An old man of 87 years of YOUNG age lies in a hospital bed in India’s commercial capital. He is in one of India’s best hospitals because he deserves India’s best. His age is young for he never stopped working relentlessly like young people with grand ideals. His age is young because his ideas are fresh and radical. His vision is young because it is far reaching and strong, the journey to his goal seems just begun. Out of 87 years he has worked for the same employers for 61 years. Most people retire at the age of 58 in India. The old “young’ man is none other then Dr. Verghese Kurien, an inspiration to the thousands of young leaders who have spawned the rural commercial landscape of India. What Dr. Vikram Sarabhai has been to the Indian Industry and Management education, Dr. Verghese Kurien means the same and much more to the rural India, rural management education and the development ‘Industry’ of India.
He defeated the British with a business model rooted in the illiterate people of rural India (perhaps the best Gandhian I have known thatways), then he beat the casteists and religious fanatics to bring people under one banner. He then beat the barriers of management and institutional theory and Culture (especially work culture). He continued to beat the management pundits and consultants of the business world and this was his leadership- of inspiring each one of them to deliver quality and scale up a commercial activity in rural India that balances the deep sensitivity of an NGO and the astute strategy and efficiency of a shrewd business enterprise – the dairy industry and the GCMMF.
I write this piece as we search for O-ve blood for Dr Kurien in what I hope is not the last of his battles. A few days ago I was stunned to hear that he was giving up. “Giving up” is something I or anyone have never associated with him. It was a shock and a rude one at it.
Dr. Kurien taught me many things. When he welcomed me along with 63 other students as the 20th batch of IRMA (Institute of Rural Management Anand) he told us “Go where you are most needed and not where you are most rewarded.” I have tried to stick to that talisman since that day ten years ago.
His creation AMUL taught me that India does not need replication but amplification of a successful idea. We need to innovate to amplify while we need to imitate to replicate. AMUL is big and successful because it innovates and does not imitate.
He once told and official in front of my batchmates “how unbecoming of you to still carry this when the matter is closed” and it still reminds me of justice, fairness, equality and magnanimity of a warm heart that is not insulated from human feelings by success.
Even in these three small incidents he teaches me clarity of purpose, depth of insight and humanity in approach and that to me is a recipe of leadership from the cult of Dr. Ku and it shall live on till my work can sustain.
He defeated the British with a business model rooted in the illiterate people of rural India (perhaps the best Gandhian I have known thatways), then he beat the casteists and religious fanatics to bring people under one banner. He then beat the barriers of management and institutional theory and Culture (especially work culture). He continued to beat the management pundits and consultants of the business world and this was his leadership- of inspiring each one of them to deliver quality and scale up a commercial activity in rural India that balances the deep sensitivity of an NGO and the astute strategy and efficiency of a shrewd business enterprise – the dairy industry and the GCMMF.
I write this piece as we search for O-ve blood for Dr Kurien in what I hope is not the last of his battles. A few days ago I was stunned to hear that he was giving up. “Giving up” is something I or anyone have never associated with him. It was a shock and a rude one at it.
Dr. Kurien taught me many things. When he welcomed me along with 63 other students as the 20th batch of IRMA (Institute of Rural Management Anand) he told us “Go where you are most needed and not where you are most rewarded.” I have tried to stick to that talisman since that day ten years ago.
His creation AMUL taught me that India does not need replication but amplification of a successful idea. We need to innovate to amplify while we need to imitate to replicate. AMUL is big and successful because it innovates and does not imitate.
He once told and official in front of my batchmates “how unbecoming of you to still carry this when the matter is closed” and it still reminds me of justice, fairness, equality and magnanimity of a warm heart that is not insulated from human feelings by success.
Even in these three small incidents he teaches me clarity of purpose, depth of insight and humanity in approach and that to me is a recipe of leadership from the cult of Dr. Ku and it shall live on till my work can sustain.
6 comments:
So true sir! I feel India definitely lacks such leaders who are far and far between to move ahead!
Is Mr. Kurien ill??I pray for him and for his better health.....I never met him but have always look upto him as a visionary leader who revolutionised the community organisations and brought the white revolution and made INDIA self sufficient in MILK production...My regards to him
Dr Kurian has been an inspiration and his work had been a live case study for all the MBA batches.
My best wishes for his health and i hope and pray that we get more such enlightened leaders who can join so many hands and head to make society more contributing to itself.
Very well said... This post refects your connection not just with his ideals but also him as person.
remembered jingle of amul mero gam katha parey. . Shayad un char lines mein sare jivan ka saransh keh diya. . in tat last line says 'Mare ghar zanzar lakshmi ke baaje' truely rang bells of wealth in villager's houses..
Genial brief and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you on your information.
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