Co-ops must leverage Visual Media to attract Youth: Chandra Pal

At a workshop on “Cooperative Filmmaking: Present Status, Prospects and Challenges” held on June 18 and organized by the National Film and Fine Arts Cooperative (NAFFAC) in collaboration with NCUI, Dr. Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, President of ICA-AP and Chairman of KRIBHCO, emphasized the need for cooperatives to adopt modern communication tools to engage youth.

Yadav advocated using short films, reels, and videos to narrate relatable grassroots stories, which can inspire and involve younger generations in the cooperative movement. He urged cooperative organizations to support NAFFAC in strengthening their communication strategies, especially when the government is actively promoting the sector.

He stressed that cooperative success stories must reach even the remotest villages through films and media, given their powerful role in education and awareness. He also praised NAFFAC for organizing the workshop during the International Year of Cooperatives.

Minu Shukla Pathak, Secretary of the National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT), highlighted the rising importance of visual media in promoting cooperatives and shared that NCCT has surpassed its training targets.

Vinay Kumar, Managing Director of NAFFAC, detailed several initiatives such as the launch of a cooperative-focused YouTube channel in collaboration with Unati Cooperative, a planned short film competition for school children, and the organization’s entry into social media training.

Speakers across the event underlined the significance of films in education, labour, and social awareness. Dr. Manoj, DG of Laxman Rao Inamdar Academy, emphasized the educational value of documentaries.

V.K. Chauhan of the National Federation of Labour Cooperatives stressed film’s role in representing labour issues.

Santosh Shukla from IFFCO noted NAFFAC’s potential in showcasing government efforts to modernize PACS.

KRIBHCO’s S.S. Yadav emphasized producing solution-oriented cooperative films.

Avijit Ghosh, Associate Editor at The Times of India, in his keynote address, traced the history of cooperatives in Indian cinema, referencing Manthan, a film crowdfunded by 50,000 farmers.

Other speakers, including filmmaker Agastya Anand and media consultant Ravi Kant Dwivedi, suggested the establishment of a cooperative film institute and greater focus on content dissemination. Ayush Jain, an IRMA graduate, called for relatable storytelling to connect with youth.

The event drew participation from cooperative officials, filmmakers, and media professionals, both in person and online. Ranjit Singh, Chairman of NAFFAC, joined virtually and praised the deliberations. The workshop was moderated by NAFFAC Advisor Sanjay Verma.