‘I was envious of him’

I was extremely privileged to have worked with him. Every moment was a learning experience. Watching him take decisions was in itself educative. He had a rare capacity to convert a threat into an opportunity. He was ever ready to accept a challenge.

Kurien had a rare sense of humour and his wit was unbeatable. In fact, if he was not making us laugh, we knew something was wrong. His spirits rose with every challenge.

I used to tell him that I was envious of him — one person should not have so many qualities! He was a rare blend of ideology with impeccable business sense; that is how he created Amul. His integrity was not just monetary, but was in ensuring that all his decisions benefited milk farmer-members.

He had immense courage to face any situation — it was due to his deep commitment to the cause he had wedded himself to. Whatever be the challenge, he invariably found a solution. He had a rare tenacity and he never gave up. Despite the government being sceptical, he successfully launched import substitution, bulk milk vending and introduced checks and balances for the success of Operation Flood. When Jyoti Basu expressed his government’s inability to run Mother Dairy in Kolkata, Kurien ensured that it ran successfully for eight years.

However, Kurien thought that the Cooperatives Act itself was a hindrance to the progress of the sector, as it provided for little autonomy and accountability. The movement could be successful only in Gujarat for some years, as its leaders allowed it space to grow. By giving power to supersede a cooperative body, the Act dealt a body blow to the spirit of the movement. Kurien, unhappy with this, unsuccessfully tried to have the Act amended.

Post-1991, Kurien was not ready for liberalisation of industries before the liberalisation of agriculture. Today, milk may be liberalised but not other agricultural commodities, due to the APMCs (Agricultural Produce Market Committees).

Amrita Patel is Chairperson of the National Dairy Development Board.

(As told to Virendra Pandit)

Post-1991, representatives of American food major Kraft Foods had a taste of the man who not only created the Amul brand, but also zealously protected its identity. Kraft’s officials, in a meeting with Kurien, then NDDB Chairman, boasted that US products were of the highest quality. “But we have found Amul also to be of the highest quality,” they told him, and offered to work jointly to market both brands.

Alarmed at the possible dilution of the Amul brand, Kurien, tongue firmly in cheek, counter-offered: “Why don’t we co-brand it as Krafty-Amul!” Beaten back, the Kraft officials retreated and never returned to Amul!

Kurien alone could do it

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