheendofthatyear,his

managers would return to his company, far richer for their thoroughunderstandingofcooperativesandofagriculture. Iwasconfident that itwouldbeanextremelyvaluableexperienceforhismanagers.

J.R.DTatalistenedtomeverypatientlyandthentoldmethatsincethiswasnot a decision he alone could take I would have to present it to the board. Iagreedtodosoandmettheboardandonceagainexplainedtheintricaciesoftheentire project to the members. They, too, listened very politely, smiled andnodded.Butthatisasfarastheywerepreparedtogo.Tothisday,Idonotknowwhosedecisionitwas,butwewereloanednotevenasinglemanagerfromtheTataGroup.Afterall,wouldithavesoadverselyimpactedtheTatasiftheyhaddeputedsixmanagerstotheNDDBandthat,too,forabriefperiodofoneyear?

The incident left me with a bitter taste and justified my belief that, in theultimateanalysis, the corporateworld and the cooperativeworld are distinctlydifferent.Idecidedthatwewouldfindandemployourownmanagersandthatiswhatwedid.Ittookusawhilebutwegotexcellentpeopletojoinus–peopleofcommitmentandintegrity–andperhaps,inthelongrun,thatwasthebetterwayof doing things. Together, we implemented Operation Flood and weimplementeditwell.

When a developing country starts to become self-sufficient, naturally, thereare many who are affected by it because over time, the outflow of foreignexchange stops. Our dairy cooperatives were entirely Indian, run with Indiantechnology.Wheneverweneededsomeexpertiseweaskedanorganisationlikethe FAO to help us.We did not give them participation in share capital andrepatriationofprofits.Therecameatimewhenjustonedistrictcooperative–theKairaDistrictCooperative–becamebiggerthananymultinationaloperationinIndia.Oppositionwas,therefore,expectedfrommultinationallobbies.

Whatwasmorepainfultoswallowwasthatwithinmyowncountry,too,therewere thosewho could not stomach the commonman becoming stronger. Theexistingpowerstructuresdidnotlikeit; themerchantscertainlydidnotlikeit.Naturally then, there was opposition from within the country too, but weunderstoodthatwhenpeopleattackedusatNDDBtheywereactuallytryingtoattack the cooperative structure and undermine it. However, such was themomentumofthecooperativemovementinthedairysectorthatthefloodcouldnotbestemmed.IfthevestedinterestshadwantedtostopittheonlythingtheycouldhavedonewastohavedestroyedthefirstChairmanofKairaCooperative

way back in 1945.When Tribhuvandas Patel started the first cooperative thefarmers realised their potential and once they came into their own, they soonreachedapointwhennobodycouldstoptheirgrowth.

HavingseenthesuccessoftheAnandpattern,weatNDDBweredeterminedtoovercomeallobstaclesandstoicallyfacewhatevercriticismcameourwayinordertocarrythevisionofAnandtotherestofthecountry.Westrategised,wegotpositivethinkingpeopleontoourside.Wehelpedthemunderstandthatonlycooperativeswouldbringpowertotheirpeopleand,therefore,prosperitytothestate.Oureffortsbegantobearfruit.Manyofthestates,whichearlierthreatenedusthatOperationFloodwouldcometotheirstatesovertheirdeadbodies,hadtostart digging their own graves. Karnataka, for instance, which had beenextremely hostile to Operation Flood, finally had to face a situation wheresandals were thrown in the Assembly and the government was asked whyOperationFloodwasnotbeingbroughttotheirstate.

OperationFlooderodedtheauthorityofmanyagenciesanddepartmentsandthisiswhyitwassohatedbythoseinpower.Whereasthoseinauthorityresistedit,allthefarmersfromKashmirtoKanyakumariwereenthusiasticaboutit,fortheyfoundthemselvesinasimilarpredicament–theywerehelpless,exploitedand they needed our help. Our spearhead teams went from village to villageexplaining to themwhat the cooperative structure andOperationFloodmeant.WebroughtgroupsoffarmerstoAnandtoshowthemhowtheexperimenthadworked.Wedidthiswithbureaucratsfromvariousstates, too,andthereactionofmostpeople–whetherfarmersorbureaucrats–wasasenseofincredulityatthefactthatsomethinglikethiscouldhappeninIndia.

Whenalmost fiveyearshadpassed sincewe launchedOperationFlood,wefelt itwas important forus todetail theprogressof theexperiment.Alreadyafew documentaries had beenmade and released. One day, film-maker ShyamBenegal (then with Radeus Advertising), who had made some of thesedocumentaries,pointedout tome that therewereagreatmanyfascinatingandmoving human stories involved in the setting up of the cooperatives and theimplementationofOperationFlood.He felt thatsomethingmoreneeded to besaidandwhiledocumentarieswereeffectiveand theygave the figuresand theinformation, the genre could not do justice to the human stories that he sawemerging.Hewantedtorecordthechangesinhumanbeingsinourvillagesandfeltthatdocumentarieswouldbeabittoodryforthis.

I suggested to him that he should think of making a feature film and heagreed.Therewasthesmallissueofmoney,however.Howwouldweraisethefundsneededtofinanceafull-lengthfeaturefilm?IconsultedmycolleaguesandwecameupwiththeideatoaskallthemembersofGujarat’smilkcooperativesto contributemoney.Every singlemilkproducer contributed a rupee each andwemanagedtoraisethenecessaryfunds.Thus,ineffect,thefilm,Manthan,wasproducedbyGujarat’sdairyfarmers.Itwasarare,low-budgetfilm,whichcostonlyamillionrupeestoproduce.Moreover,inthehighlycommercialisedHindifilmindustrynotoriousforitsblackmoneytransactions,thefundsforManthanwere paid completely in white from a bank account held jointly by GujaratCooperativesMilkMarketingFederation(GCMMF)andRadeus,whoweretheexecutiveproducers.Theaccountswerefullyaudited.

Ihavealwaysbelievedthatonceyouidentifythebestpersonforaparticularprojectandtellhimorherexactlywhatyouexpect,youmustputyourcompletetrust in that person, allowing him or her to work independently withoutinterference.Ifyoudo,theprojectisboundtosucceed.ThiswasalessonIlearntveryearly inmycareerfromTribhuvandas,whoputhisentirefaith inmeandallowedmetoworkasIsawfit.Iappliedthesamelogicofdelegationinmanyspheres of my own work. When we had to build the NDDB and IRMAcampuses, I thought of one of our best architects, Kanvide, to handle theprojects;whenwedecidedtosetupourownschool,Anandalaya,IaskedVibhaParthasarthyof theGujaratEducationSocietyandat that time thePrincipalofDelhi’sSardarPatelVidyalayatohelp.ItwasthesamewiththechoiceofShyamBenegal. He had seen the cooperatives grow over many years. He had beeninvolvedinonewayoranotherwiththeAnandexperiment–firstasanadfilm-makerforAmulandthenwithNDDB’sdocumentariesonOperationFlood.Whoelse couldhavebeen amore appropriate choice tomake a feature filmon thehumandimensionsofOperationFlood?

ShyamBenegaldidnotletusdown.Hegatheredateamofextremelytalentedand dedicated professionals and they began their work. The renownedplaywright,VijayTendulkar,spentmanyweeksinGujarat’svillagesresearchingandputting together thestory,culled fromtheexperiencesofmanyfarmersofmanyvillages.Ittooktheteamsomeninemonthsofactualshootinginvariousparts of Gujarat to complete the film. As Director, Benegal assembled anextraordinary cast of young actors including Smita Patil, Girish Karnad,NaseeruddinShah,AnantNag,KulbhushanKharbanda,AmrishPuriandothers,

allofwhomwentontoverydistinguishedcareersinIndiancinema.Asuperblydirected and acted movie, Manthan, which was released in 1976, was acommercialsuccess,winningseveralawards.

Morethananything,however,Manthanbecamean invaluablepartof thekitcarriedtothevillagesbyourspearheadteamswhousedit–firstinsuper8mmcassettesandlaterasvideos–toeducateourfarmersaboutthedifficultiesandrewardsofcooperation.AllacrossIndia,cooperativesocietiesboughtthefilmtoshowtotheirmembers.Themessageoftheeconomicandsocialbenefitsofthecooperativestructurecouldnothavebeenmorevividlyandeffectivelydepicted.

While conceptualising the ambitious Operation Flood had been relativelyeasy, its implementation proved to be a gargantuan task. We decided that itwouldhavetobeexecutedinthreepracticalandworkablephases.Ultimatelythethreephasesspannedalmostthreedecades.

Phase-I,whichwehadhopedtocompleteinfiveyears,finallytooktwiceaslong,spanning the1970s.This, aswehadmeticulouslyplanned,was financedbythesaleofskimmedmilkpowderandbutteroilgiftedbytheEECthroughtheWorld Food Programme. Through Operation Flood-I we linked eighteen ofIndia’spremiermilkshedswith theconsumersofourfourmajorcities–Delhi,Bombay,CalcuttaandMadras.

Workproceededatafreneticpaceandweneededallthehelpwecouldgetifwewantedtoavoidfurtherdelays.Oneof theconstraintsplacedonuswasbythegovernment’sownbureaucraticworking.In1977,IfinallyapproachedPrimeMinisterMorarjiDesaiwithmytaleofwoes.ItoldhimthatgettinganyNDDBfilepassedhadtakenonapredictable,frustratingpattern,whichwentsomethinglike this: I would go with a file and meet the secretary, who after somediscussionwouldtellme,‘Yes,governmentwilllookintoit.’WhenIaskedhimwhothis‘government’was,who‘wouldlookintoit’,hewouldtellmeitwastheminister. So I would go to the minister with the file – first the Minister ofAgriculture, then Finance, Planning and Environment –where once again theissuewouldbediscussedthreadbareandIwouldbetold:‘Yes,thegovernmentwilllookintoit.’

Once more I would be forced to ask honourable ministers who this‘government’ was and this time I would be told it was the prime minister. Iwould take the fileandmeet theprimeminister todiscuss it again,only tobeinformedfortheumpteenthtime,‘Yes,thegovernmentwilllookintoit.’Bythis

time, totally nonplussed and thoroughly exhausted, I would ask the primeministerwhowas this ‘government’ thatwould finally take a decision onmyfile? And I would be told it was the Cabinet. By the time this tedious,excruciatingmerry-go-roundwascompleted,awholeyearwouldhavegonebyandIwasleftwiththenastyfeelingthatifeachpersonImetcouldonlytellmethat‘thegovernmentwilllookintoit’,itprobablymeantthatnoonewouldlookintoit.Eachoneofthemwasonlyafilepusher,tooscaredtotakeanydecision,Godforbidifthatdecisionturnedouttobethewrongone.Howwasitpossibletogetanyworkdonethisway?

Morarjibhai smiled wryly, hearing my sorry tale. But for the first time, heaskedforacommitteeofsecretariestobeformed,whichwouldspeciallyhandleall NDDB’s papers. With this new system in place, once the Ministry ofAgriculturehadseenthefile,itwouldautomaticallygotothecommitteeandiftheyhadanyquestions,NDDBofficerswouldmeet themandsortoutmattersrightaway.Mercifully,themerry-go-roundcametoahalt.

ThesecondphaseofOperationFlood,which lastedfrom1981to1985,wasimplementedwiththeseedcapitalraisedfromthesaleoftheEECgiftsaswellasaWorldBankloanofRs200crore.Withthisphase,thenumberofmilkshedsincreasedfrom18to136.Moreover,290urbanmarketsincreasedtheoutletsformilk produced. By the end of this phase, a self-sustaining system of 43,000villagecooperativescovering4.25millionmilkproducerswaswellestablished.Milkpowderproductionincreasedfrom22,000tonsinthepre-OperationFloodyearto140,000tonsby1989.All thisincreasecamefromdairiessetupunderOperationFlood.Directmarketingofmilkbyproducers’cooperativesincreasedbyseveralmillionlitresaday.

The thirdphaseofOperationFlood,which lastedfrom1985 to1996,added30,000 new dairy cooperatives to the 42,000 existing societies. Membereducationwasintensified,andsignificantly,thenumberofwomenmembersandwomen’sdairycooperativesocietiesincreasedconsiderably.Thisphasefocusedonassistingunions to expandand strengthen their procurement andmarketinginfrastructuretomanagetheincreasingvolumesofmilk(by1989thenumberofmilkshedshadgrownto173).Veterinaryhealth-careservices,feedandartificialinsemination services for cooperative members were extended. During thisdecadewe placed increased emphasis on research and development in animalhealthandanimalnutrition.

In 1998 the World Bank published a report on the impact of dairydevelopment in India and looked at its own contribution to this. The auditrevealedthatof theRs200crore theWorldBankinvestedinOperationFlood,the net return into India’s rural economywas amassiveRs 24,000 crore eachyear over a period of ten years. Certainly no other development programme,eitherbeforeorsince,hasmatchedthisremarkableinput-outputratio.

ForthedairycooperativesofGujarat,themostsignificantdevelopmentduringtheearlyyearsofOperationFloodwasthecreationofafederationtolookafterthemarketingofthecooperatives’products.

Duringthe1960s,whenAmul’sghee,cheeseandmilkspraywereintroduced,we had to depend on the services of Voltas and Spencers to handle thedistribution,sincewedidnothaveourowndistributionnetworkinplace.Iwasincreasingly concerned that marketing was still not in the hands of the milkproducers.VoltasandSpencershad,ofcourse,doneawonderfuljob.Butitwasnowtimetoreplacethemwiththefarmers’ownmarketingsystem.Afterall,myresponsibilityasanemployeeoffarmerswastolookaftertheirinterestsandnottheinterestsofVoltasandothers.

AnotherconcernthatpreoccupiedmewasthatwithmorecooperativedairiescomingupelsewhereinGujarat,wecouldwellbefacedwithasituationwheremilkcooperativesstartedcompetingagainstoneanother. Icouldnotallowthisto happen. In fact, in 1969, as Amul’s General Manager I had signed anagreement with the neighbouring and large cooperative dairy at Mehsana,whereby they would produce butter and milk powder under the Amul brandname and we would distribute their products through our distributors. Thus,insteadofcompetingwitheachother,wewouldcombineforcesandexpandourmarketswhilesavingonadvertisingandbrandbuilding.

IthadworkedwellwithMehsanaandtherewasnoreasonwhythesamelogiccouldnotbeextendedtotheremainingcooperativesinthestate.Thus,in1973,the Gujarat Cooperatives Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) wasestablished. When I was made Chairman and Managing Director of thefederation,IquitastheGeneralManagerofAmul.

WiththecreationofGCMMF,wemanagedtoeliminatecompetitionbetweenGujarat’s cooperativeswhile competingwith theprivate sector as a combined,stronger force. We introduced what we called the ‘balancing system’ whichmeantthatiftherewasexcessmilkinonedairywhichtheycouldnotprocess,it

wouldgotoanothersistercooperativedairywhichhadtheprocessingcapacity.It was a further extension of the collaborative, cooperative approach and itworkedextremelywellinGujarat.Sowell,infact,thattodayGCMMFisIndia’slargestfoodproductsmarketingorganisation.Thisstatelevelapexbodyofmilkcooperativeshastwelvedistrictcooperativemilkproducers’unions,comprising2.12million producermembers and 10,411 villagemilk societieswith a dailyaveragemilk collection of some4.5million litres.The federation has ensuredremunerative returns to the farmers while providing consumers with qualityproductsunderthetwoleadingbrandnamesofAmulandSagar.

WhenourproposalforOperationFloodwasbeingexaminedinthelate1960s,therewasaseriousdebateaboutwhetheracountrylikeIndiacould–orrather,should – produce milk. Advanced dairying countries criticised us saying thatherewasa countrywhichdidnothaveenough food to eat andwas importingfoodgrains,whosepopulationwasgrowingataphenomenalrate,andtherefore,would have an increasing demand on foodgrains: in such a country, shouldvaluable land be diverted from food production to feed production? In such asituationshouldwebeproducingmilk,creatingconflictbetweenmanandbeastforlandanditsproduce?

The second argument was that milk was not such a necessity, after all, intermsofnutritionalvalue.Givenall these facts, asked the advancedcountries,couldIndiaaffordanimalproducts,includingmilk?Whythenshouldwehaveaprogrammewhichwouldstimulatemilkproduction?Ithoughtthecriticismdidhavesomevalidity.ButatthesametimeIfeltthatitwasalsoindicativeoftheantagonism advanced dairying countries had to any move that a developingcountrymakestowardsself-sufficiency.

But the questiondid remain inmymind that any strategywe evolvedmusttake into account the fact thatwith our agro-climatic conditionswe could notgiveeachcoworbuffalooneacreofgreengrass,whereallthatthecowhadtodowasgrazeonit,morning,noonandnightandproduce40litresofmilkaday.That typeofdairyingwasobviouslynot forus.Wesimplycouldnotafford togiveeveryanimaloneacreoflandwhenwewerenotgivingeveryhumanbeingevenoneacre.Wecouldnotaffordtokeeptheanimalsinabettershapeandinbetterconditionthanourvillagers.

That is why we ensured that the latter stages of Operation Flood includedactivitiesthatcentredonresearchintofeed,animalhealthandanimalnutrition.

Our research helped in ensuring that our milk production should come fromfodderandfeedwhichmancouldnoteat,whichwasproducednotspeciallyforour animals but was produced in the process of producing food for humanbeings.I thinkinthelongrunweprovedtoourdetractors,andtotheworldatlarge, that even as technical, professional people we did look at dairydevelopmentnotmerelyasthedevelopmentofmilkoranimalhusbandry,butinall its aspects.Wewere keenly aware atNDDB that every new project, eachfreshactivityundertaken,hadtofitintoaholisticapproachtodevelopment.

WTOUGHTIMES

EHADANTICIPATEDTHATPHASE-IOFOPERATIONFLOODWOULDBEcompletedinfiveyears.However, it tookten.Therefore, thecost,whichwasoriginally

budgetedatRs96crore,escalatedtoRs116crore.Wegeneratedtheadditionalfundsrequiredbyincreasingthesellingpriceofthemilkpowder.

Most of the delay in implementing this phase of the project was caused increatingtheMotherDairiesatDelhi,Calcutta,BombayandMadras,whichweneeded to recombine the food aid commodities for supply to the four metrocities.Creating amarket in these four citieswas imperative for us in order tocreateseventeenAnandsandtoorganiseonemillionfarmers.

Oneof the toolswedecided to use for the clean and efficientmarketing ofmilksuppliedbytheMotherDairieswasthroughbulkvendingmachinesinthemetros.

Ihadoftenwatchedwhatmywifedidwiththemilkshebought.ShedidwhateveryotherIndianhousewifedidthosedays–sheboughtthebottledmilkfromtheAmuldairyandboiled it.AtAmulwehadmodernpasteurisers toheat themilkupto72.4oCforsixteensecondstokillalltheharmfulbacteriabutneverattemperatureshigherthanthat,sothatwedidnotdestroythegoodbacteria.Butourhousewivesboiled themilk in their homes at 100oC. In effect, theyundideverythingwetriedtodoinourdairies!

The prevailing unhygienic conditions and practices make all housewivescautious in spite of themodern technology in dairying. Itmeans that in Indiapasteurisationandpackagingboilsdown tomerelyprolonging theshelf lifeofmilk.

When we were planning for Operation Flood we decided to look at theseproblems afresh.My colleagues and I examinedwhat our wives andmothersweredoing.Thesewere,nodoubt,traditionalhabits.Butitwasthesehabitsthathadkeptushealthybecause40percentofourcowsandbuffaloeshavebugsandsome of these filter into the milk. Boiling safeguarded the milk and alsoincreaseditslife.Butthenwhywerewepasteurisingit?Whywerewebottlingitifitwasbeingunbottled?Whyshouldwetransportapoundofglasswitheverypound of milk and bring back that pound of glass, sterilise it and put analuminiumcaponit?Whycouldwenotprovidemilkinbulkthroughmachines?

Ifwecoulddothis,wecouldalsoabolishthemessymilkrationingsysteminour cities. So cash and carry seemed the best option.This concept, of course,createdafuroreinDelhi.All thepundits inthegovernment,particularlyinthedairydivision,wereconvincedthatbulkvendingwouldneverwork.Theysaid:‘Youputacoinintoourpublictelephonesandyougetneithertheconnectionnorthecoinback. IfKurienwithhiscrazyschemesputsupmachinesformilkforthepeopleofDelhi,andifthesepeoplegetneithertheircoinsbacknorthemilk,therewillberiotsinthecapital;itwillbecomealawandordersituationandallkindsofcalamitieswillbefall–questionswillbe raised in theParliament, theministerwilllosehisjob….’

Our proposal for bulk vending machines was not approved. But I waspersistent.Iknewthatbulkvendingwastherightchoice.Itwouldnotonlysaveagreatdealofmoney,butitwasanintegralpartofanefficientmilkmarketingsystem. I dug in my heels and I fought bitterly for three years to get themachines.MyopponentswereasdeterminedandtheystymiedOperationFloodbynotapprovingthemachines.Thesemachineswereintegraltoourplanforthesale of milk through the Mother Dairy booths. Until I got the Mother Dairyboothsworking Iwouldnotbeable to raise themoney to replicateAnands inseventeenplacesintenstatesofIndia.

I finallymetFakhruddinAliAhmed, theMinisterwho later became India’sPresident. I developed a great liking and respect for him, even if he did notapprovemybulkvendingscheme.Hesaid:‘SorryKurien,Icannotallowyoutoimportthesemachines.’

‘Sir, theyonlycostRs1.5crore,’ Isaid. ‘That’snotsuchacolossalsumforourcountry.Pleaseallowmetoimportatleasttwohundredmachinestobeginwithandthen,subsequently,Iwillgetthemmadehere.’Butherefused,sayingthattherewasnothinghecoulddotohelpme.

‘Areyouthensuggesting,Sir,thatifIwanttointroducebulkvending,Iwillhavetodesignandbuildthemachinesmyself?’Iaskedhim.

‘Yes,’hereplied.

Iwasalarmed.‘Sir,youknowthatitcannotworklikethis,’Itriedtoplead.‘Isthisnotadeliberateattempt tomakeKurien the fallguy–makehimputupaschemeandfailsothateverybodycanthensitbackandlaugh?’

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed remained unmoved. ‘I’m sorry, Kurien,’ he said.

‘There’sreallynothingIcando.Thisistheonlywayout.’

Here was another major crisis facing me and, once again, I saw in it achallenge.Wesetourselvesanewtaskandwedesignedandmanufactured thebulkvendingmachinesourselvesinIndia.Ittookusfouryearsoutofafive-yearprojecttodesignandgetapprovalforthesemachines.ThiswasthemaincauseofdelayforthefirstphaseofOperationFlood.IhavetakentheblameforitforalongtimebutImustnowalsoputonrecordthattheblamewasnotsolelymine.The blame also lay with those who said bulk vending machines would notsucceedandtherebydelayedourprojectbyfouryears.

AteamofexpertsvisitedMexicoCitytoseemilk-vendingunitsinoperation.TheteamapprovedthesystemandUNICEFprovidedafewunitsfromtheUS.WeneededtofindsomeonewhocouldmakethesemachinesworkableinIndia.

DuringmybriefapprenticeshipwithTISCO,Ihadabatchmate,JohnPrasad,whowasabrilliantengineer.Beingabitrebellious,thecompanyhaddismissedhim.IcontactedJohnPrasadandtoldhimaboutthevendingmachineandaskedif hewouldbewilling tomodify thedesign to suit Indian conditions.Hewasvery excited and extremely confident that he could do it. He took it up as achallenge.Eventhemakingofthetokenforthemachinewasatrialofskills.Ithadtobemadeofanalloywhichnobodycouldreplicate.Thetokenacceptancemechanismhad to be so designed that itwould accept only this token andnoother.Minutedetailswereexamined,suchasitsdiameter,thickness,weightandelectro-magneticproperties.

Wemanufactured two hundred vendingmachines initially. The firstMotherDairy booth was built in Delhi. We approached the Director-General of therehabilitationofthearmedforcestogivethejoboftheconcessionairestonon-commissionedex-officersofthearmy.Afterall,armyofficersareexpectedtobemore disciplined than others! We said we would not give them salaries butwouldgivethemtwopaiseperlitreofmilksold.Themoretheysoldthemoremoney theycouldmake.Theconcessionaireswere selectedand trained. I alsodemanded that space for themilk booths be given in residential areas, for thegreaterconvenienceoftheconsumer.

OnthedaythemilkmachinesweretobeginfunctioninginDelhi, therewastremendousapprehension.Asurveyamongseniorjournalistsrevealedthatmostof themwere sceptical about the success of such a sophisticated system; theybelievedthatnothingwhichrequiredmeticulousmaintenancecouldworkfortoo

longinDelhi.Byandlarge,everyonewasexpectingallhelltobreakloose.Butwewerepreparedtotakeachance.Ialwaysbelievedthatnothingisevergainedwithoutundertakingsomerisk.Therearesomanyopportunitiesthatpassbyandifwedonotseizethem,theyarewasted.IfoundthisopportunitytoimprovethemarketingofmilkforthedairyfarmersandIgrabbedit.Despitemycriticsanddetractors,IhadacommitmenttothefarmersandIhadtheconvictiontopushasideallobstructionsandgoahead.

Thebulkvendingmachinesbecameahugesuccessandmilkbecameavailablealmostthroughoutthedayatthemerepushofabutton.ItwasagreatrevolutioninmarketingofmilkinIndia.

~

Tenyearsisgenerallyconsideredtobeasubstantialperiodinthelifeofaproject–evenonethatsoboldlyaspiredtochangethesceneofthedairyindustryinthecountry,asoursdid.Sincethefoodaidthatwereceivedwasthelargesteverinterms of money and volume, Operation Flood consistently sparkedcontroversies,raiseddebatesandcommandedmediaandpublicattention.Itwasonlynatural,then,thatattheendofitsfirstdecade,theprogressofthismassiveprojectcameunderunprecedentedscrutiny.

Ironically, most of the evaluations and appraisals of the project done byinternationalagenciesgavehighmarkstotheprogramme.Forinstance,in1981a UN Inter-AgencyMission reviewed the achievements of Operation Flood-Iandconcluded:

TheprojecthasshownthatdairyinginIndiaisapowerfuldevelopmenttool,inthatitcanservetoprovidenutritioushighproteinfoodstocitydwellersandat thesametimeprovideincometotheverypoorpeopleinruralvillages….

Bycreatinga stableoutlet for themilkproduced in rural areas,organisedmilkproduction inmanycasesdoubledincomesinvillagesandtherebycontributedtoanimprovedstandardofliving.

ThesuccessofOperationFlood…hasalsodemonstratedthatfoodaidcanbeusedsuccessfullyfor thedevelopmentof local agricultural industries,given the rightkindof institutional structurecoupledwith properly planned and integrated programmes for development…Notwithstandingcriticisms of Operation Flood-I from within and from outside India, which have not all beenconstructive andwhich seem at times to outvoice the praise, the scheme has justly earned frommanyquarters,thefindingsofthemissionarefavourable.

Strangely, however, recognition for thework fromour own nationwas not asforthcoming.Around1982-83,NDDB–andI,personally–cameundersevereattack for Operation Flood. A rash of articles in the Indian media and the

publication of a series of books,maliciously aimed at demolishing everythingthat we were trying to build, temporarily played havoc with the project’sprogress.

