M.S. Swaminathan with Norman Borlaug
“To those who are hungry, God is bread” – Mahatma Gandhi’s
words during Bengal Famine during 1946 inspired young patriotic Swaminathan to
change his directions of interest from medical to agricultural research.
M.S. Swaminathan is popularly known as the Indian father of
green revolution. Defeating predictions like "Indians will die of hunger by 1970"during
1960’s, Swaminathan increased our wheat production from 10 Million Tons to 17
million tons during 1963 and 1968. His insights of plant genome and plant
architecture changed our farming and fed millions of hungry Indians.
A man of his character still serves our nation with the same
excitement and force. During the period of 1996 to 2010 India has experienced
the highest farmer suicides allegedly due to genetically modified varieties and
failure of ecosystem by the government. His reports with details of how to
address the biggest problem/Solution of India ‘Farming’, has been completely ignored.
A link to the last NCF report.
Apart from his expertise in developing specific variety of high
yielding seeds he also has a great understanding of government programs and its
effective channeling mechanisms. He always focuses on very poor farmer and
women empowerment, believing that they are the core influencers for change in
the society. He is worried of Farming as a profession and a way of life, as no
one these days want to do it. Also believes that the true genuine majorities of
India, Poor and the youth should not be ignored but guided to create a great
nation.
Concluding by his own words, “Future belongs to nations with
grains, not guns”.
Picture above shows both M.S. Swaminathan and Norman Borlaug
(Global Father of green revolution) together in one frame.
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