The finale of the international cooperatives conference was witnessed in the NCUI auditorium in the capital on Thursday. CEO of NCUI Dr. Dinesh’s opening remarks set a tone for the discussions that followed during the conference.

There was a galaxy of speakers drawn from the cooperative world on the dais and a huge appreciative audience willing to listen to them. Indeed there was a perfect milieu for discussions.

Dr. Bijendra Singh Chairman NAFED chaired the first session that began with Jaya Arunachalam president Indian Cooperative Network for Women, Chennai presenting a highly nuanced discussion on the issue of women empowerment. Dwelling on the subject at length, among other things she appealed to the cooperatives to devise the ways and means of enabling Indian women to assert themselves and their point of view in the country’s current scheme of things.

Mrs Jainuddin from Malaysia discussed the role of the cooperative organisations in encouraging and promoting gender eqality. She said the govt in Malasia have brought in such policies as have given preference to women in the field of health and child health, thus implementing the basic principles of cooperative.

Mr. Prakash Lonare presided over the second session where H.K. Patil president NAFCUB lamented the horrible conditions of the cooperative banks. He pointed out the importance of the cooperatives in the context of the paradigm shift sweeping the country’s economy.

J N Srivastava former secretary govt of india emphasised the critical role of the human resources factor in the context of the development of the cooperative institutions. He strongly advocated a rapid and optimal technologisation of the cooperative sector.

R.K. Tiwari joint secretary and Central Registrar of cooperatives dwelt on the importance of appropriate policies in strengthening the Indian cooperative sector during this session. Describing the conference as a milestone, he underlined the crucial role of the cooperative sector in the country’s economic transformation.

Suresh Prabhu former Union Minister praised the UNO for observing the current year as the international year of cooperatives. He called for the application of the cooperative principles in empowering the masses. He said with the help of the cooperatives poverty could be greatly reduced and the poor would not get poorer and the rich would not get richer.

Roby Tulus former Regional Director ICA Asia-pacific shed light on the necessity and role of the cooperatives in the presentday world. According to him, the role of the cooperatives in the changing global economy needs to be adequately valued.

The two day conference had deliberations & brain storming sessions on challenges for cooperatives, corporate governance in cooperatives, new initiatives required by cooperatives to strengthen the socio-economic structure of nations, community development & women empowerment. International issues such as food security, education & development of cooperatives in Asia-Pecific region. The conference was attended by delegates from China, Japan, Korea, Srilanka & Mauritius. Top representatives from national level cooperatives like NAFED, KRIBHCO, NCUI, NCDC and NABARD shared their views during the conference. The conference was in line with global celebrations for International Year of Cooperatives 2012 announced by UN.

Dr. U. S Awasthi, Managing Director, IFFCO expressed his happiness and applauded the role of cooperatives in community & nation building. He assured that IFFCO is committed to the farmers of India and it will keep on surpassing its previous records to emerge as the global leader in both the production as well as marketing of fertilizers. He also said that IFFCO will keep on serving the farmers at their best and will try to bring new innovations for serving the rural & farming community in India.

The conference was concluded by closing remarks from Sh. Charan Das Mahant, Minister of State for Agricluture & food processing.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar did not pull any punches in his criticism of the cooperative sector in India. He called for reorganization of cooperatives as independent professional organizations so that they could play their legitimate role in achieving the goal of inclusive economic development in the country.

In his had hitting speech at the international cooperatives conference organized by cooperative giant IFFCO , Pawar said the ordinary people are disillusioned with the cooperative sector and it is high time the cooperatives cleaned up their act.

According to Pawar, there is no alternative to good and efficacious governance and the lack of honesty and efficiency could easily ruin the cooperative sector.

Pawar added India’s cooperative movement is big with a network of lakhs of units and about 25 crore people involved in this institutional network. The cooperatives are at work in various fields exercising their influence on the country’s economic growth. Their contribution in the field of agriculture is widely acknowledged.

The minister showered an unqualified praise on IFFCO for its important role in promoting the growth of cooperative institutions across the country.

Pawar, among other things, described the landmark constitutional amendment making right to form a cooperative society a fundamental right, amendment of the multi-state cooperative societies act and formulation of a national policy on cooperatives as steps that would give a fillip to the cooperative movement in India.

The inaugural session of the International Cooperative Conference went off as planned with the high and mighty of the land assembling on the occasion at Manekshaw Centre in N Delhi on Wednesday.

