The National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas is annually observed across India on 23rd December to honour the contributions of the Indian farmers and to mark the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh, 5th Prime Minister of India.
Aim:
To educate people about the importance of farmers in the economy of a country.
Background:
To honour and remember the contributions of Chaudhary Charan Singh towards the development of the agriculture sector and welfare of farmers, in 2001, the Government of India decided and proclaimed the 23rd December the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh as National Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas.
About Chaudhary Charan Singh:
i.Chaudhary Charan Singh, born on 23rd December 1902 in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, was known as the Champion of India’s Peasants.
ii.He was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces(UP) in 1937 from Chhaprauli.
iii.He was the first non-congress Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1967.
iv.He served as the Prime minister for a short period of time from 28th July 1979 to 14th January 1980.
Reforms:
i.He was the chief architect of the UP land reforms and he played a key role in the formulation and finalisation of the Department Redemption Bill 1939 which provided relief to the rural debtors.
ii.He also brought the Land Holding Act 1960, to lower the ceiling on land holding to make it uniform throughout UP.
iii.He has played a major role in abolishing the zamindari system.
iv.He has also introduced various welfare schemes for farmers
Books:
He has authored various books like “Abolition of Zamindari”, “Co-operative Farming X-rayed”, “India’s Poverty and its Solution”, “Peasant Proprietorship or Land to the Workers” and “Prevention of Division of Holdings Below a Certain Minimum”.
Recent amendment in farmer’s law:
- The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act,
- The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act,
- The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act
