MR KURIEN, YOU ARE GANGULY NOT TENDULKAR

LEAVING UTTERLY AND BITTERLY

It is a sad end to a great career. I shed a tear or two for Mr Verghese Kurien, who was unceremoniously booted out of an institution which he had nurtured and literally made from the scratch. If India is the world’s largest producer of milk, then the credit should go to him. Inspired by him during my college days, I even wrote the entrance of IRMA (Indian Institute of Rural Management) at Anand. Needless to say, I failed. I still remember one incident where he tore apart the high-flying IIM-A pass-outs. He told a stunned IIM audience, where he was an invitee for its annual convocation, how uncommitted and useless the students passing out from the institution were.
He said, “You talk of service. I will give you more salary than what you would get with a multinational. My only rider is that I will not let you see the face of a city for a year. Will you see the country, where it exists.No, not at all.” That was Mr Kurien.
Coming to the headline, when a reporter asked him if he felt like Ganguly or Tendulkar after the ordeal, Kurien said, “Tendulkar."
No Mr Kurien, you are not Tendulkar. You are Ganguly. Both had been given the boot by their own institutions (Team India was an institution and an idea Ganguly almost single-handedly made) by their own protégés. I know very well that the two can't be compared. Mr Kurien achieved more than what Ganguly did, by any means. But it is an attempt to compare. If anyone objects, I agree with them.
Rahul Dravid can’t be entirely made responsible for Ganguy’s exit from the team. But he was a silent party to it. When Chappel was hell-bent on removing Ganguly from the team, Rahul Dravid did not do anything to prevent it. He could have. He was shrewd enough to not to take a stand: he wanted Ganguly, but was afraid of Chappel to speak up for his long-time friend, and his trusted captain for many years. In Mr Kurien’s case, Amrita Patel has backstabbed Kurien. At least, Patel, told a hurriedly called press conference that it was a SAD end. In Dravid’s case, it was left with a deafening silence. Even when Chappel told Guardian that Ganguly clung to captaincy, Dravid kept his silence.
We have to learn to respect our heroes. Today, people forget yesterdays with an eye on “their better” tomorrows. Behind every success, there were days of hardwork. It is high time we remembered our old heroes. Like Ganguly, Kurien was very cautious when he met mediapersons. In an interview to HT, he said he did not want to involve farmers in the controversy because he felt the situation might get volatile. That shows his sincerity.
When Kolkata called for a bandh and series of protests after his ouster, Ganguly was firm. He said, ''Indian cricket is bigger than players and coaches. Let us not rake up controversies."
Both really care for their institutions, no matter whether they are in or out. Mr Kurien, you will be remebered as long as milk is there. You have changed many lives, and created a revolution. Now you sit back and relax. Take this as a blessing in disguise. Now the world, particularly our neighbours, need your expertise.Contribute to a Milky Way.