Indigo

About the Author

Louis Fischer (1896-1970) was born in Philadelphia in 1896. He served as a

volunteer in the British Army between 1918 and 1920. Fischer made a career as a
journalist and wrote for The New York Times, The Saturday Review and for
European and Asian publications. He was also a member of the faculty of
Princeton University.

Value Points

❖ Rajkumar Shukla- A poor sharecropper from Champaran wishing to meet

Gandhiji.
❖ Raj Kumar Shukla- an illiterate but resolute peasant, who followed Gandhiji to
Lucknow, Cawnpore, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Patna, Muzzafarpur and then
Champaran.
❖ Servants at Rajendra Prasad’s residence thought Gandhiji to be an
untouchable.
❖ Gandhiji considered as an untouchable because of simple living style and
wearing, due to the company of Rajkumar Shukla.
❖ Decided to go to Muzzafarpur first to get detailed information about
Champaran sharecropper.
❖ Sent telegram to J B Kriplani and stayed in Prof Malkani’s home- a
government servant.
❖ Indians afraid to show sympathy to the supporters of home rule.
❖ The news of Gandhiji’s arrival spread- sharecroppers gathered in large
number to meet their champion.
 ❖ Gandhiji chided the Muzzafarpur lawyer for taking high fee.
❖ Champaran district was divided into estate owned by English people,
Indians only tenant farmers.
❖ Landlords compelled tenants to plant 15% of their land with indigo and
surrender their entire harvest as rent.
❖ In the meantime Germany had developed synthetic indigo –British landlords
freed the Indian farmers from the 15% arrangement but asked them to pay
compensation.
❖ Many signed, some resisted engaged lawyers, and landlords hired thugs.
❖ Gandhiji reached Champaran- visited the secretary of the British landlord
association to get the facts but denied as he was an outsider.
❖ Gandhiji went to the British Official Commissioner who asked him to
leave Tirhut, Gandhiji disobeyed, went to Motihari the capital of
Champaran where a vast multitude greeted him, continued his
investigations.
❖ Visited maltreated villagers, stopped by the police superintendent but
disobeyed the order.
❖ Motihari black with peasants spontaneous demonstrations, Gandhiji
released without bail Civil Disobedience triumphed.
❖ Gandhiji agreed to 25% refund by the landowners, it symbolised the
surrender of the prestige.
❖ Gandhiji worked hard towards social economic reforms, elevated their
distress aided by his wife, Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh.
❖ Gandhiji taught a lesson of self reliance by not seeking help of an English man
Mr. Andrews.

In a nutshell:

Problem of the sharecroppers/ peasants

15% of their land holding had to be left aside for cultivating indigo crop and the entire
produce had to be surrendered as rent to the landowners (mostly Britishers).
Later, when artificial indigo came into the market, the landlords asked for compensation
from the poor peasants for relieving them from the 15% of the land rent.

Gandhiji’s solution after consultation with the Lieutenant

50% of the amount already paid by the sharecroppers was to be returned to them.

The Bargain
After the negotiation, it was decided that 25% of the collected money (compensation) will
be repaid to the peasants.

Themes

❖ Effective leadership can solve any kind of problems

❖ It’s not impossible to conquer and win over the powerful
❖ Unity is might
❖ Self-reliance is an important life skill
Characters

I. Rajkumar Shukla
• Peasant in Champaran
• Troubled by sharecropping
• Illiterate but resolute
• Never left Gandhiji’s side until he agreed to visit Champaran

II. Mahatma Gandhi

• Visited Champaran, stayed there for over a year
 • Removed problems of sharecropping
• Contributed to Indian Independence struggle
• Taught a lesson of self – reliance

III. Edward Gait

• Lt. Governor of the province
• Ordered to drop the case against Gandhi
• Set up an enquiry commission to find out the issues

IV. Rajendra Prasad

• A lawyer who became President of Indian National Congress

V. [Link]
• An English pacifist and a devoted follower of Gandhi ji

Question Bank

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why was Gandhiji impressed with Rajkumar Shukla?

2. What were the conditions of the sharecroppers of Champaran?
3. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
4. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a
turning-point in his life?
5. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards
advocates of ‘home rule’?
6. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom
movement?
7. How did Gandhiji’s meeting with Sir Edward Gait help the
sharecroppers?
8. What made the British realize that the Indians could challenge their might
hitherto unquestioned?
9. How did Gandhi make the peasants fearless and self reliant?
[Link] did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 percent refund to the
farmers?
[Link] was the conflict of duties in which Gandhi was involved?
(Question Bank,NCT)
12. When did Gandhi say ‘The battle of Champaran is won? (Question Bank
,NCT)
13.“Civil disobedience had triumphed the first time in India.” How did it
happen ?(Question Bank ,NCT)
[Link] did Gandhi say to his friends when they suggested that Charles
Andrews should be retained for the sake of the Champaran movement?
(Question Bank ,NCT)
15. How did Gandhi teach his followers a lesson of self reliance?

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Why was the sharecropping irksome? What was its fate?

2. How did Gandhi ji win the battle of Champaran?
3. Justify the appropriateness of the title ‘Indigo’ to this extract.
4. How did Gandhi use Satyagraha and non-violence to achieve his goal?
5. Why was Gandhi summoned to appear in court? How did he gain his
liberty?
6. Give an account of Gandhi’s efforts to secure justice for the poor
indigo sharecroppers of Champaran?
7. How did Gandhi work for rural uplift during his stay in Champaran?
8. What impression do you form about Gandhi on reading the chapter
‘Indigo’?
9. Why is Champaran considered to be the beginning of the Indian
struggle of Independence? (All India 2014)

Value Based Questions

1. Patriotism is in political life what faith is in religion. John F. Kennedy

said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, and ask what you can
do for your country.” Those who sacrifice their comfort for the welfare
of the state get recognition. Write an article on the topic ‘Patriotism’.
2. “Freedom from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor”.
Do you think that the poor of India are free from fear after
independence? Write a debate for or against the motion.
3. Exploitation is a universal phenomenon. The poor Indigo farmers
were exploited by the British landlords, to which Gandhi ji objected.
Even after our independence we find the exploitation of unorganised
labour. What values do we learn from Gandhi’s campaign to counter
the present day problems of exploitation?

Multiple Choice Based Questions

1. Why did M.K. Gandhi fight in Champaran?

 a) To secure justice for the oppressed
b) To get popularity
c) To show power
d) To boast of his intelligence

2. Health conditions in Champaran were...

a) miserable
b) tolerable
c) under control
d) fairly good

3. How did Gandhi behave with the officials outside the court?
a) He demonstrated his power
b) He was firm and resolute
c) He said that he would disobey the order
d) He cooperated with them

4. Why did Gandhi start out on the back of an elephant?

a) A peasant had been maltreated in a village nearby
b) He set out to meet the secretary of British Landlords Association
c) He set out to meet British official commissioner
d) He was summoned by Sir Edward Gait, the Lt. Governor