Bharat Ratna for Dr M S Swaminathan

I was reading the magazine 'Science' recently and it had an editorial written by Prof M S Swaminathan (Science, Science 23 November 2012: 

Vol. 338 no. 6110 p. 1009, DOI: 10.1126/science.1231305) and wondered how this man has still not been awarded India's highest civilian order. In any other country, a man of his contibutions (millions of India's children have a meal or two daily because of his research, vision and foresight), would have been celebrated and honoured by bestowing the highest awards of those countries.

I actually think that he should have gotten a Nobel Prize.

Then I had a look at the list of Bharat Ratna Awardees: If at all any many deserves to be there, it is Prof M S Swaminathan. He is 87 now and an award holds significance only if it contemporaneous and contextual. Our government is known to do silly things like award a posthumuos BR to Sardar Patel, Netaji and Ambedkar years after their passing, after a variety of other recepients. Some consider the very act of awarding the BR now to these luminaries of India's independence and the constitution an insult to these great souls.

For once, the government has a chance to honour and recognize a genuine Indian hero - someone who has worked hard to beat the one scrouge that is still holding India back from calling herself a true superpower - hunger.

Please help this petition progress so that it reaches the PM's office and then the President's office so MSS gets the Bharat Ratna.