The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today attended a Sahkar Sammelan in New Delhi, on the occasion of the birth centenary celebrations of Shri Laxmanrao Inamdar.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that our country is a “Bahuratna Vasundhara” where many people have made great contributions across regions and time periods. He said that while some of them become well known and are talked about by the media, there are many others who make valuable contributions, even though they remain largely unknown. The Prime Minister said that Vakil Saheb – Laxmanrao Inamdar – was one such person. The Prime Minister emphasized that the first principle of the cooperative movement is to unite everyone, even while remaining anonymous. He said that Shri Inamdar had imbibed this principle, and his life is a source of inspiration.

The Prime Minister spoke of the goals such doubling farmers’ income by 2022, and balanced development in rural and urban areas. He said the cooperative movement can play a key role in the achievement of these objectives.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of preserving the “spirit” in the cooperative movement, which he said is still largely intact in the rural areas. He reiterated Shri Inamdar’s mantra of “Bina Sanskar, Nahin Sahkar.”

The Prime Minister said that today, the farmer buys in retail, but sells in wholesale. He said the process needs to be reversed, to eliminate middlemen and help raise incomes. Giving the example of dairy cooperatives, he said that the cooperative movement has the capacity to solve people’s problems. He added that the cooperative movement is in sync with the nature of Indian society. The Prime Minister mentioned neem coating of urea, bee keeping, and sea-weed cultivation, as areas where the cooperative movement could contribute significantly.

The Prime Minister released two books: one on Shri Laxmanrao Inamdar, and one titled “Nine Gems of Indian Cooperative Movement.” He also gave away awards for cooperative excellence, on the occasion.

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