In recent times, the administration spearheaded by Narendra Modi accorded due recognition to the eminent agronomist, the late Prof M S Swaminathan, by bestowing upon him the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honor in the country, acknowledging his profound contributions to the agricultural domain.
Nevertheless, Soumya Swaminathan, his daughter, expressed a sentiment of greater satisfaction had this esteemed accolade been conferred upon her departed father half a year or a full year prior. The demise of MS Swaminathan occurred on September 28, 2023, in Chennai, marking the end of a remarkable journey at the venerable age of 98.
Speaking at a function where the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) commemorated the posthumous Bharat Ratna presentation to MS Swaminathan via video conferencing, Soumya Swaminathan articulated, “When prompted for my immediate reactions, you comprehend, on the day he received the Bharat Ratna, undoubtedly, for my sisters and me, it would have constituted a far more jubilant moment…”
“A substantially more joyous moment had it unfolded, say, six months or a year earlier. Consequently, we could not… that encapsulates our sentiment… evidently, as we would have witnessed him basking in the joy that engulfs us today with this proclamation. However, my response conveyed to the media explicitly emphasized that he neither anticipated nor sought awards and honors. They naturally accrued to him, of course,” Soumya added.
The late agronomist’s daughter elucidated that her father “received numerous accolades from diverse corners of the globe.”
“Yet, his focus remained unwavering on a mission, and his contentment emanated from witnessing tangible outcomes on the ground, be it in the formulation of policies or the enactment of laws, the establishment of a National Institute, or the direct impact on the lives of farming families.”
“So, I believe those were the true rewards, and he would have been immensely elated that the nation acknowledged him with the Bharat Ratna. I am confident that, you know, he resides in a state of serene satisfaction wherever he is,” she added.
Notably, senior journalist N Ram underscored that MS Swaminathan attained global eminence through instrumental contributions that averted a catastrophic global famine during his tenure as the head of the International Rice Institute. Ram opined that the Bharat Ratna should have been bestowed upon him during his lifetime.
Besides MS Swaminathan, the government also declared Bharat Ratna for the late Karpoori Thakur, former Chief Minister of Bihar, LK Advani, a stalwart of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and former Prime Ministers, the late Chaudhary Charan Singh and the late PV Narasimha Rao.
