Towards Co-operative Movement

Wahengbam Angou, Minister Co-operation, visiting

 bakery unit of a PACS at Malom

The co-operative movement in Manipur was started in the year 1935. Laikhuram Khagendrajit and his party started pressure for a consumer co-operative society with fair price shops to ameliorate the problems of the poor. The then Maharaja, Churachand Singh, put six people including Khagendrajit under judicial custody for six months. After their release, the Indian Co-operative Societies Act 1912 was introduced and extended in the state and in1938 a co-operative bank was registered.

An interim council with seven members in cabinet rank was constituted. Model byelaws drafted and societies like Merchants’ Co-operative Association, Manipur Drivers’ Union, Manipur Agrarian Co-operative Society were established. In 1950 the Assam Co-operative Societies Act 1949 was extended in the state. On May 29, 1951 a big conference was held and resultantly Manipur Co-operative Union was formed. In 1952 four advisers to the chief commissioner were appointed and Krishnamohan was included as development and co-operative in-charge. Afterwards the Manipur State Co-operative Bank, Manipur Apex Co-operative Marketing Society Ltd, Apex Handloom etc. were established.

Sanjenbam Nodiachand was the first registrar of co-operative societies. In 1976 Manipur Co-operative Societies Act was introduced. The registrar and the officers under him were empowered to exercise the provisions of the Act and Rules in organising, registering, supervising, inspecting and auditing the co-operatives. Voluntary organisations for charity, sports, science & technology, arts & culture, women & children and rural development were registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860. Agricultural credit, consumer, livestock, thrift & credit, pisciculture, labour etc were some of the areas for which co-operatives were being worked out.

Main emphasis was given on agricultural credits with financial assistance from NABARD and NCDC. Agro-custom hiring service centres have been opened by providing tractors, power tillers, pump- sets, fertilizers, HYV seeds to member farmers. Godowns with attached tractor garages were constructed for gram panchayat level primary agricultural credit co-operatives (PACS). Integrated Co-operative Development Projects (ICDP) was started and three districts have so far been covered by this. A co-operative training college under the national council for co-operative training (NCCT) New Delhi has been started at Lamphelpat for three states namely Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. Intermediate level officers of co-operative department are being trained here.

Wahengbam Angou, the minister for co-operation, was closely associated with Manipur State Co-operative Union as its president. The contributions of Thounaojam Chaoba, popularly known as Utlou Chaoba, towards the movement are wide and galore. Persons like RK Irabot, Nimaimacha Singh are popular figures in present day co-operative movement. The pace may be slow but it is steady.

Konjengbam Kameshore

(Courtesy: North East Sun, July 31 – Aug 6, 1993)

The Best Co-operator

RAJKUMAR IRABOT SINGH

 

 RK Irabot speaking at a function

The concept of co-operative is working together or helping each other for a common goal. This is the idea that got struck in the heart of Rajkumar Irabot Singh. He relentlessly fought for it and recognising his tireless efforts and contributions towards the movement, the state Co-operative Department with Manipur State Co-operative Union (MSCU) recently bestowed on him the prestigious ‘Best Co-operator Award’.

Born on December 13, 1912 at Ningthoukhong, eighty-three long years have since rolled on. The period has witnessed many ups and downs in his life. In 1938 he joined Nikhil Manipuri Hindu Mahasabha and thereafter joined the Congress party. The founder president of the Moirang Large Size Co-operative Society Ltd., Shri Irabot is related to other social works also like organization of schools/colleges etc. In 1963, he became a Member of Legislative Assembly.

In 1985 he became the vice-chairman of Planning and Development Authority (PDA). The year 1992 saw him as a council member of the prestigious National Co-operative Union of India (NCUI), New Delhi. In 1993 he was appointed the chairman of the Institute of Co-operative Management (ICM), Imphal. The ICM is one of the eighteen such institutions in the country under the tutelage of National Council for Co-operative Training (NCCT), New Delhi controlled by the NCUI of the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operation, Government of India.

He donated a piece of his own land for construction of a primary agricultural credit co-operative society (PACS). The Associated Progressive Gram Panchayat Level Multipurpose Co-operative Society Ltd., Ningthoukhong, is now thriving well on the said patta land. He has been closely connected with the PACS for the last several years in various capacities.

Bishnupur District Supply & Marketing Co-operative, Manipur State Co-operative Union, Manipur Apex Co-operative Marketing Society Ltd etc., are some prominent organizations with which this grand old man of co-operative movement is associated with. Besides them he became the chairman of C.I. College, Bishnupur and Mangolnganbi College, Ningthoukhong in 1971 and 1980 respectively.

In spite of his being an active social worker and   co-operator he has his share of critics also who do not miss a chance to pass scathing remarks on him. They used to label him sobriquets ranging from ‘co-operative baron’ to ‘drum major of a comic opera’ etc. But the simplicity and integrity of this man who literally begged to survive during a sojourn at Silchar in Assam is such that he swallowed the remarks without a pinch of salt. Clad in snow-white dhoti and kurta, this old man of the co-operative sea is not losing his sense of wits.

Konjengbam Kameshore

(Courtesy: North East Sun, New Delhi, February 15-29, 1996)