Kisan Diwas 2021: Why we celebrate the day on Chaudhary Charan Singh’s birth anniversary?

Every year on December 23, Kisan Diwas or National Farmers Day is commemorated in India. This day is celebrated to honour the Indian farmers as well as to show gratitude for their contributions to building the nation's economy. The day marks the birth anniversary of India's fifth Prime Minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh whose contributions to the country's agricultural development are commendable. 

As Indian farmers are the foundation and a significant component of rural development, Charan Singh gave a great deal of thought to farmer-friendly policies. Between July 1979 until January 1980, he served as Prime Minister of India. Because of the various schemes, he implemented for farmers during his term, the Indian government has designated Chaudhary Charan Singh's birthday as Kisan Diwas since 2001. 

Indians celebrate Farmers' day on Chaudhary Charan Singh's birthday

Chaudhary Charan Singh was born in Noorpur, Uttar Pradesh, to a rural peasant family. His attempts to improve the conditions of India's farmers earned him the moniker of "champion of India's peasants" as per the Free Press Journal. Since his days as a freedom fighter, Singh has always had a soft spot for the oppressed. 

Former PM Charan Singh proposed the Debt Redemption Bill in 1939 to protect peasants from moneylenders and their misdeeds. He was also the Minister for Agriculture and Forests in Sucheta Kripalani's Ministry from 1962 to 1963. Further, another bill created by Charan Singh has been the Land Holding Act of 1960. He has even worked on the Zamindari Abolition Act of 1950. 

India's economy is mostly centred on agriculture. Agriculture has a long history in India, dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization.  India is the world's second-largest producer of agricultural goods. Agriculture employs over half of the Indian workforce as of 2018. On Kisan Diwas, a number of programs are held around the nation. To honour this farmers' day, many schools, institutions, and even the government host a variety of programs, debates, seminars, quiz contests, talks, workshops, exhibits, essay writing competitions, and other events. 

(Image: Shutterstock/ IncIndia/ Twitter)