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Dr Kurian, in my opinion would rank among the top Indians in the post -independence India, whose contribution to the betterment of lives of our countrymen, particularly the farmers, has been immense.
His efforts have resulted in transforming India from a milk deficient and milk starved nation to become the largest producer of milk in the world. His famous expression is “I am in the business of empowerment. Milk is just a tool in that”.
Dr Kurian’s story of entry into milk and cooperative sector and his Anand saga is very well documented. His journey from being a young technology man having reluctantly come to the interiors of Gujarat to become a messiah of millions of villagers is truly inspiring.
I am personally amazed and impressed by the fact that how a combination of true co-operator and an open minded technocrat having a common desire to empower people can achieve the unbelievable.
For Shri Tribhovandas Kishibhai Patel, a cooperative leader and a true Gandhian with a strong desire to improve lives of villagers in Gujarat through cooperatives and for Dr.Kurian, then a young technocrat finding himself to be in a nondescript place called Anand, coming together has been a game changer, not only for themselves, but for the State and the Country.
It would be our fortune if we get many more such combinations of cooperative leaders and technocrats who can take on the might of multi nationals and corporate, in coming years when India is expected to grow into an economic powerhouse.
Anand model of Dr Kurian is the best alternative to corporate and for ensuring equitable distribution of fruits of growth.
While he empowered millions of his countrymen through cooperatives, the fact that Dr.Kurian chose milk as the vehicle of empowerment ensured that majority of those empowered were women.
“White Revolution” by the most famous “Milkman” known in history is a story that will make every Indian proud.
Dr Kurian’s discomfort with corridors of power and bureaucracy is well known. Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri as PM, impressed with Amul Model, wanted Dr Kurian to create an institution that would replicate the model in other parts of the Country. This was the genesis of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
While accepting the responsibility of setting up the institution, Dr.Kurian put a condition that the Board be headquartered in Anand, away from the bureaucratic interference of Delhi, to which Shastriji readily agreed.
NDDB played a very important role in creating awareness about the Amul model and inspired them to replicate it in other states. In later years he handed over reins of the Board to his protégé Ms .Amrita Patel, who has chartered a course for NDDB in a style which has been different from Dr.Kurian’s, but nevertheless successful.
Dr Kurian was also instrumental in creating another fine organisation, IRMA (Institute of Rural Management),that has developed over the years into one of the respected management institutes in the country.
It was an unequal battle in 1949 when the milk cooperatives in Anand decided to take on the then market leader in dairy products, called POLSONS which was known to be exploiting farmers, by creating a new brand image AMUL. They succeeded hugely and wiped out the corporate which was a household name.
Dr. Kurian also ensured that the biggest beneficiary out of the business of milk and milk products was the farmer who sold the milk to his local cooperative. Although today a large number of private players have entered the dairy sector, but nevertheless the system of pricing that benefits the farmers that has been benchmarked by Amul and NDDB is being followed by all.
Dr.Kurian will be remembered by posterity as a person who not only believed in empowerment as instrument for growth and well-being of masses, but he also emphatically proved its efficacy by his deeds. The structures and systems he has created stand testimony of his dedication and his conviction.
May the Soul of this tireless crusader for empowerment rest in peace and let us all the co-operators rededicate ourselves to the cause of economic empowerment of the less privileged brothers and sisters through cooperatives.
Isn't it amazing that a jet interceptor developed in Canada 55 years ago is still relevant now?
Can you imagine how advanced the Avro Arrow was at that time and where Canada's aero industry would be now if not for the Conservative government of the day selling out?
The basics and the platform could be used to develop a plane that would be as good or better than the Lockheed Martin F-35.
The estimates, although not verified yet, indicate it would be cheaper, better and more suited to Canada's needs than the Lockheed Martin F-35 our Canadian government is going to waste billions of dollars purchasing from the United States.
The airline started imposing new terms Wednesday night
American Airlines pilots are feeling the painful cuts promised by the company in the on-going bankruptcy battle.
The airline started imposing new terms Wednesday night.
The pilots knew the cuts would be come, but weren’t sure how soon it would happen. The AA pilots are the only work group that hasn’t reached a new contract agreement with the airline. AA just approved deals with flight attendants and transport workers on Wednesday.
The judge gave American permission last week to throw out the pilots' old contract and impose its own working terms after pilots rejected a company offer.
The company warned it would begin implementing deep cuts on pilots. AA announced it will reduce retirement benefits and ease restrictions on outsourcing of flying to other airlines as it attempts a turnaround under bankruptcy protection.
The judge gave AA permission last week to throw out the pilots' old contract and impose its own working terms after pilots rejected a company offer.
American hopes to cut annual labor spending by about $1 billion with the changes.
After canceling the pilots' contract, the company said it plans to relax limits this month on revenue-sharing deals with other airlines -- so-called code-sharing. The move is designed to boost revenue without adding flights. American will also gain more flexibility to shift flying to regional airlines.
Earlier Wednesday, AA announced a four-year deal to outsource some of its regional flying to SkyWest Inc. SkyWest will handle some flying currently performed by American Eagle, American's regional affiliate, in Los Angeles and Dallas.
American will increase the maximum work hours for pilots starting in November. And it will freeze the pilots' defined-benefit pension plan while terminating a supplemental retirement plan in November.
