There are many leaders who speak for farmers. There are also many who make promises about resolving farmers’ problems. But only a few dedicate their lives to understanding the hardships of farmers and finding solutions to their struggles.
Among such remarkable personalities are M.S. Swaminathan, the eminent scientist who transformed Indian agriculture through science, and Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), the popular leader who considered the tears of farmers his own and used political power as a tool for welfare.
They did not work together. They did not belong to the same field. One was a scientist, while the other was a political leader. Yet, their ultimate objective was the same—farmers must survive, agriculture must remain strong, and farmers must live with dignity.
When the lives and contributions of these two farmer-friendly personalities are viewed together, they represent two great forces that stood by farmers—science on one side and welfare-oriented governance on the other.
Farmers’ Friends: Swaminathan and YSR
M.S. Swaminathan: The Father of the Green Revolution
The name of M.S. Swaminathan holds a permanent place in the history of Indian agriculture. He is widely recognised as the Father of the Green Revolution in India.
At one point, India faced a severe food shortage. The country had to depend on food assistance from abroad, particularly from the United States. Through programmes such as PL-480, India was forced to rely on imported food grains to meet its requirements. The country urgently needed to overcome this dependence and achieve food security.
It was during this period that Swaminathan, through his scientific expertise, research, dedication and vision, gave Indian agriculture a new direction.
The introduction of high-yielding varieties, modern agricultural technologies and scientific farming methods helped increase food-grain production in the country. Swaminathan’s contribution was crucial in taking India from a period of food scarcity towards food security.
But this raised another important question.
Production increased. Crops became more productive. But why did the lives of farmers not improve to the same extent?
Higher Yields, But Farmers’ Hardships Continued
As agricultural production increased, farmers’ input costs also rose. Seeds, fertilisers, water, labour, electricity and other expenses placed an increasing financial burden on farmers.
Even when a crop produced a good yield, a farmer could still suffer losses if the produce did not fetch a fair price in the market.
Increasing productivity is one challenge; ensuring that farmers receive a remunerative price for that produce is another.
As a scientist, Swaminathan showed the way to improve agricultural productivity. But transforming the lives of farmers completely required more than scientific innovation. It also required political will, commitment to people and effective government policies.
That is where the role of YSR comes into the picture.
YSR: A Leader Who Understood the Pain of Farmers
Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy did not view farmers merely as a vote bank.
He emerged as a leader who understood the difficulties faced by farming families and worked towards comprehensive solutions to their problems.
When YSR assumed office as Chief Minister in 2004, rural life was not unfamiliar to him. His nearly three-and-a-half decades of public life had given him extensive experience of villages, farmers and people’s problems.
From his days as a doctor in Kadapa to his election to the Legislative Assembly in 1978 and his subsequent political journey as a public representative, YSR developed a close connection with ordinary people.
Whether in the Assembly or Parliament, he continued to understand and raise public issues.
However, one of the most significant turning points in YSR’s political journey was his 2003 padayatra.
1,500-Km Padayatra: Witnessing Farmers’ Struggles First-Hand
In 2003, YSR undertook a padayatra of around 1,500 kilometres, travelling from Vikarabad in Rangareddy district to Srikakulam.
It was not merely a political journey.
He entered villages, visited fields, met farmers, listened to their tears and witnessed their problems first-hand.
What did farmers want?
They wanted water.
They needed loans at low interest rates.
They wanted quality seeds.
They needed timely rainfall.
They wanted remunerative prices for their crops.
They wanted the government to stand by them when crops failed.
They needed health security for their families.
After witnessing these problems during his padayatra, YSR, after coming to power, sought to address them through a series of government measures and welfare initiatives.
Farmers’ Problems Were Not One-Dimensional Neither Were YSR’s Solutions
A farmer may have access to good-quality seeds but lack water.
There may be water, but affordable credit may not be available.
There may be credit, but the rains may fail.
Even when everything goes well, the farmer may not receive a fair price in the market.
A good harvest may still leave a farmer struggling to repay debts.
YSR understood that farmers’ problems were interconnected.
That is why his approach to farmer welfare was not restricted to a single scheme. He focused on a broader framework involving water, electricity, credit, healthcare and agriculture, bringing different aspects of rural welfare together.
YSR’s Efforts to Reduce Farmers’ Debt Burden
Soon after coming to power, YSR strongly highlighted the need to reduce the debt burden on farmers.
He put pressure on the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led Central Government and played an important role in creating momentum for agricultural loan relief.
The subsequent farm loan waiver scheme announced by the Central Government provided relief to millions of farmers.
The development also highlighted the need to view farmers’ problems not merely as a state-level issue, but as a nationwide concern requiring national-level intervention.
Jalayagnam: A Grand Mission to Bring Water to Farmers’ Fields
Farmers need water to survive.
