Kisan Diwas: Why does India celebrate National Farmers' Day on December 23?

Every year on December 23, India celebrates Kisan Diwas, or National Farmers' Day, to honor the huge contributions farmers make to the economy and to remember the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh, India's fifth prime minister and a lifelong supporter of farmers' rights.

Date and Origin of Kisan Diwas

Kisan Diwas is celebrated all over India every year on December 23.

Why the 23rd of December?

It is the birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh (1902–1987), who was Prime Minister from 1979 to 1980 and is often called the "Champion of India's Farmers."

Official recognition: The Indian government officially named December 23 National Farmers' Day (Kisan Diwas) in 2001 to honor his work for Indian farmers and agriculture.

Theme of Kisan Diwas 2025

There is no official single-line theme for 2025 yet, but in academic and media discussions, the following lines are often used and expected to be the main ones:

"Giving Farmers Power through New Ideas and Long-Term Growth"

Many platforms also have variations like "Empowering 'Annadatas' for a Prosperous Nation," which focus on farmers as Annadatas (food-givers) and stress sustainable, tech-enabled farming.

These themes fit with the government's current focus on climate-resilient farming, agri-tech, MSP reforms, digital agriculture, and giving farmers better access to markets.

Chaudhary Charan Singh: The Leader of Farmers

Kisan Diwas is a big part of Chaudhary Charan Singh's life and work:

Role: 5th Prime Minister of India; long-time leader from Uttar Pradesh who worked on issues affecting farmers and rural areas.

Land and agricultural reforms:

He was a key player in getting rid of the Zamindari system, redistributing land, and lowering feudal exploitation as UP's Minister of Agriculture and later Chief Minister.

He wanted land ceiling laws and changes to the way tenants work to help small and marginal farmers.

Debt relief: Introduced the Debt Redemption Bill (1939) and other important laws to protect farmers from being taken advantage of by moneylenders.

Kisan Trust: On December 23, 1978, he started the Kisan Trust, a non-political, non-profit organization that works to teach people in rural areas about injustice and bring farmers together.

His memorial in New Delhi is called Kisan Ghat, which means "Farmers' Ghat," which is a fitting name for him as a leader of farmers.

What Kisan Diwas means

Kisan Diwas shows many different sides of India's agricultural backbone:

Economic role: More than half of India's people work in agriculture, either directly or indirectly. Farmers are important for both rural jobs and food security.

Food and nutrition security: Farmers make sure that the country has enough grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk, and other things it needs.

Policy focus: The day is a reminder to help farmers with their problems, such as low income, high input costs, climate risks, debt, MSP, access to markets and credit, and mental health issues.The

Kisan Diwas honors farmers as Annadatas, which shows how important their health is to India's growth and keeps respect for rural workers.

How is Kisan Diwas Celebrated?

Kisan Diwas is celebrated all over India with:

The Ministry of Agriculture, ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and state departments put on seminars, exhibitions, farmer-scientist interactions, training programs, and award ceremonies.

Talks are mostly about best practices, new technologies (like drones and precision farming), soil health, water management, and how to get the word out about schemes like PM-KISAN, PMFBY, e-NAM, and others.

Honors for Chaudhary Charan Singh:

Leaders, like the Prime Minister and President, pay their respects at Kisan Ghat and send messages honoring his memory.