Several top-notch co-operators from India have either left or are leaving for Spain where the global congregation of co-operatives is taking place. The ICA General Assembly will be held on 20 June 2022 in Seville, Spain, and is being hosted by the Spanish Confederation of Worker Cooperatives (COCETA).
Prominent co-operators who are participating in the General Assembly include NCUI President Dileep Sanghani, Kribhco Chairman, ICA AP President Dr. Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, Nafed Chairman Bijendra Singh, Nafed Vice-Chairman Sunil Kumar Singh, NCUI officials including CE Sudhir Mahajan, Savitri Singh, IFFCO Director Aditya Yadav, two more directors Jagdeep Singh Nakai and Mangi Lal Danga, IFFCO Marketing Director Yogendra Kumar, Tarun Bhargava, and others left for Spain.
While there is a large contingent from the biggies like IFFCO, Kribhco, and NCUI, there are several co-operators representing their co-op societies, which are members of ICA. One of the important co-op organizations which is not part of ICA is Sahakar Bharati and thus it would have no participation in the global co-op event.
For the Indian contingent the challenge this time is double-fold—to get Aditya Yadav re-elected to the global ICA Board and to help Dileep Sanghani capture the top post at ICA’s sectoral body, ICAO. Since both the candidates are connected to IFFCO, the co-op titan has mounted a high-octane campaign across member countries.
Sanghani’s election is scheduled for 17th June 2022, wherein he is challenging South Korea. Coming to the elections of ICAO, there are about 41 agricultural co-operatives across the globe that are members of ICAO. Asia Pacific has the highest number of votes (18) with India having three votes-IFFCO, NAFED, and NAFSCOB.
The ICA Board election is slated for 19th June, wherein the fate of Aditya Yadav would be decided. Indian leaders including Dr. Chandra Pal Singh are confident of their victories, claiming in an exclusive interview that India will have the highest representation at the ICA from this General Assembly onwards.
For the elections of ICA, twenty-two candidates are standing for 15 seats on the board while three candidates are running for the ICA president. The tenure of the President and the board is four years.
Though General Assemblies are always important moments in the democratic life of the organization, there is an added zest among the participants as after two years of forced virtualization, the 2022 physical edition is taking place. Some of the participants are so excited as to post their pictures from the flight on social media.
The full agenda is in the official meeting documentation and will include important items for decisions such as the election of the President and ICA Board, Approval of the 2021 Accounts, etcetera. It will include a report on the activities of the ICA and take stock of the structural and institutional progress of the ICA since the last elective General Assembly held in November 2017.
Indian Cooperative wishes all the best to all Indian candidates!