YSR transformed this basic truth into one of the central priorities of his administration.
Under Jalayagnam, his government initiated a large number of irrigation projects across the state.
It was undoubtedly an expensive programme. But YSR believed that without water reaching farmers’ fields, even the greatest investment would be of little use.
Improved irrigation facilities could expand cultivated land, increase agricultural production, raise farmers’ incomes and strengthen the rural economy.
That is why Jalayagnam was not merely a programme for building irrigation projects—it was an investment in the future of farmers.
Free Power: Removing Another Burden from Farmers
One of the key decisions taken by YSR soon after assuming office was the provision of free electricity for agriculture.
The decision was implemented in May 2004.
The government took responsibility for ensuring that electricity costs did not become an additional financial burden on farmers.
YSR’s approach was simple: a farmer is using electricity to grow crops and should not have to take another loan simply to pay for that electricity.
The decision reflected his clear focus on farmer welfare.
Health Security for Farmers and Their Families
A farmer can continue farming only when he or she is healthy.
Health security is essential to ensure that a medical emergency does not push a farming family deeper into debt.
That is why the YSR government gave importance to policies aimed at providing health protection to poor families, including farmers.
The idea behind YSR’s welfare approach was not merely to protect the crop in the farmer’s field, but also to protect the future of the farmer’s family.
Swaminathan’s Science and YSR’s Welfare Governance
This is where the fundamental connection between Swaminathan and YSR becomes visible.
They did not work together.
They did not belong to the same profession.
Their paths were entirely different.
But their destination was the same farmer welfare.
Swaminathan worked through science, research and technology to improve agricultural productivity.
YSR worked through political will, government policies and welfare programmes to reduce the burdens faced by farmers.
One laid the scientific foundations for agricultural progress.
The other sought to provide government support to make farming more sustainable and beneficial for farmers.
One explored ways to increase crop productivity.
The other worked towards reducing farmers’ costs and providing greater security to farming families.
Together, these two approaches represent a more comprehensive vision of farmer welfare.
The ‘Evergreen Revolution’: A Reflection of Swaminathan’s Vision
Swaminathan believed that the Green Revolution should not end with a single phase of agricultural development.
Agricultural progress, he argued, needed to continue while protecting natural resources and increasing productivity in a sustainable manner.
This led to his vision of an ‘Evergreen Revolution’.
Crop yields must increase.
At the same time, the quality of farmers’ lives must improve.
Agriculture must become economically viable.
Farmers must receive remunerative prices.
Farmers must not be trapped under an unbearable burden of debt.
That is the true meaning of agricultural development.
Science on One Side, Governance on the Other
It is difficult to imagine the progress of modern Indian agriculture without the path shown by Swaminathan.
At the same time, farmer welfare cannot be achieved through scientific progress alone without political leadership such as that provided by leaders like YSR.
The reason is simple.
A farmer’s problems cannot be solved only in a laboratory.
They must also be addressed through governance and public policy.
A scientist can develop better seeds.
But who will provide irrigation?
Who will reduce the debt burden?
Who will provide electricity?
Who will ensure health security?
Who will ensure that the government stands by the farmer?
That is where the role of political leadership begins.
YSR sought to play that role.
Why the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Award 2026 Holds Special Significance
Against this backdrop, conferring the ‘Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Award–2026’ on the M.S. Swaminathan Foundation is a particularly fitting honour.
Giving an award in the name of YSR, who dedicated his political life to farmer welfare, to an organisation carrying forward the legacy of Swaminathan, who devoted his life to agriculture, represents more than just a recognition.
It is a tribute to two great streams of thought and action dedicated to the welfare of farmers.
The significance of the occasion is further enhanced by the fact that the award is being received by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, daughter of M.S. Swaminathan.
Honouring the legacy of one farmer’s friend in the name of another farmer’s friend symbolically represents the connection between the visions of Swaminathan and YSR in the pursuit of farmer welfare.
When Farmers Prosper, the Nation Prospers
Swaminathan fought for farmers through science.
YSR fought for farmers through governance.
One laid the foundation for the Green Revolution.
The other laid a political foundation for farmer welfare.
One showed the way to increase agricultural productivity.
The other sought to build a government that could reduce the burdens carried by farmers.
Although they never worked together, their contributions to the farming community appear to complement each other.
That is why the names of Swaminathan and YSR occupy a special place in the history of farmer welfare.
Swaminathan was the scientist who thought for farmers; YSR was the leader who governed with farmers in mind.
Their paths were different. Their fields were different. But their destination was the same farmer welfare.
Therefore, the conferment of the ‘Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Award–2026’ on the M.S. Swaminathan Foundation stands as a fitting tribute to the services of two great personalities who dedicated themselves to the welfare of farmers.
