Several stories on life’s and times of Dr Verghese Kurien have begun to do rounds as soon as former Gujarat Minister Dilip Sanghani spoke on him during a bike rally commemorating Kurien’s birthday
One of the reports coming to our desk says “On October 22, 2003, there was no activity in Amul Dairy when at around 12 noon, a journalist called Amul’s office to find out when is the birth anniversary of Tribhoban Das Patel.
The phone was extended from one person to another before a PRO was on the line. “Tribhuvandas Patel’s Birthday? But who was he”, replied the PRO. An angry journo asked the PRO to see the list of Chairmen hung in the cabin of the incumbent before keeping down the phone. He later wrote- “should I Laugh or cry”
It was Tribhuvan Das who led to the growth of Amul saga against a fierce competition of a Parsi Seth’s Polson dairy, he says. H.M.Dalaya should be considered a hero of Amul revolution along with Patel. Dalaya was a master of dairy technology. He was an expert who for the first time developed milk powder from buffalo milk and also developed the required machinery for the same in Anand. World’s first buffalo milk sprayer was called Niro Automiser. Dalaya began a new chapter in the world of dairy industry.
Being a mechanical engineer Dr. Kurien had no direct contact with the dairy industry. But he was a skillful executive when it came to managing media or politicians.
Kurien made a constitutional provision that ensured that he would remain lifelong chairman of both GCMMF and NDDB. He enjoyed this position for 33 years. But when the district milk union chairmen decided that enough is enough and passed a resolution removing him, Kurien went to the court.
But sensing his imminent defeat in the court, his better sense prevailed and he resigned, said Sanghani quoting bylaws of GCMMF which says that only a district milk union chairman could be the President. It is also being said that Kurien occupied the high office illegally on the support of Congress which shut its eyes in the face of blatant violation of bylaws.