Kisan Diwas 2020: As farmers intensify protest, here’s everything you need to know about Chaudhary Charan Singh’s birthday

The farmers protesting against the three agricultural laws of the Centre have urged the people of the country to skip a meal on Kisan Diwas on Wednesday. The protesters are observing Kisan Diwas, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, to intensify their stir seeking repeal of the farm laws passed in September.

The farmers started observing relay hunger strike from Monday, in which a batch of 11 farmers will take turns every 24 hours to sit on hunger strike.

The Centre, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been frequently explaining the benefits of the farm reforms and assuring farmers that the existing government support mechanism, including minimum support price and agriculture mandis, will continue. But the farmers are adamant that the farm laws must be repealed and no breakthrough has been achieved after several rounds of talks between the government and the protesters.

Here is everything you need to know about the ‘Kisan Diwas’:

• The day celebrates the farmers and their work in the country, and is observed on the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh. Rakesh Tikait, leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union Tikait (BKU) faction in Uttar Pradesh, said, “On this Kisan Diwas, farmers across the country will skip a meal. Those who provide food to the nation will stay hungry because of the government’s anti-farmer’s stance. I request everyone not to cook lunch that day and join the farmers.”

• Chaudhary Charan Singh was born on December 23, 1902, in Uttar Pradesh, in a middle-class peasant family.

• Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence, Singh entered the Independence movement. After Independence, he associated himself with socialism in rural areas.

• He was the chief architect of land reforms in Uttar Pradesh. He took a leading part in the formulation and finalisation of the Debt Redemption Bill 1939, which brought great relief to rural debtors.

• The government of India started observing Kisan Diwas in honour of Singh from 2001.