KURIEN WAS VERY FIRM IN ENSURING THE ELECTIONS OF THE SOCIETIES/ ORGANIZATIONS UNDER HIS COMMAND: A ROLE PLAYED PAR EXCELLENCE

Dr. V. Kurien as a Professional Manager of the Farmers' Organizations/ Societies (whether Co-operative Societies or Societies/Organizations of any type that he handled ) that he always called himself, that were under his command, played a Role-Par Excellence, first and foremost, ensuring that the Elections of those Societies/Organizations were held on time and the Democratically elected Managing Bodies of those societies/organizations were always in place.

Whoever came as the Elected Board/Managing Committee ( or elected body of Office Bearers ) of those Societies/organizations would be respected by him the utmost, and also it was a matter of significance that most of the times, those men/women would be the ones that were in alignment with him.

As much he would respect the Elected Leaders of one society/organization, he would also have respect so much for the Elected Leaders of the other societies/organizations. To the best of my knowledge, while he had great respects for Mr. Tribhuban Das Patel and his successors at Kaira District Co-opearative Milk Producer's Union at Anand ( Amul Union or Kaira Union), he had also tremendous respect for Mr. Motibhai Chaudhary, another Stalwart and Gandhian at Mehsana District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union, Mehsana (Mehsana Union or Sagar Union) and his successors. I am only saying these two Union names as examples, but rest other organizations are understood in the similar lines. Of course GCMMF (Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, India, as famous brand "Amul"), whose Chairman, he was for a long time, its Board was the most respected and also commanded by him. He will never mind to come out of his car or office and convey his regards to the Board Members of these organizations when ever and where ever he would find them.

Of course he had acquired the expertise of democratically engineering those elections from the Co-operative Stalwarts like Late Shri Tribhuban Das Patel and others those who had been at his stride during his times, that he always said in public.

After 1986 ( the year of my passing out of IRMA ) almost nearing 2-decades as much as I have seen or known directly/indirectly, Dr. Kurien also relied on some robust and strong Managers selectively and rightly selected by him to help him in the process that the Elections of those organizations were democratically engineered, held and the elected bodies of management were put in place, so that the organizations did run efficiently without internal political handicaps.

The two names among others I know within my limited exposure of approximately 2-decades, for the period say from 1986 until around 2005 or so ( until I was living at Ahmedabad, Gujarat ) who were always at his stride in this role, were :

1. Mr. B. M. Vyas - Former MD ( Managing Director ), GCMMF ( Amul ).
2. Dr. A. A. Chothani - Former Executive Director, OVOW, NDDB

Mr. BM Vyas who initially started working in Kaira Union, over time shifted to GCMMF and became its Managing Director (MD) in the year 1991 at a very young age. I met Mr. BM Vyas first time in 1985 while he was working as Manager-Commercial in GCMMF while I had to do MTS-II ( Management Traineeship Segment-II of IRMA ) on its famous Ghee Project and started knowing him from that date. A very intelligent Mechanical Engineer, Mr. BM Vyas was hand picked by Dr. Kurien and he rightfully made him the MD of GCMMF in 1991 while the previous and first Post-Kurien MD of GCMMF ( as Dr. Kurien was also MD of GCMMF for some years ) Late Shri J.J.Baxi (another most lovable person who was brought from Voltas to head GCMMF ) retired in 1991. Managing and Democratically Engineering the Elections of all the Member Unions of GCMMF was a great job that, while Dr.Kurien had done very adeptly during his times, Mr. BM Vyas also managed it very efficiently and diligently as I know from 1991 till 2010 or so (if I am not wrong ) as long as he was the MD of GCMMF ( while Dr. Kurien's guidance has been there unstinted for him ). The greater heights the GCMMF has reached and being claimed today, while was driven by Dr. Kurien himself until say 1980s, however, the 20years Mr. BM Vyas remained its MD was the real period which he ( Mr. BM Vyas ) had used to steer GCMMF most efficiently and wisely, to go through Transformation, Consolidation and Growth very astutely that has to be recognized with a few good and right words for Mr. BM Vyas. Definitely the hard works of Mr. BM Vyas of his tenure, have been utilized and have contributed greatly to reach greater heights in the later years until now at GCMMF which if anyone denies would be great unfairness and injustice to the professional world ( a good foundation and plinth work is necessary to build super structure ). While saying, how Mr. BM Vyas remaining in Dr. Kurien's stride managed and democratically engineered the elections of the Organizations in GCMMF -federal structure, diligently and timely, I leave these good words for Mr. BM Vyas with due respects and appreciation for him, while writing in the context of Dr. Kurien.

