In a moment of pride for Assam’s dairy sector, one of the most respected figures of the dairy farming community, Bharat Kalita, was honoured with the Assam Gaurav Award.
The award was handed over by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at a formal ceremony in Guwahati, attended by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Secretary Dr Ravi Kota, and a host of other dignitaries.
A veteran in the field, Kalita has long been a pillar of the cooperative dairy movement, and the recognition feels like a win not just for him, but for countless farmers whose lives he has helped transform.
Kalita is a member of the management committee at West Assam Milk Producers’ Co-operative Union Ltd (WAMUL) — better known by its flagship brand Purabi Dairy – and heads the Kamdhenu Dugdha Utpadak Samabay Samiti at Nityananda, Bajali.
At the ceremony, Kalita was lauded as one of the pioneers of Assam’s “milk revolution”.
Speaking after the event, Kalita said: “This isn’t just about me. It’s about what we have all built together. It is a shared victory for every farmer who believed we could do this.” He also gave a nod to both Purabi and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for their crucial roles in shaping the region’s dairy fortunes.
NDDB Chairman Dr. Meenesh Shah, who also chairs WAMUL, called the award “richly deserved”, describing Kalita as an example of what grassroots leadership can achieve in rural India.
Sameer Kumar Parida, Managing Director at WAMUL, said: “Bajali’s dairy story simply would not be the same without him. He has pushed boundaries, got more farmers involved, and kept the momentum going.”
Long-time colleague and NEDFL Managing Director Satya Brata Bose said: “His journey has not been easy. But it has been driven by vision, grit and a deep belief in what cooperative farming can do. Young farmers in Assam look up to him — and rightly so.”
Last year, under Kalita’s leadership, the Kamdhenu society bagged the National Gopal Ratna Award for Best Dairy Cooperative in the North-East special category.
