November 2013 issue

The roots of the cooperative movement in India can be traced to agriculture and its allied sectors. The year 1904 was a watershed year in the history of the cooperative movement in India as that year saw the enactment of the Cooperative Credit Society Act, 1904. The 1912 Cooperative Societies Act replaced the 1904 Cooperative Societies Act. The early forays in the cooperative sector were in the arena of agriculture credit, inputs and marketing, and over the years that has by and large remained the mainstay of the movement. Today in India we do have more than six lakh cooperative society organisations. They are one of the major pillars of the rural developing economy. The cooperatives have at the pan national level generated significant numbers of employment. The works that they engage in encompass a wide range of economic activities related to fisheries, handlooms, cold storage, dairy, marketing, consumer goods, credit and services, large sized multi-purpose cooperative societies, horticulture, etc.

Though umpteen cooperative societies were founded post independence and many of them did meet the vision that cooperative movement aimed at, many cooperatives saw a decline due to rampant corruption and political high handedness. Maharashtra’s cotton and sugar cooperatives are two such examples.

November 2013 issue of One India One People looks at the history, growth and problems of the cooperative movement and also presents some success stories in the cooperative sector.

In ‘Many challenges ahead for the cooperative sector’, Ajay Dandekar, Professor at TISS, based at Rural campus, Tuljapur, Maharashtra, says that as the cooperative sector enters the 21st century, it becomes inevitable for cooperatives to guard their autonomy which will give them the edge and moral high ground to arrive at a position that dovetails into democratic movements in the country.

Prakash Bal Joshi

In ‘Political power flows through cooperatives’, Prakash Bal Joshi, Mumbai based journalist and artist cautions that unless sugar cooperatives makes serious efforts to adjust to changed atmosphere and take action against corruption, which is eroding its strength, their chances of survival are slim.

The success stories:

Anuradha Dhareshwar

Anuradha Dhareshwar, Editor, One India One People, tells us the inspiring story of the Saraswat Cooperative Housing Society, Asia’s first cooperative housing society that came up at Gamdevi in Mumbai in 1915, and the pioneering work of Rao Bahadur Shripad Subbarao Talmaki, the doyen of India’s cooperative movement.

Dilip Chawre

Veteran journalist Dilip Chawre charts the success story of Pravaranagar Sugar Cooperative in Maharashtra. The Pravaranagar Sugar Cooperative factory is a model sugarcane cooperative, which has been able to create a better life for its stakeholders with innovative agricultural development, improving rural economy and transport, and creating health and educational infrastructure in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The writer has covered state and national politics for over 35 years and has successfully documented the careers of many chief secretaries of Maharashtra for archival purposes.

R. S. Sodhi

The AMUL (ANAND MILK UNION LIMITED) story is not just a landmark in the cooperative sector of India but also an inspiring one. In ‘An utterly, butterly inspiring story’, we look at the journey of the invaluable Amul. The dairy cooperative movement at Anand in Gujarat not only paved the way for White Revolution in the country, it also served as a model for the successful working of cooperatives in India. Even today, 65 years after its inception, Amul leads the way, says R. S. Sodhi, Managing Director, GCMMF.

Shamrao Vithal Cooperative Bank is a sterling example in cooperative banking. The Shamrao Vithal Cooperative Bank, one of the oldest surviving cooperative banks in India, has beaten competition to emerge as one of the most trusted and successful banks in the cooperative banking sector.

Mohanraj Y

In ‘Amendment falls short of expectations’,  Mohanraj Y, CEO of Pangal Computer Services Pvt Ltd provides an insight into the major changes that have been made in the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies (MCS) Act of 1960 with specific application to the housing sector. The amended Act fails to address some of the important issues that concern residents of cooperative societies, he says. Pangal Computers is one of the largest service providers of Computerised Billing and Accounts and Management Services to Housing Societies in and around Mumbai.

Balkumar Agarwal

In ‘Will consumers benefit is still doubtful’, Balkumar Agarwal, Former Additional Chief Secretary, Maharashtra Government, says that the success of the proposed Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Bill 2013 will however depend on its honest implementation and the time-bound procedures followed by the Housing Regulator. Otherwise, the Bill will result in more red tape and interference without any real benefit to the intended consumers, says Balkumar Agarwal.

Rangan Datta

In ‘Know India Better’ section, Rangan Datta takes us on a visit to the little known Chinatowns in Kolkata, where the first Chinese settlement in India came up 250 years ago, thanks to Tong Achew, a tea trader, who made it his home. The Chinatowns come alive during the week-long Chinese New Year celebrations held in late January or early February, to the beating of Chinese drums and cymbals, the ritual lion and dragon dance and the lighting of fire crackers. Visitors can also get a glimpse of the Chinese rituals and traditions, which are religiously followed by the dwindling Chinese population living there.

Hasan Ekbal

In ‘Face to Face’, Hasan Ekbal speaks to Anuradha Kalhan and Ashwin Kumar on the problems faced by project co ordinators and the changes required for enhancing the performance of Gender Resource Centres (GRCs) under the Samajik Suvidha Sangam, more popularly known as Mission Convergence of Delhi Government, founded in 2009. The objective of the Mission is to reach out to vulnerable citizens for their inclusion in government welfare schemes. Ekbal is one among the lot of young, dedicated social workers who coordinate the 124 GRCs.

In Great Indians, we feature: Rao Bahadur Shripad Subbarao Talmaki, Doyen of India’s cooperative movement (1868-1948); 

H V R Iengar ICS, An able administrator and a competent leader (1902-1978) and 

Balraj Sahni, The versatile actor (1913-1973)

Also read our regular columns and other features in the issue. 

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