JAMMU: Jammu & Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Vice President Devyani Rana today underscored the transformative potential of the cooperative movement, describing it as a cornerstone for revitalizing rural economies and empowering agrarian communities.
Addressing progressive farmers of Block Mathwar during an awareness programme on Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) under the Central Sector Scheme, Ms. Rana said cooperatives serve as catalysts for collective progress and enduring prosperity.
“Cooperatives epitomize shared advancement. They unite individuals, consolidate resources, and turn challenges into opportunities,” she stated. “They foster equity and inclusion, ensuring that development becomes a universal right, not an exclusive privilege.”
Ms. Rana observed that in recent years, the cooperative sector has received unprecedented institutional and policy support from the national leadership. This renewed focus, she added, has enabled grassroots organizations to emerge as engines of entrepreneurship, self-reliance, and sustainable livelihoods.
Invoking the guiding philosophy of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’, she emphasized: “True progress is never the work of solitary endeavor. It is forged in solidarity, sustained by trust, and animated by collective responsibility.”
Reflecting on past challenges, she noted that political exploitation of cooperatives in earlier decades had eroded public trust. “Yet today,” she affirmed, “we witness a renaissance of the cooperative movement, reimagined as a credible instrument of empowerment and socio-economic mobility.”
On a personal note, Rana paid homage to her late father, Devender Singh Rana, recalling his pivotal role in laying the institutional foundations for farmer empowerment in Mathwar, including the registration of The Mathwar Farmer Producer Organisation Cooperative Limited. “His vision was clear—that genuine progress must emerge from those who till our soil and sustain our nation. I pledge to carry forward that vision with fidelity and resolve,” she said.
The programme also featured an address by Vikrant Dogra, Chairman of Unati Agri Allied and Marketing Multi-State Cooperative Society Ltd. and Chairman & CEO of the J&K Dairy Cooperative Federation Ltd. He stressed the need to strengthen farmers’ collectives for better market linkages, enhanced incomes, and sustainable rural growth.
Organized under the Central Sector Scheme, the event was convened by the J&K Dairy Cooperative Federation Limited (JKDCF), empanelled as a Cluster Based Business Organization (CBBO) with the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
The day began with floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries, reaffirming their legacy of self-reliance, dignity of labour, and rural upliftment.