Late Dr. A. A. Chothani had started as a Veterinary Doctor and was a muscleman(professionally) for Dr. Kurien under all circumstances. I had met him first time in MTS-I (Management Traineeship Segment-I) of IRMA while he was heading the OVOW [ Oilseeds and Vegetable Oil Wing of NDDB(National Dairy Development Board of India ) then] as its Executive Director. A very crude looking gentleman, always in Safari-Suit, was one of the persons Dr. Kurien relied very heavily to manage and democratically engineer the Elections of the societies/organizations also under his (Dr. Kurien's) command. With due respects a few Good Words recognizing Dr. A.A. Chothani and appreciating him while writing in the context of Dr. Kurien.

I remember, once ( some where around 1995-96 ), while I came for a meeting from Ahmedabad ( as I was the Zonal Head for GCMMF Ahmedabad then ), I was sitting with Mr. BM Vyas in his MD's Chamber and discussing some official matter, at the same time, there were at least 3-Phone Calls from Dr. Kurien himself to Mr. BM Vyas, while he was sitting at IRMA Chairman Office and monitoring and Dr. A A Chothani dashing and rushing through Mr. B M Vyas's Chamber at the same time to discuss some electioneering going on at that time at the Kaira Union of GCMMF, it was at that age of Dr. Kurien.

To that extent Dr. Kurien was greatly involved in ensuring, managing and democratically engineering the Elections of the Societies/Organizations (call it farmers' organizations also) under his command to put the Elected Bodies of Office Bearers in place, on time, otherwise the Great Heights and Celebrated Status the Organizations like Amul/GCMMF have reached today would not have been possible, may be they would have disintegrated over the pressure of time line and organizational dynamics as many organizations have also perished in the contemporary times, in the time line of history.

I have used the names of Mr. BM Vyas and Late Dr. A.A. Chothani to cite as recognizable evidences in my knowledge with utmost respects from me in this write up. Hope both of them will not mind, and will pardon me if in anyway my writing did not meet their expectations, however I say, my intentions have been benevolent.

The views are personal .

[ Dr. V. Kurien or Dr. Verghese Kurien, is popularly known as the "Milk Man of India " for his contributions to the Dairy Development ( steering the White Revolution of India with a world famous project named as "OPERATION FLOOD" in India benefiting millions of Farmers ( Dairy Farmers of India ), men and women. He started his career with "Amul" the World Famous Dairy Organization of India, was the Founder Chairman of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (GCMMF, or Amul by popular brand name), he was the Founder Chairman of National Dairy Development Board ( NDDB )of India, and also the Founder Chairman of IRMA ( Institute of Rural Management, Anand ) of India, besides a host of other Organizations very popular in India those operated under his command and popular globally. This year 2021 is being celebrated as the Birth Centenary Year of Dr.V. Kurien 1921-2021 by various Organizations/ Institutions he had founded or was associated with. I am placing some articles in my Blog here in memory and honour of him].  

About the Author : Dr. Nimain Charan  Biswal is a B.Sc.(Agri. Science and Technology), M.B.A. and Ph.D.(Management Area ) by qualifications and he has 35+ years of work experience in both  industrial and development sectors in diversified fields of social importance. He has been educated at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)-Bhubaneswar, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Gujarat University (with Resource Support of IIM-Ahmedabad). Dr.Biswal is further educated at IIM-Calcutta, XLRI-Jamshedpur, Apple Computer Industries and Spar Inc., USA. He has worked for reputed National and International Organisations in Senior/Top Management Capacities at Board level as well as Managing Director and CEO. He is a management expert covering extensive areas from management in agriculture, industrial management, development management to management of public systems. He is a prominent professional of India and known Internationally as well. He lives at Mumbai in India.