A Visit to the Soul of India’s White Revolution
A Visit to the Soul of India’s
I recognized the shrill cries of peacocks, the sounds of the common myna and the parrots which woke me up even before the sunrays had hit the earth, but could not identify the ruckus being created by one other feathered creature. It was nowhere to be seen amidst the neat, similar, squarish grey buildings shadowed by tall trees, or hopping in the lush green grass and shrubs being fed by sprinklers. I scanned the scene—and there it was: fluttering wings in the nests perched high above, just past the frilly tops of palm trees. A largish black avian with an orange-red beak. (I still do not know the name). But that gave me the idea - so, making me a bird in my next life could be one of the choices I should suggest to God.
In my current incarnation, I am still searching
for life’s grand purpose, so when I see people genuinely working to make the world better, a wave of hope, optimism and
positivity washes over me. I start feeling grateful. No, not talking about those
who promise to work when (if and only) they win elections, get a ministerial
berth, and funds they have not worked for. I talk of the real doers.
That was last week in Anand, known as the Milk
Capital of India. We all know that Amul
as a movement, started in Anand, but there is also the National Dairy Development
Board, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Anand Agricultural
University and Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), which make the town
the epicentre of hectic activity in rural economy improvement.
We were not there for sightseeing, no palaces,
forts, gardens, museums, temples on the itinerary. We were there to trace the
story of India’s milk revolution, right at its epicentre: ground zero for rural
economic resurgence.
Those among you who agree that to check the migration of rural population to urban areas, we need a mega boost to activities and occupations for helping those in villages have a better lifestyle and fat bank accounts, would appreciate the initiatives and projects of the NDDB.
In 1965, when Z + security for
people’s representatives was perhaps unheard of in India, Prime Minister Lal
Bahadur Shastri stayed one night at a farmer’s house in Ajarpura village. The
family’s early morning bustle made him aware of the success of the Anand dairy
farmers’ cooperative movement and gave him the idea of replicating it at
national level.
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NDDB logo |
According to NDDB, the board was ‘entirely
created by the funds gifted by the Amul and Kheda farmers, perhaps the only
instance where a national body was created by a cooperative of the farmers.’
The objective was to make dairying
a profitable business by supporting institutions owned and operated by farmers
who come together to form a cooperative. The emphasis was on empowering women
and the less privileged sections of the society.
This has been achieved through on-the-ground
projects, and training of producers, supported by research and modern
technology.
That iconic drop-shaped logo of Operation Flood
isn’t just a symbol, it marks a quiet revolution. Over 26 years, with a little
help from the World Bank, and a lot of grit from our farmers, India rose to
become the world’s largest milk producer.
If your kids
or grandkids believe milk magically appears from pouches and cartons from cows
with barcodes, it might be time to take them on a reality check to one of the
villages adopted by NDDB. Trust me, the sight (and smell) of a real dairy might
be a good way to reconnect with the source of your morning chai.
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Milk collection centre Top: Testing unit Bottom: Storage tanker |
We
started with the local milk collection centre, open daily from 6:30 to 9:30,
morning and evening. Farmers with steel
cans in hand (hygienic and sometimes gifted by NDDB), bring in their milk. It is filtered through cheesecloth in a large
tub, stirred to blend the
cream, tested for fat and
SNF (solids not fat). A quiet little
machine prints out the milk’s resume—volume, fat content, and payment. Then,
through a pipe, the milk flows into a chilling tank cooled to 4°C, ready for
its daily journey to the Amul factory.
Meanwhile, the payment goes directly into the
producer’s account. Comes year-end and
based on the quantity of milk poured, a part of the profits of the dairy
cooperative society at village level, is paid to each member as patronage
bonus.
Such a neat system! Consumers get pure,
unadulterated milk, while farmers enjoy fair, stable prices, no haggling, no
seasonal swings.
A walk through Parikrama, the NDDB digital
gallery, gave us the feeling that NDDB is a temple to the holy cow-literally. It
conducts training courses and provides knowledge portal for producers and
cooperatives, providing practical guides on breeding (artificial insemination),
nutrition & health. Veterinary doctors offer cows a support system in time
of ill-health.
NDDB also runs dedicated plants to
produce compound cattle feed, a carefully balanced mix of grains, brans,
protein meals, and agro-industrial by-products. Alongside production, it offers
advisory support to ensure quality, from raw material selection to feed
formulation. To uphold standards, it even awards a ‘Quality Mark’ for good
feed.
One project we went to see is in Mujkuwa village, a few kilometres from Anand city. It is a successfully running pilot gobar gas (gas produced from cow dung and used for cooking) project started a few years ago.
