By Reena Singh
Some lives are so deeply intertwined with the history of a nation that to tell their story is to tell the story of the country itself. The Man Who Fed India by Priyambada Jayakumar captures one such life, that of MS Swaminathan. The revolutionary scientist believed that science is a form of service and a way to heal the wounds of hunger that he witnessed during the Bengal Famine of 1943—an experience that planted the seeds of his lifelong mission to ensure that no one in his country would ever go hungry again.
As a child, watching his uncles fret over the shifting prices of crops and unpredictable monsoon, he learned that agriculture was not merely about planting and harvesting but about integrated aspects within agriculture. These early observations would later blossom into his advocacy for more sustainable and inclusive farming practices, as well as his commitment to recognising the labour of women in agriculture.
One of the most compelling parts of the book is Jayakumar’s account of Swaminathan’s groundbreaking research on wheat and his partnership with American biologist Norman Borlaug. Swaminathan had thrown himself completely into the study of wheat varieties, trying to replicate gene transfer methods that had worked with rice. His relentless experiments, from genetic trials and radiation based techniques, taught him that science alone could not solve hunger. It needed collaboration and a shared purpose, so he invited Borlaug to India. The two scientists embarked on a journey across rural landscapes, speaking directly to farmers and observing their challenges firsthand.
When the time finally came to introduce the new seeds, Swaminathan and his team took to the villages themselves. They demonstrated the wheat’s potential to farmers who were hesitant to trust yet another promise of prosperity. After patient persuasion, some farmers agreed to experiment with the seeds. The results were astonishing. Yields multiplied, and families who had long survived on subsistence farming began to glimpse the possibility of surplus and stability. Swaminathan’s openness to local feedback led to the creation of a variety that was both resilient and culturally rooted, which became emblematic of his ‘land-to-lab’ analogy.
Jayakumar also gives attention to Swaminathan’s ethical clarity. In a time when science can easily be driven by ambition or politics, he stood for something quieter but more enduring, which is the belief that knowledge should serve people, not profit. The book acknowledges his critics too. It explores the unintended effects of the Green Revolution: soil exhaustion, the ecological costs of chemical fertilisers, and the widening gap between rich and poor farmers. Yet what keeps the narrative honest is how Swaminathan himself grappled with these issues. Jayakumar portrays him not as someone defensive about his legacy but as a man always willing to rethink and learn.
The structure of the book feels organic, more like a conversation than a timeline. Each chapter offers a balance of information and emotion, moving easily between personal anecdotes and national developments. Jayakumar frames Swaminathan as a man guided by knowledge, curiosity and a profound sense of duty. The Green Revolution, so often reduced to statistics and policy, feels personal and alive here. We follow a young scientist through muddy fields, listening to farmers and carrying the burden of every failed crop. It is in these moments that the science feels human, and the story, unforgettable.
Through Swaminathan’s story, Jayakumar also reflects on the evolution of India itself. The reader witnesses a country emerging from colonial shadows, struggling with scarcity, and learning to believe in self-sufficiency. The Green Revolution transformed India’s relationship with food, with science, and with its own sense of possibility. Revolutions are sometimes not born in noise but in patient dedication. The book stands as both an ode to one man and an invitation to understand that every grain carries within it a story of vision, struggle and grace. In Priyambada Jayakumar’s hands, MS Swaminathan’s life becomes more than a biography. It tells us how one person’s conviction can nourish a nation, and on how compassion, when cultivated with courage, can change the course of history.
