Not GDP, but people’s pockets: VP Dhankhar calls for 8X income growth to realize Charan Singh’s India
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday paid tributes to India's fifth Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary. "To define a developed India, an eight-fold increase in the income of every person is necessary to reflect the ground reality.
Delhi: New Delhi witnessed a solemn moment on Monday as Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid floral tributes to India’s fifth Prime Minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh, at Kisan Ghat, marking his death anniversary. Speaking on the occasion, Dhankhar highlighted the relevance of Charan Singh’s vision in today’s India, emphasizing that a true measure of development lies in increasing every individual’s income eightfold.
"India’s farmer is its backbone"
Recalling Charan Singh’s lifelong dedication to farmers and rural India, the Vice President noted that the former Prime Minister was among the first to fight for agrarian reform even before Independence. In 1939, when India was still under British rule, Charan Singh took decisive steps to liberate farmers from exploitative moneylenders, laying the foundation for land rights and farmer autonomy.
#WATCH | Delhi | Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar says, "Today, it's needed that when we talk about Viksit Bharat, it doesn't mean what the rank of our economy is. To define Viksit Bharat and make it a ground reality, the income of everyone needs to be increased by 8 times. The… pic.twitter.com/yL1iT99LMG
— ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2025
A reformer who empowered the rural majority
Vice President Dhankhar described Charan Singh as a “superhero” for farmers, highlighting his role in securing land ownership rights and shaping pro-farmer policies. His contributions were so profound that in 2001, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared December 23 his birthday as Kisan Diwas (Farmer’s Day) in his honor.
Vision of a truly developed India
In his address, Dhankhar redefined the idea of a “developed India.” He asserted that true progress is not about economic indicators alone, but about ensuring real income growth for every citizen. He called on farmers to not only focus on production but to see agriculture and animal husbandry as full-fledged businesses, urging them to take part in India’s evolving economy.
Charan Singh's enduring legacy
Born on December 23, 1902, Charan Singh entered politics in 1937 as an MLA from Chhaprauli. He went on to shape some of the country’s most important agrarian reforms and served briefly as Prime Minister in 1979. A prolific writer, his works such as abolition of 'Zamindari' two alternatives and Gandhian outline of India’s Economic policy continue to influence scholars and policymakers alike.
