Asli Bharat
At the Kisan Rally in 1978, Chaudhary Charan Singh ji announced his intention to support the publication of a newspaper dedicated to rural India. This newspaper would be the voice of the farmers.
On the Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October 1979, the Kisan Trust launched a weekly newspaper “ASLI BHARAT” in Hindi, Urdu & English. Managing Trustee Dr. Ram Das was appointed the first editor-in-chief of ‘Asli Bharat’.
After Dr. Ram Das renowned journalist Mr. Ajay Singh appointed as the editor-in-chief of Hindi weekly Asli Bharat and Managing Trustee of Kisan Trust in 1980.
Renowned journalists such as Sarvshri Gopal Krishnan (The Week), Udayan Sharma (Ravivar), Deena Nath Mishra (Navbharat Times, Jaipur), Neeraj Sinha (Indian Express), Abhay Sinha (Patriot and AFP. correspondent in India), Vibhanshu Divyal (Editor, Rashtriya Sahara), Dr. Meharuddin Khan (Navbharat Times), Arvind Kumar Singh (Jansatta Express), Sanjay Chauhan (Film script writer), Jyoteesh Joshi (Editor in Lalit Kala Akademi & Hindi Critic) & Paras Amrohi (Dainik Hindustan) contributed to the publication.
Weekly newspaper ‘Asli Bharat’ was converted into a thought-provoking monthly journal in March 1988. Mr. Bhola Shankar Sharma an eminent journalist was appointed editor of Asli Bharat (monthly journal) in 1989.
Personalities like Shri Madhu Limaye, Shri E.M.S. Namboodaripad, Ex-Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shri Chandra Shekhar and Shri I. K. Gujral, Shri M. Faruqui, Shri P.C.Joshi (Social Scientist), Shri Surendra Mohan, Justic V.M. Tarkunde, Justice Rajendra Sachchar, Justice H.R. Khanna, Shri Govind Mukhauti (PUCL), Nikhil Chakravarti (Main Stream), S. Sahay (Statesman), Prem Shankar Jha (Hindustan Times), Rajendra Mathur (Navbharat Times), Prabhash Joshi (Jansatta) Prof. Romila Thapar, Prof. Irfan Habib, Prof. Harvansh Mukhiya, Prof. Prabha Dixit. Prof. Sudhish Pachauri and Shri Anupam Mishra (Environmentalist) have also enriched the magazine with their views.
Kisan Trust has reimagined the iconic Asli Bharat publication and is preparing to launch a video series where we intend to interact with intellectuals, domain experts and personalities of relevance to rural India. Kindly stay tuned…
Chhaprauli Library and promoting Education
A library named “Chaudhary Charan Singh Smriti Pustkalaya evam Vachnalaya” was established in Chhaprauli village district Baghpat (U.P.) on the occasion of the 95th birth anniversary (23 December 1996) of Late Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. It is noteworthy that this library was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri H. D. Deve Gowda. This facility is managed by the Kisan Trust and is valued as an important community asset in this rural town.
An important ongoing project of the trust is rendering the “Chaudhary Charan Singh Pratibha Puraskar” to academic achievers in different Inter colleges and universities. Under this scheme, the trust provides up to Rs. 8000 along with a certificate and memento to promising students.
With a view to aiding in personality development of our youth, Kisan Trust regularly organises thematic debating, Drawing & Essay competitions in rural areas & educational institutions.
The trust also aids the children of martyrs by supporting their education.
Health Camps
The trust has regularly organised free Eye Camps and Health Check-Up Camps in remote rural areas. Trust also distributes free medicines in these camps as per requirement of the patients.
Covid Response
At times of crisis all citizens and organisations need to contribute to the mitigation effort. The Kisan Trust has set up www.coronarahat.com with a view to provide information on the disease, raise resources & meet material gaps in our healthcare response.
Acid Attack Survivors
The put a stop to the heinous crime of throwing acid, we require policy makers and society to show zero tolerance for this violence. Kisan Trust has helped 5 brave women Acid Attack Survivors in 2020. We gave them each Rs 1 lakh for their care and will be organising 5 K runs annually to build awareness. Check out www.dhara326.com to support this effort!
Rural & Agricultural Development
Kisan Trust has contributed to the efforts of NGO “Kisan Jyoti” in 1996 for a water conservation scheme run in village Ardawata, district Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan).
The trust has also organised seminars and symposiums on promoting scientific agriculture. The trust recently organized a Workshop on best practices in the ICAR Goat Research Institute, Farah, Mathura.
Sports Promotion
We recognise that sports has tremendous uplifting power and represents an opportunity for young men and women in rural areas to break caste and gender barriers, earn a livelihood and respect in their own communities. The trust instituted a “Chaudhary Charan Singh Inter University Shooting Championship” in 2001 and awarded the first shield to Delhi University. This tournament is still organised at the inter-university level.
A new award in the field of sports, named “Chaudhary Charan Singh Khel Pratibha Puraskar” has recently been instituted by the Kisan Trust. The first award function was organised in Chhaprauli on the occasion of the 91st birth anniversary of the first Indian individual Olympic medal winner Shri K.D. Jadhav during which international and national medal winning athletes were given cash awards, certificates and mementos. We intend to continue this program and will award promising athletes in various sports disciplines upto Rs 5000.
Honouring Chaudhary Charan Singh’s Legacy
Given our roots and founder’s emphasis on rural development, Kisan Trust has continued to highlight Chaudhary Charan Singh’s ideology through various means. We publish books authored by Chaudhary Sahab on various issues and disseminate his views and life’s work.
Ceremonies are conducted by the trust at Kisan Ghat, New Delhi on the 23rd December and 29th May every year (Chaudhary Sahab’s birth and death anniversaries respectively) to honour him. The attendance on these events at the Kisan Ghat is testament to the abiding faith and respect he commands many years after his passing.
www.chaudharycharansingh.org (CCSA) is an online archive that brings together resources and materials that afford researchers, social scientists and in fact anyone who wishes to know more about Chaudhary Charan Singh, the man, the leader; a holistic 360 degree view.