Remembering Chaudhary Charan Singh, The Kisaan Neta of India

Video Editors: Sandeep Suman & Mohd Ibrahim

You must have read in your school textbooks that India is an agriculture-based country. But if I ask you to name the most important kisaan neta of this agriculture-based country, you would probably have to think harder. Chaudhary Charan Singh is the leader who turned the issues concerning farmers from office files into an agitation. He paved the way for leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi to raise issues of rural distress.

Charan Singh was born on 23 December 1902 in West Uttar Pradesh’s Noorpur village. His father was a farmer but he was a good student. Along with helping his father in farming, he got his degree in Law from Meerut College in 1927.

Jai Kisaan

Charan Singh started his political journey with Congress. He was elected as an MLA from UP's Chhaprauli in the interim government in 1937. In 1939, he played a crucial role in tabling and passing a bill regarding loan waiver. It was a revolutionary bill that freed Uttar Pradesh's farmers from the shackles of moneylenders. The bill saved their lands from being auctioned. This bill was later adopted by other states too.

This was Chaudhary Charan Singh's first major leap into politics. He won the successive elections in 1946, 1952, 1962 and 1967 from Chhaprauli. In 1952, as Uttar Pradesh's agriculture minister, he Brought an end to the zamindarI system

Opposed Nehru While in Congress

You will be surprised to know that Chaudhary Charan Singh opposed India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru while he was still in the party. He believed that Nehru wasn't aware of the realities of the countryside. When Nehru wanted to introduce cooperative farming in India, he was opposed by Charan Singh. In 1959, during Congress' Annual Session in Nagpur, he gave a long speech against the proposal favouring cooperative farming in the country. Nehru was aware of Charan Singh's stature, so he gave up on that proposal.

He Let Go of Congress' 'Hand'

In 1967, Charan Singh quit Congress and formed his own political party Bharatiya Kisaan Dal. With a stronghold in rural areas, dedication towards issues concerning farmlands and under the leadership of a kisaan neta, BKD emerged as a strong party in Uttar Pradesh. In the 1969 UP polls, BKD's performance was the best for any non-Congress party since independence.

Journey to the PM’s Throne

In 1974, after the UP polls, Charan Singh set foot on Central politics. That was during the JP movement.

'JAAT PAAT TOD DO

TILAK-DAHEJ CHHOR DO'

(Break the shackles of caste, say No to Tilak and dowry)

The streets echoed with the chants of 'Sampurna Kranti' (Complete Revolution).

On 25 June 1975, Indira Gandhi announced Emergency in the country.

Like other non-Congress leaders, Charan Singh was also imprisoned. After the Emergency was lifted, Charan Singh played a crucial role in strengthening Janata Party. Back then, it was nearly impossible to defeat Indira Gandhi. In 1977, Janata Party fought the elections under the BKD symbol and formed the government.

In the Morarji Desai government, Charan Singh held the positions of finance minister, home minister and deputy prime minister. But the Morarji Desai government soon crumbled. On 28 July 1979, Charan Singh became the prime minister with support from the Congress. But within five months and 16 days, he had to leave the throne. He could not attend a Parliament session even for a day.

On 29 May 1987, Chaudhary Charan Singh, the country's first kisaan neta passed away.

Scattered Heritage

Charan Singh's son Ajit Singh and grandson Jayant Chaudhary took his legacy forward. But their party Rashtriya Lok Dal's stronghold is restricted to few areas of West Uttar Pradesh. In the 2017 UP Assembly polls, RLD won only one seat.

Despite a scattered political heritage, his contribution to Indian politics cannot be ignored. Every time rural distress impacts the country's politics and leaders are forced to rake farmers’ issues, Charan Singh's contributions shall be remembered.