Curiously, the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague opposed OperationFlood strongly, publishing a number of books andpapers in criticism.Twoofthem were written by Shanti George, a faculty member at the institute. InOctober 1983, the Illustrated Weekly of India, a magazine published by theTimesofIndiagroup,carriedacoverstorybyClaudeAlvarestitled,‘TheWhiteLie’. It was a highly distorted and slanderous article, charging the NDDB’sOperationFloodwithbeing a complete failure andquestioning themotives ofthedairyboard’sleadership.

I responded to this cover story with a letter to the editor of the weekly,pointing out several distortions and asking, in all fairness, that the magazineprovideequalspacetopresentNDDB’ssideandputtheprogrammeinitsproperperspective.Theeditordeemed it fit topublisha substantialpartof this letter,butcrucialpartswereeditedout togivetheimpressionthat theoriginalarticlewasnotallthaterroneous.Theselectivecuttingofmylettergavetheimpressionthatwe had sent a surly response that failed to address the criticisms. Similararticles appeared in othermagazines, indicating a concerted campaign againstOperationFlood. Inanycase,wepreparedadetailed response, refutingall theallegationspoint bypoint, and laterweprinted this as a document for anyonewhowishedtohavecorrectinformationaboutOperationFlood.

So incensed were our people at this smear campaign that many in NDDBwanted tosue the IllustratedWeekly inacourtof lawfor libelandapleawasactually drafted. However, we settled for a complaint to the Press Council ofIndia,whichwaseventuallyupheld.

Themostcharitableway to lookat thissuddenspurt inmediacriticismwasthattheseauthorsbelieved–quiterightly–thatfoodaidisbad.Indeed,allofusknewthatfoodaidcouldsapacountry’swilltoproducefood;itcoulddepressfarmpricesandcouldmaketherecipientincreasinglydependentonaiduntil,atlast,thatcountrywasdestroyed.Wehaveseenthishappeninanumberofplaceswhere ‘charitable’ donations have changed diets and undermined localagriculture, often to the point where these countries are eternally holding outtheir hands for more. But my colleagues and I were intensely aware of thispotentialtrapandweredeterminedthatOperationFloodwouldnotbeacharity

programme thatwouldweaken India.Weactuallyused the freeaidduring theinitial stages toestablishdirectcontactbetween farmersandconsumersand tobreakthestrangleholdofthecontractorswhohadwalkedawaywiththeprofitsinthepast.

TheothercriticismlevelledatuswasthatOperationFlood,infact,transferrednutritionfromthevillagestothecities,therebydeprivingthevillagersinordertofeedtheurbandwellers.

Itwascertainlytruethatthepoorerthefarmer,thegreaterthetemptationforhimtosellallthemilkandearnmoremoneyforotheressentials.Buttherewereother factors to be kept inmind here.Milk contains two important nutritionalcomponents–fatandprotein.Milkfatisthreetimesthepriceofvegetablefat,andevenastheChairmanofIndia’sdairyboardIwasunabletoputforwardthethesisthatmilkfatwassuperiortovegetablefat.Itisnot.However,theproteinefficiency ratio of milk is slightly better than the vegetable protein. Thesearguments,however,holdnomeaningforastarvingmananditisunrealistictosaythatthisexpensivefoodmustbeeatenbythepoorestofourpoor.Instead,Iwouldsaythatheshouldkeepabuffaloandsellthemilktothosewhocanaffordto buy it at a reasonable price, and spend one-third of the money he gets torecoupwhathehaslostandtheothertwo-thirdstomeethisneeds.

Theproblemofnutritioninourcountry,aseveryoneknows,isnotsomuchofquality but of calories.Our poor get only onemeal a day.Malnutrition is theresultofpovertyandthecureforthiscanonlybetoincreasetheincomeofthepoor.ThelabourerswhobuildtheskyscrapersinBombayhavenofancyhousestostayin.Istheanswer,then,totellthemnottobuildskyscrapersbuttogoandbuildtheirownhouses?

Similarly,themenandwomenwhoproduceourmilk,likethosewhoproducericeorwheat,donothaveenoughtoeat.Buttheanswerdoesnotlieintellingthem to stop selling what they produce. According to me, the economicallyviableansweristhatweshouldensureadecentwageforthecountry’spoor.Thewomenwhosellmilkfromtheirbuffaloesshouldbepaidapriceforit,sothattheycankeepsomeofthemoneybackforthemselvesandtheirchildren.Despiteits critics,OperationFloodcertainly increased the incomesofour farmers andwesaw,overtheyears,thatinmanystates,itdoubledandtripledtheirincome.As a consequence, as the farmers’ income from milk grew, we found that,certainly,theyandtheirfamiliesconsumedmoremilk.

Ourcriticsalsoaccusedusofincreasingthecountry’sdependenceonimportsofdairyequipment for the implementationofOperationFlood. Itwas true thatOperationFlooddidrequiresubstantialequipmentforthenewdairies.However,aswasoftenthecase,ourcriticsfailedto–ordidnotwishto–lookatthelargeremerging picture. While there were only fifteen manufacturers of dairyequipment in India before Operation Flood, by 1984 there were over onehundredandthirtymanufacturersmakingdairyandalliedequipment.

One of the outcomes of the spate of anti-Operation Flood publicationswasratherunexpected.IwasinformedthattheQueenofNetherlandswishedtovisitAnand,meetmeandfindoutthetruthbehindthetorrentofaccusationsthatwasbeing thrown at NDDB and at me. She arrived, having read an impressivecollectionofthebooksandarticlesopposingandattackingOperationFlood.

Whenaheadofstatetravelstoourcountrythegovernmentgenerallyattachesaminister to thevisitingdignitary. In thiscase,as thedignitarywasawoman,MargaretAlva escorted theQueen. I hadnevermetMargaretAlva before.Asourmeetingcommenced,shecameandsatnexttomeontheIndiansideofthetable, as it were. The Queen of Netherlands began her cross-examination.Clearly,shehaddoneherhomeworkwellandgrilledmeforalongtime.Attheend of it, when she was finally satisfied that she had left no questionsunanswered,theQueensaid,‘DrKurien,youhaveconvincedme.NowIknowwhatyouareplanning todo.Myworries and theworriesof thepeople inmycountry are certainly not justified and from now on we will be your strongsupporters.Infact,DrKurien,whenyounextcometoEurope,docomeandvisitus and I will arrange for you to come and speak at the Institute of SocialStudies.’

When theQueenofNetherlandssaid this,MargaretAlvasuddenlypipedupandsaid,‘YourMajesty,whateveryoumightthinkofhim,IthinkDrKurienisanMCP!’

Iwas astounded.Thiswas the first time ever thatwe hadmet and shewasaccusingmeofbeingamalechauvinistpig.Ilookedatherquestioningly.Thenshesaid,‘Pleaseallowmetoexplain.DoyouseethecrestoftheNDDB?Itisabull. It should, in fact, have been a cow. After all, NDDB is about dairydevelopment.Doesn’tthisprovemypoint?’

I thought this was getting a bit out of hand and the time had come to saysomething in my defence so I looked at the honourable Minister and said,

‘Madam,nobull,nomilk.’TheQueenburstout laughing.MargaretAlvawasdumbfounded.Sheknewshecouldsaynothingmore.Butafterthisincidentwebecamegoodfriends.

WhilethecontroversysurroundingOperationFloodragedaroundus,wealsoreceivedencouragingwordsfromanumberofpeople.Onesuchmessagecamefromratherunexpectedquarters.In1981,whenRobertMcNamarawasretiringfromtheWorldBank,Isenthimaletterthankinghimforthesupportthathehadgivenusandmentioningthatsoon,I,too,wouldhavetothinkofretirement.Hewrotebackacknowledgingmyletterandsaying:‘WhiletheBankcangetalongwithoutme,OperationFloodwouldneverbe thesamewithoutyou.SoIhopeyouwillreconsideryourretiringfromit….’Suchpositivewishesalwaysgavemetheaddedimpetustogoonwiththestruggle.

In Delhi, however, the fallout of the media criticism was by no meanspleasant.

InNovember1983,NDDBconductedatwo-dayseminarontheformulationof policies for breeding and nutrition of cattle in India. The first day of thisseminarwasheldatAnandandthesecond,concludingdaywasheldinDelhi’sVigyan Bhavan. Rao Birendra Singh, the then Agriculture Minister, was todeliver thevaledictoryaddress. Itwasa largeand impressivegatheringand tomy shock and horror, in his address, theMinister began questioning the verybasis of Operation Flood and the efficiency of its implementation. It was nosecret that I had been having problems with Rao Birendra Singh but I neverexpectedsuchapublicdisplayofhisantagonism.IwasleftwithnochoicebuttostandupandspeakindefenceofOperationFlood,aftertheMinister’saddress–whichviolatedthenormalprocedureandprotocol.Ourconfrontationwasoutintheopenwiththis,andnaturally,themediahadafieldday.

Close on the heels of this incident, on 2 December 1983, a Rajya SabhamemberraisedaquestionintheParliament,referringtotheallegationsmadeintheIllustratedWeeklycoverstory.RaoBirendraSinghdidnotreplyhimselfbutinawrittenreplysubmittedtotheRajyaSabha,hisdeputy,YogendraMakwana,stated:‘IthasbeendecidedtoevaluatetheworkingoftheNDDB/IDC,asalsotheprojectimplementedbythem,byafewexperts.’

When the report of this reply appeared in the press the next day, naturally,everyoneatNDDBand IDCwasextremelyupset at this formal acceptanceofcriticismsthattheministryknewwereunfounded.ManyseniorofficersmetR.P.

Aneja,NDDB’sSecretary,whobroughtsomeofthemtome.TheywereagitatedandwantedtoknowwhatshouldbedoneabouttheMinister’sstatement.Itoldthemthatiftheywereupsettheyshouldfindasolutionforitbutitwasforthemtodecidewhattodo.

Clearly, the officers discussed and debated this at length over a few days.Then, inanunexpecteddevelopment,on13December1983,Anejabrought tomealetterofresignationsignedbyoversevenhundredofficersofNDDB/IDC.Inadramaticandhithertounprecedentedmove,theentirestaffofapublic-sectororganisation had resigned in protest against their Minister’s statement inParliament.ItwasamomentofgreatdistressforallofusatNDDBbutalsoatimeofchallenge.Theofficersmetitwithtremendousstrength.ItwasamomentthatcalledforaresoluteunitywithintheorganisationandIwasdeeplytouchedthateachandeverymemberof theorganisation stood firmlybehindme likearock. After this incident, we emerged far stronger and more inspired to fightthosewhowished to sabotage the project, and thereby the interests of India’sdairyfarmers.

Naturally, next day in the Parliament, Rao Birendra Singh had to face abarrage of questions on the mass resignations at NDDB/IDC and he quicklychangedhis tune.Hesaid thathedidnotmean thatan investigationwouldbecarriedoutbutthathewouldreviewtheprogressofOperationFlood.

While this controversy raged within and out of Parliament and the media,PrimeMinisterIndiraGandhicalledandaskedmewhatsheshoulddotohandleit.

‘Madam,youmustorderaninquiry.Thereisnothingelseyoucando,’Itoldher.‘Butpleaseselectsuchapersontoheadtheinquirysothatnoonecanmakeanyallegationsabouthisfindings.’

The PrimeMinister first suggested that B.K. Nehru could head the inquirycommitteebut I toldher that IknewB.K.Nehrupersonallyand therefore, theinvestigationwouldperhapsnotbeasunbiasedasitshouldbe.Shethoughtforawhile and then suggested L.K. Jha, a distinguished civil servant from Bihar,former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Chairman, EconomicAdministrationReformsCommission,andformerIndianAmbassadortotheUS.Since I did not know him personally, I agreed. All I had asked was that thepersonheadingthecommitteebeanoutstandingperson,whoseintegritynobodywoulddare toquestion. In fact,hewas reputed tobe ratherpro-private sector,

too,andwhensuchapersonfinallygaveusacleanchitnobodywouldhavethecouragetoraisetheirvoice.

In February 1984, on the Prime Minister’s instructions, the agricultureministry constituted an evaluation committee under L.K. Jha’s chairmanship.VishnuBhagwan,JointSecretaryintheMinistryofAgriculture,DepartmentofAgricultureandCooperation,was appointedas the committee’sSecretary.Thecommittee also included four other distinguished experts in fields related toOperation Flood and its implementation. These fourmemberswere S.K.Rau,former Director-General of the National Institute of Rural Development; I.Z.Bhatty, Director-General of the National Council of Applied EconomicResearch;N.N.Dastur,formerDirectoroftheNDRIandP.Bhattacharya,formerCommissionerofAnimalHusbandry.

Thishigh-poweredcommitteewastoevaluatetheperformanceofNDDB/IDCwith reference to the specific objectives of Operation Flood and assess itsachievements. It would also, on conclusion of its evaluation, recommendmeasures to further streamline the implementation of the programme.The JhaCommittee met over eleven months during which they investigated NDDBthoroughly. They visited all our offices, theymet all our critics, including themost voluble ones, they visited the states where Operation Flood wasimplemented and held discussions with concerned ministers, officials and themilkproducers.Inadditiontoallthisthecommitteealsoconductedanin-depthstudyoftheprojectanditsachievementsagainstobjectives,andtheconstraintsfacedduringitsimplementation.

Attheendofitsterm,inadetailedreportpresentedtothegovernment,theJhaCommitteesummedupitsoverallassessmentinthesewords:

Byanystandard,OperationFloodhasbeenasuccessfulprogramme,implementedwithcompetenceanddedication,forwhichthecreditshouldgoto theNDDBandIDC.Undoubtedly, theeffort topromotethemilkproductionenhancementprogrammeneedstobesteppedupagreatdealbutthisdoesnotdetractfromtheiroverallperformance.

Theefforthasnotbeenfreefromdifficulties.ThesuccessfulimplementationofOperationFlooddependednotonlyontheeffortsoftheNDDBandIDCbutalsotheagreementandsupportofthestate governments concerned as well as the response of those engaged in the production andmarketingofmilk.Thetimetakeninreachingagreementswiththestategovernmentsaswellasinorganising the cooperativesdiffered fromstate to state anddistrict todistrict so that thepaceofimplementation was not uniform but frequently lagged behind the ambitious targets originallyadopted.

TheJhaCommitteewasalsounstintinginitscommendationofbothNDDBand

IDCfortheworkdone.Thecommittee’sreportobserved:Whileanumberofpeopleseemedverycriticaloftheentireoperation,thebulkoftheevidenceleftusinnodoubtthat,overall,theNDDBandIDChavedischargedtheirresponsibilitieswithcareandcompetence….

As consultant, the NDDB has provided technical expertise of a high order…The IDC andNDDB, between them, have some 800 professionals in diverse disciplines, of high quality andmotivation.Theyhavenotonlybeenable tosetup,butalsomanageefficiently,dairies in largercities…while in some cities sick dairies have been handed over to them formanagementwithsuccessfulresults….Anotherareawherethetwoorganisationshavedistinguishedthemselvesisinmaking innovations.Among these are the bulk vending system, the use of electronic fat testingmachines,theextensiveindigenisationofthedairyequipmentmanufacturingindustry….

High marks must also be given to IDC and NDDB for their success in management andmarketing.Thetransportationofmilkfromsurplusareastodeficitareasoverhundredsofmilesbyroadandrail,withoutbeingspoilt,pilferedoradulteratedonthewayhasledtotheemergenceofanationalmilkgrid in respectofaperishableproductwhich traditionallycouldonlycater to localconsumption.

MycolleaguesandIcouldnothaveaskedforamoreimpressivetribute.WithsuchapositiveevaluationfromtheJhaCommittee,ourcriticsweresilenced.Itwas perhaps the best thing that could have happened to us at that time and itproved to be immensely useful for the dairy board. The committee’s reportconfirmedOperationFlood’scredibilitywithin thecountryandencouraged theEECandtheWorldBank,whowereconsideringsupportfortheproject’sthirdphase.

The report also made a number of extremely helpful recommendations –among them the need tomerge theNDDB and IDC –which helped us growmuchfaster.Inaccordancewiththecommittee’ssuggestion,NDDBwasmergedwith IDC. This new body corporate retained the name of National DairyDevelopmentBoard.

TheGovernmentofIndiamovedaBillintheParliamenttodeclaretheNDDBasaninstitutionofnationalimportanceandtoendowuponitcorporatestatusbyanActofParliament.SupportcameforthisBillacrosstheboard,irrespectiveofparty affiliations. The Bill was passed in both the Lok Sabha and the RajyaSabha in a record time of four days. This was ameasure of expectations theParliament had from this body. Thus on 12 October 1987, NDDB in its newavatarwascreatedbyanActofIndia’sParliament–theNDDBAct1987.

As a result of the Jha Committee’s evaluation, the sanction and theimplementation of Operation Flood-III was far swifter and smoother. Butperhaps,mostofall,thisevaluationonceandforallputtoresttheragingmedia

controversy.

It didnot, however, put an end tomyongoingproblemswithRaoBirendraSingh.More than once, after a particularly difficult periodwhen theMinisterwas obstructing our work at NDDB, I was forced to hand inmy resignation,whichwas never accepted by the government. Things finally reached a pointwhereIconcludedthatIdidnotwanttostayiftheMinisterdidnotwantmetostay.Coexistenceinsuchcasesisneverpossible.

There had been a time,more than a decade earlier,when problemswith anearlierMinister–JagjivanRam–hadledmetodecidetoresign.IwasinDelhitohandinmyresignation,whenImetanoldfriend,VikramSarabhai.Heaskedmewhat Iwasdoing inDelhi andwhen I toldhim that Iwas therebecause Iwanted toquit,he invitedme tohis room in theeveningat theAshokaHotel.WhenIgotthere,IsawthatD.P.Dharandsomeotherseniorbureaucratswerealsopresent.Sarabhai introducedmeto themandtold themwhatI intendedtodo.Allofthempersuadedmetothinkagain,andpromisedmethattheywould‘takecareoftheMinister’.

Perhapsthatearlierexperienceandthekindcommentsthathercloseadvisershad made stood me in good stead this time. For when I went to see IndiraGandhiaboutmyproblemswithRaoBirendraSingh,shepickedup thephoneandtoldtheMinisterinnouncertainterms:‘Don’tdothis.LeaveKurienalone.’

ButRaoBirendraSinghrefusedtoleavemealoneand,perforce,IhadtovisitthePrimeMinisteronceagainandcomplain: ‘Madam, this is theend. I’mnotcontinuinganymore.Sinceyouspoketohimthelasttime,hehasbecomeevenmoremalicious.Icannotcarryonlikethis.’

Indira Gandhi looked at me and said very calmly, ‘Dr Kurien, then I shallremove him.’ And that is exactly what she did. She sacked the AgricultureMinister becausehe refused to stop interfering in theworkingofNDDB.RaoBirendraSinghcametoknowwhatwasinstoreforhimonlythreedaysbeforehewassacked. Immediately,he tried toextendahandoffriendship tomeandcajolemetoletbygonesbebygones.Butitwastoolate.

There aremoments in lifewhen it becomes imperative to protect one’s stand.Most of the fights I have hadwith politicians and bureaucrats over the yearshavebeenessentiallybecauseIhavebeentryingtoholdontomyprinciples.I

feelproudtosaythatIsurvivedallthosebattles.TheclashwiththeComptrollerandAuditorGeneral(CAG)wasaninstanceofthis.Itallbeganyearsbeforetheman became CAGwhen, at ameeting, he said something that upsetme. If Iremembercorrectly,intheheatofthediscussion,Isaidsomethingquiterude.Hewas,understandably,upset.

Consequently, when CAG discovered that a firm of private charteredaccountantsconductedtheNDDBaudits,hefoundtheexcusehewaslookingforto get his revenge.He told the thenMinister of State forDairyDevelopment,RaghuvanshPrasadSingh–whosefeathersalsoIhadmanagedtoruffle–thatastheMinister he shouldorder an audit ofNDDB.He explained to theMinisterthatalthoughundertheNDDBAct,thedairyboarddidnotneedtobeauditedbythemsinceitwasagovernmentinstitution,undertheAuditorGeneral’sActwewereobligedtoallowtheauditoftheaccountsofallgovernmentbodies.

TheverynextdaytheofficersoftheAccountantGeneralofGujaratarrivedattheNDDBofficeinAnanddemandingtoseeourbooksofaccounts.IwasawayatthattimesotheNDDBofficerwhomethimsaid,‘DrKurienisnotheresowecannotgiveyoutheaccounts.’

‘Idon’twantDrKurien,Iwantthebooks,’declaredtheAccountantGeneral.MycolleaguesatNDDBrefusedtoshowhimtheaccountsinmyabsence.Theepisodedidnotendthere.Argumentssoonescalatedandwereceivedanofficialletter stating we were ‘obstructing a government official from performing hislegitimateduties.Thisisaseriousoffenseanditcancallforimprisonment….’

IcametoadecisionandinformedmycolleaguesatNDDBthatwewouldnotshow them the books of accounts because the motive was not correct. Therewereprecedentsinoursystemthatwhentwogovernmentdepartmentsquarrelledthey did not go to court because by doing so both departments would bespendinggovernmentfunds–publicfunds–todefendthemselves.Thenormalprocedure for such situationswas that a secretary from theCabinetSecretariatwouldtrytoarbitrate.Accordingly, theSecretarywrotetometoappearbeforehim. Iwrotebackaskinghim toconfirm that theCAGof Indiawouldalsobeappearing because any arbitrationwould be futilewith just one party present.TheSecretarywasinadilemma.HecouldnotordertheCAGtoappearbeforehim, as he ranks much higher than a Secretary. Once more the SecretaryrequestedmetoappearandonceagainI insisted that Iwoulddosoonly ifheassuredmethatbothpartieswouldbepresent.FinallyheaskedtheCAGtosend

a representative.Twodirectors from theCAG’s office came to the arbitration.ThedatewasfixedandtheSecretarybegantheprocessbyaskingmeaboutmycase.

‘Mycase?Whatcase?’Iasked.‘I’vebeenmindingmyownbusiness.Iwanttoknowiftheyhaveanycase.’

Thedirectors said that theyweredoing their duty ‘because theConstitutionrequiresustoauditallgovernmentbodies’accounts.’

‘If your auditing is so good then there should be no corruption in anygovernmentdepartment,’Ipointedouttothem.‘UnfortunatelyweallknowthatcorruptionkeepsincreasingingovernmentdepartmentsandIthinkit’sprobablybecauseofsomedrawbacksinyourauditing.’

TheywereupsetandtheyaskedmeifIhadanythingtohide.

‘Is it not true that you spend Rs 300 crore of public funds on your owndepartment?’Iaskedthem.‘Iwanttodoanauditofthat.’

TheysaidIcouldnotdoso.

‘Why?’ I demanded. ‘Why shouldyounot allowme to audit?Doyouhaveanythingtohide?’

TheytoldmeIhadnorighttoaudittheirdepartment’saccounts.‘Exactly,’Isaid.‘Thatismyreplytoyou,too.Youhavenorighttoauditmyaccounts.’

Friendswithintheministryhadinformedmeaboutallthedetailssurroundingthe Minister’s order. I was therefore in a position to also point out to thedirectors that the order to audit NDDB’s accounts had been put into motionwithoutthedueprocessbeingfollowed.IhadsomeseriousandvalidobjectionsandIvoicedthemwithoutfear.

‘Youwent tomyMinister, told him some story and he in turn ordered theaudit,’Isaid.‘Youthoughtthatbydoingthisyouwouldwin,becauseIwouldbeunderordersfrommyownMinister,whoinsteadofprotectingmeisfurtheringyourcause.Youhaveforgottenonething,however.MyMinisterhasnorighttomakeanyrequesttotheCAG.IfhehasanysuchrequesttomakehehastofirstasktheFinanceMinisterwhowillthenasktheCAGandonlythencantheorderbeactedupon.Whatisworse,theMinisterorderedtheaudithalfanhourbeforehe demitted office and at a time when neither the Secretary nor the JointSecretarywerepresent.So thisaudithasbeenorderedwithout thedueprocess

beingfollowed.’

The arguments continued in the same vein for a while. Finally the CAG’sofficetookthemattertocourt.NDDBengagedanexcellentlawyer,whoarguedthattheentireorderwasillegalandalsothat themotivewasmischievous.Thecase is pending in the court.Officers from theCAG’s office had remained inAnandforsixweekshopingtogettheorderthrough.Butwedidnotallowit.

TheActofParliamentthatestablishedNDDBstatesveryclearlythatthedairyboard is autonomous.Thepoint Iwanted tomake to theCAGand, indeed, toeveryoneconcerned,wasthatifIwasnotpreparedtofightforthisautonomy–whichin thefirstplacewasgiventomebytheParliament–Iwouldneverbeable tosustain thatautonomy.In timesofcrisis,mostpeople tend tosurrendertheautonomythatisgiventothemandthisisverytragic.WeatNDDB–andatAmul before that – always insisted on our autonomy, which we have neverallowed anyone to violate. I have found, in over fifty years of confrontinggovernments and defending cooperatives from political and bureaucraticinterference,thatwhenyoubegindemandingwhatisrightfullyyours,therearemany people even within the bureaucratic systemwho ensure that you retainthoserights.

T.P.Singh,Secretary, theMinistry ofAgriculture in 1972-75,was one suchremarkableman.AsChairmanofNDDB,whichwasapublicsocietyandtrustpromotedby theMinistry ofAgriculture, Iwas obliged to go toDelhi once amonthforameetingwiththeSecretaryofmyministry.DuringthismeetingtheSecretarywouldtellmeallthethingsthatIshouldhavedoneanddidnotdoandIwould tell theSecretaryall the thingsgovernment shouldhavedoneanddidnot do. It was a healthy exchange. At these meetings, generally the JointSecretaryandtheDirectortoowouldbepresent.

Atoneparticularmeeting,afterhavingcompletedourdiscussions,Igotuptotake leaveof theSecretary,T.P.Singh,and theotherswhenhe toldmethathehad not finished.He askedme to sit down, pulled out a bulging file fromhisdesk and showed it to me saying that he had only just come to know of itsexistence. It was a file on me, prepared by his colleagues in the ministry,particularly the Joint Secretary and the Director. These two bureaucrats, whowere present in the room at that time, looked positively uncomfortable. Inessence, thefilesaid that itwas illegal formetobe theChairmanof thedairyboardandatthesametimetheChairmanoftheIDCbecauseitmeantaconflict

of interest. His colleagues, T.P. Singh informed me, sent this file to the lawministry,whichconcurredthatmyholdingthechairmanshipofthesetwobodieswas,indeed,‘illegal’.

I stoodupand toldT.P.Singh that if thiswere thecase, IwouldsubmitmyresignationimmediatelyfrombothNDDBaswellasIDC.Helookedatmeandsaid,‘Ihavenotyetfinished,sopleasesitdown.Idonotknowwhymyofficersaredoingsuchdestructivework.We–thisministry–madeDrKurienChairmanof theNDDB.Thisministry thenwent ahead andmade himChairman of theIDCandnowthissameministrystartsafilesayingthisis“illegal”.Itislikeawomancallingherownsonabastard.Thisisabsolutelyterrible.’

