ഹരിതവിപ്ലവത്തിന്റെ പിതാവ് എം.എസ് സ്വാമിനാഥന് പ്രണാമം

 

ഇന്ത്യന്‍ ഹരിതവിപ്ലവത്തിന്റെ പിതാവ്  എം.എസ്. സ്വാമിനാഥന്‍  അന്തരിച്ചു. ചെന്നൈയിലായിരുന്നു അന്ത്യം. 98 വയസ്സായിരുന്നു.   1925 ഓഗസ്റ്റ് ഏഴിന് ജനിച്ച മങ്കൊമ്പ്  സാംബശിവന്‍ സ്വാമിനാഥന്‍ എന്ന എം.എസ്.സ്വാമിനാഥന്‍ ഇന്ത്യയില്‍ ഹരിത വിപ്ലവത്തിന് തുടക്കം കുറിച്ച കാര്‍ഷിക ശാസ്ത്രജ്ഞനാണ്. യു.എന്‍ ശാസ്‌ത്രോപദേശക സമിതി അദ്ധ്യക്ഷനായി പ്രവര്‍ത്തിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. രാജ്യം പദ്മ ഭൂഷണ്‍ നല്‍കി ആദരിച്ചു.മാഗ്‌സസെ ഉള്‍പ്പെടെ ഒട്ടേറെ അന്താരാഷ്ട പുരസ്‌ക്കാരങ്ങള്‍ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ തേടിയെത്തിയിരുന്നു.

Role in ‘Green Revolution’

The back-to-back severe drought in mid-1960s compelled the political leadership and scientific fraternity to look for solutions to overcome the “ship-to-mouth” existence when the country was dependent on foodgrains imported from the U.S. 

Dr. Swaminathan worked closely with two Union Agriculture Ministers, C. Subramaniam (1964-67) and Jagjivan Ram (1967-70 & 1974-77) for the success of the ‘Green Revolution,’ a programme that paved the way for quantum jump in productivity and production of wheat and rice through adaptation of chemical-biological technology. The discovery of Norman Bourlag, a celebrated American farm scientist and 1970 Nobel Laureate, on wheat had played a huge role in this regard.

Awards and recognitions

Dr. Swaminathan, who was a recipient of the Padma Shri in 1967, was chosen for the Ramon Magsaysay award for community leadership in 1971. He was awarded the ‘Padma Bhushan’ in January 1972.

He became Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). In 1979, he was made the Principal Secretary, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. When Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister again in 1980, he was appointed Member (Agriculture, Rural Development, Science and Education), Union Planning Commission, and, for a few months, he served as the Deputy Chairman of the body.

Between 1982 and 1988, he headed the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines. By the time he returned to India in 1988, he had received many more awards and honours, both in India and outside. In 1987, he became the first to get the World Food Prize and the first foreigner to receive the Golden Heart Presidential Award of Philippines. Two years later, he was conferred with Padma Vibushan.

Immediately after returning to India in 1988, the veteran agriculture scientist established a not-for-profit trust — MSSRF — with the proceeds he got from the Food Prize. The Foundation, which began functioning in Chennai since 1989, aims to accelerate use of modern science and technology for agricultural and rural development to improve lives and livelihoods of communities.

In November 2004, the Union government made Dr. Swaminathan chairman of the National Commission on Farmers. Popularly known as the Swaminathan Commission, the panel submitted five reports in two years to the Centre. Its main recommendation was that minimum support price should be at least 50% more than the weighted average cost of production.