Cooperatives. Collectives. Member-led, controlled. Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and higher tiers. Generic, specialist. Layers of collective action/agenda. Cooperative, Producers’ Company, Trade Union, Association. Cooperative Acts since 1904. Ministry of Cooperation since 2021, Departments of Cooperation in states. National Coops – National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL), Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), ‘Sahkar Taxi’. National Cooperative Database, NCD; Tribhuvan Sahkari University, TSU.
ICA’s seven principles operate in a benchmark cooperative – Voluntary and Open Membership, without discrimination; Democratic Member Control – one member, one vote; Members’ Economic Participation; Autonomy and Independence; Education, Training, and Information to members et al; Cooperation among Cooperatives; and Concern for Community. Foundational core values of cooperative movements include: Self-help; Self-responsibility; Democracy; Equality; Equity; Solidarity. Honesty, Openness, Social responsibility and caring are their ethical values.
Cooperatives could be consumer, producer, worker, shared services, service provision, or multi-stakeholder coops. Can we support people to have their own enterprises individually, and/or collectively? Can we see every family in informal, formal collectives? At least five a family.
Is it OK to have a group/team unregistered for a long period of time? How can they continue without disclosure, compliance? Isn’t it required for entities with significant public influence to be transparent, accountable? Even if not registered formally anywhere? Or is it better that they get registered somewhere? Is there any ‘space’ without ‘interference’ available?
Syama Prasad Mookerjee, 125 [6 July 1901 – 23 June 1953]. Founder, Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, a predecessor to BJP. Youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta, 1934-38. President of the Association of Indian Universities during 1941-42. President of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, 1943-46. Member of the Constituent Assembly of India. Minister for Industry in Nehru’s Cabinet. SPM condemned the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi – ‘most stunning blow that could fall on India. That he who had made India free and self-reliant, a friend of all and enemy of none, loved and respected by millions, should fall at the hands of an assassin, one of his community and countrymen, is a matter of the deepest shame and tragedy.’ SPM left Hindu Mahasabha in 1948; left Nehru’s Cabinet in 1950; founded Bharatiya Jana Sangh on 21 October 1951; became its first president. Was arrested upon entering Kashmir on 11 May 1953, succumbed to heart attack while in detention there, on 23 June.
Kiss. Kissing requires significant muscular coordination involving a total of 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles. Lips have many nerve endings which make them sensitive to touch and bite. Kissing stimulates oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine. Affection, show of affection reduces stress. Only 90% of the world population is involved in one or the other from of kissing. The romantic–sexual kiss is present in only about half of the global cultures. Kissing could be part of friendships and family members’ relations, on the forehead, on the hand, on the cheek, etc. It is still taboo to kiss publicly, in many parts of the world. Public display of affection, read kissing, hugging et al, is a criminal offence in India.
Africa is building an 8,000-km Great Green Wall or ‘Wall of Trees’ – from the Atlantic coast of Senegal to the shores of Djibouti on the Red Sea. To fight climate change, restore healthy soils, improve water retention, increase vegetation cover and make farmland more productive. It is a collection of restoration projects tailored to local ecosystems – 100 million ha.; 250 million tonnes of carbon; 10 million jobs, by 2030. 30 million ha. Already restored. Can we take NF here?
Interesting. Ford brought back hundreds of experienced engineers after artificial intelligence failed to match the expertise of human inspectors during vehicle quality checks. AI can improve efficiency, but it still depends heavily on the knowledge and experience of skilled people. Experienced engineers often recognize patterns, unusual defects, and production issues that are difficult to capture using software alone. Now, it is combining human expertise with machine learning. It hopes to create more reliable inspection systems in future.
Can we appreciate that we are no longer in poverty reduction seriously, but in increasing the wellbeing and prosperity of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized who left poverty and got on to prosperity? Can we help these families to add value as much locally as possible? As produce moves to the consumer, in the form the consumer wants to have. Can we have decent wages, consistent with time, effort, skill et al? Can we have more self-employed, with their produce/products and services getting commensurate rates/prices? Can we have local enterprises for value-addition, aggregation, and supply?
Can we take the andragogy/ pedagogy where students earn while they learn, serve while they learn? Help build more self reliant communities while studying and thereafter?
Do you really need a permanent office space? We may just need meeting places.
Vivekaananda attained Maha Parinirvana on 4 July 1902, 124 years ago. Sister Novedita writes – ‘…On his return from this walk, the bell was ringing for evensong, and he went to his own room, and sat down, facing towards the Ganges, to meditate. It was the last time. The moment was come that had been foretold by his Master from the beginning. Half an hour went by, and then, on the wings of that meditation, his spirit soared whence there could be no return, and the body was left, like a folded vesture, on the earth’.
Otroversion – Otherness, as coined by Kaminski. Otrovert. Person with a persistent sense of being an outsider in group settings, even when socially included, with a preference for selective, one-to-one connections over group affiliation. Eternal outsider in groups, even when they are friendly and socially capable. Emotionally independent from groups, with original thinking, low interest in joining or in adopting group rituals, and a tendency to seek depth in a small number of relationships rather than broad group belonging. Can we appreciate an authentic, responsible, effective leader who can be an introvert, otrovert or an extrovert? We need not artificially adopt a new ‘style’ of living to influence, to exercise influence.
Can we have gravitas from our calm presence, composure, listening, curiosity, and thoughtfulness. Consistency, authenticity? Can we be trustworthy, grounded, and authentic? Can we influence, inspire confidence, and teamwork?
Can we lead? Serving. Influencing through serving. Making universe, nature happy, joyous.
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. Being there. In N? krpaanugrahayoga for 7L.