He’s literally taken the bull by the horns and won. Unlike predecessor Verghese Kurien, father of the White Revolution in India, Parthi Bhatol refused to succumb to pressure and quit as chairman of the Rs 8,005-crore Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets and owns the Amul brand.
Bhatol, 64, single-handedly thwarted a no-confidence motion against him by 10 out of 13 members of the highly-politicised GCMMF board by drawing on his sharp political acumen and vast experience of the cooperative structure. He continues as chairman of India’s largest food marketing organisation.
Born to a family of farmers in 1944, he became the first farmer member to be elected the chairman of GCMMF in 2006, replacing Kurien. Bhatol is now into his second term as chairman. Notwithstanding the controversies, GCMMF under Bhatol’s leadership has seen sales rise from Rs 3,774 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 8005 crore in 2009-10.
Starting as a primary school teacher at Vidya Mandir School in Palanpur of north Gujarat in 1965, Bhatol served as a development officer of LIC for around two decades. During this tenure, he grew interested in the cooperative movement and devoted a lot of time and energy in helping the sector. His efforts earned him a place on the board of Banaskantha District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd, known as Banas Dairy, in 1981.
As a board member, he played a pivotal role in Banas Dairy’s evolution. Elected chairman of Banas Dairy in 1991, Bhatol has been heading the dairy for the past 19 years. He was also instrumental in helping it emerge as one of the most modern dairies in the country. Its turnover jumped from Rs 60 crore in 1991 to Rs 1,926 crore in 2009-10.
With his powers growing in the federation, Bhatol was named chairman of GCMMF in 2006 following the ouster of Kurien. Ironically, Bhatol is also said to have taken the initiative to oust Kurien.