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16
magis
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September 2014
knowledge works
X
LRI
organised the first-ever
Dr. Verghese Kurien Memo-
rial Oration on Sustainable
Development to the founder
of AMUL Dr. Verghese Kurien, better
known as the Milkman of India. Nirmala
Kurien, daughter of Dr. Verghese Kurien,
was present at the event as the guest of
honour.
The oration was delivered by P Sainath,
eminent journalist and Ramon Magsaysay
Awardee for Journalism, Literature and
Creative Communication Arts. Sainath,
calls himself a rural reporter, has exten-
sively worked in rural areas and closely
studied government policies.
This debut oration in memory of Dr
Kurien was held to inspire aspiring busi-
ness leaders and young professionals to
help shape an inclusive and just society,
whilst inculcating the values and entre-
preneurial spirit of the Father of White
Revolution.
The event began with a welcome ad-
dress by Prof. Madhukar Shukla, Coor-
dinator for XLRI’s Fr. Arrupe Center for
Ecology & Sustainability and convener
of the oration. “We decided to institute
this oration to create a platform to listen
to and learn from thought-leaders, social
entrepreneurs, development sector profes-
sionals and policy makers who have made
significant contribution to the idea of
empowered, prosperous and sustainable
society. The oration is to commemorate
the memory of Dr. Verghese Kurien and
needless to say there is no better model of
sustainable development both in terms of
his life and legacy than
Dr. Kurien,” Prof. Shukla said.
Sainath in his lecture on the topic
Unequal is Unsustainable, highlighted the
growing crisis in rural areas because of
growing inequality and excessive usage of
resources. By drawing the audience atten-
tion to the 100 days of rural livelihood, he
said, “According to survey figures on an
average on any given 100 day 4,600 Indi-
an farmers will commit suicide, 46-70,000
will attempt suicide, 200,000 will give up
farming and 1000s will leave country side
for search of job in the urban areas.”
The three giant crisis that the country is
facing today are — water, agriculture and
health.
Sainath criticised in his speech, the
unrestrained wastage of water in urban
areas at a time when people in the coun-
tryside have to travel miles for a bucket
of drinking water. “India is the largest
over- user of underground water in the
world… There is water crisis not because
of drought, but because of the way it is
used for, what it is used for and on what it
is allocated for,” he said.
He also expressed concern on the grow-
ing health expenses that have forced many
to avoid medical assistance. He said that
according to a the third round of NSSO
health survey the number of Indians who
have stopped seeking medical aid purely
due to financial reasons has doubled in the
recent past. Privatisation of health sector
has made medical aid unaffordable for
many in the country.
Sainath argued that the country needs
to include a moral dimension to its growth
model, as sustainable growth is impossible
Dr.Verghese
Kurien Oration
on Sustainability
the debut oration was delivered by eminent
journalist and magsaysay award winner
P Sainath on the theme unequal is unsustainable
“True democracy will emerge only
when we allow the people to man-
age. And only when the people be-
gin to take control of their lives will
rural development gain momentum,
when goods and services produced
by rural areas will get better terms
of trade than goods and services
produced in the cities. Only when
our farmers are involved in the pro-
cesses of development will they be
able to command their destiny. True
development is the development of
women and men.”
– Dr. Verghese Kurien
