Amul's mentor is no more....

Dr. Verghese Kurien, the man behind the utterly, butterly, delicious or the taste of India is no more. There is much one can say about this man, yet it is this one brand that has stood the test of time and I hope shall remain so as a tribute to him. I had compiled a few of the Amul advertisements on my blog a month back since Amul continues to be our family's favourite.

The father of India’s ‘White Revolution’ Dr Verghese Kurien passed away early on Sunday morning at Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital in neighbouring Nadiad town due to age-related problems, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) sources said.

I think the following is from his last birthday.

On Saturday, Dr Varghese Kurien, Founder of Amul, turned 90. After retirement, he settled down in Anand, the small town he made world-famous through the co-operative movement launched at the instance of his mentor, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. 

People were surprised to notice this morning when they saw quarter-page advertisements put out across many newspapers by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets milk and milk products under the Amul brand: “You changed the lives of 15 million farmers’ families. You revolutionized the dairy sector. You gave India 200 Amul brands. We give you 90 candles,” the grateful Amul girl, attired in her trademark polka frock and hairband, told Dr Kurien in the advertisement. The Milkman affectionately held a calf in the ad as the smiling mother-cow looked on. 

The advertisement also acknowledged the many hats Dr Kurien wore: Founder Chairman of NDDB, GCMMF, NCDFI, IRMA, among others. And the many epithets he got accustomed with: Father of the White Revolution, The Milkman of India, and Architect of Operation Flood. “Thank you for making us the largest selling milk producer in the world. Thank you for engineering the dairy cooperative movement in India. From all of us at Amul.”

Verghese Kurien was born on 26 November 1921 in Calicut, Madras Presidency, British India (now Kozhikode, Kerala). His father was a civil surgeon in Cochin. He graduated in Physics from Loyola College, Madras in 1940 and then did B.E. (mechanical engineering) from the College of Engineering, Guindy (then the University of Madras). After completing his degree, he joined the Tata Steel Technical Institute, Jamshedpur from where he graduated in 1946. He then went to the United States on a government scholarship to earn his Master of Science in metallurgical engineering (with distinction) from Michigan State University.

Honours, awards and international recognition

Year	Name of Award or Honor	Awarding Organization
2012	Gangadharan Memorial Award	V. Gangadharan Memorial Trust
2011	Life Time Achievement Award	CNN-IBN
2010	Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)	Karunya University
2010	Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)	Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
2007	Karmaveer Puraskaar	iCONGO- Confederation of NGOs
2007	Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Award	Godfrey Phillips India Ltd
2006	Doctor of Science	Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
2002	Lokmanya Tilak award	Lokmanya Tilak Trust
1999	Padma Vibhushan	President of India
1991	Doctor of Science	University of Guelph, Canada.
1991	Distinguished Alumni Award	Michigan State University, USA.
1989	World Food Prize	World Food Prize, USA.
1986	Wateler Peace Prize Award	Carnegie Foundation, USA.
1986	Krishi Ratna Award	President of India.
1966	Padma Bhushan	President of India.
1965	Doctor of Science	Michigan State University, USA.
1965	Padma Shri	President of India.
1963	Ramon Magsaysay Award	Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verghese_Kurien