<p>This book consists of two parts, written at different times and with different purposes. They are not sequential, yet belong together.&nbsp;The first tells the story of the life of M.S. Swaminathan, and his dream&nbsp;of securing human dignity through food sovereignty in India, and the second reflects on the implications and nuances of the story.</p> <p>The first part of the book is more biographical in nature; a large number of experiences throughout his life are discussed, not necessarily in chronological order. Part two, however, is more reflective in nature, and concerned with issues which had to be confronted in the course of his career. In this part, he reflects on how politics has influenced and shaped the course of agricultural &nbsp;development; and how different ethical stances, often in conflict, have come into play. This is not just a historical account, but equally valid in present times.</p>

<p>This splendid gift, where I fully recognize the luminous voice of&nbsp;Dr. Swaminathan.<br /> <strong>— Guy Sorman</strong>,&nbsp;Eminent writer on development&nbsp;<br /> and economics; formerly adviser to&nbsp;President Mitterand of France</p> <p><br /> Your conversations with your daughter highlighted for me one thing<br /> that we seem to have lost sight of and that is the importance of wisdom.&nbsp;<br /> <strong>— Dr. Maryam Rahmanian</strong>,&nbsp;Iranian environmentalist<br /> and&nbsp;Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on&nbsp;World Food Security</p> <p><br /> I was so taken by the book that I read it in one evening—<br /> a historical document of great value for all.&nbsp;<br /> <strong>— Prof. Louise Fresco</strong>,&nbsp;President, Wageningen Agricultural&nbsp;University,<br /> The Netherlands</p> <p><br /> A great achievement at both academic and grassroots levels, written,<br /> at the same time, with great modesty—a wonderful guideline for anybody&nbsp;<br /> in public life.<br /> <strong>— Nanditha Krishna</strong>,&nbsp;Historian, writer and environmentalist, Chennai, India</p> <p><br /> Empathy has been the moving force&nbsp;behind these seemingly effortless achievements<br /> to help the downtrodden.&nbsp;<br /> <strong>— Dr. Virendra Kumar</strong>,&nbsp;Professor of Botany,&nbsp;<br /> University of Delhi</p> <p><br /> A beacon of light and hope in the complex and threatened &nbsp;eco-system in which we all live today.&nbsp;<br /> <strong>— Dr. K. Kasturirangan</strong>,&nbsp;Former Member, Planning Commission,<br /> Government of India</p> <p><br /> A gripping read, the book goes far&nbsp;beyond Swaminathan’s well-known&nbsp;contributions to<br /> agricultural research, including, for example, the development of public policy to<br /> recognize the contributions of tribal and rural communities to conservation of agro-biodiversity.&nbsp;<br /> <strong>— Dr. V.L. Chopra</strong>,&nbsp;Former Director General, Indian Council&nbsp;of Agriculture Research, New Delhi</p> <p><br /> Every time I came to look at your&nbsp;personality,<br /> a new dimension&nbsp;revealed itself. &nbsp;<br /> <strong>— Dr. T. Ramasami</strong>,&nbsp;Former Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology,<br /> Government of India</p>

<p>Currently Professor, Gender and Development, at the School of International Development, University of East Anglia, <strong>Nitya Rao</strong> has close to 30 years experience as a field-level practitioner, trainer, researcher and teacher.</p> <p><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">She has been concerned with developing strategies for women’s empowerment, social equity and livelihood security through education, decent work and land and resource rights. Bringing a gender analytical perspective to all her work, she has more recently been researching issues of migration, intra-household resource allocations, nutrition, adaptation to&nbsp;climate risks and unpacking the processes of feminist mobilisation and claims-making leading to policy change. Her book entitled </span><em style="line-height: 1.6em;">Good Women Do Not Inherit Land: Politics of Land and Gender in India</em><span style="line-height: 1.6em;"> was published in 2008, with a second paperback edition in 2012.</span></p> <p>Nitya is the youngest daughter of MS and Mina Swaminathan.</p>