INDIGO

- Louis Fischer

Answer the following questions: [Long Answer Type]

1. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as resolute?

Rajkumar Shukla wanted Gandhi to take up the cause of the poor

peasants in Champaran. He met Gandhi in the Lucknow session of the
Congress. But Gandhi had many engagements in different parts of
India. Shukla accompanied Gandhi everywhere. He waited till Gandhi
was free.

He followed Gandhi to the Ashram and then to Calcutta. Gandhi was

impressed by his tenacity and devotion. He established that he was
resolute and impressed by his devotion finally Gandhi went with him to
Bihar.

2. How was Gandhi treated at Dr. Rajendra Prasad's house?

Gandhi came along with Rajkumar Shukla, who was a peasant, to

Rajendra Prasad's house. Shukla and Gandhi were received rather
unceremoniously in Rajendra Prasad's house in his absence.
The servants knew Shukla as a poor peasant who 'pestered' their
master to help the Indigo sharecroppers. They also took Gandhi to be
another peasant. Gandhi was not permitted to draw water from the well
as they were not confirmed that he was not an untouchable. He could
pollute the entire source if some drops fell from his bucket.

3. 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?

The peasants were forced to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo and
surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.
 When Germany had developed synthetic indigo, indigo plantation was
no more profitable and the British wanted peasants to dissolve the
agreement. They asked the sharecroppers to pay them compensation for
being released from the 15% agreement.

Obviously synthetic indigo would be cheaper and more readily available

and thus would bring down the price of natural indigo.

4. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode so

significant and a turning point in his life?

The Champaran episode was 'a turning point in Gandhi's life' because
it was the first successful Civil Disobedience Movement to fight against
the injustice of the ‘Landlord system’ in Bihar. It did not begin as an act
of defiance. It was a sincere effort to alleviate the distress of a large
number of poor peasants.

The British landlords considered themselves above the law and behaved
as 'Lords'. The mass movement forced the landlords to surrender a part
of money and part of their prestige. It also wiped out the mortal fear of
the Britishers from the hearts of the simple farmers.

5. 'The settlement of 25% refund to the farmers appeared rather small'.

Why did Gandhi agree to it and how did events justify his position?

According to the settlement, the planters were to refund 25% of the

compensation money to the peasants. To everybody's surprise Gandhi
accepted the offer. The achievement appeared to be rather small but
events justified his position.

According to Gandhi, the amount of refund was less important than the
fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender the part of their
money and with it, the part of their prestige.

6. How did the episode change the life of the peasants?

The episode of Champaran helped the peasants immensely. It removed

their mortal fear of the British. They were made aware of their rights
and had courage to fight for them. Within a few years the British
planters abandoned their estates, which were reverted to the presents.
 Slowly, indigo sharecropping disappeared from the district of
Champaran.

7. "Self-reliance, Indian Independence and help to sharecroppers were all

bound together", says Louis Fischer about Gandhi. Explain.

Self-reliance was a virtue which was of utmost importance to Gandhi.

He wanted to 'mould a young free Indian who could stand on his own
feet and thus make India free'. During the Champaran episode, when
the lawyers wanted to take Charles Freer Andrews an Englishman, into
their fold, to uphold their cause, Gandhi strongly opposed the move. He
made them understand that they should rely on themselves to win the
battle. In this way Gandhi taught them a lesson in self-reliance.

Gandhi proved that the British authority, dreaded and unquestioned,

could be challenged by Indians. The success of Champaran marked the
triumph of Civil Disobedience in India. It was another stepping stone to
the beginning of India's freedom movement.

In a similar manner, the sharecroppers' episode in Champaran was

connected to the above two themes. Gandhi went to Champaran to fight
for the cause of the peasants who were deceived and cheated by the
British landlords. Thus, Louis Fischer had rightly said that self-reliance,
Indian Independence and help to sharecroppers were all bound
together.

ROSHNI BAGGA
PGT [English]