Will never compromise on value system Dr Kurien created: Sodhi

The MD of GCMMF says he will maintain values such as integrity, honesty, efficiency that Kurien had inculcated in the institutions

The loss of Dr Verghese Kurien is irreparable, nobody can fill in the vacuum created by his sad demise. Amul fraternity has lost a fatherly figure. He was a father to everybody. A great institution builder, visionary and most importantly, he built institutions for the lower strata of the society, not for the rich or affluent. People, for whom nobody was ready to build a management institution.

The tribute, which, as a professional I can give to him by committing ourselves to maintain his standards of working at the institutions he created. Values such as integrity, honesty, efficiency that he had inculcated in the institutions, when he was there, we will maintain it.

The best tribute all the professionals and leaders can give to Dr Kurien is that they commit that they will continue to ensure that a world class institution that Dr Kurien had built continues to work for decades with same efficiency, passion and commitment.

The next generation is ready to inherit the legacy that Dr Kurien has created over the five decades. And we will not even let slightest compromise in the value system that Dr Kurien created. I had a privilege of working with him for 25 years, and he was a mentor for us.

I was a part of the first batch of IRMA, an institution which he built with a vision to produce managers for rural producers' organisations. In 1980s none of the best management institutions were ready to provide their managers for the rural producers' organisations. Dr Kurien was on the board of IIM-A at that time and he took a challenge to built an institution that will produce managers for the rural producers.

Cooperative leaders and professionals have to take the responsibility of cooperative structure, to which Dr Kurien has given his life. He has worked for 57 years.

There have been a number of memorable incidences with Dr Kurien. When I was studying in IRMA and he was chairman of NDDB as well as GCMMF. We asked Dr Kurien, "when you recruit people, what do you look for?" He said, "I look for three things." We said "what?" He said, "one integrity, two integrity and three integrity." So that is the value system he had.

I also remember, once we had asked him, "why have you built IRMA, when there are so many management institutes?" Then he said that "India doesn't need one Kurien, India needs hundreds of Kuriens. There are so many sectors and so many things to do.  I have built IRMA to produce Kuriens."

(As told to Business Standard)