ICA President Dame Pauline Green encouraged Indian co-operators to help raise the profile of co-operative enterprises by implementing the Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade. During her four-day visit to India, Dame Pauline also engaged with co-operators from the Asia-Pacific regional office.
While in Delhi, the ICA President attended a special meeting organised by the National Co-operative Union of India. During her speech at the meeting, Dame Pauline said that co-operatives should get more involved in political advocacy. Dame Pauline added that the one billion co-operators from all over the world should join efforts and lobby for co-operatives to be represented in the G20. She said that in order for this to happen, governmental support is crucial.
The meeting was attended by representatives of all the national level co-operative federations including IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFCUB, NCDC. Keynote speakers included Dr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, President of NCUI and Vice-Chairman of ICA’s regional office for Asia-Pacific; Shri Shivaji Rao G Patil member of governing council of NCUI; Dr Chan Ho Choi, Regional Director of the ICA Asia-Pacific region; and Dilip Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture.
During the meeting, Shivaji Rao Patil, NCUI Governing Council Member, also talked about the need for creating an enabling legislation that would foster co-operative development. Speaking of co-operative legislation in India, President of NCUI, Dr Singh spoke of the need to hold timely elections within co-operatives. He also said he hoped the Constitutional Amendment Act would democratise the functioning of co-operatives. He referred to the Indian co-operative model as “one of the vibrant co-operative” models in Asia Pacific.
While in India, Dame Pauline also visited the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO). She spoke to Dr Awasthi, Managing Director and B.S. Nakai, Vice-Chairman of IFFCO. Dame Pauline also visited Isanpur Mota Seva Sahkari Mandli, a local co-operative from Isanpur Mota District Gandhinagar.
Co-operators in India also highlighted the growing solidarity of the movement, which is underlined by NCUI hosting the country’s first International Co-operative Congress on 18 June. Indian President Shri Pranab Mukerjee will be the guest of honour at the event.
Photo: Dr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav and Dame Pauline Green during the meeting in Delhi.
• Dame Pauline has written an article about her experiences in India, click here to read more.
