Birth Anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh and National Farmers' Day 2024 | 23 Dec 2024

Source: IE 

Why in News? 

Recently, National Farmers' Day (Kisan Diwas) was celebrated on 23rd  December 2024 to honor farmers and commemorate the birth anniversary of Sri Chaudhary Charan Singh. 

• Known as the ‘Kisan Leader,’ his birth anniversary is celebrated as ‘Kisan Diwas’ since 2001 for his contributions to Indian agriculture and rural development. 

What are the Key Facts Related to Chaudhary Charan Singh? 

• About: 
  • Born in 1902 at Noorpur, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, he was an Indian politician and a freedom fighter who served as the 5th Prime Minister of India (1979-80). 
  • He also served as  Deputy Prime Minister (January-July 1979) and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh twice. 
  • He represented Chhaprauli in the U.P. Legislative Assembly (1937, 1946, 1952, 1962, 1967) and later as MP for Baghpat. 
• Key Contributions: 
  • He drafted the Debt Redemption Bill, 1939, relieving peasants from moneylenders and was instrumental in the Land Holding Act, 1960, lowering land ceiling limits. 
  • He advocated for Minimum Support Price (MSP), introduced the Consolidation of Holdings Act (1953) and UP Zamindari and Land Reforms Act (1952) to benefit the landless. 
  • He proposed the Agricultural Produce Marketing Bill (1938), creating an agri-market infrastructure. 
  • He elevated the Rural Development Department to a Ministry and played a crucial role in establishing NABARD. 
    • He promoted decentralisation, grassroots governance, and local economic autonomy. 
• Social Contribution: 
  • He followed Mahatma Gandhi in a non-violent struggle for independence from the British Government and was imprisoned several times.  
  • He advocated for social justice by opposing caste divisions, promoting inter-caste marriages, and supporting quotas for agriculturists’ dependents, aligning with BR Ambedkar’s vision of integrated social and economic reforms. 
  • He authored influential 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’. 
• Relevance: 
  • Today’s Initiatives like Doubling Farmers’ Income, MSME promotion, Panchayati Raj, and ethical administration are inspired by his visionary thoughts. 
• Recently, in 2024 the government has honored him with the prestigious Bharat Ratna, along with 4 other awardees- Karpoori Thakur, Mankombu Sambasivan (MS) Swaminathan, Pamulaparthi Venkata (P. V.) Narasimha Rao, Lal Krishna Advani. 
  • The government renamed the Lucknow Airport in 2008 as Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in his honour. 
• He passed away on 29^th May 1987. His memorial in New Delhi is called Kisan Ghat.