Kisan Diwas 2020: Farmers across the world are severely impacted due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. And one simply cannot undermine the role of farmer’s in our life, and economy at large. India observes Kisan Diwas or National Farmer’s Day on December 23, every year. This day is celebrated to honour the former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, the 5th Prime Minister of India who was born on this day. The former prime minister is celebrated and honoured on this day because he brought farmer-friendly policies and worked towards the welfare of the farmers. He served as a Prime Minister between July 1979 and January 1980.
History of this day:
During his short time as a Prime Minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh introduced several schemes for the farmers. In 2001, the government decided to observe Charan Singh’s birth anniversary as Kisan Diwas.
Significance of this day:
This day is observed to raise awareness about farmers and their role in the economy. Charan Singh during his time worked on bringing small and marginal farmer issues to the forefront. He addressed issues and made sure that the farmer’s voice is being heard.
To spread awareness about farmer’s issues in the country, Charan Singh founded the Kisan Trust on December 23, 1978. Not only that, in 1939, Charan Singh also introduced the Debt Redemption Bill in order to give farmers relief from the moneylenders. He was serving as the Agriculture minister in 1952 and he abolished the zamindari system, later in 1953, the Consolidation of Holdings Act was also passed.
The former PM always made an effort to make sure that farmers get equal opportunities and they are not being exploited. He also worked for the welfare of cottage industries and the farm sector. His memorial in New Delhi is named the Kisan Ghat. Several events are organized across the country on National Farmers’ Day to encourage farmers and celebrate their contributions to the country.
Facts About Chaudhary Charan Singh
Born in 1902 at Noorpur in Meerut, Chaudhary Charan Singh was from a peasant family. He was a Kishan leader who served the country as the Prime Minister for 5 months and 17 days (July 28, 1979, to January 14, 1980). He believed in the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, which was introduced by the 2nd Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri. Chaudhary Charan Singh lived a simple life and penned down several books on farmers and their problems. Also, he introduced solutions to most of the problems he mentioned in those books. He tried his best to save farmers from the evil intentions of moneylenders and landlords.