Farmers Movement Archive

‘Cooperatives key to making India a $ 5trillion economy’

Anand: Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had created the ministry of cooperation with the motto of ‘prosperity with cooperation’, union home and cooperatives minister Amit Shah said that the cooperative sector will play a major role in India becoming a US $ 5 trillion economy. During his maiden visit to Anand, Shah appealed to cooperatives like Amul to look ahead.Shah said that a lot of changes are required in the cooperative sector and said, “ A charter for the newly formed ministry is being prepared with the core idea of ‘sahakaar se samruddhi’ (cooperation to wealth). Shah pointed out that as Amul completed 75 years, the country has failed to laud its achievements as much as it should have. “Had a foreign company completed 75 years, there would have been much pomp and show about it. Nevertheless, Amul does not need credit. The brand’s name and reputation are to its credit,” he said. Shah said that guided by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Tribhuvan Kaka, the farmers sowed the seeds of a foundation with a lot of struggle that today has grown as a big banyan tree. He also mentioned how Dr Verghese Kurien expanded Amul further. “From 200 litres at the time of establishment, Amul today has the capacity of processing and storing 30 million litres of milk,” he said. Shah said the dream of ‘White Revolution’ envisaged by Lal Bahadur Shastri has been realized. He however urged co-operatives like Amul, IFFCO and KRIBHCO to look ahead and share their success stories. Citing examples of organic, natural farming taken up by farmers in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the union minister asked if someone can take the responsibility of testing organic crops and exporting them to international markets so that poor and marginal farmers get more returns. “A farmer cannot sell his five or ten tonnes wheat or horticulture products without any platform. Amul can explore if it can provide a platform to such products,” he suggested. In Amul Dairy’s visitors book, he mentioned that if Amul provides a platform to produce of farmers involved in organic/natural farming, it will be a beginning of a new chapter. Shah launched an automated cheese warehouse at Khatraj, Amul’s organic biofertilizer, souvenir, stamp and envelope marking 75 years of Amul and inaugurated newly constructed auditorium. He also launched the ‘Dairy Sahakar’ scheme of the National Cooperative Development Corporation with Rs 5,000 crore allocation. Shah’s take on ‘andalons’ Anand: Without making a mention of any agitation of farmers against farm laws, union home minister Amit Shah said that ‘andalons’ (protests) are supposed to bring problems to an end. Citing the example of the struggle of farmers against the injustice of private dairy that eventually led to formation of Amul, he said that the struggle took a positive turn with Sardar Patel’s inspiration and hardworking leader like Tribhuvandas Patel. “Their struggle, protest is not just an example for co-operation but also an example for those social workers who protest on behalf of the whole society. The protests are to bring the problems to an end, and not to further accentuate the problems,” he said. Had Amul buttermilk at Poonch’ Citing an example of Amul’s reach, union minister Amit Shah said that during his recent visit to Poonch, near the Pakistan border, he was happy when a young girl gave him masala buttermilk of Amul.

The Times of India

2021-11-01

Vadodara