The Joint Secretary and the Director were visibly flustered and nervous attheirSecretary’soutburst.Theybeganprotestingmeekly.

‘Thereisnoneedtoshedcrocodile tears,’T.P.Singhsaidtothemsternly.‘Iknowyoufellowswell.NowthisfilewillremainhereandonlyIwillhandleit.Youarenottotouchthisfile.’

HethentoldmethatIcouldgobutIshouldmeethimagainwhenIwasnextinDelhi.WhenIcalledonhimduringmysubsequentvisittoDelhi,hetookmetothelawministrytomeettheSecretary.HeintroducedmetotheSecretaryandthen said to him, ‘I sent you a file on Dr Kurien some time ago. Have youexaminedit?Haveyoureadmynoteonit?‘

TheSecretarysaidhehad.

‘Is it “illegal” for him to be Chairman of the dairy board and the dairycorporation?’heasked.

TheSecretarysaiditwasnot.

‘Haveyou recordedyourviewson the file?’askedT.P.Singhandwhen theSecretarysaidhehaddoneso,heaskedtohavethefileback.

Taking the file,we returned toT.P. Singh’s office. ‘SoDrKurien,we havewon,’ said this extraordinary bureaucrat. ‘You see, what these fellows do notunderstand is that legal opinion ismerely an opinion. It is not the law. Legalopiniondependson thebriefinggivenand thesechaps fromourministrygavethebriefing.AllIdidwastogivetheLawSecretarymybriefing.Inmyratherlong career, Dr Kurien, I have been a legal officer, too, so I gave my legalopinion.’

Herewas anofficer I barelyknewat apersonal level.My interactionswithhim had been restricted to our monthly work meetings and yet he took thetrouble to support me in the face of opposition from people within his ownministry,who for reasonsbest known to themselves, objected to the ‘power’ IwieldedasChairmanofNDDBandIDC.

~

Ihaveoftenbeenaskedformyviewsonwhocouldhaveincitedandfuelledtheanti-OperationFloodpropagandaduringtheearly1980s,andwhy.Icouldneversaywithanycertainty.ButIwasconvincedthattherehadtobeamultinationalhandbehind thematerials published inEurope. I have constantly stressed thattherealpowerofIndialiesinitspeople.ProjectssuchasOperationFloodweremeanttounleashthispower.WeIndiansareanextremelyintelligentpeoplebutwe can progress as a nation onlywhenwe learn the secret of unleashing thispositivepowerofthepeople.Wheneverthishappensitdisturbsalotofpeople–becausetheyknowthatagiantiswakingup.

Asfor themediacriticisminIndia,certainlyoneof thepeoplebehind thesevirulentattackswasmyerstwhilecolleague,A.T.Dudani.Wehadbeentogetherin Bangalore’s dairy research institute before I left for higher studies abroad.SincethenDudanikeptintouchwithme.IknewthathewasunhappyatNDRI.HehadhopedtobepromotedtoDirectorofNDRIandwhenthisdidnothappen,he grew increasingly frustrated.When I becameChairman ofNDDB,Dudaniexpectedmetohelphimgetasignificantpostsomewhere.Ididcometohishelpand, because I had respect for his ability, found him a position in the DelhiMotherDairy.Whenitdidnotpanout,IplacedhiminIDC.Whenthat,too,didnot work out, I supported his return to the office of the Animal HusbandryCommissioner in the Government of India. There, instead of supportingOperationFlood,hebecameapersistentcritic,oftengoingbeyondtheboundsofproprietyin thewayhe treatedconfidential responsibilities. In theend,hewassacked by the ministry, an event for which he incorrectly blamed me. As aconsequence,hehelda lifelonggrudgeandmade ithis life’smission toattackmeandmyefforts.

I have often been accused of being unduly harsh towards critics. In fact,OperationFloodand I are indebted to somecriticswhosewell-consideredandsincereobservationshelpedus to avoidmistakes and improve theprogramme.Thereareothercritics,includingShantiGeorge,whosubsequentlycametome

personally and apologised, saying that I had been proved right in the finalanalysis and that they were wrong. I think they understood that I have neverrefused to listen to criticism that is honourable, criticism that is meant toimprove, not defame.What we tried to do at NDDB was to create peaks ofexcellence.Maintainingexcellenceisalwaysapainfuljobbutwedidachieveitinvirtuallyallourprojects.Forus,excellencewasparticularlydifficulttoobtainwhenbureaucrats andpoliticians,whoknew far less about the issueswewereworkingonthanwedid,sat in judgementandcontinuedinterfering.Iresentedthisintenselyandintheprocess,IknowIcreatedalotofresentment.Butsincethiswastobeexpected,Ialsolearnttolivewithresentmentandwithcriticism.

Iamaware that Ihavealsooftenbeenaccusedofbeingautocratic.PerhapsthereweretimesinmycareerwhenIwas,yetitwasalwaysasaresponsetoasituation. If the situation demanded autocracy, I gave it autocracy. But neveroncedidIletgoofthelargervisionandmissionthathadbeeningrainedinmebypeoplelikeTribhuvandas.Thevisionwasthatofdemocracyatthegrass-rootsandthemissiononeofplacing the toolsofdevelopment firmly in thehandsofthedairyfarmers.ItoldmycriticsthattherewasbutoneverysimpletesttoseewhetherornotmyconceptofOperationFloodwasflawed.All theyhad todowastoseewhetherthecountryhadbecomemore,orless,dependentonaid.Idonotthinkthereisspacefordoubtinanybody’smindonthatscoreanymore.

MyNDDBcolleaguesandIwerealwaysintenselyconsciousthateachofus,who had been given some responsibility, must, in whatever we did, keep thelargerdimensionsof totaldevelopment in focus. Itwasourprimary job to seethatwebrought thepeople into thedevelopmentprocess. Ifmyonly intentionhadbeentobuildOperationFloodwithoutthinkingofthelargerdevelopment,IcouldhaveeasilydesigneditinsuchawaythatallthesedairieswerebuiltandownedbytheIDCandNDDB.Afterall,wehadraisedallthemoney.Afterall,theGovernmentofIndiaundertakingsroutinelybuildtheirfactoriesalloverthecountryandownthem.Butwedidnotdoitbecausecontrarytowhatmanyhaveoftenaccusedmeof,neitherthedairyboardnorIwasinthebusinessofbuildingourownempire.Wewere,fromtheveryoutset,inthebusinessofbuildingandexpandingtheempireofIndia’sfarmers.Thereisnoothergovernmentagencyintheentirecountrywhich,afterspendingmorethanRs1,000crore,astheNDDBdid,ownsnothing.Andinthis,Itakegreatpride.

Istepbystep

WASFORTUNATETHATIENJOYEDTHESUPPORTOFALLTHEGOVERNMENTSthatcametopower.Ihavebeen–andcontinuetobe–highlycriticalofourbureaucracy.

Fortunatelyforus,withinourbureaucracythereareanumberofpeople–menandwomen –who are dedicated, patriotic and able. They are committed andprincipledpeople.Icanneverforgetthatmanyofthesebureaucratsralliedtomysupport,goingoutoftheirwaytogivemeahelpinghandwheneverIneededit.IfIwasintroubleitwasalwaystothesebureaucratsthatIwent.Andtheyneverfailedme.ThisisarealityIcannotdeny.Weneedthebureaucratstolookaftertheinterestsofourpeople.Thetrickyparthasalwaysbeen:howdoweeducatethebureaucracytobetrulypublicservants–servantsofthepeople–ratherthanthebossesmostofthemcontinuetobe?

AsfarasOperationFloodwasconcerned,oncetheprimeministers,thechiefministers and the ministers visited Anand and indicated that they wanted theprojecttotakeoff,therewereenoughbureaucratstosupportitandtoneutralisethose who opposed it. It was this combination of the approval of heads ofgovernmentsandthesupportofbureaucratsinstrategicpositions,whichfurtherbolsteredmycouragetocallaspadeaspadeandeventothumbmynoseatsomepoliticians,whentheneedarose.Oneofmytrulymemorable‘encounters’waswithJagjivanRamwhenhewasUnionMinisterforAgricultureandIrrigationinPrimeMinisterIndiraGandhi’scabinetin1970.

I was at Krishi Bhavan in Delhi to attend a meeting with Prof. M.S.Swaminathanandothers, toselectadirectorfor theCFTRIinMysore,whenIwastoldthatJagjivanRamwantedtomeetmeurgently.IwasabouttotellthemessengerthatIwouldgoafterwehadfinishedourmeetingbutSwaminathanastutely advised me: ‘No. When the bada minister calls, you should goimmediately.Wewillwaitforyou.’

I got up and left the meeting and was literally rushed to the Minister’schamber. Jagjivan Ram looked at me as I entered his room, asked me to sitdown, smiled and said, ‘DrKurien, I’mveryhappy to seeyou. Iwant you tohelpbuildadairyinmyconstituency.’

Ilookedathim,alittleconfused,andasked,‘Acooperativedairy?’

‘No,no,’saidtheMinister.‘Aprivatedairy.’

Iwasstunned.Iwasnotinthebusinessofbuildingprivatedairies.Thiswasatotallyunethical request and I responded ratherviolently, saying: ‘It cannotbedone.’

JagjivanRamcouldnotbelievewhatheheardandaskedmetorepeatwhatIhadsaid.SoIsaiditagain, louderandclearer this time:‘Iwillnotdoit. Iamhereonlytobuildcooperativedairies,notanybody’sprivatedairy.’

‘Isthatso?’heasked.

‘Yes,’Isaidratherangrily.

TheMinisterwas obviously shocked at theway I spoke and he said curtly,‘Youmaygo.’

That was the end of ourmeeting. I knew immediately that I had played itwrong.Ishouldhaveagreedandsaid,‘YesSir,it’saverygoodidea.I’llthinkitover. I’llsendyouanoteon it,’and thusplayedfor timeand thenpointedouthowNDDB’s fundscouldnotbeused tobuildprivate-sectordairies. Instead Ihadreactedverybluntlyand,inhindsight,perhapsevenveryimmaturely.

Inallfairness,JagjivanRamwasoneoftheablestofourministers.Hewasaseasonedpoliticianandhewasknown to treathisofficersverywell– theyalllovedhim.IfIhadhandledhisrequestmoredeftly,hewouldhavebeenagreatsupport to me. But I had been my outrageously outspoken self. Everybodywarnedme that Ihadmadeoneof thebiggestmistakesofmy life in trying totanglewithhim.TheytoldmethatJagjivanRamwassuchaskilledplayerthatwhenhecutyourthroatyouwouldnotevenrealiseittillyourheadrolleddown.Certainly,Iwasindeeptrouble.

Before too long, friends inDelhi reliably informedme that theMinisterhadaskedformyfile.Later,asympatheticbureaucratshowedmethatfileandIsawthat he hadwritten there in red ink: ‘Remove him’. I daresay the fact that heorderedmyremovalwasreceivedwithgreatjoyintheagricultureministry.Thejustification given by JagjivanRamwas that theChairman ofNDDB and theChairmanofIDC(thosedaystheywereseparatebodies)shouldbetwodifferentpeople.Hewasawilymanandknewthat itwasIDCthathadthemoneyand,therefore,suggestedthatIshouldberemovedfromthechairmanshipofIDC,notNDDB.

I realised that I had but one option left. I wrote a letter to PrimeMinisterIndira Gandhi, informing her about the situation and asked her for an

appointment.IwascalledtoDelhi.WhenIgotthere,V.RamachandranfromthePrimeMinister’sOfficetelephonedmeandaskedmeifIcouldtellhimwhattheproblem was, so that he could brief the Prime Minister and that would helpfacilitateadecision. I toldhimwhathadhappenedandadded that I felt itwasnotrightontheMinister’sparttoterminatemyservicesinthisfashion.

Within two hours Ramchandran called me back to say, ‘Sir, the PrimeMinisterhasjustsignedaletterandhassentittotheAgricultureMinister.Theletterbasicallysays,“Don’t touchKurien.Leavehimalone.”Soyourproblemseemstobesolved.Ifyoustillwishtomeether,Iwillarrangeit.’

But I knew IndiraGandhiwas a very busy person and sincemyworkwasdoneIdidnotdisturbher.Itwasreassuringtoknowthatshehadsupportedme.Actually shewas favourablydisposed towardsme from thewordgo.Shehadbeen toAnandalongwithher fatherandhadstayedatmyhouse.ShesawtheregardJawaharlalNehruhadformeandfortheworkthatwasbeingdonethere.Shewasstandingnext toherfather inAnandwhenhehadcometoinaugurateourdairy,andhadheardhimremarktome:‘I’mveryhappythattherearepeoplelike you in my country … .’ As far as Indira Gandhi was concerned, beingappreciatedbyher fatherwasenough. IhadhisstampofapprovalandIknewthatfor this reasonaloneIcoulddependonhersupport in timesof trouble. Inturn, Rajiv Gandhi knew that his mother was very fond of me, and when hebecamePrimeMinister,hetoowasequallysupportive.

Although I was in a small town, I always had access to all our primeministers.InitiallyitwaslargelyduetoTribhuvandasPatelwhowastheGujaratPradeshCongressPresident,andMorarjiDesai,whowasextremelyclosetohimandconsequentlytomeandmyfamily.TherecouldhavebeennobetterbackingforNDDBand thecooperatives than theongoingapprovalofprimeministers.DuringmytenureasChairman,Ifoundmyselfoftencallingontheirsupportforonereasonoranother.

~

In1977,H.M.PatelbecameIndia’sFinanceMinister.LikeSardarPatel,he,too,traced his roots to this region – he came from Dharmaj village, just a fewkilometres from Anand, and was an extremely close friend and supporter ofKaira’smilkcooperatives.Hehadseenthespectaculargrowthofthecooperativemovement atAnand andwas aware that because ofwhatwe had achieved atAnand, the country’s production ofmilk had increased, leading to a complete

haltofimportsinmilk.

H.M. Patel calledme toDelhi for ameetingwith other officials, where heshared withme his concern at the heavy outflow of foreign exchange due torapidlygrowing importsofvegetableoil.Hesaid that thecountrywasalreadyimportingonemillion tonsofvegetableoilworthRs1,000croreandwhenheprojected the consumption figures for five years ahead, he came up with anextremelyworryingsituation.ItwashisresponsibilityastheFinanceMinistertoseethatpreciousforeignexchangewasconservedandheaskedmewhethertheAnandpatternofthecooperativestructurecouldalsobetriedoutintheareaofvegetable oil, so that we could make the country self-sufficient in thiscommodity,too.

Contrary towhatmanyhavebelieved, itwas notNDDB’s idea to enter thevegetable oil market. We took on the project because the country’s FinanceMinister requested us to do so. Following the Anand pattern meant theprocuring, processing and marketing of vegetable oil would have to betransferredtothehandsofthosewhoproducedtheoilseeds.Theoilseedfarmerswouldhave toownand command the systemand in theprocess eliminate themiddlemen–thepowerfulandinfluentialteliarajahs(oilkings)whointerposedthemselves between the producers of the seeds and the consumers of the oil.Onlythiscouldhelpustobringtotheproduceragreatershareoftheconsumer’srupee.

WeevolvedaRs700-croreprojecttorestructuretheproductionandmarketingof edible oil and oilseeds and to cooperatise the vegetable oil industry. Theprojectwaslaunchedin1979.WeplannedtooperateinsevenstatesofIndia–Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa andRajasthan. By 1986 over 300,000 farmers had joined 2,500 oilseed growers’cooperatives across the seven states. The cooperatives were organised intounions and state federations which were responsible for the production,procurement,processingandmarketing,aswellasmethodsforimprovedyields.

Subsequentlyin1989,theGovernmentofIndiadecidedthatthereshouldbeacomprehensive, integratedpolicy for thedevelopmentofvegetableoil in Indiasothatitsimports,distributionandproductionwouldbecoordinated.TheimportofedibleoilwasinthehandsoftheMinistryofCommerce;distributionwiththeMinistryofCivilSupplies;andproductionwiththeMinistryofAgriculture.

As often happens in government, therewas a lack of coordination between

these three ministries, with each following its own objectives, oftencontradicting the other two. This iswhy theGovernment of India evolved anintegratedpolicy.

Market interventionwasacentralplankof the integratedpolicy foroilseedsandedibleoils.Initswisdom,thegovernmentdecidedatthehighestlevelsthatNDDB should be thatmarket intervention agency.Of course,within no time,NDDB–andIasitsChairman–cameinfortremendouscriticismforthisfromvarious quarters. By this time I had sufficiently hardened to criticism. I, andNDDB, could take any amount of abuse and criticism as long as we wereconfident that we were pursuing the right path, as long as we did so withintegrity,andaslongaswewereallowedtoperform.

The market intervention operation stipulated that NDDB should buy bothoilseeds and oil, as it deemed appropriate, store these, mill the oilseeds andmarket the oil.As themarket intervention agency itwas our responsibility tobringstabilitytowhathadbeenanextremelyvolatilemarketforoil,maintainingthepriceaboveacertainlimit toprotect thefarmer,andyet tokeepitbelowacertain limit so that the consumer did not pay too much. In agriculturalcommodities,thetrader–inthiscasetheteliarajah–alwaysmadethebulkofthe money, very often by manipulating information and the market. It isextremelydifficultinagriculturetoproduceonlyasmuchasisrequiredbythemarket. If the farmer produces 5 per centmore, then the traderwho buys theproduce beats down the farmer’s price by as much as 50 per cent. If theproductionis5percentlessthanthedemand,thetraderincreasestheconsumerpricebyasmuchas50percent.

Sinceouragriculturalproductionissolargelydependentonthemonsoons,itcannotbefinelytunedandplanned,andsuchvariationsareinevitable.Inthosedays,thetradersintheoilsectormadetidyprofits.Theyknewonlytoowellthatsimplybybuyingandsellingoiltheymademoney;iftheyboughttheoil,keptitforsometimeandthensoldit,theymadeevenmoremoney;iftheyboughttheoil, speculated and then sold it, they becamemillionaires.The ever-increasinggreedof thetradersexploitedboththefarmerandtheconsumer.Andonus,atNDDB, thegovernmentplacedthechallenging taskofachievingastablepricelevelthatwouldbebeneficialtoboththefarmerandtheconsumer.

By1994,NDDBorganised5,348OilseedGrowers’Cooperativeswitharoundonemillionfarmermembers.WesetupnineteenOilseedGrowers’Unionsinthe

seven states and built several large,modern oilmills thatwere owned by thefarmers.

Anintrinsicpartofthemarketinterventionoperationwastointroduceintothemarket packaged edible oil sourced from the oil cooperatives. By the mid-seventies, wewere clear that the biggest and themost powerful friend of themilkproducersofGujaratwasthetradenameof‘Amul’whichstoodforquality,reasonableprice,andtrust.ThebiggestassetsofthemilkproducersofGujaratwere thedistributionandmarketingchannels thatwehad setupnationally forAmulproducts.

Realisingtheimportanceofatradenameweintroduced‘Dhara’whichmeans‘stream’,asthetradenameforourpackagedoilandstrengthenedthepositionoftheoilseedscooperatives.SoonDhara, too,would stand forquality, reliability,freedomfromadulterationandreasonableprice.Therewasonlyonedifference–unlikeinthecaseofAmulwhereIhadtwenty-fiveyearstoachievesuccess,forDhara Ihadonlya fewyears.Therefore, toensure for theproducta relatively‘instant’ success, I introduced Dhara as the lowest-price branded oil in themarket,butwithaqualityequalorbetterthanthehigh-pricedbrands.

SinceGCMMF already had a network of over 500,000 retail outlets to sellAmul products all over India, themarketing ofDharawas given toGCMMF.Also, nobody else would have agreed to market Dhara at an incredibly lowmarginofonly1.5percent!

Dharawasintroducedspecificallytogiveconsumersoilatareasonableprice.Inthebeginning,aspartofourmarketingstrategy–tostimulatemarketingandensure consumer acceptability – we put Dhara at a lower price than the costprice.Wecoulddo thisbecause theGovernmentof Indiahadagreed that theywould give NDDB 150,000 tons of imported oil for its market interventionoperations. The government also clearly stated in writing, and with Cabinetapproval, that itwouldmeet any losses onmarket interventionoperations thatNDDBmightincur.Duringtheinitialtwoyearsweincurrednolossesbecausewewerealsobeinggivenimportedoil,andbymarketingthiswemadeaprofit,whichmore thanoffset the lossonDhara.Subsequently,however,governmentwasnotabletogiveusanyimportedoilbecausetherewasaforeign-exchangecrunch.

Ifashortageofanagriculturalcommodityistoberemoved,itcanbedoneifthe farmer who produces it is paid a price that gives him some profit in

producingit.Withthisinfocus,webroughtthepriceuptoalevelthatwasnotonly satisfactory from the consumers’ point of view, but provided a realincentivetotheproducer.VeryrapidlyDharaestablishedareputationforqualityand purity. The ultimatemotive for ourmarket intervention operationswas toensure that theproductfromtheproducerorganisationsreachedtheconsumersdirectly.Oilwasbeingtradedattheoilexchangebetweentraders;wewantedtobypasstheoiltradersandtheonlywaytodoitwasbygainingaconsumermassmarket.Wemanagedthistoacertaindegree,despiteinitiallosses.

Itistruethatwedidnotseeasastoundingasuccessintheedibleoilsectoraswehadinthemilksector,butthatwasalsobecauseofthedifferenceinthetwocommodities.Whileunscrupuloustraderscouldhoard,stockandholdontooiltheycouldnotdosowithahighlyperishablecommoditylikemilk.Evenso,thepowerful oil lobby was definitely shaken by Dhara. Although Dhara was agenuineconsumermarketingsuccess,becomingtheleadingbrandedoilwithinamatterofonetotwoyears,itseemsnottohavebeenappreciatedbecauseitwasnotachievedbyamultinational.ThetragedyofIndiaisthatwefrequentlyhavenorespectforIndians,forIndianeffortsandforIndiansuccesses.

Thisremindsmeofaremarkmadetome,attheheightofAmul’ssuccess,byahigh-rankingofficial of theGovernmentof India inDelhi.He said, ‘Kurien,thesechapsatNestleare trulygreatpeople.Whatmarvellous things theyhaveachieved.Youshouldgoandseehowwelltheyruntheirdairy.’

‘AndshallItellyouhowmuchbettertheBritishranthiscountry?’Iretorted.‘Sothen,shallwecalltheBritishback?‘

Hehadnothingfurthertosaytome.

Ifwe look at vegetable oil beforeNDDBwas asked to get into the act andafteritdidso,India’sedibleoilimportbillcamedowndrastically,fromRs1,000crore toRs165crore, savingprecious foreignexchange.Dharadidnotdo toobadlyanditssalesquicklytouchedRs1,000croreperannum.Whenthebrandedoilmarketwasgrowingby12percentannually,Dharawasgrowingattherateof35percent.

Whether one liked it or not, for years, oil was considered an essentialcommodityandthiscreatedastringofcomplications.Addedtothiswasthefactthat there was more than one ministry involved in the edible oil sector. TheMinistryofCommercewithitsStateTradingCorporation(STC)hadaproblemif there were no imports. The civil supplies ministry was supposed to help

consumersbysellingthemimportedoilatalowprice.Soifthecountrybecameself-sufficientinedibleoil,STCcouldnotimportandcivilsupplieswouldhaveto base its public distribution on Indian oil, not imported, which meant thatconsumerswouldhavegotitatIndianoilprices.However,whenthegovernmentwasboundtosellitatalowerpricethroughthepublicdistributionscheme,howwould they subsidise it?The financeministry refused to do so, and therefore,what would happen to public distribution in oil? All these issues were theobstaclesinourpath.

Despitesuchacomplicatedscenario,however,Icouldnotagreetoastructurewhere a businessman and speculator bought the oil and became amillionaire.Suchpeople,undertheprivatesectorandinthenameofliberalisation,couldnotbeallowedtohaveafreereigntoexploitthefarmers.Thatwouldonlyindicatethatthegovernmentwasabdicatingitsrightandresponsibilitytogovernandthiswas the reason, I suspect, NDDB was asked to try its hand at cooperatisingvegetableoil.Ourstrategywasverysimple:turnthefarmersloose–givethemadequateincentive–fortheyaretheonlyoneswhocanproducemore.

The fact remains that in about five years the country, by 1993, becamevirtually self-sufficient inoil.Theoil lobbiesofother countrieswereunhappybecause India’s oil imports dropped from more than 2 million tons to under200,000 tons.Within the country, I thinkwe didmanage to bring about somediscipline.Wetookcareoftheteliarajahsbutwedidpayaheavyprice.ManyNDDBofficerswerephysicallyattacked.Onsevenoccasionsourcooperativeoilmill inBhavnagarwas seton fire.Butwewerenotdeterred from the taskwehadsetforourselves.

Thescoundrels,whofordecadesexploitedboththefarmersontheonehandandtheconsumersontheother,werewaitingeagerlyforouredibleoilprojecttofail.Theysaidthatunlikemilk,oilwasaveryslipperybusinessandKurienwasbound to slip and fall flat on his face. Ultimately, they were the ones whotumbledandfell.IamsureImadelotsofpeopleveryunhappy,butformeitwasmoreimportantthatImadehundredsofthousandsofoilseedfarmersbenefit.

~

During the timewhenNDDB’smarket interventionoperations invegetableoilwereon,mywifeandIhappenedtobeinDelhionapersonalvisit.Oneevening,a sympathetic bureaucrat calledme in a bit of panic and said, ‘Sir, all hell isbreakinglooseandyoubetterdosomethingaboutitveryfast.TheCivilSupplies

MinisterisscheduledtomeetPrimeMinisterRajivGandhitodayandyoumustactbeforehedoes.Wehavesome27,000tonsofvegetableoilinstockandwewantedtogiveittoNDDBforthevegetableoilproject.WehavejustlearntthattheMinisterwantstosellitathalfthepricetoaprivatepartyandpocketpartofthemoney.SoSir,pleasedosomethingandsavethesituation.Hewillthenwanttoimportvegetableoilbecausethere’salotofmoneytobemadeonimports.

Iasked thebureaucratatwhat time theMinisterwasmeetingRajivGandhi,thethenPrimeMinister,andheinformedmethatthemeetingwasscheduledforsevenp.m.Ilookedatmywatch.Itwasfivep.m.

‘Lookatthetime,’Isaidtohim.‘You’retellingmenow.HowthehelldoyouexpectmetogetanappointmentwiththePrimeMinisterwithintwohours?’

Obviously some rapid damage control was needed and I telephoned V.George,anofficerat thePMO,and toldhimIhad tomeet thePrimeMinisterurgentlybeforesevenp.m.Georgesaidhewouldtryhisbest.AlittlewhilelaterhecalledmetosaythatIcouldmeetthePrimeMinisteratsixforty-fivep.m.IthankedGeorgeforhishelpandrushedofftomeetRajivGandhi.

RajivGandhigreetedmeandsaid,‘Yes,Kurienji,whatisitthatyouwantedtoseemeabout?Isthereaproblem?’

