The absence of Nandini Azad’s name from the list of the members of the reconstituted women committee of NCUI has become an issue which is being discussed not only in the cooperative but also in the political circles. Ms Azad is the Chairperson of the women committee of international co-op body ICA Asia-Pacific and omission of her name means India loses a prized position on the international forum.
It bears recall that recently elected President of NCUI Dileep Sanghani reconstituted several committees including Women Committee, in which Nandini Azad was not re-nominated. The issue gained prominence since Azad still has about two years of her tenure left as the Chair of the ICA AP. She was elected in December 2018 for a tenure of 4 years.
Nandini cannot continue as the Chairperson if the parent body NCUI fails to re-nominate her as its member, said sources. It would be a loss for India, they added.
Indian Cooperative has learnt that Ms Azad has raised the issue at various fora from cooperative to political. According to an unconfirmed source even Menaka Gandhi (whom Ms Azad has been assisting in women and social justice ministry) has evinced interest in her continuation in the Women Committee of NCUI.
The issue has also brought to the focus the working style of the new President, who some of the co-operators feel, is still working under the influence of NCUI’s old guards Chandra Pal Singh and Bijender Singh. “Members of all the new Committees were selected in a joint meeting held among the trio-Sanghani, Chandra Pal and Bijender”, they point out.
Indian Cooperative confronted the new President on the issue and tried to seek his reactions to these allegations. “I have every right to consult them as they are the senior members of the Governing Council but to say that they unduly influence the decision is not correct. This time the Committees have several new faces, many of whom Chandra Pal and Bijender Singh do not even know”, he added.
Indian Cooperative has separately verified that it is for the first time that three members of Gujarat were included in the Committees-highest so far. Also, the two new members from Delhi are not known either to Chandra Pal or Bijender.
On the issue of non-inclusion of Ms Nandini Azad in the list, Sanghani said I do not want to comment on any particular case but I am of the view that fresh faces need to be given a chance. Sanghani strongly rubbished the charge of India losing its position at ICA AP, underlining that NCUI can always make somebody else from its committee to head the body. “I assure you, we would never let India down”, said Sanghani to this correspondent.
“Besides, the process of selection is yet not complete and there are still a few (5) seats to be filled up”, Sanghani said hinting at the future date entry of a few members which may include Ms Nandini Azad.
While the issue of Nandini’s non-inclusion gathers steam, there are many senior leaders of NCUI who feel that Nandini talks more of herself and her organizations (ICNW &WWF) than the NCUI at the international forum.
A few leaders also complained that she is moody and can threaten anybody anytime. They quoted an incident from the time of NCUI elections, when she threatened Dileep Sanghani of complaining against him before the PM for not including a woman in the Governing Council of the apex body.
“One she did not know that a woman was already in the Board, two she failed to comprehend the fact that being old-timers, the PM knows that Sanghani never does anything out of malice”, said an insider disclosing that Nandini even threatened to gherao NCUI with a large contingent of women co-operators at that time.
It bears recall that the reconstituted Committee has members like Jeena Potsangbam, Vice-President, Manipur State Cooperative Union, Bhavana Gondaliya, Chairperson, Bhagyalakshmi Mahila Credit & Consumers Coop Society, Arti Bisaria, Chairperson, Asth Mahila Nagarik Sahakari Bank, Surekha D Khot, Chairperson, Rajya Audhyogik Mahila Sahakari Sanstha, Sadhana Jadhav, Director, IFFCO, Asha Sengar, Director, Laxmi Mahila Coop Society and others. Mirai Chatterjee, another high-profile name from SEWA has also been dropped this time.
