New Delhi: The President today announced Bharat Ratna to three eminent personalities posthumously – former prime ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987), and Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004), and the agricultural scientist widely considered the father of the Indian Green Revolution, Dr Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan (7 August 1925 – 28 September 2023).
This year, when the second term of the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government comes to an end and fresh elections are mandated, the number of Bharat Ratna awardees rose to five as the government had already announced the awards to former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur (posthumously) and former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani.
While Prime Minister Modi mentioned that Narasimha Rao‘s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by significant measures that opened India to global markets, fostering a new era of economic development, he praised the late Charan Singh for dedicating his entire life to the rights of farmers and their welfare.
Paying tribute to Charan Singh, Modi said that be it the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh or the Home Minister of the country and even as an MLA, he always gave impetus to nation-building. “He also stood firmly against the Emergency. His dedication to our farmer brothers and sisters and his commitment to democracy during the Emergency is inspiring to the entire nation,” Modi posted on ‘X’.
Modi stated that as a distinguished scholar and statesman, Narasimha Rao served India extensively in various capacities. He is equally remembered for the work he did as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister, and as a Member of Parliament and Legislative Assembly for many years. His visionary leadership was instrumental in making India economically advanced, laying a solid foundation for the country’s prosperity and growth.
Narasimha Rao’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by significant measures that opened India to global markets, fostering a new era of economic development. Furthermore, his contributions to India’s foreign policy, language and education sectors underscore his multifaceted legacy as a leader who steered India through critical transformations and enriched its cultural and intellectual heritage.
About Dr Swaminathan, Modi said his visionary leadership not only transformed Indian agriculture but also ensured the nation’s food security and prosperity. “It is a matter of immense joy that the Government of India is conferring the Bharat Ratna on Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji, in recognition of his monumental contributions to our nation in agriculture and farmers’ welfare. He played a pivotal role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture during challenging times and made outstanding efforts towards modernizing Indian agriculture. We also recognise his invaluable work as an innovator and mentor and encouraging learning and research among several students. Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership has not only transformed Indian agriculture but also ensured the nation’s food security and prosperity. He was someone I knew closely and l always valued his insights and inputs,” he posted on ‘X’.
– global bihari bureau