President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, State Minister Harish Rawat, foreign delegates, IFFCO’s Chairman and Managing Director were vying for space on the
dais.

An array of speakers touched upon the various aspects of cooperative movement. If Nabard Chairman Prakash Bakshi compared the movement to a tree whose branches are growing while its root is crying for nourishment, NCUI’s President Chandra Pal Singh Yadav expounded the benefits of cooperative governance as compared to the corporate governance.

While foreign delegates shared their international experiences, Dame Pauline Green, President of ICA was conspicuous by her absence. IFFCO sources cited visa as the reason responsible for the cancellation of her programme.

Talking to media on the occasion, IFFCO’s Managing Director U S Awasthi said that the need for holding this conference was felt after the United Nations declared this year as the International Year of Cooperatives. We support the movement as it helps us grow both domestically and globally.

Citing the example of IFFCO’s expansion in Canada where it is about to launch a new project Awasthi said that Canadian Cooperative movement leaders have come forward to be our business partner and a source of strength for us. Our experience is the same in Jordon where our project is doing fine, he added.

Even in India we exist on the basis of support where thousands of cooperators have joined hands to make it a success, he said.

Enumerating the weaknesses of the cooperative movement in the country, Awasthi called for setting up of a cooperative exchange on the lines of SEBI. Private sector has its exchange, Public sector the government funding but cooperative sector is in crisis beset by a shortage of capital in most of the cases, he added.

Appreciating the cooperative leaders of the country who joined hands to make this conference a success, Awasthi said that a leader’s job is to act as a catalyst and the movement would grow on its own.

However, the high security veil around the Makeshaw Centre prevented many people from making it to the function as entry was banned much before the President’s arrival. This led to many people returning from the venue with frustration writ large on their faces.

The two day function has its final session in the NCUI auditorium on Thursday. The run-down auditorium has been spruced up for the occasion.

The former Biscomaun Chairman Mr Sunil Singh is organizing a State level Cooperative conference on the eve of International Year of Cooperative, 2012 (IYC 2012) in Patna, Bihar on Wednesday.

The occasion is a sort of show of strength on the part of Sunil Singh and his team as the Nitish government of Bihar has divested Sunil Singh and his team of all the powers in a long-drawn fight between RJD and JDU factions.

“The programmes is going to be a big hit as delegates from all across the state are participating in the function”, informed Sunil Singh to Indian Cooperative.

“Everybody except those belonging to family of late Tapeshwer Babu is participating in the programme”, Sunil Singh added referring obliquely to Vishal Singh, the grandson of late cooperative leader.

Earlier, Vishal Singh who is competing in the game of show of strength with the former Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Singh called a press conference in Patna and castigated Sunil Singh as a flop leader who bled Biscomaun to death. Vishal, son of late Nafed Chairman Ajit Singh demanded an enquiry into the wrong-doings of Biscomaun.

Sunil Singh on his part has succeeded in ensuring the presence of cooperative big-wigs such as NCUI President Chandra Pal Singh, Nafed present Chairman Bijender Singh , NCCF Chairman Virendra Singh and others in the show.

It would indeed be tough for likes of NCUI President Chandra Pal Singh and others to strike a balance as both the fighting factions—Vishal and Sunil Singh owe allegiance to them.

While Chandra Pal Singh has extended fatherly protection to Vishal Singh in the not-so- good world of cooperatives after his father’s demise, Sunil Singh also enjoys his blessings since his continuation on Kribhco board despite expulsion from Biscomaun is due to Chandra Pal Singh’s large-heartedness.

About 3000 delegates are expected to participate.

Indian Cooperative will have a new look now.Started a couple of years ago, the news portal is tremendously encouraged by the massive response of its readers. In order to be able to serve our readers better, we have decided to add some special features.

Our editorial team feels that there are many issues concerning cooperative legislations,acts and by-laws people are in the dark about.There is an urgent need for explaining them. There will be a feature “Cooperative Related Queries” in which readers’ doubts would be answered by the experts in the field.

Another new feature will be “Jewels among Cooperatives” in which we will aim to feature such cooperatives that have struggled hard to come into being despite the governmental indifference. One such example is the Didi bank of Jharkhand this news portal earlier did a special feature on. We wish to add many such success stories on the eve of the International Year of Cooperative (IYC 2012).

There are many thinkers and scholars in the field of cooperation in the country who would like to write thought–provoking articles to propagate the cooperative movement. We intend beginning a feature “Cooperative Coffee Shop” that would use such contributions.

