National Farmers’ Day, also known as ‘Kisan Diwas’, is observed every year on December 23 to celebrate the hard work and determination of the farmers. This day was chosen to commemorate the occasion as it marks the birth anniversary of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh who belonged to Uttar Pradesh and worked for the welfare of farmers of the nation.
This special day is all about giving a big shout-out to our farmers, the real heroes behind our country’s growth. National Farmers’ Day is also known as Rashtriya Kisan Diwas and is popular across India’s agricultural and farming states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh, among others. Farmers’ Day is also observed in other parts of the world. It is celebrated on the first Friday of December in Ghana, USA celebrates it on 12 October, in Zambia it is observed on the first Monday of August and Pakistan started celebrating the day on 18 December 2019. Know the history, significance, and theme of National Farmer's Day.
National Farmer's Day: Theme
The theme for Farmer's Day 2023 is 'Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience'.
National Farmer's Day: History
Chaudhary Charan Singh, the Kisan Leader, was the president from July 28, 1979, until January 14, 1980. His publications on farmers and their difficulties provided a variety of suggestions to improve farmers's lives across the country. He also launched various farmer welfare programs. In celebration of Charan Singh's birth anniversary, the government celebrated Kisan Diwas in 2001.
Following in the footsteps of India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who gave the farmers the iconic phrase "JAI JAWAN JAI KISAN,".
Charan Singh saw how affluent landowners, or zamindars, exploited farmers, and how this was harmful to the rural economy. He was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1937 and as a member tried to resolve the demolishes such as exploitative structures. As a parliamentary secretary and then as a Revenue Minister for Land Reforms in Uttar Pradesh in the 1950s, Charan Singh developed land reform laws. After openly criticizing Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's land policy for India's development, the peasant population in the country came to look up to him.
Several works, including 'Abolition of Zamindari,' 'Joint Farming X-rayed,' 'India's Poverty and its Solution,' and 'Peasant Proprietorship,' were written by Charan Singh to emphasize the farmers' cause.
National Farmer's Day: Significance
National Farmer's Day is a special occasion that signifies a collective expression of gratitude towards farmers in India. It holds deep cultural significance in our country as farmers are the agricultural backbone of our country. Therefore, Kisan Diwas is celebrated every year to give tribute to these heroes who work relentlessly to feed the nation. India is a land of villages and an agri-surplus country. The majority of the country’s rural population is farmers or affiliated with agriculture. Many of the country's soldiers also come from farmers' families. Kisan Diwas is marked every year to honor the dedication and sacrifice of farmers. It also signifies the need to listen to the farmer and ensure their social and economic security. The special day also focuses on educating farmers with the latest learnings of the agricultural sector.
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