In Punjab, I had seen huge biogas units working.
Water mixed in cow dung is fed into a closed receptacle. Bacterial action
causes fermentation, producing methane which is piped to the kitchen for
cooking and the slurry is used as organic manure in fields. But this sturdy polyethylene balloon, sufficient for a farmer owning four
to five heads of cattle was, if I may use the word,
rather cute.
Rural women, unsurprisingly, welcomed it. It
freed them from the exhausting routine of collecting and storing firewood, and
the daily struggle with smoke, cinder, ash, and grime. The plant now gives them
clean cooking fuel, right at home, with no need for frequent refills and no
recurring cost after the initial setup—something the NDDB thankfully supports.
It's a big win, especially for women, easing a burden they’ve carried for
generations.
It reduces waste and the
nutrient-rich nearly odourless, bio-slurry piped to the fields, is environment-
friendly.
We met the owner woman who was a part of the
pilot project and honestly, her confidence made me feel a bit self-conscious. She is not confined
to her home and hearth any more. She attends conferences, talking about her
experience with the kind
of poise you’d expect from someone giving a TED talk. As we were leaving, she
casually handed us a visitor’s book to sign, as if the visit was some
high-profile event.
Whatever you might have thought, when cows burp,
they release methane, a major culprit of greenhouse gas emissions and global
warming. In their complex digestive system, bacteria ferment food and produce
methane, which is released through belching.
The NDDB is now exploring ways to
capture and repurpose methane from cattle, turning a by-product into potential
energy.
NDDB researches, tests, and facilitates novel livelihood strategies for lasting self-reliance for farmers, like
solar energy generation
One such
initiative, we were witness to, was a small solar energy farm. The farmer who
earlier earned a mere Rs 15000 a year from fodder cultivation on a patch of
land, now gets at least Rs 35,000-40,000 annually from the sale of excess solar
power to the common grid.
I never intended for
this to become an essay on the objectives, functions, or achievements of NDDB.
But talking to them, I found myself deeply moved by the unwavering dedication
and passion of everyone involved - the farmers, the NDDB staff, from technologists,
veterinarians and animal breeding specialists (they also work on genetic
improvement), quality control analysts, researchers, to maintenance, business
and sales managers. Some them have traded corporate high salaries for the
chance to make a real difference in the lives of rural communities.
It was proof of how
beautifully an organization can thrive when it is allowed to operate without bureaucratic
interference. Decades of service, still meaningful, still impactful, something
truly rare and inspiring.
As long as institutions like NDDB are allowed to continue their work undisturbed, I can honestly say, with my hand on heart, aal iz vell. (To be concluded)
- Anupama S Mani
Impressive!
ReplyDeleteVery knowledge full
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful tribute to grassroots change...layered with insight. If more such movements were allowed to thrive, truly, aal iz vell.
ReplyDeleteThere are certain weak points in this model which needs to be critically looked into viz:
ReplyDelete1-Very high handling expenses resulting into wide gap between the price paid to farmers(primary producers)and charged from consumers .
2-Totally depriving local population mostly small children from milk being major source of nutrients particularly protein.
Great Information & Thanks for Sharing Sir
ReplyDeleteI am remided of Ogden Nash's limerick. The cow is of the bovine ilk, one end is moo and the other end, milk. A very insightful and inspiring milk tour of Amul and Anand. A must read. -- K. Srinivasan, Chennai.
ReplyDeleteAmazing revolution. Thank you for sharing. Now Amul milk is sold in the US in one gallon jar. In 1960, no one would have dreamed this to happen.
ReplyDeleteI had a virtual tout while reading. Great information..
ReplyDeleteA lively bird concert was delivered at dawn, denying all chances of sleeping in. A mysterious bird with a flashy beak was keenly observed but left unnamed.
ReplyDeleteBuffaloes were admired, and cooperative efforts were thoughtfully explored.
A wish for a feathered rebirth was subtly hinted, inspired by rural charm.
very nice informative writeup for the city bred populace. And the wish to be a free bird in open sky.
ReplyDeleteAmul (GCMMF) had a unique practice of giving dividends (or part of them) in the form of gold to the women. I dont know whether this practice continues now or not. Having been associated with GCMMF for over a decade and having had the privilege of meeting and discussing with Mr. Kurien and Mr. Sondhi the values and ideals of the organization, I can safely say Sudhanshu has brought out the essence of the Amul story. Interested readers can read Ruth Heredia's small boo, The Amul India Story. The film Manthan by Shyam Benegal is also worth watching (again).
ReplyDelete