Bengaluru: The image of a man with two yellow crates of milk, and the words “From Kengeri to Whitefield, wishing everyone a Taaza (fresh) day!” printed next to it, has stirred a political war-of-words in poll-bound Karnataka.
The promotion by Gujarat-based dairy co-operative society Amul, which launched its online services to sell milk and curd online in Bengaluru Wednesday, is being projected by the Opposition parties in the state as an attempt to override local identity and regional pride, and a ploy to “finish off Nandini”— a local brand.
While Kengeri and Whitefield are a suburb and neighbourhood in Bengaluru, respectively, Taaza is the brand name of Amul’s packaged milk.
The brand’s move to expand in Karnataka, has been greeted with ‘#SaveNandini’ and ‘#Kannada’ on social media.
Though some Amul products are found in most stores and supermarkets in Karnataka, the issue gained traction after Union Home Minister Amit Shah in December last year called for more “cooperation” between the Gujarat-based cooperative and Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) while inaugurating a dairy unit of the Mandya Milk union in Karnataka.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state of being a “mute spectator”, the noise against the ruling party over the milk war has become louder since Wednesday.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, tweeted Saturday that the Amul expansion was “a BJP conspiracy”.
“BJP conspiracy to sell off Karnataka Milk Federation to Gujarat’s Amul is now clear. 1st, Mr. Amit Shah said it openly. Now, Ms. Shobha Karandlje supports it. NANDINI LOSES, AMUL GAINS, BOMMAI GOVT REMAINS ‘MUTE’ ! Save NANDINI, Vote BJP out ! (sic)”, Surjewala wrote on Twitter.
Assembly elections in Karnataka are scheduled to be held next month.
Surjewala was referring to BJP MP from Karnataka and Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje’s statement in Bengaluru Thursday, where she said, “Karnataka is a state which produces large quantities of milk. We are all people who use KMF milk and ghee. But if anyone wants to order Amul products online is their choice. But as the government, we have only promoted KMF and wish to make it bigger than Amul.”
Like Karandlaje, Dr K. Sudhakar, Karnataka’s minister for health, family welfare and medical education, addressing a press conference Saturday, said there is currently a system of global markets where anyone can sell anything in India and products from here can be sold anywhere in the world.
“Please do not limit Nandini milk only to Karnataka. We have already entered Karnataka, trying to enter Delhi. Supplying to defence forces and all the ladoos made in Thirupathi temple are made using Nandini ghee. Its (Nandini) product’s quality is a model for the entire country,” he said.
The minister added, currently, that there are 16-18 different private and other players selling milk in Karnataka and no one has been able to unseat Nandini. “That time (when all these other companies were selling milk in Karnataka), did you not think of Nandini? Does it mean Amul means BJP and Nandini mean Congress?” Sudhakar asked.
He added: “Nandini is our pride and has the power to face any competition”.
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai also took a stand on the issue Saturday. Speaking to the media, Bommai said Nandini will become the number one brand in the country, “but there must not be any politics regarding Amul.”
“Nandini products are sold in other states and all steps will be taken to overtake Amul in the competitive market,” he added.
Opposition leaders have, however, alleged a fall in milk procurement by the KMF under the BJP government.
According to data available on the KMF website, the Karnataka Milk Mahamandal (Kahama or KMF), it works with over 14,000 milk cooperative societies, 14 milk unions and procures over 84 lakh kgs of milk per day, paying Rs 17 crore to farmers on a daily basis.
ThePrint reached the president of Karnataka Milk Mahamandal and BJP legislator Balachandra Jarkiholi and BC Satish, the managing director of the Kahama, over phone for comment, but received no response till the time of publication of this report.
The political battle over Amul’s presence in Karnataka comes in the backdrop of a bitter backlash faced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in the state and Tamil Nadu over an order to label curd as “dahi” (Hindi for curd).
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Opposition claims
In a recorded message to the media Saturday, Kurubur Shanthakumar, a farmer leader, alleged the entry of private players was causing injustice to the farmers.
“Today there is provision for private dairies to operate in the state and this is causing injustice to our farmers. At least in the future, political parties should work together to regulate milk coming into the country from abroad and safeguard local farmers,” he said.
According to H.D. Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) it was the ‘third attempt’ by the central government to finish off Nandini. The first two, he pointed out in a series of tweets, were to merge the two brands (Amul and Nandini) and then trying to impose “Dahi” on all packets of curd sold by KMF.
“It is malice by Amul to disrupt Nandini, its only competitor in Karnataka. One country, one Amul, one milk, one Gujarat has become the policy of the union government. That is why they stand with Amul to strangle KMF. Now Amul is entering through the backdoor,” he said in a post Saturday.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah, leader of the opposition in the Karnataka assembly, pointed out that the KMF has witnessed a fall in procurement under Karnataka BJP.
“KMF has witnessed a fall in the procurement of milk under @BJP4Karnataka govt. Instead of usual collection of about 99 lakh litre, the collection has dropped to 71 lakh litre. Is this part of the conspiracy against KMF, @BJP4Karnataka?,” Siddaramaiah said on Twitter Friday with the #SaveNandini.
Move to dilute local identities?
The dip in milk production and FSSAI’s January directive to print ‘Dahi’ on all packets of the product marketed by the respective milk federations of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are all being portrayed together as a manifestation of the central government’s push to dilute local identities and replace it with what it believes is “nationalistic”.
Criticising the FSSAI, Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin had written on Twitter: “Unabashed insistences of Hindi imposition have come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi, relegating Tamil and Kannada in our own states(sic)”.
“Such brazen disregard to our mother tongues will make sure that those responsible are banished from the south forever,” he added.
The order has since been withdrawn.
Interestingly, Amul is not a total stranger in Kannada pop culture.
The brand’s iconic Amul girl doodle, is as well known in Karnataka as in the rest of the country.
In October, 2021, the doodle, which presents a witty take on trending news with the tagline “Utterly, butterly delicious”, paid tribute to Kannada actor, Puneeth Rajkumar, following his death. Amul had then been hailed for its touching tribute.
Incidentally, Puneeth was the brand ambassador for Nandini.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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