By IANS,
New Delhi : An online petition has sought the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour, for Verghese Kurien, father of India’s White Revolution. He died Sep 9.
The online petition, started by business journalist Sucheta Dalal Sunday, has so far gathered around 400 supporters, and aims at getting a million signatures.
“Verghese Kurien gave up his home state of Kerala to build a unique milk cooperative movement, which transformed the lives of millions of poor rural Indians. He made them self-sufficient. He empowered women. He eradicated poverty in a pocket of India. But that’s not all. In Amul, he built one of the biggest brands in India,” says the petition.
The petition is addressed to President Pranab Mukherjee.
Kurien was the founder chairman of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) – that markets brand Amul – and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
He transformed India from a milk-deficient country to the world’s largest milk producer after he kicked off ‘Operation Flood’ in the 1970s.
He died at age 90 on Sep 9 at a hospital in Nadiad.
Leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly Abdul Bari Siddiqui has also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, calling for the Bharat Ratna for Kurien. Siddiqui’s request is being supported by the state’s ruling Janata Dal-United.
Kurien was also the man behind the success of Bihar milk cooperative that was later renamed as Patna Dairy Project. He was invited by the Bihar government in 1981 to make the project viable and profitable.
The Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian honour given for exceptional service towards advancement of art, literature and science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order.