I toldhimwhat Iknew– thathisMinisterwas sittingona stockof27,000tonsofvegetableoilandthatinthenextfifteenminuteshewouldcometomeetthePrimeMinistertotellhimthathewantedtosellitathalfpricebecauseithad‘gonebad’.ItoldRajivGandhithatNDDBwaswillingtobuytheentirestockatfull price and that although NDDB – a government outfit – needed that oildesperately,theMinisterdidnotwanttogiveittous.

‘Areyousure?’askedRajivGandhi.‘Youknowallthisforafact?’

‘Yes,’Ireplied.‘Andhe’scomingheretoslipitininthecourseofdiscussingothermatterswithyou.’

‘Isthatso?’thePrimeMinisterasked.

I assured him that this would happen and then, having given him all thisinformation,IaskedhimifIcouldtakehisleave.

‘No,’saidthePrimeMinister.‘Youwillsitdownhereandparticipateinthismeeting.’

Iwas rather reluctant todosoandsaid, ‘But Ihavenotbeen invited to thismeeting,Sir.’

‘Well, I’m inviting you. You will sit here, Kurienji, and take part in thismeeting,’saidRajivGandhi.

Soon the Minister, the Secretary Civil Supplies and three other officersarrived.Istoodupwhentheywalkedin.TheMinisterglancedatmeandRajivGandhi explained that since I was interested in vegetable oil and since themarketinterventionoperationsofNDDBwereon,hethoughtIshouldbepresentat themeeting too.The thenCabinetSecretary,T.N.Seshan,wasalsopresent.Wesatdownandthemeetingbegan.

Predictably, theMinister first talkedaboutacoupleofother issuesand thentold the PrimeMinister that therewas 27,000 tons of oil in stockwhichwasgoingbadandthathewantedtosell it forhalf theprice,since itwasbetter tomake at least half themoney rather thanwait and allow it to be a total loss.Clearly he was unaware that I had been tipped off about this. Rajiv Gandhilookedatmequestioningly.Isaid,‘Sir,Iampreparedtobuytheoilatwhateverprice.’

‘Are you are prepared to pay the full price?’RajivGandhi asked. I assuredhimthatNDDBwouldpaythefullpricefortheoil.

‘I don’t understand this,’ said the Prime Minister, turning to the Minister.‘Hereisthepublicsectorwillingtopaythefullprice.Youdon’twanttogiveittothembutyouwanttosellitathalftheprice.Whatsortofpolicyisthis?’

Seshan,theincorrigible,irreverentfellowthathewas,suddenlypipedup:‘Sir,thisiscalledthedog-in-the-mangerpolicy!’

RajivGandhilookedattheSecretaryandsaid:‘Givealltheoiltohimanditshouldbegiventohimwithintwenty-fourhours.Okay,what’sthenextitemontheagenda?’

ButIstillhadtosaymybittothisgatheringsoIcontinued,‘Sir,IwanttotellyousomethingaboutthisMinister.TheteliarajahsinBombayareshoutingandscreaming that theHonourableMinisterhasmadeacroreof rupeesduring thelastimport.IfcrooksliketheteliarajahsarebroadcastingthisinformationaboutyourMinister in the streets ofBombay,what is your government’s reputationworth?’ I then asked him once again if I had his permission to leave. Themessagewenthome.

AsIwalkedoutof thePrimeMinister’sroom,Seshanstuckouthishand toshakemineandlaterremarkedtomethatheneverknewIwascapableofsayingsuch things.TheMinisterhasnever forgivenme formyrole in it.Even todaywhenever I accidentally run into him somewhere, he turns his face and looksaway.

RajivGandhiwasagoodman,anuncomplicatedperson.Theonlymistakehecommittedwastoallowallsortsofcorruptministerstosurroundhim.WhenhevisitedAnandtoinauguratetheRaviJ.MatthaiLibraryattheInstituteofRuralManagement,Anand,hesharedwithmeaproblemhefaced.

‘Kurienji, I made a terrible mistake,’ he said. ‘I thought I must help myconstituency,RaeBareilly,soIcaughtholdofanindustrialistandpersuadedhimto spendsomeRs100crore to start an industry there.But I realised that afterspendingallthatmoney,2,000jobswerecreatedoutofwhichsome1,980jobswenttopeopleoutsidemyconstituency.Sincemypeoplewerenottooeducated,theygotthejobsofsweepersandIbecameevenmoreunpopular.AftercominghereIrealisewhatIshouldhavedone,soKurienji,wouldyousetupanAnandthere?’

Iexplainedtohimitwasnotthateasyto‘setupanAnand’.Theentireprocesshad tobestreamlined– first,milkcooperativesmustbe formedand thenmilkmust be produced, so some cattle-breeding had to begin. Only when milkproductionwasadequatecouldadairybebuiltandall this tooktime.Itwouldhavetobealong-termproposal.Heagreedandwebegantheworktosetupadairy cooperative in Rae Bareilly when, very tragically, he was assassinated.Muchlater,IcalledSoniaGandhiandtoldherthatsheshouldtakealookattheproject her husbandwanted to launch in his constituency. She said shewouldcomebutthatweshouldtakesomeoneelsetoactuallylookintothedetailsoftheproject. We decided to ask Balram Jhakar, who had served as Minister forAgricultureinRajivGandhi’sgovernment,toaccompanyus.Whenwegottotheairport we saw that Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka accompanied her.PriyankaexplainedtousthatsincehermotherwasvisitingRaeBareillyforthefirst time after her father’s death, she thought she should be there to hold herhandandgivehermoralsupport.

At Rae Bareilly we saw what magic the Gandhi name weaves. At least ahundred thousandpeoplewere there toseeSoniaGandhiandhearheraddressthemandverysoon theystartedcallingout: ‘Priyanka!Priyanka!’ Itwasquite

amazing. IaskedSonia if shewould like togoacrossandmeet someof thesepeople and she said she would but there were barricades. I assured her thatbarrierscouldalwaysbebroken.Itookhertowardsthepeopleandweremovedsomeofthebarricades.Shewalkedintothewomen’senclosureandthewomenstartedweepingandcallingouttobothofthem.Ithinkshemusthavefeltatthattimethat.withthiskindofanemotionalresponseattachedtotheGandhiname,shecouldnotaffordtoturnherbackandwalkawayfortoolong.

The difference between Rajiv Gandhi’s request to me for a favour andJagjivanRam’srequestwaybackin1970wasthatJagjivanRamhadaskedforaprivate dairy. His project had no element of helping the poor. I could neverafford to losesightof the fact thatallofNDDB’sprojectsnecessarilyhadbutonecentralmission–thatofempoweringthepoor.

~

Much beforeNDDBbegan functioning,Amul had already demonstratedwhatsmall and marginal farmers could achieve as empowered members ofcooperatives.Whenfarmersjointogether,begintocooperate, theyareapowertobereckonedwith.Therefore,ministers,too,hadtobeverycarefulbeforetheycriticisedtheAmuldairy.IftheyattackedAmul,theyattackedthesehundredsofthousandsof farmers and their families; if theydamaged theAmuldairy, theydamagedthefarmersofKairadistrict.Muchofthestrengthofthecooperativesderived from their democratic character and this was effectively displayed toanotherVIPvisitortoAnand.

There was a time in 1990 when I ran into some rough weather with theGovernmentofGujarat.ThedairyfarmersoftheKairaCooperativeinvitedDeviLal,whowas then theDeputyPrimeMinister aswell asAgricultureMinister,andChimanbhaiPatel,Gujarat’sChiefMinister,toAnandforameeting.Whenthe two politicians arrived they found around fifty thousand farmers gatheredthere.DeviLalwalkedintotheirmidstandstartedchattingwiththem.Heaskedone of the farmer leaders, ‘Which party do you belong to?’ and the farmeranswered‘JanataDal’.DeviLalsmiled.Thenhewenttothenextoneandaskedhimthesamequestion,expectingthesamereply,butthisfarmeransweredthathebelonged to theCongressParty.DeviLal appeareda little shaken.He thenwenttoa thirdleaderwiththesamequestionandwastoldthathebelongedtotheBharatiyaJanataParty.

By this time theDeputyPrimeMinisterwas thoroughlyconfused.Heasked

them how it was possible that although they had such different politicalaffiliations, theycametogetherasonegrouphere.Andthefarmersandfarmerleaders explained to the politician that within the cooperative, they were notparty people, they were, first and foremost, farmers. In the course of thediscussionsthatfollowed,whatthesefiftythousandpeoplesittingtheretoldthetwoministers by implicationwas: ‘If you attackDrKurien you attack amanwho is working for us. Don’t you know better than to do that?’ From thatmoment onwards, Devi Lal became my ardent supporter and Gujarat’s ChiefMinisterimmediatelyreleasedastatementsayingthathesupportedmeentirelyand that I was ‘a great Gujarati’. For me, nothing could have been morerewarding than the faith that, oncemore,Kairadistrict’s farmersplaced inmethatday.

Atmanytimesinmylife,Ihavebeenaskedwhy,withsuchmassivesupportbehindme, I have never stood for elections.My answer has always been thesame.IfIranforoffice,Iwouldcompletelylosemyvalue.Touniteourfarmersirrespectiveof caste, religionorpolitical affiliations, for the sakeof economicsurvival, is of the greatest importance to India. This is the way to unite thenation. Our politicians, unfortunately, have honed to a fine art their skill individingthenationintoHindus,Muslims,SikhsandChristians,intoKshatriyasandPatels and Jats, intoGujaratis andBengalis, intoHindi-speakingandnon-Hindi speaking people. It is my belief that only the success of economicmovements like the one spearheaded by Kaira Union will overcome theseartificialanddestructivedivisionsinournation.

AnotherquestionoftenposedtomeovertheyearsiswhatIwoulddoifIwereevermadeUnionAgricultureMinister. I thinkmy first stepwould be to stepdown asChairman of the IndianCouncil ofAgriculturalResearch (ICAR), ofwhichtheMinisteristheautomaticChairman.ThenIwouldreducethenumberofICARmembersfromninetytotwelve,forhavingninetymembersisvirtuallytryingtorunacircus.Iwouldensurethattheresearchersgotnotmorethan50per cent of their research funds from government coffers and the rest wouldcomefromtheindustry.Thiswaytheywouldbeanswerabletotheindustryandwouldalsogetrewardsfortheirgoodworkfromthebeneficiaries.Andlastly,Iwould trim the bureaucracy and instead promote and encourage independent,democratic structures which people themselves would command. In short Iwould ensure that Krishi Bhavan is a true Krishi Bhavan and not a ‘Kursi’Bhavanasithasbecome.

Our bureaucracy today is too bloated and therefore it is burdensome. Forexample, 95 per cent of the agriculture budget goes into paying the staff’ssalariesandIwouldnotbesurprisediftheremaining5percentgoestowardsthemaintenance of its jeeps.Where is the planning in that?As an interested andconcerned citizen who has witnessed our planning process for the last fivedecades, I can seewhy the fruits ofdevelopment today arenot commensuratewiththemoneyspent.

In many ways, Rajiv Gandhi’s famous statement, about only fifteen paisereaching the bottomwhenhundredpaise are released from the top, said it all.The solution can only lie in creating democratic structures which peoplethemselvescommand,insteadofthebureaucracy.TheplacefortheIASofficerisinthesecretariatandnotinthefield.TheIASofficerisbasicallyanaya-ramgaya-ram.He is transferred at regular intervals and it is almost impossible forhimtoshowcommitmentwhenheknowsheisgoingtobetransferredinashortspan of time. I have never understood how, for instance, the AgricultureSecretary can be a person who does not know agriculture. Somebody whopassed some competitive examination thirty-five years ago, is today suddenlyplacedinthispost,whenuntilyesterdayhewas,perhaps,theLawSecretary,andthedaybeforethathewastheDefenceSecretary.Whatastrangesystemthisisofadministering thecountry. Iamconvinced that the IAS, in itspresent form,willhavetobeabolishedsoonerorlater.Thereisnoothersolution.

If we depend – as we have too long depended – on bureaucracies andpoliticians andnot onourpeople todeliver thegoods, then there is very littlethat we will achieve as a nation. The bureaucrats and politicians will onlybecome stronger. It will do well to keep inmind that the principal enemy ofAnand was always the Milk Commissioner and the milk departments ofgovernment–farmorethananyPolsonorprivatetraders.

~

In1967,asChairmanofNDDB,Iwasaskedtobeamemberofahigh-poweredcommittee, set upby theGovernmentof India, to look into cowprotection. Itwas a collection of rather individualistic and interesting personages. JusticeSarkar,ChiefJusticeoftheSupremeCourt,wasappointeditsChairman.AmongtheothermembersofthiscommitteewereAshokMitra,whowasthenChairmanof the Agricultural Prices Commission, the Shankaracharya of Puri, H.A.B.Parpia,DirectoroftheCentralFoodTechnologicalResearchInstituteinMysore

andM.S. Golwalkar ‘Guruji’, the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), the organisation which had launched the entire cow protectionmovement.

WhenthiscommitteewassetuponeofthefirstquestionstoberaisedintheParliamentwas:‘IsthereanyMuslimonthiscommittee?’Thereplygivenwas:‘Yes, there is. Dr Parpia.’ Whereupon Parpia got furious and wrote to thegovernment saying: ‘If I have been put on this committee because I am aMuslim,Iherewithsubmitmyresignation.’HetoldthegovernmentthatsincehewasnotapracticingMuslim,theybetterthinkagainandputsomemullahonthecommittee!However,thegovernmentmanagedtopacifyhimandhestayedon.

For some inexplicable reason, theShankaracharya and I tooka spontaneousandmutual dislike to one another. I still recallmy firstmeetingwithhim.Hestrodeintotheroom,bare-chested,carryinganankush(trident)inonehandandarolledupdeerskintuckedunderhisotherarm.Hewalkeduptothechairnexttome,spreadouthisdeerskinontheseatandsatdown.InthosedaysIusedtobeaheavysmokerandIthoughttomyselfthatifhedidnotneedpermissiontocarryadeerskin,IdidnotneedpermissiontosmokeandIcontinuedsmoking.Unfortunately,eachtimeItookapuffandexhaledthesmoke,itwouldmoveinhis direction. The Shankaracharya glared at me, made some angry noises,snatcheduphisankushanddeerskinandmoveddownafewchairsawayfromme. He continued to glower at me from his new position and I continued tosmoke.JusticeSarkar,whowaswatchingthislittlesideshowdelightedly,leanedforward,tappedmeontheshoulderandsaid,‘DrKurien,mayIhaveacigarettetoo?’ThatwasJusticeSarkar.Agreatman.

Incredibleasitmightseem,thiscommitteemetregularlyfortwelveyears.Weinterviewedscoresofexpertsfromallfieldstogetopinionsofallshadesoncowslaughter.Itwasatediousandtimeconsumingprocess.Mybriefwastopreventanybanoncowslaughter.Itwasimportantforusinthedairybusinesstokeepweedingouttheunhealthycowssothatavailableresourcescouldbeutilisedforhealthy and productive cattle. Iwas prepared to go as far as to allow that nouseful cow should be killed.Thiswas the point onwhich theShankaracharyaandIinvariablylockedhornsandgotintoheatedarguments.Iconstantlyaskedhim, ‘YourHoliness, areyougoing to takeall theuseless cowswhicharenotproducinganythingandlookafterthemandfeedthemtill theydie?Youknowthatcannotwork.’Heneverhadanyanswertomyquery.

For twelve years the Government of India paid the committee members totraveltoDelhiandattendthemeetings.WecontinuedlikethisanditwasonlywhenMorarjiDesaibecamePrimeMinisterthatIreceivedalittleslipofpaper,whichsaid,‘Thecowprotectioncommitteeisherebyabolished.’Wewereneverevenaskedtosubmitareport.

However,oneratherunusualandunexpecteddevelopmentduringourregularcommitteemeetingswas that during that time,Golwalkar and I became closefriends.Peoplewereabsolutelyamazedtoseethatwehadbecomesoclosethatwhenever he saw me walk into the room he would rush to embrace me. Hewouldtakemeasideandtrytopacifymeafterourmeetings,‘Whydoyoukeeplosingyour temperwith theShankaracharya? I agreewithyouabouthim.Butdon’tletthemanrileyou.Justignorehim.’

Golwalkarwasaverysmallman–barelyfivefeet–butwhenhegotangryfirespewedoutofhiseyes.WhatimpressedmemostabouthimwasthathewasanintenselypatrioticIndian.Youcouldarguethathewasgoingaboutpreachinghisbrandofnationalismina totallywrongwaybutnobodycouldquestionhissincerity.Onedayafteroneofourmeetingswhenhehadarguedpassionatelyforbanningcowslaughter,hecametomeandasked,‘Kurien,shallItellyouwhyI’mmakinganissueofthiscowslaughterbusiness?’

I said to him, ‘Yes, please explain tome because otherwise you are a veryintelligentman.Whyareyoudoingthis?’

‘I started a petition to ban cow slaughter actually to embarrass thegovernment,’hebeganexplainingtomeinprivate.‘Idecidedtocollectamillionsignatures for this to submit to theRashtrapati. Inconnectionwith thiswork Itravelled across the country to see how the campaign was progressing. MytravelsoncetookmetoavillageinUttarPradesh.ThereIsawinonehouse,awoman,whohavingfedandsentoffherhusbandtoworkandhertwochildrentoschool,tookthispetitionandwentfromhousetohousetocollectsignaturesinthat blazing summer sun. I wondered tomyself why this woman should takesuchpains.Shewasnotcrazytobedoingthis.ThisiswhenIrealisedthatthewomanwasactuallydoingitforhercow,whichwasherbreadandbutter,andIrealisedhowmuchpotentialthecowhas.

‘Lookatwhatourcountryhasbecome.Whatisgoodisforeign;whatisbadisIndian.WhoisagoodIndian?It’sthefellowwhowearsasuitandatieandputsonahat.WhoisabadIndian?Thefellowwhowearsadhoti.Ifthisnationdoes

nottakeprideinwhatitisandmerelyimitatesothernations,howcanitamountto anything?Then I saw that the cowhaspotential to unify the country– shesymbolisesthecultureofBharat.SoItellyouwhat,Kurien,youagreewithmetobancowslaughteronthiscommitteeandIpromiseyou,fiveyearsfromthatdate,Iwillhaveunitedthecountry.WhatI’mtryingtotellyouisthatI’mnotafool,I’mnotafanatic.I’mjustcold-bloodedaboutthis.IwanttousethecowtobringoutourIndianness.Sopleasecooperatewithmeonthis.’

Ofcourse,neitherdidIconcurwithhimonthisnordidIsupporthisargumentforbanningcowslaughteronthecommittee.However,IwasconvincedthatinhisownwayhewastryingtoinstilaprideacrossourcountryaboutourbeingIndian. This side of his personality greatly appealed to me. That was theGolwalkar I knew. They had accused him of plotting themurder ofMahatmaGandhibutsomehowIcouldneverbelieveit.TomehecameacrossasanhonestandoutspokenmanandIalwaysthoughtthatifheweretheHindufanaticthathewasmadeouttobe,hewouldneverhavebeenmyfriend.

Duringthelastdaysofhislife,whenhewasailingandinPoona,hecalledallthestateheadsoftheRSStotalktothembecauseheknewhewasdying.AfterGolwalkarpassed away,oneof thesemen turnedup atmyoffice tomeetme.‘Sir, I am the head of theRSS inGujarat,’ he said, introducing himself. ‘YouprobablyknowthatGurujiisnomore.HehadcalledallofustoPoonaandwhenItoldhimthatIwasfromGujarat,hesaidtome:“WhenyougobacktoGujarat,please go toAnand and specially conveymy blessings toDrKurien.” I havecometoconveythismessagetoyou.’

IwasdeeplytouchedandIthankedhim,expectinghimtoleaveafterpassingonthemessage.Buthecontinued:‘Sir,Iwanttoaskyouaquestionifyoudon’tmind.YouareaChristian.OfallthepeopleinGujarat,whydidGurujisendhisblessingstoyouandyoualone?’

I asked him why he did not ask Guruji this. I could give him no answerbecauseIreallydidnotknow.

AFromOrganisationtoInstitution

SOPERATIONFLOODTOOKCONCRETESHAPEANDNEWSOFTHEachievementsofIndia’s dairy cooperatives spread across the world, a number of foreign

dignitariesexpressedtheirdesiretovisitAnandtoseeforthemselvesthemiraclethat dairy farmers had created. A string of VIPs arrived one after the otherincludingBritain’sPrinceCharles,HRHQueenBeatrixof theNetherlandsandtheBritishPrimeMinister,LordJamesCallaghan.

In March 1979, we had a very distinguished visitor – the Soviet PremierAlexeiKosygin.Hewastakenaroundonaguidedtourofthevillages,thedairycomplexandtheplant.Afterthetourhemetmeandsaid:‘Anyonewhohasseenthe dairy plant, anyone who has looked into the eyes of the farmers in yourvillageshere,knowswhatyouaredoing.Youareeliminatingthebloodsuckers.You are giving strength to the people. You are constructing structures andinstitutionsofthepeople.Whatyouaredoingisabsolutelycorrect.

‘But Dr Kurien, you took thirty years to achieve this in milk – an entirelifetime – and you faced a lot of problems. When you set up the milkcooperatives nobody really realisedwhat youwere up to. If you try to do thesame for vegetable oil, where big people are involved, everyone will know.Tomorrow,DrKurien,youmay thinkofdoing thesameforcottonor juteandyou will then upset the biggest people in India. Besides, you will take thirtyyearstodoit invegetableoilandthenanotherthirtytodothesameforcottonand jute. Such significant social and economic changes that you are trying tobringabout,shouldnotbedoneinthisleisurelyfashion.Thesechangesshouldbebroughtaboutquickly–suddenly–inalldirections,allatonce.Ithastobearevolution.Forifyoudoitslowly,DrKurien,youwillbeshotdownlikeadog.’

Afterissuingsuchanominouswarningtomehetheninvitedmeto(erstwhile)USSRtoseethechangestherevolutionhadbroughtin.IwasinstructedbytheGovernmentofIndiatoacceptKosygin’sinvitation.IwenttotheSovietUnion,alongwithsomecolleaguesanditwasoneofthemostmiserableexperiencesIhavehad.FromthemomentwelandedinMoscowwehadtheKGBswarmingallaroundus.Weweresteered intoawaitingbus.Everymovewasmonitoredandeachactivityon the itinerarywascompletely regimented to the lastdetail.Wewereexpectedtofallinlinewithoutamurmur.

Ibeganprotesting,knowingthattheKGBwouldreporteveryremarkofmine.

BythateveningIwascompletelyfedupofbeingherdedaroundlikecattleandIdecided that nobody was going to take us for granted just because we wereIndians. Therefore, when one of their women officers came to say that I wasexpectedtoreportdownstairsfordinnerinashortwhile,Isimplylostmycool.ItoldherthatIwouldnotgoanywhereatanyfixedtimeandthatIfirstwantedadrink.IdemandedabottleofwhiskyandIthinkIjustrevoltedsoloudlythattheKGBwhowereinattendancerushedofftoinformtheirseniorsthat‘theforeignguestwasoutofcontrol’.Twoministersweresent tomyroomtoapologisetome.ItookthischancetoalsotellthemthatIrefusedtotravelbybusanymoreanddemandedacar.Igotthataswell.

Iwasalsocompletelyunimpressedbytheirdairyindustry.Itwasatotalmess.Thecattlewereinbadshape.Thecowswereownedcollectivelyandsincetheybelonged to the state, itmeant that nobody owned them and therefore no onetookcareofthem.Similarly,thedairies,too,wereownedbythestateandtheirconditionwasdismal.I immediatelysawthatthiswasnotasystemthatwouldworkefficientlyandIreturnedtoIndiaevenmoreconvincedthat,quitecontraryto what Kosygin had advised me, change must take time. Basic social andeconomic change needs to be brought about gradually and themore carefullyandthoughtfullyitiseffected,themorepermanentitwillbe.

EvidentlyweweredoingsomethingveryrightinourcountrybecauseovertheyearsmanycountriesacrossAsia,AfricaandLatinAmericaexpressed interestinadopting theAnandpattern, sendingofficials and farmers to learn fromourexperience.Therecanbenohigherpraisethanthis.Oneofthecountries,whichshowedaninterestinreplicatingtheAnandpatternofcooperativesinmilk,wasPakistan.

In 1982, the Pakistan governmentwantedme to come to their country andhelpthemsetupdairycooperativesbutatthattimetherelationshipbetweenthetwocountrieswassofracturedthattheycouldnotmakeadirectrequestforme.What theydid, instead,was tocontact theWorldBankandaskthemtosendamissiontoPakistanontheconditionthat‘KurienofIndiawouldleadit’.IwasaskedtoleadthemissiontoPakistanforaperiodoffiveweeks.ThoughIcouldnotaffordtospendfiveweeksawayfrommywork,IagreedtobeinPakistanduringthefirstweek,positionmyteam,discusswhattheyshouldlookintoandthengobackagainduring the lastweek towrapup theprojectandmeet theirministers.HardisonwastheseniorofficerfromtheWorldBankonthismissionandthemainworryforhimandhiscolleagueswashowto‘protect’mefromthe

Pakistanis. To their astonishment they found that every evening one Pakistaniminister or the other invited me out for dinner. They did not understand itbecauseweweresupposedtobe‘enemies’.

Naturally, thefirstministerImetwasPakistan’sMinisterofAgriculture.HenoticedthesymbolofNDDB–astylisedversionoftheMohenjodarobull.TheMinister chided me gently, ‘Dr Kurien, I’d like you to remember thatMohenjodaro is inPakistan,not in India, sowhatyouhavehere isaPakistanibull.Youarewelcometoit,though.Youcankeepit.Butsinceyouhavestolenour bull you owe us something. You must help Pakistan in its dairydevelopment.’

DuringthefirstweekIalsomettheFinanceMinisterofPakistan.He,too,wasextremely enthused about a dairy development programme for the country.‘LookatIndiatoday,’hesaid.‘Infifteenyearsyouhavecompletelystoppedtheimportofmilkandallmilkproducts.EverythingisbeingproducedinIndia.Mycountry had a better start than you but you have stopped imports whereas inPakistanimportsareshootingup.Howdowetacklethis?’

WithinthatfirstweekIhaddoneextensiveexplorationinPakistanandhadafairly good idea of what was hampering their dairy industry. I said to theMinister,‘YourExcellency,youhavecalledmeheretomakeyourcountryself-sufficient in milk but I think you must be joking. How can you possibly beserious,whenas theFinanceMinisteryoudidnot impose any importdutyonmilk powder? Do you realise what it means when you don’t put a duty onimports? It means that your Pakistani farmers and their cattle, with theirunpredictable agro-climatic conditions, with their precarious fodder situation,mustnowcompetewith theNewZealand farmerandhismagnificentHolsteincattle, with their agro-climatic conditions which are so marvellous that if itdoesn’trainonceinthreedaystheycallita‘drought’.Youshouldhaveimposed,attheveryminimum,a50percentimportduty.’

TothattheMinisterreplied:‘Ihaddoneexactlyasyousayandputa50percentdutybutIwasforcedtowithdrawitwithintendays.TherewasnothingIcoulddo.’

