Skit Script: The Price of Freedom

Characters:

 NARRATOR: Sets the scene and provides context.

 MR. HARRISON (40s): An arrogant, stern British Officer, dressed in crisp colonial uniform.

 MR. DATTA (50s): A dignified Indian intellectual/merchant (representing figures like Dadabhai
Naoroji), wearing traditional but respectable Indian attire.

 RAMU (30s): A lean Indian villager, wearing a simple, worn dhoti and kurta. His face is etched
with worry.

 LAKSHMI (30s): Ramu's wife, resilient and determined, wearing a plain, faded saree.

 GANDHIJI: (Voiceover) Symbol of peace and non-violence.

Props:

 A sturdy wooden table and a comfortable chair for MR. HARRISON.

 A makeshift sign, clearly visible, that reads "INDIANS AND DOGS NOT ALLOWED".

 Some raw cotton bolls, a small hand-held charkha (spinning wheel), and a ledger book for Mr.
Datta.

SCENE 1

Setting: A dusty village square in British India, circa 1930s. Mid-day sun is hot. The officer's
desk is placed under a small awning.

(The NARRATOR walks to the side of the stage, speaking directly to the audience.)

NARRATOR:
(Voice steady, serious) India, once a land of rich resources, now choked under the weight of
foreign rule. The British arrived as traders, but stayed as masters, systematically draining our
wealth to build their own empire. They established policies designed not for our benefit, but for
Britain's industrial rise.
(NARRATOR moves to the background. MR. HARRISON sits at his
desk. RAMU and LAKSHMI enter, hesitant. MR. DATTA stands slightly apart, holding a
ledger, observing the scene.)

MR. HARRISON:
(Without looking up, voice sharp, dismissive) What is it now? Can't you see I am busy?

RAMU:
(Hesitantly, bowing slightly) Sahib, we need help. The rains have failed us, and our crops are
gone. We cannot pay the new land tax you have imposed on our harvest.

MR. HARRISON:
(Stands up abruptly, adjusting his uniform, pacing the small area) "Cannot pay"? (He scoffs
loudly) That is not an option, my good man. The Crown demands its revenue. Your 'failed rains'
are not the Crown's concern.

LAKSHMI:
(Steps forward, her voice gaining strength) But sir! You take our raw cotton for next to nothing to
your factories in England! Then you bring back machine-made cloth and force us to buy it at
high prices, crippling our own weavers! We are starving!

MR. HARRISON:
(Points a rigid finger at the 'Indians Not Allowed' sign, his face flushed with anger) How dare you
speak to an officer of the Crown in such a manner? You may walk the roads, but you have no
rights here! Indians and dogs - not allowed!

MR. DATTA:
(Steps forward calmly, opening his ledger) On the contrary, Officer Harrison, every single Indian
subject has the right to ask where their wealth is going. The "Crown's revenue" is a facade for
systematic theft.

MR. HARRISON:
(Furious) Who is this man? Seize him! (Two imaginary guards stand behind Datta, but he
stands firm).

MR. DATTA:
(To Harrison and the audience) You use the taxes collected from Ramu's village to buy Indian
goods for free, which you then ship to Britain or re-export for immense profit. Indian revenues
also pay for your high salaries, the entire colonial administration, and even the wars you fight
elsewhere in the world! This is a "drain of wealth" with no equal return!

MR. HARRISON:
(Stammering, losing composure) This is... this is administration! We are bringing you civilization,
railways!
MR. DATTA:
(Shaking his head sadly) Railways built with our money, to transport our raw materials to your
ports, not to help us. Your policies have reduced India's share of the world economy from 23%
to less than 4%. You didn't develop India; India developed Britain, at the cost of millions of lives
lost to policy-induced famines!

RAMU:
(Gaining courage from Datta's words) He speaks the truth, Sahib. You take our food even when
there is drought!

MR. HARRISON:
(To Ramu) Get out! Now!

(Ramu and Lakshmi exit, with more dignity this time. Datta stares at Harrison with a
determined look before exiting.)

SCENE 2

Setting: Ramu and Lakshmi's small, sparsely furnished hut.

(RAMU and LAKSHMI are sitting on the floor. LAKSHMI has her charkha and is spinning
with purpose.)

NARRATOR:
The truth was out. The realization that they were being systematically impoverished fueled a
quiet, but powerful, revolution. The message of Swadeshi (self-reliance) spread like wildfire.

LAKSHMI:
(Stops spinning, looks at Ramu with determination in her eyes) Ramu, Mr. Datta is right. We
cannot live like this, begging for mercy from people who are thieves in our own home. (She
holds up the cotton thread) We will spin our own thread.

RAMU:
(Sighs heavily, but with growing hope) We will weave our own cloth. We will boycott their goods!
They need our support to rule; we can withdraw it!

(A recorded voice of GANDHIJI speaks as a spotlight hits a symbolic charkha or image of

(Ramu stands up slowly, the words sinking in. His expression shifts from hopelessness
to firm resolve. Other villagers (if present) gather behind them.)

NARRATOR:
And rise, they did. Through non-violence, through civil disobedience, through sacrifice, the spirit
of India rose, one thread at a time, demanding the wealth and freedom that was rightfully theirs.

The boycott of British goods was a powerful economic weapon. The Salt March ignited the
conscience of the world. Years of struggle, of imprisonment, of unwavering resolve followed. It
was a long, arduous journey, paved with the blood and sweat of countless heroes. But the
power of a united, determined people, fighting with peace and truth, proved stronger than any
empire. The sun of British rule was setting.

ALL (except Narrator):

(The stage fills with powerful, patriotic music and the lights fade out.)

(The historical scene ends with the final powerful chant of "Jai Hind" and the lights fade
out.)