Indigo by Louis Fisher

This story is set in 1916 where Gandhi steps up to help the poor peasants of Champaran. British landowners were exploiting the sharecroppers of this district.  An illiterate peasant named Rajkumar Shukla from Champaran meets Gandhi for help.  Gandhi agrees and boards a train to Patna in Bihar. Rajkumar took Gandhi to the house of Rajendra Prasad- a lawyer. In Mujaffarpur Gandhi meets J.B Kriplani and Professor Malkani other lawyers and farmers. Local people were afraid of giving shelter to home rule supporters like Gandhi. Gandhi understood the problem faced by the farmers. They ware sharecroppers that worked on estates owned by British landlords. As per old arrangement sharecroppers were compelled to cultivate fifteen per cent of their land with indigo and hand over the complete harvest to the landlords.

When the landlords found that Germany had developed synthetic indigo, they did not require the Indigo crop anymore. So, they asked the farmers to pay some compensatory fees for being released from the fifteen per cent arrangement. Some farmers signed willingly, while others hired lawyers to fight against this. But when they came to know about the development of synthetic indigo, they wanted their money back.

Gandhi starts civil disobedience along with peasants and lawyers to get justice. Gandhi received an order to quit Champaran immediately but Gandhi replied that he disobeys the order. British officials were unknown about Gandhi’s record in South Africa. The government was baffled an on back foot. Gandhi received a letter from the magistrate informing that the case has been dropped. The official enquiry assembled and agreed to make refund to the peasants.

Gandhi asked for fifty per cent of the money but the officials offered 25 percent refund. Gandhi agreed gladly.

To him, the amount was less important than the fact that British landlords were compelled to surrender their money. Gandhi believed that the landlords were surrendering their prestige as well.

After the episode of Champaran peasants learned a lesson of self-reliance and courage to fight for their rights. He took up various initiatives to improve the lives of people in Champaran. He started schools along with health and sanitation campaigns to help the people of Champaran overcome poverty and misery.

Gandhi got a doctor for six months. Three medicines were available- caster oil for tongue cleaning, quinine and caster oil for malaria,  and sulfhur ointment for skin problems.  His wife, disciples and many other people joined to help Gandhi for the development of Champaran. 

Page No. 47

Q1.  I.  Rajkumar Shukla was a

            Sharecropper

        II. Rajkumar Shukla was

            Physically Strong

Q2.  Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?

Ans. Rajkumar Shukla is described as resolute because he did not leave Gandhiji’s side till he fixed a date to visit Champaran.

Q3.   Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?

Ans.  Gandhiji went to Rajendra Prasad’s house with Rajkumar Shukla who was a peasant. He was dressed very very simple, so the servants thought Gandhiji to be another peasant and treated him as an untouchable.

Page No 49

Q1. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.

Ans. Gandhi first met Shukla at Lucknow. Then he went to Kanpur and other parts of India. He returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad. Later he visited Calcutta, Patna Muzaffarpur before arriving at Champaran.

Q2. What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the British now want instead and why? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo?

Ans. The peasant were paying indigo as rent to British landlords. When the landlords learned that Germany had developed synthetic indigo. They demanded money as compensation for being released from rent. The prices of natural indigo would go down due to the synthetic indigo.

Page No 51

Q1. The events in this part of the text illustrate Gandhi’s method of working. Can you identify some instances of this method and link them to his ideas of satyagraha and non violence?

Ans. There are many instances in the text that can be linked to Gandhi’s idea of satyagraha and non violence. Firstly Gandhi refused to obey the order of court besides Gandhi’s protest against the delay of the court proceedings.

Page No 53

Q1. Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers?

Ans. Gandhiji believed that the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been forced to surrender part of the money with their prestige.

Q2. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?

Ans. The episode of Champaran liberated the peasants from the fear of the British. Now they were able to face British with courage. British landlords left their estates which reverted to the peasants and indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Page No 54

Q1.Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning- point in his life?
Ans: The Champaran episode began as an attempt to remove the sufferings of large number of poor peasants. He got support of thousands of people. Gandhi declared that the British could not order him in his own country. Hence, he considered the Champaran episode as a turning- point in his life.

Q2. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Ans: Gandhi was able to influence the lawyers through his conviction, earnestness and pertinent questioning. He scolded the lawyers for charging heavy fee. Later, the lawyers from Bihar thought that they would return if Gandhi was sentenced. But Ganhi told them that it would impudent for them, being lawyer from a neighbouring place to return when a stranger was ready for imprisonment. So, they agreed to follow himto jail.

Q3. “What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home rule’?
Ans: The average Indians in smaller localities were afraid to show sympathy for the advocates of home-rule. Gandhi stayed at Muzaffarpur for two days at the home of Professor Malkani, a teacher in a government school. It was difficult in those days for a government professor to give shelter to one who opposed the government.

Q4. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Ans: Professor J.B. Kriplani received Gandhi at Muzaffarpur railway station at midnight. He had a large body of students with him. Sharecroppers from Champaran came on foot and by conveyance to see Gandhi. Muzaffarpur lawyers too called on him. A vast multitude greeted Gandhi when he reached Motihari railway station. Thousands of people demonstrated around the court room. This shows that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement in India.