Transforming a thimbleful of dream into reality
“Energy and Persistence conquer all things”, which can be rightly said about Shri Mrityunjay Dey, the DCS Secretary of Baragadra Uttaran Milk Producers Cooperative Society of Kangsaboti Milk Union, Bankura district, West Bengal. Mritynjay Dey was an unemployed young individual of Baragadra village, who was desperately looking for a job and struggling to get rid of his penurious life. Shri Dey used to lend a hand in his father’s agriculture works. In addition, every day early in the morning he used to set off for selling 7 litres of milk to Sarenga, the nearest town, 5 Km away from his village. He spent almost entire day searching for the buyer of his milk in the market. Sometimes he managed to sell the milk, but often he came back in the evening with sheer despondency. There was no fixed income.
When Kangsaboti Milk Union set up Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS) in Baragadra Village, Mrityunjay Dey volunteered for getting involved in DCS organization work along with the other staff members of Kangsaboti Milk Union. However, the DCS started with only 7 Ltrs of milk . Then Shri Day started persuading milk producers to join village dairy cooperative with a hope to create a sustainable livelihood inside the village. He believed that “if they ever want to accomplish anything, they must do it by determined and persistent industry”.
Meanwhile, he accepted the job of DCS Secretary at Baragadra MPCS. Then he fervently started encouraging the farmers to purchase more number of cattle and pour more volume of milk in village DCS. Gradually milk collection of the DCS increased to 15-20 LPD. However, things were happening in very dawdling pace. But no matter what opposition he met or what discouragement overtook him, Mrityunjay Dey was unshaken and no amount of drudgery dampened his spirit.
At the same time, Shri Dey approached ‘Jila Parishad’ for assistance in setting up AI network in Sarenga Block. The Authority listened to him with rapt attention. Soon twelve AI workers were allocated for his Block. His only aim at that point of time was to increase the volume of milk in order to keep the village cooperative society functional.
In November, 2013 Shri Mrityunjay Dey was deputed by Kangsaboti Milk Union to undergo ‘DCS Secretary’ Training Programme at NDDB Training Centre, Siliguri. This gave a tremendous boost in chasing his dream of ‘white revolution in his own village’. As Shri Dey told us “First thing I learned in NDDB Siliguri is to respect the farmer. From that day my attitude towards farmer changed and this mindset created a miracle in my work, particularly in dealing with milk producers. I feel the village cooperative society is like a temple; its force keeps us alive. In NDDB I learned the nitty-gritty of the dairy business. I was well versed with DCS Accounting System, especially writing of Cash Book”.
After completion of his training in NDDB, Shri Dey started doing his job with renewed energy & more enthusiasm. He feels that the most common commodity in this country is unrealized potential. So, now he is more keen to include women members in village DCS. According to Shri Mrityunjay “80% of the animal husbandry job is done by the women. Moreover, women are good at saving money and know about its judicious use. They are the asset of our DCS”.
Now, Baragadra Uttaran MPCS is collecting 300 LPD milk from 311 members. Out of them 28 are women. “The success of this cooperative society is not just something magical” Shri Dey enunciated, “it requires persistency of efforts, the ability not to give up in the face of failure. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence”.