‘Forced, your Excellency?’ I asked in some surprise. ‘There are only siximporters of milk powder into your country. Do you mean to say these sixpeopleforcedyoutosacrificetheinterestsofmillionsofyourfarmers?’

‘Yes,’theMinisterreplied.‘ThatisexactlywhatIamtellingyou.’

‘ThenSir,’Icontinued.‘Ihaveonlyonemorequestion.Ihavespentalotoftime in yourmarket places thisweek. I see that there is a lot ofmilk powderfromvariouspartsoftheworldavailableinyourshops.Letusassumethatthesesiximportersdonotknowthatthereisaworldsurplus;letusassumethattheydonotknowthatKuriengetscommoditiesfreeforhiscountry; that theythinkyourcountryissorichthatyoucanaffordtobuyit.Or,letusevenassumethatperhaps theydon’tknowhowtobargain–which isstrangebecause if there isonethingallofusAsiansknow,itishowtobargain.Or,letusalsoassumethattheyarescoundrelswhoarebuildinguptheirnumberedaccountsinSwitzerland,by getting inflated invoices. Even then, Your Excellency, the price of milkpowderinyourcountryshouldbehalfofwhatitis.Whotakestheotherhalf?’

His Excellency threw up his hands heavenwards and exclaimed in disgust:‘Thisisthecurseofmycountry!’

Iknewat thatmomentthat theAnandexperimentindairydevelopmentwasnot going to work in Pakistan – not until things changed drastically in thatcountry and therewere people in decision-making positionswith the politicalwilltobringaboutthatchange.Myhunchwasprovedright.

Ourteamtriedtoputthesystemsandstructuresintoplacebutthecooperativepatternsimplydidnottakerootinthatcountry.Despitethedisappointmentthatourattemptshadnotmaterialised,formePakistanwasanextremelyinterestingexperienceandImetsomewonderfulpeopleduringmybriefstaythere.OneofthemwasBrigadierInjazHussein,whowastheSecretaryAgriculture,Punjab.

Oneeveninghetookmetohishousefordinner.Whenweenteredhishouse,he first locked the front door. Then he took me to his bedroom, went to hiscupboard, opened it and pulled out a large album. He showed me scores ofphotographs–ofhimonhorseback;photosofhimreceivinganawardfromtheQueenofEnglandandsoon.BrigadierHusseininformedmethathewasaveryaccomplished horseman. Then he confided, ‘Since you now know that I’m afamous equestrian, what I want you to do, Dr Kurien, is to give me anopportunity to come to the Asian Games and be a judge for the equestrianevents.YoucanseethatI’mqualifiedtodothis.’

Isaidtohim,‘Brigadier,whyareyoutellingmeall this?Iamjustasimpledairyman.IamnotrunningtheAsianGames.’

However, he told me he had great faith in my ability to get this done andrequestedmetoputinawordintherightquarters.SoeagerwashethatIdidnot

havethehearttodisappointhimandonmyreturntoIndiaIdidspeaktosomepeople in the right places. Brigadier InjazHussein arrived here for theAsianGames.Heattended thegames,presentedsomemedals to thewinners for tentpeggingandwasinseventhheaven.AverywarmpersonlikesomanyothersImetinPakistan.

Myvisit toPakistanonlyserved tomakememorepuzzled thaneverbeforeabout thecontinuingandmeaninglesshostilitybetweenour twocountries.Forme,theonlyrationaleforthePartitionhasalwaysbeenthatitwasaplotoftheadvanced nations to make us feeble, and my visit to Pakistan furtherstrengthenedthatbelief.IwastreatedsowellinPakistanthatwhenIreturnedItold someofmy acquaintances in the government inDelhi that Iwished theycouldtakealessonortwointhisfromthePakistangovernment.

Someyearslater,anotherneighbouringcountryevincedaninterestinseekingourhelptoimprovetheirdairyindustry.Inthemid-1990s,PrimeMinisterP.V.NarasimhaRaoaskedmetolunchonedayandinformedmethattheSriLankangovernment was keen to set up an Anand pattern milk cooperative there.Narasimha Rao wanted NDDB to assist them in this. Sri Lanka’s President,ChandrikaKumaratunga,invitedmetovisithercountrywithmyteaminordertoinitiatetheprocessofmakingSriLankaself-sufficientinmilk.

In 1997, in collaboration with the Sri Lankan government, we set up theKiriyaMilkIndustriesinwhichNDDBhada51percentstake.IwasappointeditsChairman.KiriyaMilkIndustrieswastobetheNDDBofSriLankaandwehadhopedtomakethatcountryself-sufficientinmilkinadecade.

When I firstwent to Sri Lanka, the government providedmewithmassivesecurity. Not being used to having armed men follow me around, I wasextremelyuncomfortablewiththis.ThefirstthingIsaidtothePresidentwhenImetherwas,‘Madam,whathaveyoudone?Ihaveallthesepeopleinuniformfollowingmearoundand I’mnotused to this. I’vealwaysbelieved thatwhenonedoesajobonetakeswhateverrisksthatgowithit.Afterall,Iamjustdoinga job like any other job – a low-risk job of building cooperatives. AndincidentallyMadam,IcanspeakTamilsotheTamilTigerswillnotkillme.’

PresidentKumaratunga said tome in all seriousness, ‘Dr Kurien, I am nottryingtosaveyoufromtheTamilTigers.Iamtryingtoprotectyouagainstotherdangerous people. Do you know that here in my country, anyone can hireassassinsforRs50,000?’

Once again, the ruthless attitude of foreign powers and their people wasbroughthometome.Theygetwhattheywantbyanymethod.OncemoreIwasmotivated to take them on. The problem with so many of our developingcountries is, of course, the rampant corruption. The foreigners who forciblyoccupied many countries and created multinational companies are convincedthat ‘the natives’ are corrupt and can be bought. We see this widespreadcorruption in our own country too, but a point to be noted is that even in themidstofallthiscorruption,itispossibletocreateanAmul,itispossibletosetupanNDDB.Itiscertainlynoteasytodosobutitispossibleifyouhaveatthehelm very strong-headed and stout-hearted peoplewhowill not bow andwillnevercompromise the larger interestof thecommonman. Ihadhoped to findsuch people in Sri Lanka, too, but it proved to be far more difficult than Ianticipated.

Atthattime, theSriLankanrepresentativeof theNewZealandDairyBoardwasaveryinfluentialman,oneofthecountry’smostrenownedindustrialists.Iwas reliably informed that he also happened to be extremely close to thePresident. Thiswould prove to be a stumbling block because I knew that theNewZealandDairyBoardwouldcertainlysetoffthefirstvolleyofoppositiontoKiriyaMilk Industries.When I asked the President about the industrialist shetoldmeveryhonestlythathewas,indeed,oneofherfriends.

‘Madam,doyouknowwhatwillhappen?’Iaskedher.‘Youcallmehereandyoutellme,“Makemycountryself-sufficientinmilk”.Whatistheimplicationof such self-sufficiency? It is, first and foremost, that theNewZealandDairyBoardwillhavetowindupandgohome.IfIamtosucceedherethenthere’snoplaceforthem.’

‘Yes,Iunderstandthis,’repliedthePresidentverycalmly.

But thingswere never easy in Sri Lanka. The vested interestswere far toodeeply entrenched into the system there. So much so that when the LabourMinister of Sri Lanka went to Geneva for a conference organised by theInternationalLabourOrganization, itwasNestle that sent a car to receivehimandlookafterhimwhilehewasthere.TheMinister–Tondamman–aTamilianintheSriLankanCabinet–wasaninterestingman.Hestartedhislifeasateaplucker, then rose to become a labour leader of the tea pluckers and finallybecametheLabourMinister.IinteractedwithhimquiteoftensinceKiriyaMilkIndustries, predictably, ran into a fair amount of labour problems.We got to

knoweachotherfairlywellandonedayhetoldmequitefrankly:‘DrKurien,IamaNestleman.Don’taskmetodoanythingagainstthem.’

Apartfromthis,unfortunately,theMinisterforTrade–whowasputinchargeoftheKiriyaMilkIndustries–andIneversaweyetoeye.Itseemedtomethathestalledeverymovethatweattemptedtomake.PresidentKumaratungafinallyunderstood that I could not work with him and she very helpfully issued anotificationtransferringtheKiriyaMilkIndustriesfromtheMinisterforTradetotheMinister for Finance.However, even that did notwork and the project tocooperatiseSriLanka’sdairyindustrydidnottakeoffasmanyofushadhoped.Finally,in2001,thePresidentsaidthatperhapsitwastimethattheKiriyaMilkIndustriescutitslossesandthatweshouldinsteadthinkofbringingAmulintoSriLankainabigway.

Itwasevidentthattheauthoritieshadtobowdowntotheextremelypowerfulmultinational lobby. I cannot forget how upset Nestle was when Sri Lanka’sPresidentfirst invitedustoreplicateAnandthere.TheirrepresentativeinIndiacametoAnandtoseemewithashockingsuggestion.‘Whydon’tyougivemehalfofSriLankaandyoutaketheotherhalf?’heasked.‘Youcanchoosewhichhalfyouwant.’

I was quite taken aback. I said to him, ‘You are a great and famousmultinational. What is a small Sri Lankan market to you? I am just a littlecooperative.Youcompetewithus–youdestroyusifyoucan–butIcannotgiveyouhalf.IwantthefreedomtogowhereverIlike.’

‘Howcan thathappen?’hesaid. ‘Youknow thatcannotwork.AndwehearthatyouarenowplanningongoingtoKenyaandEthiopiatoo….’

‘Sothenmaybeit’stimeyouplannedtogetoutofthesecountries,’Iretorted.‘MaybeyoushouldstartthinkingofsellinginSwitzerlandforachange!’

‘Allright,’hesaidangrily.‘We’llseewhowins.’

I assured him that with the money power they had behind them it was aforegoneconclusionthattheywouldwin,sotheyhadnoreasontofeelinsecure.As farasmultinationalsareconcerned,moneyalwayswasandalwayswillbetheironlyGod.IoncetoldtheChairmanofNestleduringameeting,‘I’vebeeninthisgameforfiftyyearsandIknowyourmodusoperandiwell.YourproblemisthatinIndiayou’rerunningintopeoplewhoknowmoreaboutdairyingthanyouwill ever know.Your problem is that there is a Kurien here and you are

unable tofindoutwhathisprice is,soyou’reunable tobuyhimout,whichiswhat you’d normally do.But you can’t buyme out; you can’t buy offAmul.Keepinmindthatallyourusual,unscrupulousproceduresthatbringyousuccesseverywhereelsewillnotworkhere.’

Multinationals were not the only ones we antagonised.When Amul beganexporting some of its products, some of the advanced dairying countries, too,were riled. Among themwas New Zealand because in some of the countriesAmul began jostling for market space against the New Zealand Dairy Boardproducts.

TheirsuperciliousattitudewasepitomisedbytheHighCommissionerofNewZealandwhoarrivedinAnandoneday,withtheexpresspurpose,itappearedtome,ofabusingme.Shesatacrossmydeskinmyroomandsaidtome:‘It’sallveryfinethatyouareproducingmilkandsellingmilk.It’salsoacceptablethatyouareproducingmilkpowderandsellingithere.Butnowithascometoourknowledgethatyouhavestartedexportingyourproductstocountrieswherewesellours.Youcannotdothat.Thatisourmarket!’

AlthoughIhaveneverstoodforsucharrogance,particularlyfromanalientomy land, I forced myself to remain calm, in deference to the fact that I wastalkingtoawoman.‘Madam,’Irespondedverypolitely,‘quitefrankly,Ididnotknowthattheworldmarketisyourprivatepropertyandweshouldnotencroachuponit.’

TheladywaslividthatIhaddaredtoanswerherandshegrewruderandmoreabusive.Stillreigninginmytemper,Isuggestedtoherthatitmightbebetterifshe leftmyroomincaseIsaidsomethingIshouldnot.Butshepersistedwithher obnoxious remarks and I couldnot controlmy tongue anymore. I said toher:‘Madam,youmustunderstandthatyoucomefromthislittlecountrycalledNewZealand.IfallofusIndiansdecidetogettogetherandspitonyourcountry,yourcountrywillgetdrownedinourspit.’

Whereupon, the lady got up and strode out of my office, if possible, evenmoreincensedthanwhenshehadwalkedintoberateme.Iwaslaterinformedby some friends inDelhi that she angrily narrated the incident over and overagaininthecapital’sdiplomaticcircles,saying:‘ThatKurien,heisamadman.Hethreatenedtospitonme!’

ALifeofService

lthough my only salaried job was as General Manager of the KairaCooperativeUnion,Iworeseveralhatsinmylifetime.Ioftentookonother

responsibilities,whenever therewasaproblemsomewhereand Iwasasked tostepin.IwasmadetheVice-ChancelloroftheGujaratAgriculturalUniversityin1984; in the1960s, IwasappointedChairmanof theGujaratElectricityBoard(GEB)whereIhadbeenamemberforafewyears.

During my tenure as Chairman, GEB, I realised that the structure of ourelectricityboardswashighlyineffective.TheElectricityActhadvisualisedthestructure for a state board as one that would have some sixty thousandemployees.Isawthatsuchamammothbureaucracycouldneverbeefficientforitisextremelydifficulttoremovecorruption–orevenpreventit–fromenteringsuch large institutions. Unfortunately, with our antiquated labour laws, it isdifficult topromote someone fordoinggoodworkorpunish someoneelse forbadwork.Itisimpossibletodealwithsuchhugenumbersandtheseinstitutionsare,therefore,destinedtobecomeinefficientandunproductive.

IrecognisedthatallIwoulddosittingontheChairman’sseatatGEBwouldbetodefendthatscoundrel–mywireman–whowasuptoallkindsofmischiefinsomevillage.Hewouldconstantlyindulgeinpettycrimeslikegivingillegalpowerformarriages,illegitimateconnections,bypassingmeters,stealingpower,whiledoingthis,atnotimegivinganypaymenttotheelectricityboard.Suchasystem could never work. It would be almost impossible to ensure that anemployee of the electricity board in a village is sensitive to the needs of thefarmersandresponsivetotheirdemands.Hewouldassumetheroleofthepettyrajahofthatplaceandbehaveasifheownedthevillage.Infact,Idiscoveredtomyhorror,thatmywiremenwereteachingthefarmershowtostealelectricity.

However,therewasnotmuchIcoulddothen,exceptprepareadetailedreportof the shortcomings of the state electricity board, and note down somerecommendations to revamp and improve this structurewhichhad encouragedcorruptionand led to immensepower losses. I suggestedanalternate structurethat I felt would work far better. It envisaged forming village-level powercooperatives at the initial stage and then forming an apex body at the districtlevel–muchaswehaddonewiththemilkcooperatives.

My term as Chairman of GEB lasted only for about eight months. As

ChairmanofGEBIneededtogotoBarodathreedaysaweekandtheremainingdaysIspentinAnand,ortravelling.Icouldnotmanagetwofull-timejobsandthereforedecidedtorelinquishthechairmanshipofGEB.Sometwoandahalfdecades after this, Gujarat’s Power Minister came to meet me and said: ‘DrKurien, everything you wrote on that file twenty-five years ago is true. Theentirestructurehasbecometotallyuseless.IamnotsayingthatGEBistheworstinthecountrybutitiscertainlynotdoinggoodworkandIwanttocorrectthat.Whydon’tyou thinkofbringingabout the changes thatyou had suggested asChairmanofGEB?TheGujarat governmentwill be extremely grateful if youwoulddismantletheboardandrebuildit.’

‘ButwhataboutthepresentChairmanofGEB?’Iasked.‘Whatdoeshefeel?’

TheMinistersaidthathewouldasktheChairmantomeetmeandweshoulddiscuss theissue.TheGEBChairmanandhisofficersdid, indeed,havea longmeetingwithmeandtherewasaconsensusthatadrasticchangeinstructurewasneeded.TheyfeltthatforthegoodoftheGujaratstate–andparticularlyforthebenefitof theconsumer–anewstructurehad tobeevolvedfor theelectricityboard.

I gave them the blueprint for the new structure that I had envisaged asChairman ofGEB. I suggested thatwe should put onemeter in a village andappointapowercommittee thatwouldbeelectedby thevillagers.Thisvillagewouldthenbechargedaccordingtothemeter.Thepatternofpowerdistributionwithin the village would entirely be the villagers’ decision. The electedcommitteewouldappointawiremanandthepeople themselveswouldmanagethe power. But the board would charge the village by that one meter. If thevillage failed topay itsdues,powerwouldbecut andnoMLA,orMP,couldforcetheboardtoreconnectpoweruntilthepaymentwasmade.Accordingtoacuriouscodeofethicsweseemtohaveevolvedinourcountry,stealingfromthegovernment may be honourable but stealing from your neighbour isdishonourable!Nobodywouldstealpowerbecausetheywouldbewatchingeachotherand,automatically,powertheftswouldceaseandpowerlosseswouldstop.

Whenanumberofsuchvillageshadformedelectedcommittees, theywouldestablishaunionandasubstationwouldbegiventoaunionofsuchsocieties.Itwouldbetheresponsibilityofthisuniontoappointengineersneededtomanagethe substation. Thus, the board could go back to its job of generating power,leaving the distribution and management of that power to the people. It has

alwaysbeenmybeliefthatoncethetoolsofdevelopmentareplacedinthehandsofthepeople,itbecomesgenuinedevelopment.Asthingsstand,wedonothavepeople staying on to look after the generation of power at our powerhousesbecause there is nomoney in it.All themoney ismade in the distribution ofpower.Thatiswherecorruptiontakesplace.Asaresultofthis,ourpowerhousesareneitherproperlymaintainednor run.Oncecorruption in thedistributionofpowerisstopped,thingswouldautomaticallychange.

My idea appealed to the Chairman and senior officers at the GEB. IemphasisedtothemthatthisexperimentwasimportantnotjustforGujaratbutfortheentirecountry.Irequestedthemtogivemeonedistrict–Kairadistrict–with which to launch this experiment in power cooperatives. I warned them,however, that if they agreed to this, thenGEBwould have towithdraw fromthere,forKairadistrictwouldbuilditsownpowerstationandthevillageswouldtaketheresponsibilitytodistributethepower.Theyheardmeoutandsaidthatthey could supply the power to the district but I saidwewould not take theirpowerbecausewecouldnotexpectpeopletopaygoodmoneyforrottenapples.Forpowertobeusefultofarmers,forittoserveasaninstrumenttoimprovethequalityoflifeofourvillagers–andparticularlyofourvillagewomen–ithadtobeofconstantvoltage, ithadtobereliableanditshouldbereasonablypriced.Forallthistohappen,wecouldcertainlynotrelyonpowersuppliedbythestateelectricityboard.Wepreferredtogenerateourownpower.

Moreover, I was quite certain that GEB employees would sabotage myexperiment.Ourownpowergenerationwasessentialtopreemptthateventualitytoo.Wewould put up a couple of combined systems of about 220megawatts(MW)–which isa fair size–and theelectricityboardwouldbeastandby. IfKairadistrictgeneratedmorepowerthanwecouldconsume,wewouldsellittotheGEB;ifweneededmorepowerthenwewouldbuyitfromtheGEB.Or,wecould simply keep an account and exchange power when needed. This, inessence, was my idea for an experiment in setting up rural electricitycooperatives. At that point discussions with the National Rural ElectricCooperativeAssociation of theUS and donor organisations, for a grant ofRs700 crore for a 220MW plant and rehabilitation of power lines, were in anadvancedstage.Wefeltitwouldbeapathbreakingprojectandifitworked,asitoughtto,itcouldbereplicatedinallthestates.

TheGEBapprovedofmy idea and askedme to send themaproposal.TheGujarat government, too, under the chief-ministership of Chimanbhai Patel,

approved the proposal I tabled. The ChiefMinister then sent my proposal toDelhiwithalettersayingthatthestatewishedtotryoutthissystem.IwascalledforameetinginDelhitodiscussmyproposal.

Predictably, the proposal met with intense opposition because the future ofmanybureaucraciescalledelectricityboardswouldbeadverselyaffectedbyit.Iwas persistent. I met the Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority and anumber of other senior bureaucrats in Delhi but none of them viewed itpositively. Finally, theUnionCabinet Secretary shot down the proposal. I feltrather dejected that I had failed to demonstrate what could be achieved bybringing power under the cooperative sector. Iwas certain that it would havedramatically decreased corruption, mismanagement and the unending powertheftsthatareroutinelyglossedoveras‘transmissionlosses’.

HadIsucceededinconvincingthepowersthatbe,atleastKairadistrictwouldhave seen efficient generation and distribution of power by consumercooperatives.Butonceagain,bureaucracygotinthewayofdevelopment.ThisisthereasonIhavealwayshadlittlepatiencewithbureaucrats.Timeandagaintheyhaverevealedtomethat theyexistfor theirownpowerandpelf; theydonotexistforthegoodofthecountry.InmyraremomentsofextremedespairIactuallywonderwhyKosygin’sadvicetomeshouldnotbeheeded–thatsomechangescanbebroughtaboutonlybyrevolutionandbybeheadingsomepeople!ThiswascertainlyonestruggleIgaveup.

AsfarasIknow,ChimanbhaiPateldidnotsucceedinchangingthemindsofDelhi’sbureaucratseither.However,afewyearsago,twoIASofficers–aJointSecretaryin thepowerministry inDelhiandtheother,aJointSecretary in thepowerdepartment inGujarat–came tomyoffice.They toldme that theyhadreviewedtheworkingofelectricityboardsandhadcomeacrossmyoldproposalandfeltthatmyideaswereabsolutelycorrect.Sincethepowerministrywasnowagreeable to trying out my ideas, they requested me to put the proposal intoaction.ItoldthemthatitwouldtakeatleastfiveyearstogettheexperimentoffthegroundandIwasnotsurethatIhadfiveyearsleftwithme.EvenifIdid,Icertainlydidnothavetheenergytodosoatthisage.ButIassuredthemthatiftheycouldfindsomeonetotranslatemyideasintoaction,Iwouldhelpthemtothebestofmyability.WhileIdofeelheartenedthatmyproposalisnotburiedyet,theapprehensionsremainbecausetheballisstillinthegovernment’scourt.

IntheActofParliamentwhichcreatedNDDB,thebriefgiventothedairyboardextended beyond merely ‘milk’ and stated that the board would take onresponsibility for ‘milk or any other commodity that a state or centralgovernment may ask it to handle’. NDDB really started functioning like adevelopment body for cooperatives and over the years the dairy board thusbecameinvolvedinavarietyofprojects.Peoplecametouslookingforhelpandwhereverexploitationoffarmerstookplace,thedairyboardtriedtostepin.

In my years as Chairman of NDDB, there was one experiment incooperatisation which failed. One day in 1987, the Chairman of a milkcooperative in theRannofKutchvisitedme atAnand andnarrated the heart-rendingplightofthesaltfarmersofhisregion.About60percentofIndia’ssaltisproducedin thestateofGujaratandyetmostofusheredonotknowof theharshlivesofthesaltworkers.Theirsituation,particularlyintheLittleRannofKutch, is very depressing. The salt workers have settled down in this arid,mercilessdesertwherethereisnotatreeinsight.Thevillagersdigaholeintheground,pumpthewaterupandmakeasaltpanonsometwohectaresoflandandfarmsalt.Theyworktherefortenmonthsayearproducingsalt.Buttheyhavetobuywaterfromthemerchant,towhomtheyultimatelysellthesalttheyproduce.Togetdiesel for theirpump theyhave toagaindependon thesamemerchant.Thesaltworkerfinallygetstwopaiseperkiloofsaltfromthemerchant.Therearenotrees,noshelterforthem,noschoolingfortheirchildren.Longhoursofworking barefoot in the pans saturates their legs somuchwith salt that thesefarmers cannot even have a satisfactory cremation after death because theirlowerlimbsdonotburn.Itisamiserableexistence.

Iconfess that Iwassodepressedon listening to this taleofhorror from thecooperative’s Chairman, and so dispirited to see that, even after decades ofindependencesuchexploitationofourpoorpeoplecontinued,thatIsimplytoldtheChairmantoleavebecauseIdidnotwanttohearanymore.Itoldhimtherewasnothingwecoulddoforthesaltfarmers–thatwehadenoughproblemsofourowntotackleatNDDB.Twodayslater,verytragically,thisChairmandiedinacaraccident. Iwasdismayed that IhadbeensounsympatheticduringourlastmeetingandIthoughtthatasatributetohismemory,NDDBshouldenterthesaltsector.

WebeganthetaskoforganisingthesaltfarmersoftheLittleRannofKutch.We started improving the quality of the salt andmarketing it.During the firstyearwemanagedtoproduceandmarket10,000tonsofsalt.Inthesecondyearit

wentupto25,000tons,inthethirdyearto45,000andthenupto100,000tons.We tried to bring power through solar cells; we tried to provide medicalfacilities,waterfordrinkingandbathing.Itwasaprojectthataimedtoimprovetheoverallqualityoflifeofthesesaltfarmers.However,withinafewyearswerealisedthatwewereabletomarketthesaltthroughthecooperativesonlytotheextent so as to get the salt farmers about five paise per kilogram. This wasmarginally more than what they were getting earlier. By this time the Tatasbeganmarketing iodisedsalt,whichwasofverygoodquality,andwefelt thatour project was not working out as it should. It was not making a basicdifferencetothelivesofthesaltworkers.Wehadto,evenifreluctantly,giveuptryingandwinduptheproject.Tillthisday,Ilookbackatthisfailedexperimentwithanacutesenseofhelplessness.

~

WhenourcountryfoughtforitsfreedomfromBritishrule,itevolvedleadershipofaqualitythatanynationanywhereintheworldwouldhavebeenproudof.Weproducedleadersof tremendouscalibre, leaderswithanobilityofpurpose,notonlyfromGujarat–intheformofGandhijiandSardarVallabhbhaiPatel–butfromeverystateinIndia.Itisdismayingtoseethatwenolongerseemtohavethatupliftingnobilityofpurpose topursue,andweareproducing increasinglyinferiorleaders.IhavedealtwiththegovernmentforoverfiftyyearsandIhavefound that grace in public life has become rare. Today in the frantic race toacquire power and money, vulgarity reigns supreme and the devil take thehindmost.

Yet,whenwe lookaround,wesee thatwearedependentalmostentirelyonourpoliticalandparliamentarysystemforfutureleaders.Sincethesestructuresnowseeminterestedonlyinpowerandmoney,thequalityoftheleadershipthatemerges through them is, to say the least, ignoble. Therefore, today, perhapsmorethanatanyotherperiodinthehistoryofournation,thereisadireneedtocreate a new generation of leadership through a plurality of truly democraticstructures. What we at Anand and at NDDB tried to do was to create thisplurality of democratic institutions at the village level, underpinning ourdemocraticstructureinDelhiorinthestatecapital.Itisthroughsuchdemocraticstructures,whichpermeaterightdowntothevillagelevel,thatadynamicfutureleadershipofthiscountrywillevolve.

