Doodh Doodh Doodh Doodh (Milk Days)

Today 26th November, the last Thursday of the month of November is a Thanksgiving holiday in the US. In India, we celebrate Constitution Day - the anniversary of the adoption of the Indian constitution, which came into force two months later, on Republic Day. 

Opened the newspaper this morning, and noticed that there is another designated day today. It celebrates an item of food that we cannot start our day without. Whether consumed by itself in a cup or tall glass, or in our 'cuppa' - coffee or tea, or we apply a processed form of it to our bread or toast at breakfast, or as an ingredient in our dessert, MILK is an important ingredient in our diet, whether little babies or old.

In commemoration of the birthday of the "Father of the White (read, Milk) Revolution" - Dr. Verghese Kurien, 26th November has been designated as "National Milk Day" in India. A man of great vision, he has been honoured with the Google Doodle of the day.

Dr. Verghese Kurien - in the Google Doodle

The creation of the Milk Co-operative movement pioneered by Dr. Verghese Kurien is the subject of the 1976 multi-award winning Hindi film by Shyam Benegal, financed by 500,000 milk farmers of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).

I have heard stories of interactions with this great man from my bosses and colleagues at FCB-Ulka Advertising that managed a part of the AMUL account. While I personally was not associated with the brand, the ad jingle that was worked out by my good friends at the agency still rings fresh in my mind. 

On National Milk Day, PIYO GLASSFUL DOODH