ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE PROVINCIAL COOPERATIVE UNION(TNCU)

Formation of Local Unions:

The formation of the Provincial Cooperative Union was preceded by the formation of Local Supervising Unions. In February, 1909, at a District Conference held at Conjeevaram, the then Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Mr.R.Ramachandra Rao, read a paper on “UNIONS”. That paper was translated and circulated to all societies then existing and after consulting the societies concerned, at the Second District Conference held in January, 1910 the Registrar sent a proposal on the 12th April 1910 for registration of Local Supervising Union. As the Act ehen in force did not contemplate the formation of a Union, special permission of the Government was necessary for its registration and such a special permission was given and thus Uttiramallur Union was borught into existence. Upto the end of October, 1912 only three other unions were registered, those at Kilacheri, Madurantakam and Vijayamangalan and Mr.Ramachandra Rao’s successor states in his report for the year ending 30th June of 1913, that though he received many applications for registration of Unions, he was of opinion that “it may not be amiss to wait for a few months longer before proceeding with the registration of unions. Because the matter was of so much importance and at every turn was closely bound up with the fee question”. By the end of the Cooperative year 1913-1914 there were eight such unions, seven of them being local supervising unions, as they are at present, and the eighth was the Madras Provincial Cooperative Union.

Registration of the Provincial Cooperative Union

It was on the 4th Junuary, 1914 two years after the passing of the Act of II, 1912 that made registration of non-credit societies possible, that the Madras Provincial Cooperative Union was registered as a Cooperative Society on the basis of limited Liability. The objects with which the Union was started were declared to be.

“To propagate the principles of cooperation, to organize cooperative societies, to watch over their interests and to do all that may be necessary for placing the cooperative movement on an efficient basis in the Madras Presidency”

Thirteen prominent Cooperative of the Province signed the orginal application for registration but at the very first meeting held on the date of registration i.e. on 4th of January, 1914 fiftysix new members were admitted. The honour of being the foundation members belongs to the first 13 but the 56 enthusiasts who joined on the very first day of its officials existence deserve also to be considered as orginal members.

“Who is who” among the Foundation Members

1. Sri Dewan Bahadur P.Rajaratna Mudaliar – Retired Inspector General of Registration was 73 years old even at the day of registration. He was a highly respected citizen of Chintadripet, Madras.
2. Sri Dewan Bahadur M.Adinarayana Iyah – He also was a retired officer at that time, having served in Government in many capacities. He retired as Secretary to the Board of Revenue.
3. Sri Prof.K.B.Ramanatha Iyer – He was at that time Professor of English in Pachayappa’s College and was one of the foundation members of the famous Triplicane Stores.
4. Sri T.Natesa Iyer – He was a High Court Vakil residing at Triplicane.
5. Sri C.V.Krishnaswami Iyer – He was also one of the foundation members of the TUCS and was a Doctor carrying on private practice at Triplicane.
6. Sri U.Venkatappiah – He was a pleader and land holder of Tenali, Guntur District.
7. Sri T.Adinarayana Chetti – He was pioneer of the cooperative movement in the District of Salem and latter on became the President of the Salem District Urban Bank.
8. Sri K.Ramaswamy Iyer – He was a High Court Vakil practicing at Madura and a pioneer of the movement in that district. He was the Secretary of the Madura – Ramnad Central Cooperative Bank latter when it was started.
9. Sri M.Shiva Rao – Vakil and Iandholder of Puttur, South Kanara – a pioneer of the movement in his district and continues to be the leader of the movement there.
10. Sri V.S.Ramaswamy Sastri – Younger brother of the Rt.Hon.V.S.Srinivasa Sastri, Journalist, who after a long connection with the “Hindu” has just now retired.
11. Sri R.Anada Rao – A pioneer of the cooperative movement in the district of Ramnad
12. Sri O.M.Venkatanatha Iyengar – School Master and landholder of Uttiramerrur in Chengalpattu Distrct.
13. Sri C.N.Krishnaswamy Iyer School master and Secretary Coimbatore District Urban Bank at that time. He was a pioneer of the movement in his district

First Members

1. Sri L.A.Govindaraghava Iyer
2. Sri N.Krishnaswami Iyengar who latter on became the President of the Cooperative Central Bank, Kumbakonam
3. Sri S.Satyamurti
4. Sri V.C. Rangaswami Iyengar, Secretary of the Madras Provincial Cooperative Bank
5. Sri Vidyasagar Pandya (Long connected with the Indian Bank)
6. Sri Mocherla Ramachandra Rao
7. Rt.Hon.V.S.Srinivasa Sastri who was now become an International figure.
8. Sri V.Venkatasubbaiya one of the present secretaries of the Provincial Cooperative Union.
9. Sri T.R.Srinivasan Aiyengar, Retired Head Master, K.S.High School, Tanjore

According to the orginal bye-laws, the affair of the Union were to be managed by an Executive Committee consisting of the President, Vice-President and not more than 20 other members. The first President elected by the General Body was Dewan Bahadur M.Adinarayanaiah and the first elected Vice President was the Kumararaja of Chellapalli Mr. V.S.Ramaswami Sastri was the first elected Secretary of the Union. Among other 16 members elected on that occasion 8 were from the originbal signatories and 8 other from the newly admitted members.

The Provincial Cooperative Union which was thus ushered into existence did not, evidently. Loom large in the estimation of the then Registrar who refers to the Union as follows in his annual report for the year 1913-1914.

“A Provincial Union was also registered in the course of the year as society No.1130; but beyond forwarding a few applications for societies, it did no works and does not appear to have collected any considerable portion of the endowment fund contemplated by its by-laws”

Brief history of the provincial cooperative union

The history of the Union during the 25 years of its existence roughly divides itself into two periods of equal length, each marked by its own characteristics. During the first period 1914 to 1927 the Union was just feeling its way. It had to depend on the meager share capital collected from members individuals and societies and on the irregular subscription of the Bulletin published by it. Financially it was poor and it was not in a position to undertake many lines of activities. It confined itself mostly to the publication of the Bulletin and the holding of the Provincial Conferences, besides sending its representatives to District Conferences or deputing some agents for propaganda in the districts. In the latter period when the Madras Provincial Cooperative Bank began to give annual contribution for education and propaganda undertaken by the Provincial Cooperative Union and for the strengthening of the staff of the Union over and above giving special grants for the running of Rural Reconstruction Centres and for the conduct of Training Classes for Panchayatdars and Members, the Union began to extend its activities in very many ways. The members of its Board of Management and Executive Committee began to tour far more extensively than before and did effective propaganda. The Provincial Cooperative Union does its work at present by means of a few standing committees and on the whole it wields more influence and has come to be regarded to be the mouth-piece of the non official cooperative opinion of the Province.