Opposition members demand Verghese Kurien's name to be added to cooperative university's title

New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) Opposition members in Rajya Sabha demanded the name of the father of white revolution, Verghese Kurien, to be included in the proposed cooperative university's title, and alleged the Centre is interfering in states' cooperative system.
     During discussions on the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025, CPI (M) member V Sivadasan said Kurien has given immense contribution to the cooperative system, especially in Gujarat.
     "He (Kurien) has been neglected by this government. I suggest the name should be Tribhuvan Kurien University," he said.
     The Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025, passed by the Lok Sabha last week, seeks to set up 'Tribhuvan Sahkari University' in Gujarat's Anand. The university has been named after Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel, one of the pioneers of the cooperative movement in India and instrumental in laying the foundation of Amul.
     Sivadasan said that the right wing is spreading negative propaganda against cooperative sector banks in Kerala to make way for private and corporate banks.
     "Cooperative sector is in the state list but the Union government is trying to grab the power of the state. Therefore they are intervening in this sector with wrong intervention," he said.
     AAP member Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that cooperative university campuses should be set -up in agrarian states like Uttar Pradesh, Harayna, Punjab.
     Trinamool Congress member Sagarika Ghose alleged that six years after the death of Kurien, BJP in Gujarat accused him of donating Amul's profit to missionaries for conversions.
     She said Kurien resigned from IIM Ahmedabad and created the concept of rural management that led to the formation of the Institute of Rural Management (IRMA).
     "This government has an antipathy to the great Nehruvian nation builders like Dr Kurien but this antipathy and hostility to the Nehruvian nation builders must not get the better of good sense. Dr Kurien founded IRMA and as a proud son of Gujarat, Dr Varghese Kurien's name must find place in this new university. They are trying to rewrite history but those who try to rewrite history will not be forgiven by history," Ghose said.
     Congress member G C Chandrashekhar said many universities in Maharashtra and Kerala already provide cooperative courses and instead of launching new universities, existing courses can be improved.
     Trinamool Congress member Mohammed Nadimul Haque said that the bill is an example of the way cooperative federalism is being steadily dismantled.
     DMK member R Girirajan alleged that the UGC (University Grant Commission) is now unnecessarily interfering in state universities though it doesn't have power to do so.
     "Cooperatives are the foundation of national development. Cooperatives are also the foundation of local government organisations," he said.
     BJP members Indu Bala Goswami and Babubhai Jesangbhai Desai also participated in the discussion.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)