TakethecaseofAmuldairy.TheelectedChairmanofthisdairyisamanwho

provides leadership to one of the largest food businesses in the country, andwhenhelearnstohandlesuchasubstantialbusiness,hebecomesfittoholdanypoliticalposition.Withouthavingtheseschoolsandcollegesthroughwhichourfutureleaderscanemerge,ourdemocracyitselfcannotgetstrengthened.Whatisdemocracyafterall?Itiscertainlynotwhatithas,unfortunately,cometomeaninourcountry:agovernmentofthebureaucrats,bythebureaucratsandforthebureaucrats.Thisbrandofdemocracyhasnospaceforpeople.Truedemocracywill emerge only when we allow the people to manage. And only when thepeople begin to take control of their lives will rural development gainmomentum, when goods and services produced by rural areas will get betterterms of trade than goods and services produced in the cities.Onlywhen ourfarmers are involved in the processes of development will they be able tocommand their destiny. True development is the development of women andmen.Whatwehavetorecogniseisthat74percentofourpopulationareruralpeoplewhodepend on agriculture and ifwewant our country to develop,wehavetoensurethatthesefarmersandruralpeopledevelop.

AstheChairmanofNDDBwhoalwaysfoughttokeeppoliticiansatbayfromcooperatives,Iwasoftenquestionedabouthowsugarcooperativeshaveworkeddespite being embroiled in politics, especially in Maharashtra. I have alwayslooked at this positively. It is a fact that the sugar cooperative sector –whichNDDBhasnevertouched–isasuccessinMaharashtra.ItisalsoafactthattheintensivedabblingofthesugarcooperativeleadersinpoliticsinMaharashtrahascausedmanyaraisedeyebrow.However,theviewIhavealwaystakenofthisisthatitisfarbetterthatsugarcooperativeleaderscontrollocalpoliticsratherthanhave powerful companies controlling it, because the cooperative leaders willcertainlybemoresensitiveandresponsivetothefarmers’needs.

At NDDB we recognised that one of the biggest problems of Indianagricultureisthatitisverydifficulttofine-tunetheproductionofanagriculturalcommodity exactly to match the demand. Production, being dependent onnature, will fluctuate. In such a scenario, it is easy for the traders andbusinessmen, whose only objective is tomakemoney, to exploit the farmers.That is why the structure that NDDB promoted was a cooperative, non-exploitative structure,which eliminated the greedy people between thosewhoproducetheagriculturalcommodityandthosewhoconsumeit.Webelievedthatwhatworked through theAnand patternwithmilkwould alsowork for otheragriculturalcommodities.

Therefore,we tried it in the edible oil sector and later, alsowith fruits andvegetables. ItwasPrimeMinister IndiraGandhiwhourgedus to look into thelatterarea.DuringtheperiodwhenAgricultureMinisterRaoBirendraSinghwasgivingmearoughtime,andIhadsoughtameetingwithIndiraGandhitotalkaboutthedifficultiesIwashavingworkingwiththeMinister,shesaidtome,‘DrKurien,beforeweaddressyourproblemletmetalktoyouaboutmyproblem.’Thensheproceededtotellmeaboutsomefruitsandvegetablesshewasgrowinginherownten-acreplot.‘IgetonlyonerupeeakiloforthevegetablesIgrow,butwhen Ibuy the samevegetable in themarket Ihave topay six rupeesperkilo,’sheexplained.‘DrKurien,whotakesthosefiverupeesandwhy?’

I explained to her the problems of Indian agriculture and the solution toeliminate themiddlemen. Inaway,outof this inquirywasborn the fruitsandvegetables project ofNDDB,which becameoperational first inDelhi in 1988and thereafter,was replicated in several other cities.Like all the otherNDDBprojects,this,too,providedadirectlinkbetweenfruitandvegetablegrowersandconsumers.

Thedairyboardextendedthesameprinciplesofcooperationto therealmofforests, too.Foryears,wehadbeenhearing thataboutfivemillionhectaresofourforestsaredenudedeachyear.Politicalleadersdiscussedatlengthmethodstoreforestthisarea.Buttheirmethodsrevolvedlargelyaroundcreatingaforestdepartment, a forest minister and secretary and the unwieldy bureaucraticsystem.Nodoubtalargenumberofpeoplewouldhavebeenemployedbutitisdebatablewhethertreeswouldgetplantedandforestswouldgrow!Ontheotherhand,NDDBbelievedthatifwecouldleaveittothepeopletoplanttrees,andifwecouldarrangeitsothatthebenefitoftheplantationswouldgotothosewhoplantedthem,thenperhaps,ourbarrenlandscouldbereforested.

In1986,weinitiatedapilotprojectinvolvingtreegrowers’cooperatives.Theaim,onceagain,wastocreateapeople’sinstitution–thisone,tomeetthefueland fodder needs of rural people by growing trees and grass on common anddegradedwastelands,aswellasonmarginallyproductiveprivate landsaroundthevillages.Aswehad anticipated, this pilot projectwas ahuge success and,fromthat,rapidlyevolvedtheNationalTreeGrowers’Cooperatives.

WhileNDDBhasdonemuchforcooperativesacross thecountry, the taskisbynomeanscomplete.Ibelievethatfarmersshouldbepermittedtohandleallthe agricultural commodities they produce rather than have the government

trying to run the show. I do not think, for instance, that we need a CottonCorporationofIndia tohandlecotton,oraJuteCorporationofIndia tohandlejuteandfrankly,Idonot thinkweneedaFoodCorporationofIndiatohandlefood.If,instead,thefarmersareallowedandencouragedtohandletheirproducethemselves, not onlywill there be a better handling of these commodities butfarmerswillbecomebetterandmoreresponsiblecitizensofthiscountry.

ManyoftheobstaclesthatwefacedatNDDBarosebecausethelawsrulingcooperatives in our country tied our hands. It is a matter of shame that eventoday, in India, ‘cooperative’ is not a goodword.Our cooperative law is stillarchaic.Thebureaucratsandpoliticiansdominateit;ithasnohonouredplaceforprofessionalmanagerstofunctionin.Oncesuchimpedimentsareremoved,oncewe can inject professional management into cooperatives, and we candepoliticisethemtotheextentpossible,onlythenwillcooperativesflourishthewaytheyoughtto.

Cooperatives that are not government controlled will certainly be betterequippedtotakecareofcompetition.Providedthatweareallowedtocompeteonalevelplayingfield,wewillmanagetoholdourown.Afterall,despitetheentryofmultinationalsinourcountry,whoisthebiggestmanufacturerofbabyfoodtoday?ItisAmul,acooperative.

While I think that privatising and removal of bureaucratic control from theeconomy is desirable and Iwelcome that, I object to the sequencing. Iwouldhavebeen somuchhappier if our formerFinanceMinister,ManmohanSingh,hadfirstliberatedagriculturebeforeheliberatedindustry.Ifweleaveagricultureinshacklesandliberateindustry,industrywillonlyfurtherpreyuponit.Iamoneofthosewhofirmlybelievethatourcitiesthriveattheexpenseofourvillages;thatour industries exploit agriculture.Unfortunately, thegovernment seems tohave forgotten that there is this important sector of the economy calledagriculture,onwhich themajorityofourpopulation still lives.Thepoliticiansandbureaucrats forget that there is, in fact, a silentmajority – themillions offarmers who have no lobby, no contact men to speak for them in Delhi, andtherefore,theirvoiceneverreachesthegovernment.Butthatdoesnotmeanthatthey do not exist and neither does it mean that they are not important. Ifgovernmentdoesnotpayheedtothis,therewillbeaterribleimbalanceand,intheend,aheavypricetopay.

The bottom line is that the government must govern, in every sector. The

governmentneednotnationalisebanksbutgovernmentmustsee thatbanksdonot defraud people. The government need not run dairies but the governmentmust ensure that the private sector puts out good quality milk at reasonableprices.That isgoverning.So, let thegovernmentgetout fromplaceswhere itshouldneverhavebeeninthefirstplace.

IALookBack

CAME TO ANAND A LONG TIME AGO, NOT BECAUSE I WANTED TO COME HERE butbecause Iwas compelled to. Iwasunder a contractwith theGovernmentof

India,whichhadpaidformyeducationin theUS.Iwasanengineerwhowasprimarily interested in physics and metallurgy but studied dairy engineeringunder duress. Then I was forced to go to Anand to join the government’sresearchcreamery,andwhenI later joined thecooperativesofdairy farmers, Iwasnotreallytrainedinthisfield.

I was city-bred with no affiliations with rural India. I had a commendableacademic record but no particular knowledge of farmers or agriculture. Anumberof events followedand today I can lookbackand say thatbecauseofthisstringofaccidentalevents,thedairyindustryinIndiaisnotwhatitusedtobe. Had these ‘accidental events’ not taken place, perhaps our dairy industrywouldnothavedevelopedtotheextentithas.AndIamcertainthatIwouldnothavebeenthepersonIam.

The realisation that we cannot depend upon an ‘accidental’ Kurien, but weneed toactivelycreatebetterKuriensbycarefullyselectingand training them,gotme thinking.As the implementationofOperationFloodproceeded IcouldclearlyseethatmostgraduatesfromtheIndianInstitutesofManagement(IIMs)were not quite suited to the kind of work that needed to be done at thecooperatives. Our IIMs were training students for the corporate and not thecooperative world. We needed an institute to train youngsters specifically inruralmanagement.Weneededaninstitutetocreateandstrengthencommitmenttoservingourruralpeoplewithdedicationandhonesty.

Myreasoningwasevenifonlyahandfulofstudentseachyearfromsuchaninstitutecouldgrow,evolve,strideoutintotheworldand,perhaps,buildsomemoreAmuls,what aboon itwouldbe forour ruralpeople and for thenation.Thisvision,tofillagrowingneedforprofessionallytrainedruralmanagersforthecooperativesandtheNGOsectorsofIndia,wasthebeginningofyetanotherdream – a dream which ultimately took the shape of the Institute of RuralManagementAnand(IRMA)in1979.

Working with me closely to create a blueprint for this institute, was theinimitableRaviMatthai,thethenDirectoroftheIndianInstituteofManagement(IIM), Ahmedabad, and an ardent supporter of our work at Anand. He also

happenedtobemycousin–hewasJohnMatthai’sson.

Vikram Sarabhai,whowas the firstHonoraryDirector of IIMAhmedabad,oncemetRaviMatthaiatIIMCalcutta.HewasquiteimpressedwithRaviandpersuadedhimtocometoIIMAhmedabadasitsfull-timeDirector.OnmovingtoAhmedabad,RaviwouldcometoAnandtostaywithusonweekends.HehadabrilliantmindandwasadelightfulfellowandMollyandIwereveryfondofhim.IusedtoarguewithRaviandcriticisetheIIMssaying,‘Allyourstudentshave their education highly subsidised by the government and yet theminutetheygraduatetheypushofftotheUSandtheUK.Don’ttheyfeelanyobligationto serve their country, at least for a couple of years? Obviously, you are notmotivatingthemintherightway.’

Ravisuggested that I join theirboardanddeliver these‘lectures’ there.SoIjoined the Board ofManagement of IIM Ahmedabad. At the first meeting, Ideliveredmylecture–abouthowweshouldmotivatethestudentstofeelthatitis amatterofglory towork forour country; abouthow they should serve thenation for at least three years before they go in search of their own progressabroad.Theothermembersof theboardsittingaround the tableweresomeofAhmedabad’s top industrialists. One of them took his cigar out of hismouth,lookedatmeandsaidsuperciliously,‘SoDr.Kurien,youwantourgraduatestogoandmilkcows.’Istoodup,returnedhislookandsaid,‘No,youcontinuetoteachthemhowtosuckoncigars.’Andthen,addingthatIwasresigningfromtheboard,Iwalkedoff.

ThenexttimeRavimetme,hesaid,‘Lookslikemydecisiontotakeyouonmyboarddidnotturnoutright.’

Isaid,‘Yes,itdidnotturnoutright.Sowhatdowedonow?’

HeremarkedthatIwouldneverbehappyuntilIbuiltmyowninstitution.ButIdidnotknowanythingaboutmanagementeducation.ItoldRavi,‘Icanbuildthe body, but who will provide the soul? Will you provide the soul to theinstitution?Willyoujointheboard?’HesaidhewouldandthusIRMAwasbuiltwith Ravi on its board. He was intensely involved in the entire process – inshapingtheconcept,thestructureandthecurriculumandinchoosingthefaculty.He admitted to me all the mistakes he had committed in building IIMAhmedabad.Itmusthavebeenpainfulforhim,likecriticisingone’sownchild.Buthewasdeterminednottoallowustoreplicatethosemistakes.

Unfortunately,Ravipassedawaybefore theworkcouldcomplete.Whenthe

IRMAlibrarywasready,IinvitedRajivGandhitoinaugurateanddedicateittothememoryofRaviMatthai.WecalledittheRaviMatthaiLibrary.

WhenwedesignedOperationFlood,wemadeaprovisionofRs50lakhforthetrainingofhumanresourcestomanageallthecooperativesthatweregoingto be established. The idea evolved into IRMA, ultimately costing us Rs 10crore. But it was money fruitfully spent. We did not cut corners anywhere.IRMA has one of themost beautiful campuses in India and some of the bestfacilities for the students.Our expectationswere extremelyhigh andweknewthatthestandardsofanyeducationalinstitutionlargelydependedonthedirectorandthefacultyofthatinstitute.Itwasnoteasytofindfacultyorientedtowardsrural India. Since we did not have a ready-made faculty with the type oforientationweneeded,wehad to initiallyborrow themfromothereducationalinstitutes thatweremostly oriented towards the industry.Theyneeded time toadaptthemselvestotheneedsofthecooperativesbutwewerepatient.Andourpatienceispayingoff.

Today,manyofourearlystudentsareinseniorpositionswithcooperativesorNGOsacrossthecountry.NodoubtsomejointhecorporateworldbutIbelievethateventhosewhodosoarebettermanagersfor,duringtheiryearsatIRMA,theygetarareandvaluableinsightintotheruralandagriculturalrealityofourcountry.Iamsurethatthisexperimentwill,indeed,inthelongrun,bringaboutthetransformationofruralIndiathatwedreamtof.

Building a nation’s dairy industry is a tall order. It was only through thecommitment andperseveranceofmanypeople, includingmillionsofour ruralmilk producers, that we were successful in using the cooperative strategy fordairy development. Insofar as my professional involvement and modestcontributions to the development of the dairy industry are concerned, it allstarted inDecember1950when theFounder-ChairmanofAmul,TribhuvandasPatel, noticedmy skills and persuadedme to stay on inAnand.Tribhuvandasinstinctively recognised thevalueof professionals and from thevery first day,placedhistrustinmewithoutreservation.

Tribhuvandaswasanextraordinaryman.HehadbeenbornintoanextremelywealthyfamilyinAnand,buthaddedicatedhislifetotheserviceofthenation,firstasafreedomfighterandthenastheuntiringleaderofKairadistrict’sdairyfarmers.

Tribhuvandas’sunfalteringsupport tome– inall theprojects I initiatedand

through all my confrontations with the government and politicians – lastedduringhisentirelifetime.HewastheonewhoensuredthatmyworkastheChiefExecutiveOfficerofAmulwasalwaysinsulatedfrominstitutionalandpoliticalpressures.Hebroughtout thebest inmewithhis inspirationanddirectionandconvincedmethattherewasaspecialsatisfactioninworkingasanemployeeofIndia’sbackbone,thefarmers.HisjudgementoffarmersalwaysremainedbetterthanmineandwheneverIdisagreedwithhimoncrucialissues,Iwasultimatelyproved wrong. He was a real leader and a true builder who built withcommitment,purposeandunimpeachableintegrity.

Manypeoplefounditstrangethat,forsomanyyears,aKeraliteChristianhadbeenregularlyandunanimouslyelectedChairmanoftheGCMMF.TherewasatimewhenIwasalsoChairmanoftheGujaratStateElectricityBoard.AnothertimeIwasVice-Chancellorof theGujaratAgricultureUniversity. Idoubt if inmy own home state of Kerala a Gujarati would ever have been given theseimportantpositionsofpower.YetIamawarethatnoneofthiswouldhavebeenpossible without Tribhuvandas Patel. He selected me as his senior executive,knowingthatIwasfromKeralaandaChristian.Religion,caste,communitydidnotmatter tohim.Heonlyasked if Iwascommitted tomywork, if Iwas anhonestman.

Unfortunately for all of us, even Gujarat does not produce any moreTribhuvandasesthesedays.TheGujaratiisaninternationalfigure.GujaratisdobusinessnotjustinIndiabutthroughouttheworld,whichisallthemorereasonwhy Gujarat should not become clannish and narrow-minded. It is not inGujarat’s interest to become sectarian. The Gujarati should remain likeTribhuvandas–trulynational.

In 1994, Tribhuvandas fell ill. Age, and a lifetime of dedicated work andsacrifice,withneverathoughtforhisowncomfort,hadfinallycaughtupwithhim.Towardsthelaststageshewasinandoutofthehospital–aplacethathehated.Tribhuvandasknewthattheendwasnearandheaskedtobeallowedtoremaininhisownhouseratherthaninahospital.Tilltheveryend,fromhisownbedathome,hekepthimselfupdatedabouttheworkatthecooperative,whichhadbeenhislifetime’scommitment.

ItwasmymisfortunethatduringthelastdaysofhislifeIwascalledawayforan importantmeeting inDelhi.When I called fromDelhi to inquire about hishealth Iwas told thathewasgettingbetter.Therefore, I decided to spendone

moredayinDelhi–adecisionIhaveregrettedallmylife.BythetimeIreturnedtoAnand,hehadalreadypassedaway. Ineverexpected it tohappen like this.Mycolleague,A.A.Chothani,whohadalwaysbeenveryclosetohim,informedmelaterthatTribhuvandashadwaitedforme,quitecertainthathewasnotgoingto livebeyondsix-thirtyp.m. thatday.This isexactlyhowithappened.Afewminutesbeforesix-thirty,hecalledChothaninearhimandsaid:‘TellKurienthatIwaitedtillsix-thirty.HehasnotcomebutIcanwaitnolonger.Nowyoumusttell him that I am leaving everything – the cause of the farmers and thecooperatives – in his hands.’ Those were his last words. In Tribhuvandas’spassingaway,Ilostmyguru.

AfterTribhuvandasdied,thepopularthinkingwasthatheshouldbecrematedat the Amul dairy grounds. I intervened, saying that I would not allow this.Tribhuvandas would have been the first to say that the Amul dairy did notbelongtohim,itbelongedtothefarmers.Besides,Iexplained, ifwecrematedhim there we would have to build a memorial to him. This would set aprecedent.WiththisdecisionIknowIupsetquiteafewpeoplebutTribhuvandaswouldhaveagreedwithme.Finally,mydecisionprevailedandwetookhisbodytotheburningghatwherethelastriteswereperformed.

~

I was just twenty-eight years old when Tribhuvandas made me the GeneralManagerofAmul.Itisanagewhenonebelievesnothingisimpossibleandoneis ready to take on challenges. I believed in entrusting professionals withresponsibilities at an early age, encouraging them to take initiatives, andcorrecting themwhen thingswentwrong, insteadofpenalisingorcondemningthem.

Whileintegrityandloyaltyarecorevalues,thereareothervalues,too,whichareaprerequisitetoachievesuccessinanyfield.Forexample,theleaderhastoset a personal example andmake others understand inwhatways ‘change’ isgoingtobeuseful.Ibelievethatprofessionalsworkinginourorganisationsmusthaveaclarityofthoughtcombinedwithapassionatepursuitofmasteryoftheirsubject. I have always emphasised that large endeavours are only the sum ofmany small parts and, therefore,wemustkeep inmindnot justwherewe aregoing but howwe are going to reach there successfully. I also believe that apersonwhodoesnothaverespectfortime,anddoesnothaveasenseoftiming,canachievelittle.TohelpemployeesfosterthesevaluesinNDDBandtheother

organisations with which I have been associated, I have always given themchallenging jobs, enough freedom to perform those jobs and adequateopportunitiestoprovethemselves.

Theinvolvementandsupportof therightpeoplehasalwaysbeenoneofthekeys to the success of anymission.Minewas no different. Very early inmyassociationwithAmul, Iwas able topersuadeH.M.Dalaya, oneof themostknowledgeablepersonsaboutdairyinginIndia,tojoinme.MuchofthesuccessofAmulandoftheinstitutionsinspiredbyit is inlargepartduetotheefforts,thecreativityandthewisdomofDalaya.Ilearntmuchfromhimthathasstoodmeingoodsteadovertheyears.

I was also immensely fortunate that the home of one of our outstandingbureaucrats,H.M.Patel,wasinKairadistrict.Hewasagiant,notonlyinourcivilserviceandnationalpoliticallife,but,evenmoreso,inhiscommitmenttobuilding the institutions responsible for real development. It was through hisefforts thatKaira isendowedwitheducational institutions,health facilitiesandmanyotherpartsofaninfrastructurenowtakenforgranted.FromH.M.PatelIlearnt the art of administration.More importantly, his example of unflinchingintegrity and commitment to principle has remained with me as a livinginspiration.

TheNDDB,whichitwasmygoodfortunetochairforthirty-threeyearssinceitwasfoundedin1965,vastlybenefitedfromtheservicesofhundredsoftrulyoutstandingyoungwomenandmen.Theyworkedwithcourage,withdiligence,withunparalleledcommitment,withlittlefinancialrewardandlessfame.Ilearnta great deal directly from the experience of some and indirectly from theexperienceofmany.

AmritaPatel,whoisthepresentChairmanofNDDB,wasacolleagueandaclose friend formany years. She joined us as a young veterinarian and Iwassoon impressed with her organisational and managerial skills, which shedisplayed while carrying out her responsibilities during the importantInternationalDairyCongress,whichforthefirsttimewasheldinadevelopingcountry, in New Delhi in 1974. I had, of course, known her earlier as theyoungestdaughterofH.M.Patel,butherabilitieswithintheorganisationledmeto identifyheras theperson tosucceedmeasChairman,NDDB.PatelhadalltherequisiteprofessionalqualificationsforthejobandItrainedherfortwenty-fiveyearstotakeonthereinsofahugelychallengingtask.

Therearealsootherinnumerablefriendsandcolleagueswho,asmythinkingevolvedonanumberofsubjects,helpedmegreatlybytheirresearchandsharpminds.AsInevertireofsaying,mycolleaguesdidalltheworkandIcollectedalltheawards.

Finally, I owe much to my wifeMolly, my guiding star, who has not justhelped me to stay on course but has always been very understanding andsupportive.Shehasalwaysbeenthereasaconstantsourceofstrength.

~

When I becameChairmanof theNationalDairyDevelopmentBoard in 1965,therewere no takers for the post.When I offeredmy resignation and steppeddown in 1998, the bureaucracy suddenly came up with a host of potentialcandidates.Clearly,theyfeltthatthetimehadcometoseeiftheycouldcapturethisorganisationwithitscorpusofRs3,000crore.

The problemwithmost cooperatives in India is not that politicians becomechairmen. It is thatwhen they become chairmen, they use the cooperatives tofurther theirownpoliticalends.Thebeautyofall thecooperativesatAnandisthat we have had chairmen of high integrity. Tribhuvandas Patel set the firstexampleandwemaintainedthattraditionverystrictly.

Whatistheprimaryjobofanefficientmanager?Inmybook,itistobringinandgroom the rightpeopleon the team.Once this is done, themanagermustthengroomthesuccessormostappropriatefortheinstitution.

For three decades I was the Chairman of the NDDB and was reappointedeverythreeyears.ManypoliticalpartiescameintopowerandyetwhoevercametopowerinDelhireappointedme.Yetin1998,whenaftercarefulconsiderationIdecided topassonmy responsibilitiesand submittedmy resignation, allhellbrokeloose.TheCabinetSecretaryinNewDelhiandthePrincipalSecretarytoPrimeMinisterAtalBehariVajpayeeimmediatelyappointedasearchcommitteetolookforasuccessor.Certainly,thecorpusmusthavebeenatemptingfactor,butthatmoneybelongedtothefarmers.HowcouldIhaveallowedittogointothehandsofanybodyotherthanwhomIhadgroomed,andinwhomthefarmershadcomplete faith?There Iwas,groomingDrAmritaPatelasasuccessor forovertwodecadesandtheyappointedasearchcommittee!

They said they did not want Amrita Patel. They said they did not wantsomebodywhohadbeengroomedbyme.Butthingswerenotthateasyforthe

bureaucrats, largely because when I had been asked to draft the Act ofParliament, which set up NDDB, I had been rather clever about how it wasworded. One of the clauses of the Act stipulated: ‘… the Chairman shall beprofessionallyqualifiedinoneormorespecialitiesnamely:agriculture,dairying,animalhusbandry, rural economics, ruraldevelopment,businessadministrationorbanking….’

Thatiswheretheyranintotrouble.Theyknewthattheywouldhavetofindsomeoneprofessionallyqualified.Yet,thepersonhadtobeanIASofficer.Itisnot at all easy to find an IASofficerwho is thus professionally qualified, butfinallytheyidentifiedanofficerfromRajasthan.

Theminute Iheard this Iwent tosee thePrimeMinister, towhomIalwayshad access only because I represent tenmillion farmers. Political leadersmaynotdowhat Iask them todo,but Iwasconfident thatat least theywouldnottakeadecisionwithouthavingheardmeout.WhenImetthePrimeMinisteraswellastheHomeMinister,L.K.Advani,whowasresponsibleforappointmentsto senior positions, I explained to them that giving the NDDB’s reins in thehandsofthebureaucracywouldbearecipeforitsruin.

AsIwaswalkingintomeetthePrimeMinister,ImetaCabinetMinister.Hecalledouttome,‘HeyKurien,whatisthisIhear–thatyou’rebeingreplacedbyanIASofficerfromRajasthan?’

I told him that was true and I was going to try and persuade the PrimeMinisternottodothis.TheMinistersaid:‘Iknowthisperson.HeisdefinitelynottherightkindofpersonforNDDB.Hewillloottheplace.’

IrequestedtheMinistertotellthePrimeMinisterthistoo.Idonotknowifhedid.But therewere several other senior and respected politicianswho tried todissuadethegovernmentfromappointinganoutsider.AmongthemwasformerMinisterofAgriculture,C.Subramaniam,whowroteastronglettertothePrimeMinister,sayingthatifapoliticianorabureaucratwasbroughtinasChairmanofNDDB, itwouldbedisastrousfor theorganisation. Instead, thegovernmentshouldallowthepersonwhomIhadgroomed to takeoverasmysuccessor. Ithelped thatAmritaPatel had the firm support of theHomeMinister,whohadgreatrespectforherfather,H.M.Patel.Oncemore,whilemanybureaucratstriedtoputaspokeinthewheel,therewereotherswhosupportedus.Finally,AmritaPatelwasappointedasChairman,NDDB.

~

ThereisasayinginMalayalam,mymothertongue,thatthejasminebloominginone’s own backyard never smells as sweet as the jasmine in somebody else’sgarden.Howoftenthisistrue.IwouldbedishonestifIdeniedthatitcausedmesomeanguishwhenrecognitionfrommyowncountryfor theworkIhaddonecameonlyafterIreceivedinternationalacclaim.

