Allegation of Attempt to Erase Nehru’s Legacy Through Change in Cooperative Week Dates: Alevoor Harish Kini
Udupi: Alevoor Harish Kini, President of the Udupi District Congress Publicity Committee and a senior cooperative leader, strongly opposed the recent change in the dates of Cooperative Week celebrations, describing it as an attempt to diminish former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s contributions to the cooperative movement and to nation-building.
In a statement issued here, Kini said that Nehru had accorded great importance to the cooperative sector in the early years of independent India and had consistently supported its development as a vital instrument of economic and social progress. He noted that, for nearly seven decades, Cooperative Week has traditionally been observed across the country starting on November 14, Nehru’s birth anniversary, and continuing for a week thereafter.
Kini expressed concern over the BJP-led Central Government’s decision to conduct Cooperative Week nationwide from June 26 to July 6, coinciding with the completion of five years since the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation. According to him, the revised schedule appears to be part of a deliberate attempt to detach the observance from Nehru’s legacy and to weaken public recognition of his role in promoting the cooperative movement.
He alleged that the move reflects a continuing pattern of the BJP government undermining the contributions of national leaders who played a significant role in shaping modern India. Drawing a parallel, he said the decision was similar to what he described as an earlier attempt to dilute Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy by altering the name associated with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Urging that the long-standing tradition be preserved, Kini insisted that Cooperative Week should continue to begin on November 14 every year, in keeping with its historical and symbolic significance. He said that representations have already been submitted to Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar and KPCC President B. K. Hariprasad, seeking their intervention in the matter.
Kini further appealed to the Managing Director of the Karnataka State Cooperative Federation and the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to withdraw the instructions issued to District Cooperative Unions regarding the revised observance schedule.
The issue, he said, is not merely about changing dates, but about respecting history, preserving institutional memory, and acknowledging the leaders who laid the foundation for India’s cooperative framework.