Former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh (1902-87) finally has been conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

Though it's been so many years he has passed away, but he finally received India's highest civilian award though posthumously

Surely, this important for him and him family, and he's the man who relentlessly fought for the farmers.

Though a Congress member for most of his life, he quit the party in the 1960s and went on to form the first non-Congress government not just in Uttar Pradesh, but entire north India.

He served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1970 and also as the Prime Minister of India between July 28, 1979, and January 14, 1980.

He later founded his own political party Lok Dal in 1980.

Born to Netra Kaur and Chaudhary Meer Singh on December 23, 1902, in Noorpur village in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh, Singh's primary education took place in his native village school at Jani Khurd.

As a people’s representative, he took up issues concerning the village economy, building up a political position against the exploitation of peasants by big landlords.

Over time, Charan Singh emerged as one of the most popular leaders of North Indian farmer communities such as Jats, Yadavs, Gujjars, and Kurmis, as well as Muslims.

Charan Singh was also a minister in the government led by UP’s second CM Dr Sampurnanand, and the third CM Chandra Bhanu Gupta, under whom he served as Home Minister.

He is often hailed as one of India’s tallest Jat leaders.

His influence transcended just the Jat community. Widely acknowledged as a champion of peasants, Charan Singh has been credited with creating a new political class encompassing the farming communities in North India, with his influence felt even today.

Under Charan Singh’s influence, farmer communities moved away from both the Congress and Jan Sangh, the precursor of the BJP, to vote for parties that specifically represented them.