Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and about 70 percent of the rural masses in India are involved in this industry. We know that a major chunk of the income of the country is derived from agricultural activities. India is known as the largest producer of agrarian goods and this has been made possible because of the hard work of the farmers of the country. Farmers are considered as the ‘annadata’ of the Indian subcontinent and are a driving force for the country’s economy. We are nearing a very important day this month for the farmers which is the Kisan Diwas. Read on further to know all about Kisan Diwas – its history, why it is observed and who was the pioneer for this day. Recently World Soil Day has also been celebrated in the World on 5th December. All these symbolize the importance of farmers and hence plants.
What is Farmer’s Day?
Farmer’s Day or Kisan Diwas is observed to commemorate the farmers of our country for their contribution to the economy. Every year Kisan Diwas is celebrated on the 23rd of December which is also the birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the fifth Prime Minister of India. Charan Singh worked hard for the benefit of the farmers and introduced a lot of beneficial schemes for them such as the Agricultural Produce Market Bill in order to protect them from the extortion of the traders. Kisan Diwas day is celebrated in order to honour the significant role the farmer’s play in our lives.
The Significance of Kisan Diwas
Rashtriya Kisan Diwas or Kisan Day has a very significant aspect to it. In order to commemorate the contribution of Charan Singh towards the Indian farmers, the government in the year 2001 decided to celebrate this day on his birth anniversary. The Kisan Diwas date each year falls on the 23rd of December. On this day, the government takes the initiative to arrange various programs such as competitions, workshops, discussions, lectures and other activities that promote and educate the importance of agriculture and honour the farmers. They also announce and launch any new schemes or policies for the betterment of the farmers. The main aim behind celebrating this day is to educate people on the impact farmers have on our lives and not just for the economy. It is to make people more aware about the role farmers play, the issues they face and how we can help them just the way they help us. This is not only to honour our fifth prime ministers but also to those thousands of farmers that toil day and night so we can have fresh, healthy and good food to eat.
This year, in accordance with the ongoing pandemic, this day will nonetheless be celebrated virtually and will be just as unforgettable as any year.
A look back through the history of this day
Coming from a middle-class peasant family, Charan Singh was well aware about the struggles and woes of the farmers and the prejudices held against them. He contributed greatly towards building and uplifting the lives of the farmers and introduced numerous farmer-friendly policies. He was twice the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and played a great role in elevating the agricultural economy of the state. During his term as the agricultural minister, he was able to abolish the zamindari system in 1953 and was able to get the Holdings Act passed which helped redistribute the land in a way that every farmer owned a single piece of farmland. Because of his association with the farmers, he was named as Kisan Ghat by his memorial in New Delhi. It was he who introduced the Debt Redemption Bill in 1939 which relieved farmers from the scavenging hands of the moneylenders. He founded the Kisan Trust, a charitable trust to educate the rural masses against the injustices and issues faced by the farmers. He also served as the Prime Minister of India for a short period of time from 28th July 1979 to 14th January 1980. His term as the Prime Minister came into play when he opposed Jawahar Lal Nehru for his socialistic land policies. Thus, Kisan Diwas Farmer’s Day is to remember him and his work throughout his period of serving the country. He was very much influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and his call for non-violence and adopted the same policies in the fight for independence. He led a simple life and wrote several books focused on the agricultural, rural and farming sectors and continued to positively influence the lives of farmers.
To continue his legacy, the government has taken some steps to enhance and simplify the lives of the farmers by inculcating the ever-growing technology into the agricultural industry. Numerous programs have been launched for the advancement of this sector and to make their lives easier.
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FAQs
Q1. When is Farmer’s Day celebrated in India?
Ans: 23 December is Farmer’s Day celebration in India.
Q2. Why is 23rd December chosen to be celebrated as Farmer's Day?
Ans: It is the birth anniversary of the fifth prime minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh and so this day has been chosen to commemorate his efforts for the welfare of the farmers.
Q3. From which year onwards did the government of India begin to celebrate Farmer’s Day?
Ans: Farmer’s Day has been celebrated in India since the year 2001.