DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

TOPIC: MAHATMA GANDHI AND

INDIA- INDIGO

PROJECT ON ENGLISH
NAME-
CLASS-
AISSCE ROLL NO-
ROLL NO. (SCHOOL)-
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my sincere
thanks of gratitude to my teacher
Mrs. Tanvi Raizada who gave me the
golden opportunity to do this
wonderful project on this topic. This
project helped me to understand the
contribution of Mahatama Gandhi in
freeing the peasants of Champaran
from the oppression of British
authorities. I would also like to
thank my parents and friends who
helped me in the successful
completion of this project by
providing their valuable suggestions.
 INTRODUCTION
MAHATMA GANDHI-
In the eyes of millions of his fellow
Indians, Gandhi was the Mahatma (“Great
Soul”). The unthinking adoration of the
huge crowds that gathered to see him all
along the route of his tours made them a
severe ordeal; he could hardly work
during the day or rest at night. “The woes
of the Mahatmas,” he wrote, “are known
only to the Mahatmas.” His fame spread
worldwide during his lifetime and only
increased after his death. The name
Mahatma Gandhi is now one of the most
universally recognized on earth.
Born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar,
Gujarat to Karamchand Gandhi and
Putlibai , Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
grew up in a home steeped in religion. He
studied law in England from 1888 to 1891,
and in 1893 he took a job with an Indian
firm in South Africa. There he became an
effective advocate for Indian rights. His
success in South Africa gave him an
international reputation, and in 1915 he
returned to India and within a few years
became the leader of a nationwide
struggle for Indian home rule. He
refashioned the Indian National Congress
into an effective political instrument of
Indian nationalism and undertook major
campaigns of nonviolent resistance in
1920–22, 1930–34 (including his momentous
march to the sea to collect salt to
protest a government monopoly), and
1940–42. In the 1930s he also campaigned
to end discrimination against India’s
lower-caste “untouchables” and
concentrated on educating rural India
and promoting cottage industry. He was
shot and killed by Nathuram Godse on 31
January, 1948.

HISTORY OF INDIGO
PLANTATION IN CHAMPARAN
Indigo planting in Bengal dates back to
1777, when Louis Bonnaud, a Frenchman,
introduced it to the Indian subcontinent.
He became the first indigo planter in
Bengal. Indigo planting became more and
more commercially profitable because of
the demand for blue dye in Europe.
Indigo cultivation in Champaran goes
back to the late 18th century. It was in
1813, however, that the first indigo
factory was founded at Bara village. By
1850, indigo had become the
predominantly produced crop in
Champaran, replacing even sugar. The
predominant system of Indigo cultivation
in Champaran was the tinkathia system.
In this, the ryot was under an obligation
to cultivate three kathas per beegha of
his land with indigo i.e. 3/20th of his
landholding ( 1 beegha= 20 kathas). There
were no legal grounds for this. It was
done solely at the wishes of the indigo
factory owners (planters). Moreover, post
1900, because of competition from the
European synthetic indigo, the indigo
factories in Bihar started facing decline.
To escape losses, the planters began
cancelling their agreements with the
ryots to grow indigo. To release them
from this obligation, they charged
a tawan i.e. damages as high as rs. 100
per  beegha. If the ryots could not make a
cash payment, then handnotes and
mortgage bonds were made at an interest
rate of 12 percent per annum.
 GANDHI AND CHAMPARAN
The resentment surrounding indigo
cultivation compelled Raj Kumar Shukla, a
well-off agriculturist to persuade Mahatma
Gandhi to visit Champaran and work for the
oppressed peasants. Along with Brajkishore
Prasad, a reputed Bihari lawyer who fought
cases for the tenants, Shukla first met Gandhi
at Lucknow where he had come to attend the
Annual Congress Meet of 1916. Initially,
Gandhi seemed unimpressed by both of them
and clearly stated that unless he saw the
situation for himself, he would not do
anything. However, Shukla was not satisfied.
He followed Gandhi to Kanpur and Sabarmati.
Gandhi finally agreed to visit Champaran. “I
have to be in Calcutta on such and such a date,
come and meet me then, and take me from
there.” The news of Gandhi’s arrival in
Champaran had created a stir among the
British officials. They believed that his
arrival could provide fuel to the inflammable
situation in Champaran. At the same time,
they were aware that given his huge following,
he had to be watched and dealt with carefully.
Gandhi first arrived in Muzaffarpur. Being
sensible to the situation, he
immediately wrote to the Commissioner of the
Tirhut Division informing him that he wanted
to work with the cognizance and co-operation
of the government. He also asked for an
appointment so that he could apprise him
about the purpose of his visit.
In the meeting, Gandhi stated that owing to
public demand, he wished to enquire about the
condition of indigo cultivation in Champaran
and the grievances of the tenants associated
with it. He also said that he did not have any
desire to instigate turbulence. He was asked
to show the credentials to prove that there
indeed was a public demand for his arrival
which he eventually produced. Mahatma
Gandhi finally arrived at Motihari,
headquarter of Champaran district, on
th
15  April 1917. He decided to visit the village
Jassauli where a tenant had been mistreated.
While still on his way, he was overtaken by a
Sub-inspector who informed Gandhi that an
order under Section 144 has been issued and
requested him to return and meet the District
Magistrate. Gandhi came back from the way but
he refused to adhere to the notice. He wrote to
the Magistrate that he would not leave
Champaran for which he was ready to suffer
the penalty of disobedience. As a result,
Gandhi was also charged under Section 188 of
the Indian Penal Code and summoned for a
trial on 18th April. The day of the trial is one
of the most memorable moments in the history
of Champaran. A huge crowd of ryots had
gathered in front of the Court. Gandhiji’s
stance baffled the officials. In view of the
confusion, it was decided to postpone the
sentencing. Meanwhile, Gandhi conducted his
own inquiry and presented his report to the
authoritires. It primarily made the following
recommendations: First, the tinkathia system
should be abolished. Second, if someone enters
into an agreement to grow indigo then it
should be voluntary, its term should not
extend more than a period of three years and
the decision to select the field in which
indigo is to be grown should rest with the
ryots. Third, the ryots who paid tawan to the
factories would get back one fourth of it from
them. Fourth, the realization
of abwab (illegal cesses) should be stopped.
The Government accepted almost all the
recommendations and in order to give effect
to the recommendations, it issued a
resolution. Ultimately the planters’ raj came
to an end.
INDIGO
Indigo is an excerpt from Louis Fischer’s
book, “The Life of Mahatama Gandhi”. It is
a biography of Gandhi’s life which
provides a detailed account of his
philosophies and thoughts. It traces his
life from his arrival in India to his
ultimate demise in 1948. It is often
considered as one of the best books
written on Gandhi by scholars and
historians. The book became the basis for
the Academy Award winning film, Gandhi
by Richard Attenborough.