Posted On: 2023-12-22 15:54:45
23rd December is annually celebrated as ‘Kisan Diwas’ to honour the 5th Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh. He has been referred to as the Champion of India's peasants for his contribution toward the upliftment of farmers.
On Kisan Diwas, farmers in India arrange seminars at the divisional, district, and block levels and are educated about the various schemes that have been implemented by the government for their benefit.
To observe Kisan Diwas, we would like to look at five notable farmers who have made significant contributions to the agricultural sector.
Popularly known as ‘Kisan Chachi’, Rajkumari Devi is a farmer from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India. She can be seen travelling in a cycle from village to village, educating people about kitchen farming. She also encourages women to be financially independent through farming. She has set up a non-profit organization, Anandpur Jyoti Centre, which employs women to make processed products like jams, jellies, and pickles.
Vallabhbhai Vasrambhai Marvaniya is famous for introducing carrots to the state of Gujarat, as locals did not consider the vegetable fit for consumption back then. He first tasted the vegetable while feeding the cattle. Finding it to be delicious, he decided to grow it and sell it at the age of 13. The business soon boomed. Even Nawab of Junagadh, Muhammad Mahabat Khan III, became his regular customer.
In 2018, Kamala Pujhari was appointed as a board member of the Odisha Planning Board by CM Naveen Patnaik. She was even awarded the Best Farmer Award by the Odisha Government in 2004. This reverence was not unfounded, as Kamala has been credited with preserving over a hundred traditional paddy varieties, along with the endangered breeds of black cumin, sesame, turmeric, maha kanta, phula and ghantia. She also raised her voice against chemical farming, encouraging the villagers to abandon chemicals and engage in organic methods of farming. She got global fame and recognition at an organic farming workshop by the Foundation at Johannesburg in 2002.
Venkateswara Rao Yadlapalli is one of the most innovative farmers in India. He uses modern-day technologies to help farmers adopt organic farming. This includes his recently launched mobile apps on natural and allied farming. He also runs magazines like Rythunestham, Pasunestham and Prakruthi Nestham, that promote natural farming, animal husbandry, and horticulture. He even honours farmers by conducting annual felicitation and award ceremonies to honour the farmers with remarkable achievements.
Ram Saran Verma is known as Uttar Pradesh’s hi-tech farmer. In 1988, he became one of the first farmers in the state to introduce tissue culture for banana farming. He also grew red bananas, which against Rs 15 per kg for the regular variety, were sold at Rs 80-100 per kg. Today, his methods have benefited over 50,000 farmers in his neighbouring districts. He also hosts training sessions and workshops for farmers from within and outside the country.
Filaantro, along with Child Help Foundation, are sympathetic to the downtrodden and tries its best to uplift the poor. 2,147 individuals have benefited from the village development projects.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Make sure to share it with all your friends and family members.
Author: Adil Sayyad
Ready to Start a Fundraiser ?