Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan in conversation with author Priyambada Jayakumar at a book launch in Chennai on Sunday. | Photo credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ
Agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan’s biography titled The Man Who Fed India was released in Chennai on Sunday.
Authored by Priyambada Jayakumar, the book traces Prof. Swaminathan’s life from his childhood in Kumbakonam and his early introduction to agriculture and his eventual association with Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug that eventually led to the Green Revolution.
It was released by actor and politician Kamal Haasan in the presence of Information Technology and Digital Services Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan.
At the launch, Ms. Jayakumar said that apart from Prof. Swaminathan’s scientific achievements, he championed the rights and livelihoods of small farmers, women in agriculture and rural communities. He often reminded the world that true progress lies not in wealth or power, but in the ability to uplift the poorest and most vulnerable.
Mr. Haasan said that even the term annadaata, the giver of food, cannot fully encompass the man or his legacy.
“Tamil Nadu knows the word Annavaasal, the gate of food. Two thousand years ago, this honor was given to Jain monks. In our age, MS Swaminathan has reclaimed it not through prayer but through science. The book is a glimpse of the man behind the legend,” he said.
“Still Relevant”
During the fireside chat after the launch, Mr. Thiaga Rajan said that Professor Swaminathan’s emphasis on self-sufficiency in food production is very relevant even today.
“The recent pandemic and global disruptions have reminded us how fragile supply chains can be and how right he was when he said national security starts with food security,” he noted.
Mr. Thiaga Rajan added that Prof. Swaminathan believed that the strength of a country can be seen in its ability to support itself and self-sufficiency is not isolation but empowerment, and his vision united agriculture, economics and social welfare in one broad, humane framework.
Published – 02 Nov 2025 22:41 IST
