The next time you have a glass of milk, you could thank one man. The country, which was once plagued by a milk deficit, is today the world's biggest producer. The man behind this achievement is someone who started the White Revolution and due to him the nation has one of the biggest cooperative milk producing companies.
Who is Known as the Father of White Revolution in India?
Dr. Verghese Kurien was given this title. He was born on 26 November 1921 in Kozhikode, Kerala. He was a graduate engineer but became the man who revolutionised dairy farming in India.
He was a mechanical engineer and later got a full scholarship to study dairy engineering in the US at Michigan State University. On returning to India in 1949, he was assigned to Anand, a small city in Gujarat. That decision changed the history of India.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research mentions: “Padma Vibhushan Dr Verghese Kurien, ‘Father of White Revolution in India’, left for his heavenly abode on 9th September 2012 at the age of 90. Dr Kurien born at Kozhikode in Kerala on 26th November 1921, completed the Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1943 from Madras University. He joined at Tata Iron & Steel Co. where he served for a brief period.”
“He resigned the job in 1946 to undergo a formal training in Dairying at the Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry & Dairying at Bangalore ( the present SRS of NDRI) as the official requirement to pursue M.Tech in Dairy Engineering at the Michigan State University, under the Government of India scholarship. But, Dr Kurien had to do M.Tech in Metallurgy with Dairy Engineering as minor subject. He returned to India and joined as Dairy Engineer at Government Research Creamery at Anand in 1949,” it adds.
What Was the White Revolution?
The White Revolution (Operation Flood) began in 1970. It was the world's largest dairy development programme. The vision was clear and inspiring which was to make India self-reliant in milk and ensure a fair price for dairy farmers.
Earlier, milk was expensive and in short supply, and distributed by middlemen who paid farmers a meagre price. Dr. Kurien turned this around by creating a cooperative system which put farmers in control of milk production and distribution.
The Lucknow University mentions: “The Operation Flood, also known as White Revolution in India was launched in 1970s to make India self dependent in milk production. Dr. Verghese Kurien is known as the father of The White Revolution in India. White Revolution is associated with a sharp increase in the milk production. Operation Flood has helped dairy farmers direct their own development, placing control of the resources they create in their own hands."
How Did He Start the White Revolution?
The real story started a bit before, in 1946, when milk farmers in Anand were forced to sell their milk to private contractors. They came together into a cooperative. Dr. Kurien became a part of this group and transformed their efforts into a global movement.
He collaborated with Tribhuvandas Patel, the founder of Amul cooperative, to create a system that is still successful today. Amul, the brand name for Anand Milk Union Limited, is the cornerstone of the dairy revolution in India.
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Awards and Recognition
Dr. Kurien was awarded some of the highest awards by the Government of India such as Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Ramon Magsaysay Award. He also received the World Food Prize in 1989, which is the Nobel Prize of food and agriculture.
The World Food Prize website mentions: “Dr. Kurien received the World food Prize for devising a cooperative milk production and distribution system that eventually impacted up to 250 million people and led to India becoming the largest milk producing country in the world.
Dr. Verghese Kurien passed away on September 9, 2012. But his legacy lives on in every glass of milk, every box of butter and every cube of cheese that bears the Amul logo.
He said the farmer should be the master of their own destiny. He not only spoke about it, he developed a system to make it happen.
The next time you see that smiling Amul girl, keep in mind - she is the face of millions of Indian farmers whose lives were changed because of one engineer who decided to stay back in a small village in Gujarat and fight for them.
