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magis
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november 2016
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spOTLigHT
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KNoWiNg ElA BhAtt
ela bhatt, founder of Self-employed Women’s Asso-
ciation (SeWA), is widely recognised for her entre-
preneurial efforts in grassroots development. An ar-
dent follower of the teachings of mahatama Gandhi,
mrs bhatt has dedicated her life to the upliftment of
poor and the oppressed women workers.
SeWA, established in 1972, is a trade union for
women workers in the informal sector. The associa-
tion documents, validates and monitises women’s
contribution, that was long denied the rights and
security of those in formal employment. Today SeWA
has more than 1.2 million members across nine
Indian states.
Also known as the gentle revolutionary, Mrs Bhatt
was awarded with several recognitions and titles in-
cluding Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament
and Development, the Ramon Magsaysay Award,
Padmashree, Padmabhushan, the Right Livelihood
Award, the George meany-Lane Kirkland Human
rights Award and the Légion d’honneur from France.
She has also received honorary doctorates from
Harvard, Yale and the University of Natal.
DR. VERghEsE KURiEN
MEMoRiAl oRAtioN
The memorial oration was established in 2014 and
has been presented annually to commemorate the
memory of Dr. verghese Kurien, well-known as the
milkman of India.
Dr. Kurien was the force behind developing a
sustainable model for the dairy cooperative AMUL
(Anand Milk Union Limited) that continues to
empower millions of farmers. He orchestrated the
largest dairy development program in the world,
christened as operation Flood. He was the chairman
of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federa-
tion Ltd. (GCMMF) and had started several other in-
stitutions to replicate the Anand pattern nationwide.