On National Milk Day, Amul and Sudarsan Pattnaik creatively honour Verghese Kurien

Verghese Kurien, who is known as the Father of White Revolution in India for his project Operation Flood, was born on November 26. This is why the day is known as National Milk Day across the country.

National Milk Day, Verghese Kurien, Amul, Amul topicals

India’s milk man, Verghese Kurien, also founded Amul in Gujarat. (Source: Amul_Coop/Twitter)

National Milk Day is celebrated on November 26 each year to mark the birth anniversary of Verghese Kurien, who is known as the Father of White Revolution in India. Known for his billion-litre idea, called the Operation Flood, which was the worl’d largest agricultural daily development programme that made dairy farming in India into the country’s largest self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment provider.

Kurien is also the founder of the popular dairy brand Amul, that is based out of Anand, Gujarat, and this year we celebrate his 96th birth anniversary. To commemorate his contribution, Amul has released a creative topical cartoon with its signature pun. “He gave India, Anand…” reads the tag line, as the illustration shows the Amul girl riding on a motorbike carrying a can of milk. “Celebrating the legacy of the ‘Milkman’ of India!” is the caption accompanying the creative.

#Amul Topical : Celebrating the legacy of the ‘Milkman’ of India! pic.twitter.com/ThZfryStK9

— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) 25 November 2017

On the occasion of National Milk Day, another tribute came from India’s ace sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik, who has won many laurels for the country, made a beautiful sand sculpture on a beach in Puri, Odisha, which he later tweeted out. “Tribute to the father of white revolution in India Dr #VergheseKurien on his birth anniversary . My Sand art at #Puri beach Odisha,” read the caption accompanying the photograph of his creation.

Tribute to the father of white revolution in India Dr #VergheseKurien on his birth anniversary . My Sand art at #Puri beach Odisha.#NationalMilkDay pic.twitter.com/mOKKnYsRSO

— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) 26 November 2017

Addressing a function on the National Milk Day in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said, India’s milk production rose by 19 per cent in the last three years to touch 163.6 million tonnes, leading to a significant increase in dairy farmers’ income. India is the largest milk producer in the world, he said,
adding that the country’s milk production grew at an annual rate of 6 per cent during 2014-17 as against 4 per cent during the previous three years.

Kurien, who passed away on September 9, 2012, had not only pioneered the dairy revolution in India, but also provided the world a model to emulate and had been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1963, along with the Padma Shri (1965), Padma Bhushan (1966) and Padma Vibhushan (1999).