Born in the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, MS Swaminathan was moved by Bengal famine of 1943 and decided to pursue agriculture researchTAMIL literature calls hunger a formidable enemy that must be trounced. Poet Bharathiyar said the whole world must be destroyed even if one individual is denied food. Professor MS Swaminathan, fondly called MS, epitomised these ideals.
Born to MK Sambasivan, a surgeon, and Parvati Thangammal in Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu on August 7, 1925, Swaminathan's upbringing was rooted in social service. Both his parents were nationalists and staunch followers of Mahatma Gandhi. MS's father built a hospital in Kumbakonam to serve the poor and helped control lymphatic filariasis caused by mosquitoes when he was elected chairman of the municipality.
Though he was born in the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, Swaminathan's motivation to pursue agricultural research came from Bengal. He was greatly impacted by the death and destruction caused by the Bengal famine of 1943 and decided to pursue agriculture research after completing his undergraduation in Zoology in Travancore.
Though he got a medical seat and his family wanted him to continue his father's legacy, he joined the agriculture college in Coimbatore.
This story is from the September 29, 2023 edition of The New Indian Express.
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This story is from the September 29, 2023 edition of The New Indian Express.
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