My Science School

              Do you know that the food that we consume every day reaches us through a chain of many people? A morsel of bread before it landed on our palm was a seed that was sown in a field, cared for and harvested by a farmer, bought and sold by businessmen, before being purchased and brought home by our parents from the market. While all links of the chain are important, the indispensable link is the farmer. While farming remains the foundation stone of any society, it hardly receives the respect and dignity it deserves. In India, the National Farmers Day, popularly known as Kisan Diwas, is celebrated on December 23.

                The day is celebrated in the honour of Chaudhary Charan Singh who was the fifth Prime Minister of India. Charan Singh belonged to a peasant family; and therefore, it was easy for him to relate to the problems of the farmers. He introduced many policies in favour of farmers and he was able to bring together all the farmers against the landlords and moneylenders who exploited them.

                In India, more than 70 percent of the population depends on agriculture for income in one form or the other. The observance of Kisan Diwas sheds light on the plight of the farmers in India and the vital services they render to the nation.

Picture Credit : Google