In an interview to Anuradha Raman, the father of India’s Green Revolution, M.S. Swaminathan, categorically says India can’t think of exporting non-basmati rice when 40 per cent of children below three are malnourished and 26 per cent go hungry. Excerpts:
What do you make of the Rs 2,500 crore non-basmati rice export scam exposed by Outlook? Do you think the export was justified?
The export of rice and other foodgrains can take place only after the country secures food for everyone. What this means is not just securing food for today but the future also. It becomes the responsibility of the state to make foodgrains available in the public distribution system, the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the mid-day meal scheme and other welfare schemes to tackle hunger and poverty. And this can happen only after food cover is provided to everyone, and that includes cattle, sheep and poultry. After actually meeting the food needs of everyone, the government will find there’s...
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