It would also be easy to visit Hindi version of Indian Cooperative.com, “Bhartiya Sahakarita.com” in the new arrangement as the option to go there would be given at the side-top position of home page.

Times are changing and Indian Cooperative movement has also to evolve and transform. Our news portal has made a beginning and we hope this would be liked by our readers. But nothing is perfect and we would always greatly value comments and feedback from you.

The focus on cooperatives in the International year (IYC 2012) is throwing some truly people-oriented cooperatives which are in existence without governmental support. They are functioning due to the sheer grit of some individuals. Didi bank is one of them.

A self-help group and situated in Jharkhand Didi bank is getting popular with people. The initiative surfaced for the first time in a village in Singhbhum district of the state.

The goal of the Didi Bank is to help poor women stand on their own feet economically.

One Veronita Lakra has mainly been instrumental in beginning this credit organisation.

Originally started as Chirag Mahila Bachat Swavlambi Samity it was later called Didi Bank.

The puny bank charges Rs 1 as interest on a loan of Rs 100.The bank abhors the idea of taking any help from the govt and is resolved to remain independent with its own banking methodology.

People engaged in minuscule economic activities are benefitting from the bank.

International Year of Cooperative as declared by United Nations for the year 2012 is being celebrated across the globe. Governments and cooperative institutions are funding studies to arrive at scientific conclusions about cooperatives.

In a voting conducted by Indiancooperative.com on the question of the role of National Cooperative Union of India in IYC so far, surprisingly majority opinion goes in favour of NCUI doing enough for IYC.

On the ground the experience, however seems to suggest the opposite.

NCUI’s has been trying to hold a Cooperative Congress on the eve of International Year of cooperative but there have been few takers. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who was approached to inaugurate the function refused to grace the occasion. The President of India, herself a cooperator and a former governing council member on the board of NCUI, also has made excuse about having preoccupations.

Disappointed, NCUI approached Union Agriculture and cooperation minister Sharad Pawar who also reportedly refused.Now the big question haunting NCUI is how to find a person whose persona fits the occasion.

NCUI itself does not appear focused enough. With its President entangled in arbitration and a Chief Executive busy attending meetings overseas things do not seem to move in the right direction. Over and above, the Chief Executive’s frequent trips to Pune where he goes to discharge his duties as VAMNICOM Head leaves him with little time and energy for NCUI.

An example of NCUI’s retarded response could be gauged from the fact that while International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) tied up with Indiancooperative.com way back in October last to strengthen the cooperative movement on the eve of IYC, a similar proposal has been gathering dust with NCUI for the past three months. With President having been caught up in Uttar Pradesh elections there is no one to take decisions at the apex organization.

It also shows that NCUI is not being taken seriously by the government. While Presidents and heads of states in other countries are vieing to inaugurate Cooperative Congress on the eve of IYC 2102, it is a sad story back home especially when we are being incessantly told that the cooperative movement here is the strongest riding on the support of 250 million members.

No less than Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete launched the international year of cooperatives at the Mnazi Mmoja Grounds in Dar es Salaam on March 20th, 2012. The event was marked with the laying of the foundation stone of the Ushirika Tower, a 20-story building of the Tanzania Federation of Cooperatives (TFC). The President was joined by Jumanne Maghembe, MP Minister of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Food Security, Hassan Wakasuvi, Chairman of the TFC and other dignitaries. Official representatives from the UN, ILO andICA were also present to witness the launch. The celebrations were also marked by exhibitions where cooperatives showcased their activities.

Recognizing the historical and social significance the cooperative movement brought to Tanzania, Kikwete urged cooperatives to restore the glory of the movement in the country. He said that cooperative unions should focus on activities which enhanced their work and urged them to recruit committed leaders who would fight for the development of their members. Moreover, he also highlighted the need to review shortfalls and problems which led to the collapse of cooperatives in the past and learn to run the movement better this time around. And the government will provide its full support of cooperatives that would enable their growth.

Alexio Musindo, the Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for East African Countries re-echoed the words of the ILO Director-General Juan Somavia stating that cooperatives empower people by enabling even the poorest segments of the population to participate in economic progress; and that they create job opportunities for those who have skills but little or no capital, and they provide protection by organizing mutual help in communities.

He also highlighted the partnership between the UN, the Government and the cooperative movement both on the Mainland and inZanzibar. The UN, through the COOP Africa Project and other UN Joint Programmes and has supported cooperative development activities in various aspects.
Courtesy:UN Cooperative News