M.S. Swaminathan, architect of Indian food resilience, passes away

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, September 28: India achieved resilience from the vagaries of the Monsoon rains almost a decade ago, as the country attained foodgrains productions enough to meet the requirement of the people, besides also serving the needs of the friendly countries.

Even in his late years, he was the man to be consulted by the governments, irrespective of the political alliances heading the dispensations. Lately, he was actively consulted by the NITI Aayog in drafting the roadmap for doubling of the farmers’ income, which was promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.

Swaminathan was the one of the architects of the Green Revolution in India, which helped the farmers in Punjab to take quantum jump in their harvest, which soon spread to other states, in the 1970s. From the time when India looked askance at the western nations for imports of the foodgrains to now when the country is at the centre stage of the food security issue of the world, stakeholders paid rich tributes to Swaminathan for his achievements.

“Professor M.S. Swaminathan was India’s eminent scientist and one of the architects of the Green Revolution in India. Prof. Swaminathan has worked closely with Dr. Norman Borlaug to ensure food security for India’s population, leaving an indelible mark on the US India partnership,” the US Embassy in India stated in a message posted on X, while underlining that “Dr. Swaminathan will always be remembered for transforming agriculture in India and for bringing the world closer to food security”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that “Dr. Swaminathan’s groundbreaking work in agriculture transformed the lives of millions and ensured food security for our nation”. “Beyond his revolutionary contributions to agriculture, Dr. Swaminathan was a powerhouse of innovation and a nurturing mentor to many. His unwavering commitment to research and mentorship has left an indelible mark on countless scientists and innovators,” added Modi.

Dr. Swaminathan made India self-sufficient in rice and wheat by the mid-70s, said former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, while adding “ he was a great institution builder, an inspiring teacher, a motivational leader, but above all, a man of the greatest humility and sobriety who allowed his achievements both in India and other parts of Asia to speak for themselves”.

“It was because of him that Indira Gandhi created the Department of Agricultural Research & Education in April 1972. Keeping in view the imperatives for ecological sustainability, he was the first to call for the Green Revolution to become what he called an EverGreen Revolution. He spent the last three decades especially propagating this cause, both in government and through the research foundation he established in Chennai,” stated Ramesh in a post on X.

The RSS also paid rich tribute to Swaminathan, with the general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale hailing “his initiative for fundamental research in the field of agriculture”. “Dr. Swaminathan, who put Bharat on the world map in foodgrain production, became an icon for the nation through his grand vision, sheer grit, and disarming humility,” added Hosbole.