India observes National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas on December 23 every year, commemorating its fifth Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh and his contributions towards the upliftment of farmers in the country.
Chaudhary Charan Singh was a farmer leader. He introduced several policies to ensure improvement in the lives of farmers in the country.
Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Noorpur, Chaudhary Charan Singh served as the Prime Minister of India from July 28, 1979, to January 14, 1980. His efforts towards bettering the lives of farmers in the country won him the title ‘champion of India’s peasants'.
Annually, on this occasion, several programs are arranged across the country. Many schools, colleges and even the government organise various programs, debates, seminars, quiz competitions, discussions, workshops, exhibitions, essay writing competitions and functions to commemorate this day.
For about the last 10,000 years, agriculture and farming have been arguably the most important occupation allowing us to move from being nomadic hunter-gatherers to literally and figuratively putting down roots and establishing civilizations.
It might seem odd that there aren't more days dedicated to farming, but most of our major holidays and festivals can be traced back to farming, such as the rebirth of spring and the harvest period in the fall.
India is primarily an agriculture-based country; the national economy and citizens of India heavily depend on farmers to sustain the country’s development.
From pre-independence to post-independence, Chaudhary Charan Singh played a key role in the shaping of India’s agricultural sector by advocating and passing different bills for farmers’ reforms.
Several schemes were introduced to elevate the social status of farmers during his tenure as the prime minister of India.
He also played a leading role in the agricultural sector of the country by introducing the bills of farmers' reforms.
For his exemplary work and journey from farmer to becoming a head of state, the government of India decided, in the year 2001, to mark Singh’s birth anniversary as the day for celebrating Kisan Diwas.
The Zamindari Abolition Act, 1950, was one of the first major agrarian reforms of the Government of India after the independence in 1947. It was a pioneering act.
Some facts:
Although there is no exact figure available, there are approximately 150 million farmers running farms on land in India.
Every year, the spirit and dedication of farmers are celebrated on Kisan Diwas in India. The day also commemorates the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh — the fifth prime minister of India.
It comes as no surprise that Uttar Pradesh is the leading farming state of India. This is the region in which Chaudhary Charan Singh was born and it yields major crop production of rice, grains, sugar cane, and more.
(with inputs from sources)
