New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday paid rich tributes to M S Swaminathan, describing him as the key scientific architect of the Green Revolution and hailing his contribution to the agriculture sector.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, while paying his deepest condolences on the passing away of Swaminathan, said he was the key architect of India’s Green Revolution.
“A legendary scientist and a Padma Vibhushan recipient, his unmatched contribution to the field of agricultural science and his transformative intervention in making India self-sufficient in food grains shall always be cherished,” he said in a post on X.
The United Nations Environment Programme has called him “the father of economic ecology”, a richly deserved pseudonym, he noted.
“A great institution builder, an able administrator and above all a humanitarian, his leadership as Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines earned him the World Food Prize in 1987, recognised as the Nobel or the highest honours in the field of agriculture.
“India will not only miss a great scientist but a national icon who was also instrumental in shaping a scientific temper amongst our people,” Kharge said.
Swaminathan passed away at his residence in Chennai on Thursday at the age of 98.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Swaminathan’s steadfast commitment to revolutionising India’s agriculture turned it into a food surplus country.
“His legacy as the Father of the Green Revolution will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences go out to his loved ones during this time of loss,” he posted on X.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Swaminathan made India self-sufficient in rice and wheat by the mid-70s. “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,” he said.
Ramesh said it was because of him that then prime minister Indira Gandhi created the Department of Agricultural Research and 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 noted.
He spent the last three decades especially propagating this cause, both in government and through the research foundation established by him in Chennai, Ramesh said. “He will remain an iconic figure. I was in regular touch with him and every interaction was a source of great education for me,” he said in a post on X.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said he was deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Swaminathan.
“His contribution to Indian agriculture transformed the lives of millions. We are committed to take his vision forward every opportunity we get,” he said on X. PTI SKC SMN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.