Yet,theawardsItreasuremostaretheonesmycountryhasbestowedonmeandthosethatIhavereceivedfromtheIndianfarmers.ThereisalwaysagreatsatisfactioninreceivingawardsbutIhaveneverbeenabletotakepersonalprideinthem.Ihavebeenacutelyconsciousthattheseawards,infact,donothonourVerghese Kurien as much as they honour millions of dairy farmers of ourcountry,whoagainst all odds, raised India to the first rankamong theworld’smilk-producing nations. The awards are an acknowledgement too, of thededication of the tens of thousands of elected leaders of India’s dairycooperatives and theprofessional employeeswhohave committed their life toserving our farmers. The awards are a recognition of the contributions ofhundredsofmycolleaguesatNDDB,Amul,GCMMF,IRMAandalloursisterorganisations,whovigorouslyandcontinuouslysupportedmyeffortswiththeirexceptionalskills,integrityandcommitment.

TheworkwedidatAnandtoempowerthepoorinevitablyfacedopposition,some of it fierce. To some extent, recognition from other countries and theinternationalawardsIreceivedgaveafilliptomydeterminationandstrengthtocontinue that work. The first international recognition of this work came, in1963, in theformof theRamonMagsaysayAwardforCommunityLeadershipwhich was rightly shared with Tribhuvandas Patel and Dara Khurody. It wasafter this that my government deemed me deserving enough to receive thePadma Shri in 1965 and immediately following that, the Padma Bhushan in1966. In 1999, I received the Padma Vibhushan, the nation’s second highestcivilianaward.

Thesethreenationalawardsoccupytheprideofplaceinmyhometoday.Allmyotherawardshavebeengivenfordisplayat theAmulMuseumwhichwasrecently set up in the house that Molly and I once occupied.More than onehundredandfiftyawardsandcitationsfromacrosstheworldadornthewallsofthatmuseumastestimonialstotheachievementsofIndia’sdairyfarmers.

Whiletherecognitionfromfarmersandthethreenationalawardswillalwaysholdaspecialplaceinmyheart,therearesomeotherswhich,foronereasonor

another,havetouchedme.OneofthesewastheSamanwayaPuraskarpresentedtomebySwamiSathwamithranandinHaridwarin1990.Ihaveneverbeensurewhy theSwami feltheshouldhonourmebut Ididgoup tohisashram in theHimalayas to receive the award. It was quite an exhilarating experience. Anelaboratefunctionwasorganisedtopresenttheawardtome.Onthedais,tomyright,sattheSwamiandonhisrightsatL.K.Advani.OnmyleftwastheleaderoftheVishwaHinduParishad.Infrontofmewasaspectacularoceanofsaffron–hundredsofsadhuswhohadgatheredtherefortheevent.L.K.Advanispoke,praisingmeformywork,andIwasthenpresentedtheawardalongwithacashprizeofRs5,000.

Although I have never been a religious person, I attended this functionbecauseIthoughtitwassignificantthataHindureligiousheadshouldsingleoutaChristiantohonourhimforhiswork.InmyacceptancespeechIacknowledgedasmuch;IsaidIfeltprivilegedthatthesagesoftheHimalayasshouldfelicitatesomeonefromthesouthern-mosttipofIndia.IwasaChristianbybirthandyetIwas being honoured by them and what this symbolised to me was extremelyimportant – that whichever corner of the country I came from, whatever myreligion, I was first and foremost an Indian. That is why this award was aparticularlyprestigiousoneforme.

Iwas deeply touched, too, by theDrPaulosMarGregoriosAwardwhich Ireceived in 1999. It said a lot for the liberal attitude and the tolerance of theChurchwhichgaveme thisaward,despitemypublic statements that IwasanatheistandthattheonlytimeIwenttochurchwillinglywaswhenIgotmarried!

IwaspresentedtheWatelerPeacePrizeAwardoftheCarnegieFoundationforthe year 1986 and three years after that I received theWorld Food Prize for1989.

~

IwasChairmanandGeneralManagerofGCMMF,where the rulesdemandedthat the Chief Executive Officer retire at fifty-eight but could be given anextensionforanothertwoyears.IhadtofollowtherulesthatImyselfhadlaidout; after an extension, when I turned sixty in 1981, I retired as the GeneralManager.Although I continuedasHonoraryChairman,mysalaryhad to stop.People invariably askedme how Imanaged to survivewithout a salary and Irepliedonlyhalfjokingly:‘Iwinawards.NowonlytheNobelPrizeeludesme.’Indeed,Ihavewonmanyawards,anumberofwhichwereaccompaniedbycash

prizes,andthosedidmanagetokeepthehomefiresburning.

Myattitudetowardsmoneyhasalwaysbeenaveryrealisticandautilitarianone.Itspringsfromoneofmydeepestconvictions,whichIalsotriedincessantlyto instil in my daughter Nirmala during her formative years, and later in mygrandson,Siddharth.IrememberoftenexplainingtoNirmalathatitisterribletohavetoolittlemoneybecauseyouwillnotevenhaveenoughtoeatandappeaseyourhunger.Butitisfar,farworsetohavetoomuchmoneybecausethenyouwill surelygetcorrupt.Our family, I think,was trulyveryblessedbecausewealwayshadonlyjustenough.

Even ifAmul is the largest foodbusiness in thecountry today,cooperativeshave never been able tomatch the salaries ofmultinationals becausewe havebeenconsciousthatitisthefarmer’smoneythatisbeingspent.Themaximumsalary I ever drew was Rs 5,000 as the Chairman and General Manager ofGCMMF. I never felt underpaid andwemanagedwith themoneywe got. Inhindsight, I realise how difficult it must have been for Molly to managehousehold finances with that salary. Yet, she gave us a beautiful yet simplehome,sheprovideduswithtwofullmealsadayandgraciouslylookedaftertheunending flow of house guests in the early years of ourmarriage.We finallymoved intoourownhouse in1989. It isamodestbut lovelyhouse inAnand,builtbydrawingfullyfromtheprovidentfundthatIhadsavedovertheyears.

Oneday,anacquaintanceofmine–aseniorofficerinacorporatefirm–cameto meet me to complain about his unhappy fate. He seemed to be extremelydissatisfied with his work and his life in general. Listening to his laments, IthoughtthatperhapshefelthewasnotearningasmuchashedeservedandsoIaskedhimthekindofasalaryhedrew.HetoldmeheearnedRs60,000amonth.Iwasamazedatthis.Iaskedhimwhy,withsuchahandsomesalary,shouldhebesounhappy?Heexplained:‘It’snotthemoney,DrKurien.Themoneyisfinebutnobodygivesmeanyrespectinmyofficeandthatbothersmeterribly.’

Iwasimmenselyamusedattheironyofthesituation.Isaidtohim:‘Lookatme–IgethardlyanymoneybutIgetalotofrespect.Now,myfriend,whichisabettersituation?’

Imaybeold-fashioned inmy thinkingbut I have alwaysbelieved that it isonlywhenyougetlessthanyouareworth,thatyoucanlookforrespect;ifyouarepaidmuchmorethanyouareworthyouwillgetnorespect.TheonethingthatIhaveneverhadacomplaintaboutistheamountofloveandrespectwhich

mydairyfarmersshowereduponme.

Thereweretimeswhenthisrespecttookonabsurdbutamusingdimensions.Iremember,when I retired fromNDDB in 1998,Amrita Patel very generouslyinsisted that I should keep the NDDB Chairman’s car to use as the IRMAChairman’scar.Irefused,andinstead,advisedherthatsheshouldkeepthecaras thenewNDDBChairman,becauseof theauraof respect thecarseemed toradiateovertheyears.Thereisastorybehindthisadvice.

TherewasatimewhenMollyandIusedtohaveapairofmagnificentIrishRedSetters towhomIhadgrownveryattached.WehadboughtanewcarforNirmalaandIwantedtotakeitforatestdrive.Ihadalreadychangedintomykurta-pajamaforthenightbutassoonasItookoutthecarandopenedthedoor,thedogsjumpedinbesideme.Idrovetowards theNDDBgateandoneof thewatchmen on duty stopped the car, not recognisingme inmy nightwear. Theotherwatchman,however,peeringinfromtheotherside,wheretheIrishSetterswerehangingtheirheadsoutofthewindow,enjoyingthebreeze,shoutedacrosstohiscolleague:'Nahi,nahi.Saabkakuttahai,saabkakuttahai!Uskojaanedo.'Evidently, the saabwas immaterial,but saabkakuttawasallowed in.Respectrubsoffontoallkindsofthingsandcreaturesaroundyouthroughsomepeculiarprocessofosmosis.AsIsaidtoAmritaPatelwhilerefusingtotakethecar,‘Atthisstage,peoplewilllookatthecarandsay,“See,theregoestheChairmanofNDDB!”’

~

IfirstlearnttoplaychesswhenIwassixyearsold.Thosedaysitwasnoteasytoget aproper chessboard inmyhome townbutmycousins and Iwerekeen toplaythisgamesothatweturnedcreativeandinnovative.Wewouldgetholdofthehardcoreofabananatree,whichwewouldthenproceedtocutandchiselinto the shapes of the chess pieces.A piece of chequered paper served as thechessboard.WeplayedthegameavidlyandconstantlyandasaresultIbecameagoodplayer.ItwasonlymuchlaterinlifethatIrealisedthetremendousbenefitsofthisclassicgameofstrategy.Chesshadtaughtmetheskillofhowtoalwaysremainafewmovesaheadofmyopponents.

PerhapsthatispartlythereasonthatallthroughmyyearsatAnand,Iworkedwell in crisis situations. I always felt that one of the best things about beingconfrontedbyproblemswasthatyoucouldfindsolutionstothoseproblems.Inmanyways, I think Iwas inmyelementwhen Iwasbeingattacked. In this, I

fully endorse the view of my friend Vikram Sarabhai who often said to me:‘Whenyoustandabovethecrowd,youmustbereadytohavestonesthrownatyou.’Iacceptedeverycontroversythatcamemywayasanewchallenge.Itwasbecauseofthisperseveranceinthefaceofadversities,thatmycolleaguesandIcouldmakeNDDBintothekindoforganisationitbecame.

Many years ago, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi sent Sam Pitroda, atelecommunicationsexpertwhoservedashisadviser, tomeetustodiscusshisfive technology missions. Pitroda in his address, that startled some of mycolleagues,said,‘Inordertogetthingsdoneyouhavetobeabitmad.’Andthenpointingtowardsme,continued,‘Youhaveanexampleinfrontofyouofamanwhocamewithadream–abitmad–andtodayweareallreapingthebenefitsofhisvision,hisideas.Wedon’thavetoagreewithhimoneverythingoradmireeverylittlethinghedoesbutthefactremainsthatwhathehascreatedisadreamthatweallliketoshare.Weneedmoreandmorepeoplelikehimtocreatemoredreamsforourpeople.’

Perhapshewasright.PerhapsIwasabitmadtohaveeverbelievedthatthedream I had to make our country self-sufficient in milk through our dairyfarmers’cooperativeswouldactuallyberealisedoneday.

Ihave,byandlarge,followedmyinstinctsinmostdecisionsIhavemade.ButI also recognise that I was successful in the endeavours I undertook largelybecauseof theGovernmentofGujarat’senlightenedpolicies in regard todairydevelopment. Having worked with various other state governments I alwaysfound thatGujaratwas fortunate in the typeofgovernment it has alwayshad.Regardlessof thepoliticalparty inpower, thegovernmentof this statealwaysallowedpeople’sorganisationstogrow.

Atthispointsomefiguresare,perhaps,apposite.ParticularlyforallthosewhodoubtedourmotivesatNDDBandforallthosewhofeltthatourfarmerswerenotcompetenttoachievetheunachievable.MilkproductioninIndiahasgrownatahealthyclipof4.8percentduringthelasttwentyyearsandIndiaisnowthelargestmilkproducerintheworld.Today,milkavailabilitypercapitais214gmperday,exactlydoublethefigureof1970whenwelaunchedOperationFlood.About 66 per cent of rural households and 90 per cent of urban householdsconsumemilk.Onanaverage50percentofmilkproductionisretainedinourruralareasforconsumption.Thepercapitahouseholdconsumptionofmilkhasincreasedby23per cent and15percent in rural andurbanareas respectively

between1987-88and1993-94.ThecostofmilkproductioninIndiaisnearly40percentlowerthanthecorrespondingfiguresfortheEuropeanUnionandUSA,andcomparesveryfavourablywiththoseofAustraliaandNewZealand.

I do not think, therefore, that it would be unfair to say that India’s dairyindustry has, indeed, come a longway.But ourmission is still far fromover.Dairying in India should now rapidly progress in quality and in terms ofretaining its relevance as the country’s largest rural employment programme.Thisisbothachallengeandathreat–giventhatinthisneweraofanintegratingworldeconomy, the rules for international trade inmilkandmilkproductsarewritten by developed nations who believe in ‘mass production’ and not‘productionbythemasses’.

ItisnowoveradecadesinceIndiaembarkeduponitsjourneyofliberalisationandglobalisation.Inthedaysthathavefollowed,mostofourcooperativeshavelearnt tocopewith threedistinctdisadvantages thata liberalisingeconomyhasconferredon them.Firstly,ourcooperativeshave learnt todevelopwithout thebenefits earlier available to them in a mixed economy. Secondly, ourcooperativeshavelearnttoperforminthemarketplaceeventhoughtheshifttoafree market economy has mainly benefited large capital, whether Indian orforeign. Thirdly, even though the labyrinth of rules and controls that regulatecooperatives remain generally unchanged, our cooperatives are findinginnovativestrategiestoachievetheirgoals.

Essentially,ourdairycooperativesarebecomingproactiveand learningnewwaysofadapting tochange,evenas theyeagerlywait for that logicalstageofliberalisationwhentheywillhavealevelplayingfieldwiththeircompetitors.Icanonly say thatwhenourcooperativesareable toperformanddeliver inanenvironmentthatisstillquiteadverse,imaginewhatwillhappenwhentheyarepermittedtocarryouttheirbusinesswiththesamefreedomandflexibilitythatisalreadybeingenjoyedbytheircompetitors.

Thedairy cooperatives havemanaged all this because theyhavedone threecrucialthings.Theyhaveacquiredandequippedthemselveswiththelatestandmost modern technology for milk processing and product manufacture. Thentheyhavedefined the standardsnecessary toachieveandmaintainworld-classquality.And,mostimportantly,theyhaveputinplacesystemswhichwillensurethattheyconsistentlyachievethestandardstheyhavesetforthemselves.

Afterhavingworkedforthecauseofournation’sfarmersforoverfiftyyears,

myvisionforthetwenty-firstcenturyremainsthesame.IsincerelybelievethatIndiacanachievethestatusofadevelopednationandoccupyitsrightfulplaceintheaffairsoftheworld–hopefullywithinthefirstfewdecadesofthetwenty-firstcentury.

But I can never stress enough that each one of us has a responsibility, as amember of our nation’s privileged elite, to help bring about that stage. Thatresponsibilityisbothtocriticiseandtocorrect.Wemusttakeresponsibilityforournation’sfuture;wemustholdourselvesaccountableforthatfuture.Itmeansthatwemustactnotonlyasadvantagedindividualsbutasconcernedmembersofoursociety.Itmeansthatinallthatwedo,wemustbeawareofitseffectforthegreatergood.

Ihaveoftenclaimed that Ihavehadbutonegood idea inmy life: that truedevelopmentisthedevelopmentofwomenandmen.ThisideatooksuchaholdofmethatIremainedinthissmall,sleepytownofAnandforoverfiftyyearsasanemployeeoffarmers.Iwasneverabletogivethisupforwhatmanycall‘abetterlife’.Theseyearshave,withoutaniotaofdoubt,beenthemostrewardingyearsofmylife.OvertheyearsIhavespokenceaselesslyofthisidea,hopingtoenthuse young women and men to adopt my passion as theirs. I have beenfortunatethattherehavebeenmanywhotookupthechallenge.YetIcannothelpbut feel some disappointment that, in the larger scheme of things, our policymakers and implementers (with honourable exceptions, of course) still believethatournation’swomenandmenaremeans,notends.

Yet, if there isoneconvictionIholdasfirmly todayasIdidfiftyyearsagoandifthereisonereasonwhyImustremainoptimisticaboutournation’sfuture,itisbecauseIhaveseenoverandoveragainthatwhenthetoolsofdevelopmentareplacedinthehandsofourruralpeople,andwhentheirenergyandwisdomislinkedwith the skill of committed professionals, there is nothing they cannotachieve.

Ourgreatestnationalresourceisourpeopleandtoooftenhaveweneglectedthisresource.Wehave,whetherintentionallyornot,createdtheillusionthatallresources are in the hands of the government; that is, the government and itsagentswhodoleoutresources.Indiawouldhavebeenafarstrongernationhadourpeoplebeenaskedtocreateresources.Ourschools,ourhealthservicesandmany other community programmes would have been far better hadcommunities raised theresources,created thefacilities,employed thestaffand

heldthemaccountable.Butsadly,ourcommunitieshavenosayinthese.

Wehavegloriousexamplesinourcountryofwhatourpeoplecanachieve–and have achieved – by working together. There are cooperatives, there arecitizens’ groups, there are communities who have come together to volunteertheirtimeandeffortsforthebenefitofothers.Alltheseinitiativeshaveworkedfarbetterthantheeffortsofthegovernment.Anditisforonereason:thatthosewhoraisedtheresources,createdtheinstitutionsandgavetheirenergiestotheseendeavours,trulycared.

Of course there is a role for the government. But it is a moremodest andfocused role than what we see today. There is also a role for individual andgroupefforts inbuildingabettersociety.All it takes isforpeoplewhocare tocometogether,toinspireothers,toinvolveothers.Butthefirststepmustalwaysbetherecognitionandconvictionthatthechangecanonlybeginwithourselves.

I lookaroundmycountryandfindproblems thatoftenseemoverwhelming.Despite fifty years of freedomwe have yet to solve the very real problem ofpoverty, whether rural or urban. We can feed ourselves – which is a greatachievement.However,wecannotfoolourselves.Instead,weneedtoseethatitisaprecariousbalance–onethat isachievedonlybecause,sadly, therearealltoomanyof our fellow countrywomen andmenwho cannot afford enough toeat.Weretheytoenjoythesamedietasmostofourprivilegedclassdoes,itisquestionablewhetherournationalproductionwouldsuffice.

WhilewecantakesomeprideinthefactthatourfellowIndianscanmeetanychallengeandachievesuccessinhighlycompetitivefieldsabroad,wemustalsofeelagreatsadnessthatallofthattalent–talentthatwasnurturedatthecostofour own country, since all our academic institutions of excellence are heavilysubsidised– isbeingplacedat thedisposalofothersandnotourowncountry,whichsodesperatelyneedsit.

Our country faces great challenges. There is no doubt that today, our bodypoliticisacauseofgraveconcern.Thereisnodoubtthathundredsofmillionsofour people do not enjoy an acceptable quality of life and nor are they able toreachtheirpotentialtocontributetoournation.Andyet,thereisnodoubtinmymind thatasapeoplewestandsecond tonone.Amongusarepeopleofgreatintellectualability;peopleofthehighestmoralandethicalattainment;peopleofgreat tenacity and courage. The challenge is to put our talent, morality andcouragetotherightpurposes,intherightdirection.

Iampositivethatwewillstandamongtheworld’smostpowerfulnations.Thequestionis,whetherafterattainingthatpowercanwesetanexampleofhowitcanbeusedtobuildabetterworld,aworldof justiceandequity–justiceandequitynotforafewbutforall?

Havingsaidall this I amalsoveryconscious that forme, likeothersofmygeneration, this isno longerourchallenge.Alas,weareno longeryoung!TheIndiaofthefuturebelongstotheyoungIndiansandIbelievethatforallofthemthereisbutonechoice–thatchoiceistoputalltheirabilitiesandenergiesintobuildingtheIndiaofallourdreams.

Iftheyaretodoso–andIameveroptimisticthattheyshall–theyhavetorecognise one thing: that great change takes place through small, sometimesinvisible, steps. When Tribhuvandas Patel became Chairman of the KairaDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’Union,littledidhedreamthatitwouldoneday become such a major player in India’s food business. He was merelyconcernedwithremovingtheobstaclesfromthedistrict’smilkproducers.

Our dreams were enormous, our mission mighty. But we moved forwardgradually, step by step.We knew we must begin by building a small, strongfoundationtowardschange.Weknewthatthisfirstfoundationwebuiltmustbeourveryown.ForasGandhijisaid:‘Bethechangeyouwanttosee.’

Tpostscript

WICE,WHENMYTERMASCHAIRMAN,NDDBWASENDINGANDIWANTEDtoretire,Iwaspersuadedtocontinue.Ultimately,in1998,myresignationwasaccepted

andIretiredfromNDDBon26November.

FromthatverydayIdecidedtoworkforKaira’s(nowKheda)dairyfarmers;workingforthecooperativeswasanactoffaithforme.Itcontinuestobeso.AsIseeit,faithisbeliefwithoutreason.Forthosewhobelieve,noexplanationisnecessary; for those who do not, no explanation is possible. I was fullyconvincedthatIhadimpartedthisdeepandabidingfaithincooperativestomycolleaguesatNDDB.Sadly,Inowdiscoverthatitisnotentirelyso.IlearnthattheNDDBoftodayseemstobeonadistinctlydifferentpath–thatofbuildingits own empire instead of helping cooperative milk producers, which was itssingle-pointagenda!

I could have never imagined that those whom I had groomed, through thedecades and who had been victorious through many a hard battle, would soquicklyembarkonamissionthatcompletelyunderminestheveryfoundations,nay the very soul of the cooperative movement, posing a challenge to thecooperativemovementitself.Whatisworse,allthisisbeingdonebyusingtheveryresourcesgenerated,throughtheyears,forcooperativedairydevelopment.

Itmust be kept inmind thatNDDB is aGovernment of India organisation,created by an Act of Parliament, with a mandate to follow the ‘cooperativestrategy’.NDDBwas formed in1965 to replicate the ‘Anandpattern’ofdairycooperatives. Following this pattern essentially meant that production,processing and marketing would be firmly in the hands of milk producers.ThroughoutmytimeatNDDB,Iwasnevertiredofemphasisingtheimportanceofmarketing,foritwascleartomethatwithoutabsolutecontrolovermarketing,the farmerswouldnothaveanysay indetermining thepriceof theproducers’milk and its quality. What NDDB has recently attempted goes completelyagainsttheprinciplesandspiritoftheAnandpatternofcooperatives.

NDDB has registered a company calledMotherDairy Fruits andVegetablePrivateLtd(MDF&VL),andhasformedseveralothercompaniesunderitwhichare in competition with the State Dairy Cooperative Federations in the milkbusiness. NDDB is now advocating joint ventures (JVs) with State DairyCooperativeFederations.UndertheJVs,MotherDairyFoodsLtdwillnowhold

51percentequitywhiletheStateDairyCooperativeFederationwillholdjust49percent.MDF&VLwillacceptonlyafixedquantityofmilkandmilkproductsandthestatefederationswillnotbeallowedtoselltheirproductstoathirdparty.Andas the finalnail in thecoffin,MDF&VLwillhandle theentiremarketingexclusively. Itseemstomethat thedairyfarmershave lost themost importantcomponent–thatofmarketing–andnowhaveonlyproductionandprocessing(that too, limitedbyMotherDairy,Delhi) in theirhands.Will thisnotdeprivethefarmersoftheirdueshareoftheconsumers’rupee?Thequestionthenarises:howhas thegovernmentpermittedNDDBtoformMDF&VLtocompetewithdairycooperatives?Theonlyexplanation, I can thinkof, is thatperhaps fancywords like ‘liberalisation’, ‘globalisation’ and others coined by powerfulcapitalist nations to penetrate the vast markets of developing nations, haveblindedthevisionofafewofourpolicymakers.

Thusfar,mypassionateobjectionstothismajorandalarmingshiftinNDDB’spolicieshavenotyielded thedesired results.But Iamaborn fighterand Iamdetermined to continue my fight until the end for the just cause of thecooperativemovementofthedairyfarmersofIndia.Forwhatisatstakehereisthe future well-being of millions of small and marginal dairy farmers andlandlesslabourersofIndiawhodependonthedailyincomefromthemilktheysupply to their cooperatives. I cannot give up hope that the present NDDBmanagement will realise their mistakes and re-dedicate their energy andresources for the development of cooperatives, by following the ‘cooperativemovementstrategy’whichhasprovedtimeandtimeagain,overthesepastfivedecades,tobethebestsuitedforIndia’suniqueconditions.

ItwasonlylastyearthatIsaidinanarticle:Whenfarmersarehelpedtobecomeself-reliant, tomanagetheirownaffairsandtomanagetheirlivelihoods, they become the strong spine of the nation’s democracy. Therefore it becomes theprimeresponsibilityofthegovernmenttonurture(the)cooperative.

Ihavefoughtagainsttheeffortstounderminetheinterestsofourfarmersbyvestedinterests–betheythoseofunscrupulouspoliticians,bureaucrats,businessmenorinstitutions–forallmylife,and I will continue to do so unless someone shows me a better way of serving our nation’sproducerstobecomeproductivemembersofoursociety.

Till today, I have not found a better way.My unfinished dreamwill only beaccomplishedwhen the farmersof Indiahavea levelplaying field to competewith other forms of businesses. Nobody can deny that the government andgovernmentagenciesliketheNDDBhaveacriticalroletoplayinachievingthisgoal. There are somewho always try to find fault with the cooperatives.My

questiontothemis:hasdemocracyinIndiaworkedasitshouldhave?Ifnot,isitthe fault of democracy as a system, or does the fault lie in us? Similarly, Ibelieve, cooperatives have ‘not’ failed. In fact, in India, there are only a fewgenuine cooperatives, like Amul. Merely registering as a cooperative is notsufficient. The cooperative so registered must also follow, unbendingly, thecooperativeprinciples.Ifcooperativeshavefailed,itisbecausetheyhave,sofar,notbeengivenalevelplayingfieldandbecausetheyhavenotbeenrunastruecooperatives.

Cooperativesarepeople’sinstitutions.Ihavegreatfaithinthepeople’spower.Whatourgovernmentneeds todo is to simplyempower thepeople.Only thatcan turn our country into a super power as envisioned in ‘Vision 2020’. AsChairmanoftheViksitBharatFoundation,inspiredbythePresidentofIndia,ourprogrammesaredirectedtowardsmakingIndiaatrulydevelopednation.

Bureaucraciesdonotexistonly ingovernment.Tragically,most institutions,giventimeandallowedtogrowbig,tendtogetbureaucratised.Whenemployeesbegintobelievethattheinstitutionexistsforthem,ratherthanthattheyexistforthe purpose and ideals for which the institution was built, then clearly, thatinstitution has mutated into a bureaucracy. The revolutionary in me woulddemand that such an institution be broken down unabashedly, and built againanew.

Recently,therewasanattemptbyacoterieofvestedintereststousurpcontrolof the InstituteofRuralManagement,Anand,which Ihad setup in1979andunceasingly nurtured all these years. I tried to develop it as a national levelinstitutethatwouldservethemanagerialneedsofourruralpeople’sinstitutionswhich, even decades after independence, have remained neglected. Seriousattempts were made to remove me from the chairmanship of IRMAunconstitutionally,bymaligningmethroughmisuseofthemedia,andusingthethenDirectorofIRMA–whomIhadremovedduetoseriousmisconduct.Thesewereattemptstosatisfythecoterie’sowninterestsandconverttheinstituteintoaprofit-making,private-managementinstitution,likemanyothersinthecountry,which cater tomerelymeeting the demands of private sector, particularly thecorporates.

