Farmers’ unions, RLD pay homage to former PM on Kisan Diwas

Rashtriya Lok Dal and various farmers’ unions on Friday paid homage to Chaudhary Charan Singh, who served as the fifth prime minister of India, on his 120th birth anniversary, which is celebrated as Kisan Diwas.

Leaders and activists of RLD, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) and other farmer organisations held programmes, donated blood, distributed blankets, organised ‘hawan’ and took out ‘yatra’ to offer tributes to Singh, who is often referred to as the ‘champion of India’s peasants’.

RLD’s regional president Yogendra Singh said programmes were organised in every district to pay tribute to the former prime minister, who was still remembered as the “kisan messiha”.

Party spokesperson Sunil Rohta said hawan were performed in Chur, Rohta and other villages, and blankets and food were distributed to the poor. He said people who worked with Singh shared their experiences and stories of how Singh always thought about the welfare of people, especially farmers.

The party state president, national spokesperson Anil Dubey and convenor Anupam Mishra offered floral tributes to the former PM at his statue at the party office in the state capital.

“Chaudhary Saheb was the only leader who worked for the welfare of farmers and fought for their interest throughout his life,” they said at a seminar, adding that the party would live up to his ideals and ideology.

Samajwadi Party, RLD and farmer leaders also garlanded the statue of the former PM.

Similar programmes were organised in Bagpat, Hapur, Bulandshahar, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Amroha and other districts.

To offer homage to the former PM. ‘Yuva Samvad’ was held at the BKU headquarters in Sisauli of Muzaffarnagar on Friday. BKU’s district president Yogesh Sharma said inflation, unemployment and how the ruling government had anti-youth policies were discussed during the ‘Samvaad’.

Meanwhile, a mahapanchayat was organised in village Gejha of Meerut. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait there accused the ruling BJP of not fulfilling its promises to farmers. “Farmers should be prepared for another movement if the government fails to fulfill its promises”, said Tikait and added Ch Charan Singh dedicated his life to farmers and labourers.