Cannot Treat 'Annadatas' Like Criminals: Bharat Ratna Awardee MS Swaminathan's Daughter

Madhura Swaminathan, daughter of agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, has said that the farmers cannot be treated like criminals.

She was speaking at a function at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). The event was held to celebrate the conferment of the Bharat Ratna to her late father.

"The farmers of Punjab today are marching to Delhi. I believe, according to the newspaper reports, there are jails being prepared for them in Haryana, there are barricades, there are all kinds of things being done to prevent them. These are farmers, they are not criminals. I request all of you, the leading scientists of India, we have to talk to our annadatas, we cannot treat them as criminals. We have to find solutions. This is my request. I think if we have to continue and honour M S Swaminathan we have to take the farmers with us in whatever strategy we're planning for the future," The Indian Express quoted her as saying at the memorial lecture at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).

She is the head of the Economic Analysis Unit at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bengaluru. She took part in the event through video conferencing.

The farmers have started a march to Delhi to press for their demands, including the implementation of a law to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The protesting farmers' groups are largely from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO and other daughter of M S Swaminathan, highlighted her father's approach to research. She noted that he consistently employed a blend of participatory and anticipatory research methodologies, involving those who would be directly impacted by his studies. Moreover, he had a proactive stance, foreseeing potential future challenges and proactively seeking solutions for them.

Last week, the Centre's decision to award Bharat Ratna to globally renowned plant geneticist was welcomed by Dr Soumya Swaminathan who said that while her father would have been happy with the recognition, he never worked for awards.