Research & Publications
Research & Publications
I deem it an honour to deliver a Lecture dedicated to Dr. Verghese Kurien. Dr. Kurien was a trailblazer in the fields of Cooperation and Rural Development. Starting with the organisation of a few dairy cooperatives in Anand villages, constituted mainly of small farmers and landless labourers each owning one or two buffaloes, he built the mighty Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which could challenge the biggest multinational companies in the dairy sector. He accomplished this rare feat, without compromising on the basic values of cooperation while at the same time, safeguarding the economic interests of the constituent members. Later, he brought his experience and insight to establishing the National Dairy Board and ushering in the White Revolution in the country. Pragmatic to the core, he never posed as an ideologue. It was much later in his life that he articulated his vision and goals in the fascinating book “I Too Had A Dream”
It gives me added pleasure to speak today as I had the good fortune of knowing him personally in the 60s and 70s when I was working in Gujarat, first in neighbouring Vallabh Vidhyanagar and then in Ahmedabad. Later, in 1990, he invited me to join the governing board of IRMA and requested me to continue on the board for three consecutive terms. It provided me an excellent opportunity to observe him as an institution builder, this time in the academic arena. IRMA is a living testimony to the vision and capacity of Dr. Kurien.
Knowing his lifelong interest, rather passion, for the improvement of the lives of rural people in general and small men and women in particular, I have decided to sketch before you the changing contours of rural India; where we have gone right and where we have failed. I will be referring mainly to the period after 2000, i.e. the changes one can observe in the new millennium. I must mention at the beginning that I am painting a macro picture and in broad strokes. In a vast country like ours every statement can be countered by referring to some specific region or a particular section. I am aware of this. Yet I see some merit in taking an overall view of our rural scene so that others who want to go for details can appreciate the background and the context.
I will start by identifying some of the developments, which have made a profound impact on rural economy in our country; spell out the outcome of these changes i.e. the strengths they have imparted and distortions they have led to; and finally suggest a few critical areas where we should focus, if we have to come closer to Dr. Kurien’s dream.