'Was Committed To Farmers' Welfare Till The End': Soumya Swaminathan On Father MS Swaminathan's Demise

Daughter of MS Swaminathan, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has said that her father was committed to welfare of farmers and the poorest in society tll the very end.

Legendary scientist and father of India's Green Revolution, MS Swaminathan on Thursday breathed his last in his Chennai home. His daughter and former Deputy Director General at the WHO Soumya Swaminathan said that the veteran agriculture science expert was not keeping well for the last few days. She said that Swaminathan was committed to the welfare of farmers and the upliftment of the poor till the end. Remembering her father's contribution, she expressed hope of continuing his legacy along with his two sisters.

"...He was not keeping well for the last few days... His end came very peacefully this morning... Till the end, he was committed to the farmers' welfare and to the upliftment of the poorest in society. On behalf of the family, I would like to thank everyone who has expressed their wishes... I hope that the three of us daughters will continue the legacy that my father and my mother, Mina Swaminathan, have shown us..." Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist said.

Recalling her father's work towards empowering women, she said he was one of the few people who recognised that women are neglected in agriculture.

"... He had taken a lot of initiatives to promote women's empowerment... His ideas have led to programs like the Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana, meant to support women farmers. When he was a member of the Sixth Planning Commission, for the first time, there was a chapter on gender and environment included... These are the two contributions of which he was very proud..." she said.

The visionary Indian agronomist passed away due to age-related ailments at the age of 98 years in Chennai. He was born in Kumbakonam on August 7, 1925. He was the second son of surgeon MK Sambasivan and Parvati Thangammal from Alappuzha in Kerala. He was known for being the main architect of the Green Revolution in India. Swaminathan was called "The Father of Economic Ecology" by the United Nations Environment Programme. Mankombu

Sambasivan Swaminathan is survived by three daughters - Soumya Swaminathan who served as chief scientist at the World Health Organization, Madhura Swaminathan and Nitya Rao. His wife Mina passed away in 2022.