Farmers Movement Archive

UP to connect with grassroots farmers in name of Charan Singh

Lucknow: Amid the ongoing protest by farmers against the new farm laws, the state government is set to invoke former Prime Minister and Lok Dal founder Chaudhary Charan Singh. The state will celebrate his birth anniversary as ‘Kisan Samman Diwas’ at the district and developmental block level on December 23. The grassroots farmer outreach in the name of Charan Singh by the UP government comes even as the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre faces the heat with Opposition upping the ante in favour of protesting farmers. The move also comes after the UP BJP leadership organised farmers’ conventions in different parts of the state and accused the Opposition of misguiding farmers to serve political interest. In a letter to all divisional commissioners and district magistrates, agriculture production commissioner (APC) Alok Sinha said that the Kisan Samman Diwas be organised not only at the state level but also at the district and the block level. The main programme is scheduled at Lok Bhavan and will be attended by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi and a host of other cabinet ministers. The state government would also organise a farmers’ workshop and an exhibition. Sinha said the state government would honour progressive farmers and hand over farm machinery to some. At the district and block level, workshops, fairs and exhibition are scheduled at Krishi Vigyan Kendra to be attended by ministers, MPs and MLAs of the area. The APC has directed that departments associated with agriculture such as cooperative, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, dairy development, sericulture and cane development should play an active role in Kisan Samman Diwas. The government will also felicitate women farmers under Mission Shakti. In the wake of the pandemic, the agriculture department has sought application of Covid protocol during the events, including wearing of masks, use of hand sanitizers and maintaining social distance.

The Times of India

2020-12-19

Lucknow