Thepeoplebehindtheseattemptswerepeoplewithconsiderableresourcesattheirdisposal.However,withappropriateandtimelyactionsandwiththehelpofthosecommittedtoIRMA’scause,IcouldkeepIRMAfrombeingderailedfrom

its coremission– thatofproducingmanagers for India’sunder-managed ruralorganisations which believe in people-centred, equitable and sustainabledevelopment.

People may call me cold-blooded but I am very firm in setting correctprecedents.ThisisapracticeIwillfollowuntiltheveryend.Asinlife,sotooindeath.Andbecausesomethingscannotbelefttothepeopleoneleavesbehind,Ihavealreadyasked,forinstance, thatmybodybecrematedhereinAnand.Nospecialplaceandnospecialfunctionsforme.Asthepoet,AlfredTennyson,sosensiblysaid:

SunsetandeveningstarAndoneclearcallforme!AndmaytherebenomoaningatthebarWhenIputouttosea.

As Iwrite these last few linesofmymemoirs,my faith in the farmersof ourcountryremainsunshaken.AlthoughIdofeelbetrayedbysomewhomItrusted,I continue to get support from unexpected quarters. The journey I began inAnand in 1949 still continues. I believe itwill continueuntilwe succeed… .UntilIndia’sfarmerssucceed.

31December2004

annexureAMULSTATISTICS

1953-54 2003-04

Turnover Rs55.47lakh

Rs54,088lakh

Pricedifference 0.32lakh

1,235lakh

Grossprofit8.78lakh

10,698lakh

Totalmandlies(societies)

64nos. 1,059nos.

No.ofmembers

14,441 598,707

Milkprocurement 108.63

lakhkg

2,539lakhkg

Milkprocurementprice

Rs7.00perkg Rs200.00/kg

Artificialinsemination(AI)

1,673nos. 675,707nos.

Alcentres 6nos. 9,15nos.

Pregnancydiagnosis’

479nos. 245,967nos.

Products Ghee.Butter,MilkPowder,Casein

Ghee.Butter,MilkPowder.Cheese,FlavouredMilk,CattleFeed,Chocolates,Nutramul,BabyFood,ReadytoEatFood,BreadSpread

InstalledchillingcentresatCambay,Kapdwanj,BalasinorandKhatraj

Installedvillagechillingunitsatvarioussocieties

MogarComplexconsistingofChocolatePlant,MaltedMilkFoodPlant,ReadytoEatFoodPlant,BreadSpreadPlantCattleFeedPlant

KhatrajSatelliteDairy

manufacturingCheesevarieties

AmulSatelliteDairyatPune

GUJARATCOOPERATIVEMILKMARKETINGFEDERATIONLTD

The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) is India’s largest food productsmarketingorganisation.ItisastatelevelapexbodyofmilkcooperativesinGujarat,whichaimstoensurethatfarmersgetremunerativereturnsandconsumersareprovidedqualityproducts.

Yearofestablishment 1973

Members 12DistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’Unions(detailsinattachedlist)*

No.ofprimaryvillagesocieties

11,400

No.ofproducermembers 2.36million

Milkhandlingcapacityperday 6.8millionlitresperday

Milkcollection(2003-04)1.81billionlitres

Milkcollection(dailyaverage2003-04) 4.96millionlitres

Milkdryingcapacity 510MTSperday

Salesturnover–2003-04 Rs28,820million(yearwisedetailsinattachedlist)**

NameofCEOs V.Kurien,CMD–1973to1984,andasHonoraryChairmansincethenJ.J.Baxi–MD–1984to1994B.M.Vyas–MD–1994to…

No.ofemployees 755

No.ofsalesoffices 49

*LISTOFMEMBERUNIONS

1.KairaDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Anand

2.MehsanaDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Mehsana

3.SabarkanthaDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Himatnagar

4.BanaskanthaDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Palanpur

5.SuratDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Surat

6.BarodaDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Vadodara

7.PanchmahalDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Godhra

8.ValsadDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Valsad

9.BharuchDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Bharuch

10.AhmedabadDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Ahmedabad

11. RajkotDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Rajkot

12.GandhinagarDistrictCooperativeMilkProducers’UnionLtd,Gandhinagar

AFFILIATEDDAIRIES

1. SatelliteDiary,Mahemdavad

2.VidyaDairy–Students’DairyatAnand

3.MotherDairy,Gandhinagar

**SALESTURNOVER1993-94TO2002-03

SalesTurnover Rsinmillion

1993-94 9,889

1994-95 11,140

1995-96 13,793

1996-97 15,537

1997-98 18,836

1998-99 22,192

1999-2000 22,185

2000-01 22,588

2001-02 23,365

2002-03 27,457

TARGET,ACHIEVEMENTANDFUNDINGDURINGOPERATIONFLOODPROGRAMME

Phase-I

Target To set up dairy cooperatives (DCSs) in ruralareas (in Karnataka, Rajasthan and MadhyaPradesh), provide physical and institutionalinfrastructure formilkprocurement,processing,marketingandproductionenhancementservicesatunionlevel,establishcitydairiesandlinkcitydairieswithruralcooperativesocieties formilksupply.

Achievement DCSs–13,270(1,588in1970-71)Membership–17.47lakh(2.78lakhin1970-71)Milkprocurement–25.60 lkgpd(5.20 lkgpd in1970-71)

Funding Funds of Operation Flood-I were generated bythesaleofSMP(126,000tons)andBO(42,000tons).AtotalofRs116.54crorewasinvestedintheimplementationoftheprogramme.

Phase-II

Target SuccessfulreplicationofAnandPattern–athreetiercooperativestructureofsocieties,unionsandfederations already laid downduringOperationFlood-I.

Achievement DCSs–34,523(1984-85)Membership–36,32lakhMilkprocurement–57.8lkgpd

Funding Total outlay was Rs 273 crore (World Bank –USD 150 million and balance through EEC –commodityassistance).

Phase-III

Target Strengthening institutional management,productivity enhancement, consolidating

NationalMilkGrid.

Achievement Milkshed–170

PHYSICALTARGETSANDACHIEVEMENTSOFOPERATIONFLOOD

Particulars OperationFlood-I

OperationFlood-II

OperationFlood-III

July1970-Mar1981 Apr1981-Mar1985 Apr1987-Mar1992

Target Achievement Target Achievement Target Achievement

No.ofmilkshedscovered 18 39 155 136 190 170

No.ofvillagedairysocietiesorganised

– 13,270 29,000 34,523 70,000 64,494

Farmerfamiliescovered(lakh)

10

17.47 34.8 36.367

79.3

Ruralmilkprocurement(LLPD*)AveragePeak

––

25.633.9

56.9–

57.979

137183

93.9113.4

Urbanmilkmarketing(LLPD)

–27.8

43

50.1103 83

Ruraldairyprocessingcapacity(LLPD)

29.8 35.8 76 87.8 200 152.2

*LLPD:lakhlitreperdayNATIONALMILKPROCUREMENTBYOPERATIONFLOOD,OTHERORGANISEDANDINFORMALSECTORS(PERCENT)

1961 1972 1980/81 1988/89 1992/93 1994/95 1995/96

1. Totalproductionofmilk(MMT*)

10.4023.00 31.60 53.70 59.00 64.00 66.10

2. Organisedsector

0.803.68%

1.305.55%

3.109.93%

5.8010.88%

n.a.n.a.

6.4010.10%

n.a.n.a.

3.OperationFloodcooperatives

n.a. 0.241.03%

1.013.21%

3.586.67%

3.856.53%

3.755.85%

4.006.05%

4.Non-Floodorganisedsector

1.044.52%

2.126.72%

2.464.20%

2.634.16%

5.HandledbyOperationFloodcooperativesaspercentageoforganisedsector 10.56% 32.33% 61.33% 58.77%

Handledbythe 19.65 21.72 28.46 47.87 56.72

6. informationsector

26.30% 94.44% 90.07% 89.12% 89.88%

*MMT:millionmetrictonsDAIRYCOOPERATIVES(DCSs)–72.744

MEMBERSHIP–93.14LAKH

Funding

WorldBank–USD360millionEEC-Rs222.6crore(75,000tonsofSMPand25,000tonsofbutteroil)NDDB-Rs206.3crore

Item 1971 Phase-I Phase-II Phase-III Target

1981 1985 1995 1996

No.ofmilksheds 5 39 136 170 170

No.ofDCS('ooo) 1.6 13.3 34.5 72.7 70

No.offarmermembers(lakh) 2.8 17.5 36.3 93.1 *

Milkprocurement(lkgpd) 5.2 25.6 57.8 109.4 115

Processingcapacity

Ruraldairies(llpd) 6.8 35.9 87.8 194.0 193.7

Metrodairies(llpd) 10.0 29.0 35.0 72.0 72.40

Milkdryingcapacity(tpd) Na 261.0 507.5 842.0** 974

Milkpowderproduction('000ton/annum) 22.4 76.5 102.0 195.0** *

Alcentres(’000) NA 4.9 7.5 16.28** 16.50

Aldone(lakh) NA 8.2 13.3 37.9** 39.5

Cattle-feedcapacity(’000tons/annum) NA 1.7 3.3 4.9** 5.0

Investment(Rscrore) NA 116.54 277.17 896.21 1,303.10

*Targetalreadyachieved.

**Tillend1995.

indexAareyMilkColony,Bombay,17

Adulteration,171

Advani,L.K.,219,221–22

Advertising,55,69,71,75,137

AdvertisingandSalesPromotionCompany(ASP),75

Agriculture,208

AgricultureCollege,Pune,7

AgricultureMinistry,GovernmentofIndia,22,26–27,101,127–28,135,136,153,171–73

Agro-climaticconditions,139,189

Ajarpura,Kaira,96–97

Akbarallys,Bombay,69

AllSaint’sC.S.I.Church,Trichur,40

Alva,Margaret,148–49

Alvares,Claude,145

AmritKaur,Rajkumari,91

Amul,seeKairaDistrictCooperativeMilkProducersUnionLimited(KDCMPUL),AnandAmulbutter,55,57,63,66,68,69,74,75

Anand,Anandpatternofcooperatives,2,9–23,26–28,30–31,32,40–42,45,47–48,50–53,57,60,63,73,76–78,80–81,83–85,88,91,92,94,97,98–102,104–5,107,111,113–4,121,123,129,132,134,140,142,148–49,156,158,164,167–68,177,179,181,187–88,190,192,194–95,198,202,204,206,210,211,213,215,221,223,225,228,233,236

Anandalaya,133

Anchorbutter,63

Aneja,R.P.,150

Animalhusbandry,139

Anthony,20–21

Artificialinsemination,80,136

AuditorGeneral’sAct,156

Awardsandrecognition,221–23

Babyfood,69,71–72,125,128,129

Balancingsystem,138

BarodaCooperative,123

BarotKaka,19,47

BeediTobaccoResearchStation,20

Benegal,Shyam,132–34

Bhatty,I.Z.,152

Bhavnagar,Gujarat,173

BirlaHouse,38

Birlas,20,38

Bombay:cattlepopulation,108–09;buffaloes,mortality,109;stategovernment,45,54

BombayMilkScheme(BMS),13,17,29–30,32,58,88,104,110,128

BombayMilkScheme(BMS)Laboratory,Anand,26

Branding,brandbuilding,54–55,72,137

Breastfeeding,71

Britishrule,14,16,204

Bureaucracy,18,21,58,84,90,101,103,104,106,113–15,120,124,132,135,155,159–60,162,164,180–81,197–98,201,205,207–8,219–20,234

Butteroil,112

CalcuttaMilkScheme,Calcutta,104,128

Calfmortality,109

Capitalism,56

Castiron,8

Castesystem,78

Cattlebreedingandnutrition,149

Cattle-FeedCompoundingFactory,Kanjari,94

Cattle-feedplants,103

CentralFoodTechnologicalResearchInstitute(CFTRI),Mysore,69–71,165

Chaklashivillage,16

Charles,PrinceofBritain,186

Chavan,Y.B.,32,57

Chothani,A.A.,215

ColomboPlan,34,54

Commitment,131,144

Competition,67–68,71,99,103,138,208,227–30

ComptrollerandAuditorGeneralofIndia(CAG),156–58

Condensedmilk,59–60,69,128

Congress,28,32,38,46

ConstitutionofIndia,157

Consumeracceptability,171

Contractors’lobby,85,89

Cooperativemovement,131,234

CooperativeSocietiesActofIndia,99

Corruption,88,128,129,157,177,192–93,197,200–1

CottonCorporationofIndia,207

Cowslaughterissue,182–85

DaCunha,Sylvester,75

Dairycooperatives,77,188,227–28

Dairydevelopment,116,226

Dairyengineering,6

Dairyequipment:import,148;manufacturingindustry,153

Dairyindustry,16,56,94,130,111,189

DairyingdepartmentoftheBritishgovernment,Bombay,16

Dalaya,HarichandM.,7–8,25,30,36–37,40–41,44–46,48–50,58,70,76,88,93,107,216

Dastur,N.N.,152

Dave,N.S.,88

Davies,T.Glen,43–45

DelhiMilkScheme(DMS),Delhi,84–91,101,104,122,128

Democracy,76–77,82,204–5,234–35

Denmark:dairyfarmers,66

Desai,Dinkarrao,44–45,47,62

Desai,Morarji,15–17,38,50–51,53,92,93,135–36,167,183

Deshmukh,C.D.,33

DevakaranNangiTrust,69

Development,developmentprocess,58,80,82,139,162–63,199,228

DeviLal,179

Dhar,D.P.,155

Dhara,170–72

Diacetyl,65

Distributionnetwork,137

Dudani,A.T.,7,161

DutchVolmamilkpowderplant,46

Dystokia,79

Ecology,81

EuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC),112,117–18,135,136,154

EmpireStores,Delhi,69

Environmentaldegradation,81

EuropeanUnion(EU),117,227

EvaluationCommittee(JhaCommittee),151–54

Exploitation,15–16

FakhruddinAliAhmed,142

Farmprices,146

Farrall,Prof.A.W.,34

Federalsystem,77

Fernandes,Eustace,75

Foddersituation,189

Foodaid,144–46

FoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO),107,115,117,131

FoodCorporationofIndia(FCI),207

Foodsecurityinmilk,107

Forbes,Darius,50,52

FordFoundation,107

Foreigninvestment,61

Formalin,31

Foster,65,67

Freemarketeconomy,227

Freedommovement,14

Fruitsandvegetablecooperative,207

Gagrat,74

Gandhi,Indira,52–53,129,151,155,165,166–67,206

Gandhi,M.K.,204,231

Gandhi,Rajiv,167,174–76,178,181,212,225

Gandhi,Sonia,177–78

George,Shanti,145,162

George,Vincent,175

Ghandy,SirJehangirJ.,5

Glaxo,70–72,128

Globalisation,227,233

Golwalkar,M.S.,182–83,185

Governmentresearchcreamery,Anand,18–19,22

GrantAdvertising,55

GuindyCollegeofEngineering,Madras,3

GujaratAgriculturalUniversity,197,214

GujaratCooperativeMilkMarketingFederation(GCMMF),Anand,1–2,133,138,171,214,221–23

GujaratEducationSociety,133

GujaratElectricityBoard(GEB),197–201,214

Gujaratgovernment,73,103

GujaratProvincialCongresCommittee,16

Halse,Michael,88,107

Heredia,F.J.,48,95–96

Heredity,8

Hussain,7,9

Hussein,Injaz,190–91

IllustratedWeeklyofIndia,145

ImdadAli,113

ImperialDairyResearchInstitute,Bangalore,seeNationalDairyResearchInstituteofIndiaImportduty,189

Importofmilkandmilkproducts,29–30,63–64,125–29,168,189–90

IndianCompaniesAct,1956,121

IndianCouncilofAgriculturalResearch(ICAR),180

IndianDairyCorporation(IDC),121,126,150–1,152–54,159,160,161,163,166

IndianInstitutesofManagement(IIMs),210;Ahmedabad,107,211–12;Calcutta,211

InstituteofRuralManagement,Anand(IRMA),2,133,211–13,221,224,235–36

InstituteofSocialStudies,Hague,145

Integrity,25,27,169,215

InternationalDairyCongress,NewDelhi,1974,217

InternationalLabourOrganization(ILO),193

JagjivanRam,155,164–66,178

JamesWright,Calcutta,69

Jha,L.K.,151–54

Jhakar,Balram,177

Jinnah,Fatima,91

Johnson,LyndonB.,81

JuteCorporationofIndia,207

Kaira,Gujarat:dairyindustry,12–13;milkcooperatives,23;milkstrike,17

KairaCan,76

KairaDistrictCongressCommittee,15

KairaDistrictCooperativeMilkProducersUnionLimited(KDCMPUL),Anand,1–2,15,17,18,23,24,27,28,32,33,35–36,41,43–47,53,55–58,60,66,67,71,73,75–81,83,88,91,98–105,113,121–23,125,129,131,134,137–38,140,158,167,170–72,178–80,193–94,197,200,205,208,213,214,216,221,223,231,235

Kantawala,Jit,55

Kanvide,133

Kapadia,Harshad,76

Karamsadvillage,14

KasturbhaiLalbhai,70

Katrak,Usha,75

Kay,Prof.H.D.,35

Kennedy,JohnF.,81

Kesteven,117

Khadisaris,38

Khurody,Dara,17,29–32,42–45,47,49,51,52,57–58,62

KiriyaMilkIndustries,SriLanka,192–94

Kodandapani,7,10,19

Kosygin,Alexei,186–88,201

Kothavala,ZalR.,11,68–69

Kreeber,59–61

Krishnamachari,T.T.,63–64,69

Kumaratunga,Chandrika,192–94

Kurien,K.,75

Kurien,Puthenparakkal,3

Labourlaws,197

LarsenandToubro(L&T),25,44,46,49;Niropowderplant,46;SilkeborgPasteuriser,25

Liberalisation,173,208,227,233

Liquidmilkschemes,116

Literacy,3

LoyolaCollege,Madras,3

Maharashtra:sugarcooperatives,205–6

Makwana,Yogendra,150

Malnutrition,147

ManmohanSingh,Dr.,208

Mansoor,7,9

Manthan,133–34

Marketing,54–56,63,71,122–25,136,137,140–41,144,153,169,171–72,174

Marshall,J.N.,50–51

Matthai,Cherian,4

Matthai,John,4–5,9,11

Matthai,Mrs.John,40

Matthai,Ravi,211–12

McNamara,Robert,149

Medora,Pheroze,7,26–27,30–31,73

MehsanaDairyCooperative,137–38

Mehta,Balwantrai,95

Mehta,Jivaraj,43

MetalBox,76

MichiganStateUniversity,7,9,33–34,116

Milchanimals,slaughter/destruction,108–11

Milkpercapitaavailabilityandconsumption,108,226

Milkcollection,77–79,138

MilkCommissioner,Bombay,14,16,30,43

Milkcooperatives,14,17,24,106,111,123,133,136–37

Milkindustry,Britishgovernment’sintervention,12

Milk,nutritionalcomponents,147

Milkpowder,51,57,69,71–74,112,126–29,135,136–37,190;frombuffalomilk,21,35,42,45,48,52,

59,72,189;fromcow’smilk,35,72

Milkprocurementprocess,89,122

Milkproduction,108,152–53,226,231;decline,111

Milkrationing,85,89–90,141

Mitra,Ashok,182

Modernisation,82

Moga,Nestlemilkplant,61

MotherDairyFoodsLtd,233

MotherDairyFruitsandVegetablePrivateLtd(MDF&VL),233

MotherDairy,Delhi,140,142–43,161,233

Multinationals(MNCs),28,59–60,194–95

Munshi,K.M.,33

Naar,62

NationalCooperativeDairyFederationofIndiaLtd(NCDFI),2

NationalDairyDevelopmentBoard(NDDB),Anand,2,69,76,101–5,108,111,116,117,119–22,126–34,136,139,145,146,148–54,156,158–63,165–66,168–70,172–75,178,181,188,192,203,204,205,206–8,216–17,218–21,224–26,232–34;Act1987,154,156,158,202,219;autonomy,158–59

NationalDairyResearchInstituteofIndia(NDRI),Bangalore,6,10,11,18–19,161

NationalResearchDevelopmentCorporation(NRDC),70–71

NationalTreeGrowers’

Cooperatives,207

Nationalism,183

NazirAhmed,117,120

Nehru,B.K.,151

Nehru,Jawaharlal,37–38,47,51–53,92,167

NestleAlimentana,Vevey,Switzerland,58–61

NestleIndia,59,61,172,193–95

Netherlands,Queenof,148–49

NewZealand:aidandassistanceforKairamilkcooperative,35,53–54

NewZealandCooperativeDairyCompany,34

NewZealandDairyBoard,63,126–27,193,195

NewZealandDairyResearchInstitute,MasseyAgriculturalCollege,34–35

Non-governmentalorganizations(NGO)sector,211,213

OilseedGrowersCooperatives,169–70

OilseedGrowersUnions,170

Oilseeds,168,174

OperationFlood,106–8,111–15,116–39,140–46,147–55,161–64,186,210,212

OperationFlood-III,154

Oxfam,94

Pandya,Prof.,24

Pansoravillage,31

Parpia,H.A.B.,182

Parsi,65

Parthasarthy,Vibha,133

Partition,37

Pasteurisation,6,56,141

Patel,Amrita,217,219–20,224–25

Patel,B.R.,115,117

Patel,BabubhaiJessubhai,43

Patel,Chimanbhai,39,179,201

Patel,H.M.,46,167–68,217,220

Patel,MaganbhaiD.,24–25

Patel,Maniben,37–38,41–42,47–48,91

Patel,RamanbhaiPunjabhai,96–97

Patel,SardarVallabhbhai,14–18,37–39,47–48,54,58,82,94,100,107,167,204

Patel,Tribhuvandas,15,17–18,23–25,27–28,32,36–38,41–41,43,55,58,76,80,99,131,133,162,167,213–16,218,231

Patriotism,130

Pestonjee.Edulji,11–13,63,65–69

Pestonjee,Minoo,68–69,74

Petersen,Axil,25,44

Philip,K.M.,54–55

Pitroda,Sam,225

Planningprocess,180

Politics,politicians,89,155,162,180–81,205,208,214,218,234

Polson,13–14,15,17,42,57,62–69,74

Poverty,81,147,230

Powercooperatives,200

Powertheft,201

Prasad,John,143

Prasad,Rajendra,18,47

PressCouncilofIndia,146

PressSyndicate,55

Privatesector,12,56,138,173,209

Quality,66

Racism,8

RadeusAdvertising,132–33

Ramachandran,V.,166

RamonMagsaysayAwardforCommunityLeadership,1963,221

RannofKutch:saltworkers,202–4

Rao,Bala,20

Rao,P.V.Narasimha,191–92

RashtriyaSwayamsewakSangh(RSS),182,185

Rau,S.K.,152

Ridett,Prof.William,35,42

RoyalCommissionofAgriculture,125

Ruraleconomy,124,137

Ruralemployment,227

Sabin,Donald,43–45

Sadhwani,H.T.,90–91

Sagar,138

Sahay,Vishnu,33–34

SamanwayaPuraskar,221

Sarabhai,Vikram,155,211,225

Sarkar,Justice,181–82

Sathwamithranand,Swami,221

Scott,Prof.Kelvin,34

Seshan,T.N.,176

Shah,Manubhai,58,60

ShankaracharyaofPuri,182–83

Shastri,LalBahadur,94–104,129

Shivaraman,72–73,115

Sikka,L.C.,87,88

Singh,L.P.,113–14

Singh,RaoBirendra,149–51,154–55,206

Singh,T.P.,159,160

Socialandeconomicchange,80–1,101

Socialfabric,78

SocietiesRegistrationAct,1860,116

SpencerandCo.,Madras,69,137

SriLanka:Anandpatternofmilkcooperatives,192–95

StateCooperativeDairyFederations,233

StateTradingCorporation(STC),173

Subramaniam(ofCFTRI),70

Subramaniam,C.,84,88–90,101,102,220

Subsidies,89

Sugarcooperativesector,205–6

Surat,50

Swaminathan,M.S.,165

SyrianChristiancommunity,3,4

TTK&Sons,69

TajHotel,Bombay,21

TataGroup,6,130

TataIndustries,5–6,7,9,10

TataIronandSteelCompany(TISCO),4–7,82,143

Tata,J.R.D.,82,130

TeddingtonChemicals,Andheri,Bombay,44–45

Teliarajahs,168,169–70,176

Tendulkar,Vijay,134

Tennyson,Alfred,238

Thimmaiah,CaptainK.S.,4

Thompson,J.Walter,55

Tokenacceptancemechanism,143

Tondamman,193

Toubro,50,53

Transformation,213

Treegrowers’cooperative,207

TribhuvandasFoundation,79

Trichur,39–40

UnionCarbide,9

UnitedKingdomNationalInstituteofResearchandDairying,Reading,35

UnitedNations(UN),120

UnitedNationsInter-AgencyMission,144

UnitedNationsInternationalChildren’sEducationFund(UNICEF),42–46,53,143;FoodConservationDivision,NewYork,USA,43

UnitedStatesofAmerica,NationalRuralElectricCooperativeAssociation,200

UniversityTrainingCorps(UTC),3–4;Madras,4

Vajpayee,AtalBehari,218

Variava,R.H.,41–42,66–67,69,74

Variava,Zarine,41–42

Vegetableoil(edibleoils),168–69,173,186–87,206;import,168–69,171,173;procuring,processingandmarketing,168

Vendingmachine,142–44

Vendingsystem,153

Venkataramanan,R.,88

VergheseMolly(neePeterSusan),39–42,49,52–53,70,91–92,218,223,224

Verghese,Nirmala,91–92,223

Verghese,P.K.,3

Veterinarians,78

Veterinaryhealthcare,136–37

ViksitBharatFoundation,235

Villagecooperatives,76–78

VishnuBhagwan,151

VishwaHinduParishad(VHP),221

Voltas,137

Ward,Barbara,81–82

Womenempowerment,78

WorldBank,107,115,136–37,149,154,188

WorldFoodPrize,1989,222

WorldFoodProgramme(WFP),116–17,120,135

WorldWarI,18,24

Macknowledgements

ANYPEOPLEHAVEBEENINVOLVEDINTHEMAKINGOFTHISBOOK.IWOULDliketobegin by thanking Tom Carter who helped ascertain the many facts and

figures for the book. K. Kurien’s valuable suggestions provided the rightstimulus and prompted us ahead. Jacob Matthai helped me immensely inrecollectingsomeof the incidents Ihad forgotten. Iamgrateful toRogerC.B.Pereirawhocoordinatedandprovidedvaluableinputs.

P.A.Joseph,myExecutiveAssistant,wasamovingforce,helpedmecollectalotofinformation.Aspecialthanksisduetohim.AndaboveallIwouldliketothankGouriSalviforputtingmythoughtsintowords.