The Forgotten past

Today I saw the news about death of Norman Borlaug, who is considered “Father of Green revolution” and was awarded Nobel Prize for world peace through increasing food productivity. He is so much associated with our recent past. As an agriculture university graduate, I had just read about him and his work, which was part of curriculum. Never tried to realize actual impact …..But now, I understand his contribution and how it has shaped our modern day world. Borlaug, is a scientist who led the world to a different direction by creating high yielding wheat varieties. His hypothesis was, by increasing the productivity of the land, we could decrease deforestation and keep the virgin land safe. Even though, later he received a lot of criticism for promoting exponential use of fertilizers, decreased soil health and farmer’s dependence on multinational companies, 40 years ago, he was the one who saved millions of people from dying out of starvation. Especially South Asia (India, Pakistan and China) benefitted to a great extent from his work.

Our generation has hardly seen and suffered “hunger”. But our parents’s generation has been a witness to wars, famine and hunger. Post Independence and post war, India was experiencing widespread famine and starvation, and literally living “ship-to-mouth” situation by depending on the tons of grains sent by US. Roti, Kapda aur Makaan was highest priority. There was widespread speculation that India would be divided into as many as 20 mini countries and it will become a failed state. Our population was growing at an alarming rate and food production was unable to meet the growing demand falling prey to Malthusian theory (prediction of widespread poverty and starvation if population grows at a much faster rate than food production). Sanjay Gandhi who believed in Malthusian economics, even went for forcible sterilization drive during emergency to curb the population growth !!!

During that dark period, it was Borlaug and MS Swaminathan (Father of Indian Green revolution), who made us self-sustainable in food production. During 1965, when war was on with Pakistan, Borlaug’s group even conducted field trials amidst artillery fires. That year our yield of wheat was higher than any of our previous harvests and we actually suffered shortage of jute bags, labors, bullock carts to carry the harvest and in some places they even had to temporarily convert schools to godowns J .

Borlaug speculated on his award that, when Nobel Peace Prize Committee selected him for the award for his contribution to the ‘green revolution”, they were in fact selecting an individual to symbolize the vital role of agriculture for world peace. How true !!! In a country, where more than 70% of population is involved in agriculture, the award is a tribute to agriculture and farmers.