Recently,one of my friends' referred me a book- 'I too had a dream ' written by father of White Revolution, Dr. Verghese Kurien. I would say it is a must read for every Indian. It is a moving story of how Amul was established as number one brand in the milk industry. Dr. Kurien also narrated his life story through it.
He saw a dream of making India self-sufficient in milk production by organizing Cooperative Movement around the country. In spite of India being an agrarian country, our farmers were (and are) very poor. Giving power into the hands of farmers to run the Cooperative movement, Dr Kurien wanted to bring out true social change. He faced many challenges during this journey.
It took him an entire lifetime to realize and live his dream. We need many more doctor Kurien for sustainable development of Agriculture and Animal husbandry in India. He was extremely hard-working, dedicated to a larger cause and looked forwarded to the upliftment of farmers. Freedom fighter Tribhuvan Das Patel, his Guru, groomed him to take up larger responsibilities, saw a huge potential in him and worked with him extensively to develop Amul.
We adore Amul, be it an ice cream, cheese, butter or thanda masti.. So reading this fascinating tale gives an immense joy. Dr Kurien shares his thoughts insights, feelings and speaks brutally honest.
India has a lot of potential but corrupt bureaucracy, incompetent leaders has made a mess. One person with strong ethics, extreme dedication tried to change things around. He saw a dream which became his life goal. Commitment to noble cause gave him inner satisfaction and also brought outer accolades as well. He definitely lived a life to look up to. All-in-all, 'I too had a dream' is definitely a good read, a must-read for youngsters and an inspiring read for social entrepreneurs who are trying to bring about social change. Every Indian who is fond of Amul products should also read this book.
I too had a dream. - Few quotes
“Life is a privilege and to waste it would be wrong. In living this privileged “Life”, you must accept responsibility for yourself, always use your talents to the best of your ability and contribute somehow to the common good.”
“…. If we are brave enough to love, strong enough to rejoice in another’s happiness and wise enough to know that there is enough to go around for all, then we would have lived our lives to the fullest.”
“In every crisis, if you look carefully, you will spot an opportunity. My insistence on finding and seizing that opportunity has often been a source of annoyance for many of my colleagues because it means that unlike most people, I never try to sidestep a crisis. Rather, the more monstrous the crisis, the more I am tempted to rush at it, grasp it by the horns and manoeuvre it until it gives me what I want!”
"I also believe that a person who does not have respect for time, and does not have a sense of timing, can achieve little.”
“My attitude towards money has always been a very realistic and utilitarian one. …. it is terrible to have too little money because you will not even have enough to eat and appease your hunger. But it is far, far worse to have too much money because then you will surely get corrupt.”
