Swaminathan seeks Padma award for farmer

Expressing disappointment over Padma awards, agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan said on Saturday that though 130 personalities from different fields were named recipients of the country's highest civilian award, none were from the farming community.

Expressing disappointment over Padma awards, agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan said on Saturday that though 130 personalities from different fields were named recipients of the country's highest civilian award, none were from the farming community.

HT Image

"Not including any one from the farming community is as good as ignoring 70 per cent of the country's population," Swaminathan said while addressing a workshop on Effective Community Management of Bio-diversity in an Era of Climate Change here.

"A farmer should feel pride in being in agriculture if given a Padma 'samman'," he said.

He also said that he had regard for the people in music and cricket.