The new contracts ratified by other workers will let American reduce jobs for flight attendants and ground workers and close a maintenance hub in Fort Worth. Pensions for workers other than pilots will be frozen but not terminated, and they will instead get an improved profit-sharing plan. Retiree health benefits for current employees will be reduced.
Thomas Horton, the CEO of parent AMR Corp., said he still hopes for a voluntary agreement with pilots but that the company needed to begin making "changes that are necessary for our restructuring." Horton said in a letter to employees that other airlines used bankruptcy to get stronger and cut costs, and that American is becoming more competitive by renegotiating leases and labor contracts.
The pilots say they’re willing to talk, “We have to have a contract in place in order to successfully emerge out of bankruptcy, so at some point we have to sit down with the corporation and hash this thing out. But at this point they simply have not invited us back to the bargaining table,”; says Tom Hoban of the Allied Pilots Association.
In the meantime, pilots are threatening a strike. The ballots are out right now for members to vote whether to strike. The airlines says a strike is illegal, while the company is going through the bankruptcy process.
AMR and American filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011. U.S. Airways Group Inc. is trying to force a merger, but AMR has resisted overtures from its smaller rival.
American Airlines returns to court on Tuesday in a contentious fight to throw out its contract with pilots and impose cuts -- a move the pilots say would be "professional Armageddon" but the airline argues is necessary to return to profitability.
The hearing, in U.S. bankruptcy court in New York, comes after the airline struck concessionary deals with its two other major labor groups, which represent flight attendants and ground workers.
If Judge Sean Lane rejects the pilots' contract, American said it would impose cuts already outlined in a "term sheet," a detailed list of proposals that pilots rejected.
"We will begin to implement the terms from the term sheet that will enable us to achieve our necessary cost savings and continue moving forward toward a successful restructuring," AA spokesman Bruce Hicks said in a written statement.
The Allied Pilots Association said the cuts would be deep, increasing the number of hours pilots work and stopping some retirement benefits, leading to fewer jobs and the slashing of other benefits.
"It's professional Armageddon and doesn't bode well for mending the relationship with this management team going forward," said APA spokesman Tom Hoban.
Two weeks ago, Lane ruled American had shown that significant changes were needed in its labor contracts but declined to scrap the pilots' deal, saying the airline had overreached on the issues of furloughs and outsourcing.
Hicks said American has now addressed the judge's concerns, leaving the current contract terms in place on furloughs and proposing less code-sharing -- deals with other airlines that essentially outsource jobs.
Fort Worth-based American is asking the judge to limit Tuesday's hearing to those two issues.
Meanwhile, American continues talking with Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways about a possible merger.
Pilots say they would fare better if US Airways were to take over American.
"We have an agreement with US Air. We have since April," Hoban said. "U.S. Airways wants to run an airline."
In the next few months, US Airways is expected to present its own reorganization plan of how a combined airline would benefit employees, customers and creditors.
On Friday, British Airways confirmed it also had signed a non-disclosure agreement to engage in merger talks with American, but those negotiations may be complicated by a law restricting foreigners from owning more than 25 percent of a U.S. airline.
Tuesday's hearing is expected to last just several hours. The judge would most likely announce his decision in the following few days.
Dallas attorney Mark Ralston, a bankruptcy expert, said he expects American to win.
"I think the judge is going to accept the modifications and reject the agreement," he said.
Ralston noted that the imposed cuts would be temporary and the airline and the pilots will ultimately have to negotiate a new contract, a process complicated by the tense relationship between both sides.
"Let's face it -- American and its labor have had a contentious relationship for a long time," he said.
Leaders of the pilots' union are making preparations to call a strike vote if the airline implements cuts but acknowledge it would be difficult to strike while the company remains in bankrupcty.
AA to cut 839 Tulsa shop jobs Avionics Intelligence American executives said the company must cut 10,400 jobs and reduce labor costs by $1.06 billion a year to emerge from bankruptcy and compete successfully in the airline industry. Among additional cost-saving measures, American proposes to outsource ... See all stories on this topic »
They are likely to start by flying a 120-seater airfraft
In view of a large number of Sri Lankan employees working in Brandix and the opening up of the airport to international flights, a team of officials of Sri Lankan Airlines visited Vizag on Tuesday to explore the possibility of flying out of here.
Regional Manager of Indian Sub-Continent of Sri Lankan Airlines Lalith de Silva and Revenue Optimisation Manager of the airlines Dinesh Pathirana went around the city interacting with leading tour operators and persons from the hospitality industry.
Visibly impressed by the view of the hills and the sea, the regional manager felt that this could be a good tourist destination to promote. As there are no direct international flights from the city, it is difficult to get the actual data of how many travellers are heading to international destinations, Dinesh Pathirana said.
Tour operators
He was keen to gather information from the tour operators on the tickets they were issuing and group tours they were organising to international destinations.
The Brandix India Apparel City flies special cargo flights from the city and it also has a large number of Sri Lankan employees, director of Vihar Hospitality Mantri Seshagiri told the team during an interaction.
Also there are food processing units and pharma companies in the region which fly their cargo to international destinations, another director of Vihar Hospitality L. Kiran Kumar said. The team felt they could start their operations by flying the 120 seater aircraft as 60-70 per cent occupancy was sufficient to make it viable.
The airlines is likely to use the smaller aircraft of its subsidiary Air Lanka for its flights to the port city.
