National Farmers’ Day, or Kisan Diwas, is celebrated across the country on December 23 to honour India’s farmers.

Do you think that the extraordinary haste with which the farm bills were pushed through both the Houses has created the present crisis?

National Farmers’ Day

• It marks the birth anniversary of the nation’s fifth PM Choudhary Charan Singh.
• In 2001, the government decided to recognise Choudhary Charan Singh’s contribution to the agriculture sector and welfare of farmers by celebrating his birth anniversary as Kisan Diwas.
• Since then, December 23 has been observed as National Farmers’ Day.
• Generally, awareness campaigns and drives are organised across the country to educate people on the role of farmers and their contribution to the economy.

Who was CCS and what was his connection with farmers?

• Chaudhary Charan Singh, who briefly served as PM between 1979 and 1980, is widely regarded as one of the country’s most famous peasant leaders.
• He was known for his pioneering work to promote the welfare of farmers and the agricultural sector.
• Charan Singh was no stranger to the struggles faced by the Indian farmer. He was born into a middle-class peasant family in Uttar Pradesh on December 23, 1902.
• Greatly influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, he took an active part in the fight for independence.
• After that, his political career largely focused on socialism in rural India.

Major legislations

• He was behind several major farmer-forward Bills, including the Land Utilization Bill of 1939 and the Debt Redemption Bill in 1939.
• While serving as agriculture minister in 1952, he led UP in its efforts to abolish the Zamindari system.
• In fact, he went on to draft the UP Zamindari and Land Reforms Bill himself.
• On 23 December 1978, he founded the Kisan Trust — a non-political, non-profit making body — with the aim of educating India’s rural masses against injustice, and fostering solidarity among them.

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