5.

INDIGO - LOUIS FISCHER

1. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being resolute?
Rajkumar Shukla was a share cropper from Champaran. He was illiterate, but resolute. He had
come to the annual convention to complain about the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar.
He wanted Gandhiji to come to Champaran district. He accompanied Gandhiji wherever he went
for several weeks. Finally, Gandhiji asked him to meet in Kolkata on an appointed date. Though
many months had passed in between, Gandhiji found Rajkumar Shukla when he reached Kolkata.
Hence he is described as being resolute.
2. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Gandhiji was a simple and humble person clad in a simple dhoti. When Shukla brought Gandhiji
to Rajendra Prasad’s house, the servants mistook him for another peasant. They knew Shukla
was a sharecropper in Champaran, so when they saw the two simply dressed men they thought
Gandhiji was a companion of Rajkumar Shukla.
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 paid the British landlords Indigo as rent for the land they cultivated. The British had
compelled the farmers to plant Indigo, which was a cash crop on 15% of their land and surrender
the entire crop as tax to the government. Then Germany had developed synthetic Indigo which
was much cheaper and the natural Indigo from India lost its value. So the British landlords wanted
to end the share cropping, but they were not ready to bear the loss. They asked the peasants to
pay money and not the Indigo as compensation for being released from the 15% arrangement.
Many peasants paid the money without knowing the prices of natural Indigo had gone down due
to the synthetic Indigo. The farmers were in a huge loss as they had already paid the money for
a commodity which lost its value in the market.
4. What were the terms of the Indigo contract between the British landlords and the Indian
peasants?
The terms of the Indigo contract were that the farmers will have to grow Indigo on 15% of their
land holdings where they used to plant only food crops. The government wanted the peasants
who were tenants of their leased lands to give the Indigo which was a commercial crop to the
landlords as tax.
5. ‘The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhiji’s life’. Explain. OR
How did a visit to Champaran become a turning point in Gandhi's life? How does this show
Gandhi's love and concern for the common people of India? OR
How did Gandhiji use Satyagraha and non - violence at Chambaran to achieve his goal?
The farmers of India used to plant only food crops in their leased lands, but the British landlords
forced them to plant cash crops like Indigo in 15% of their land. The entire produce of Indigo was
to be surrendered to the landlords as tax. When Germany produced synthetic Indigo the price of
the natural Indigo was lost hence the landlords were at a loss. They demanded money from the
farmers as compensation. The peasants who were unaware that the natural Indigo had lost its
value agreed to for the settlement. Later when they came to know about synthetic Indigo they
demanded their money back. The landlords hired thugs to oppose them. When Gandhiji came to
Champaran he understood it was fear and illiteracy of the people that made them fear the British.
He championed their cause with determination. Soon he led a movement of non-violence and
Satyagraha. When farmers from neighbouring places heard of a new leader who had come to
champion their cause, they flocked to Champaran in thousands and demonstrated around the
court room where Gandhiji was summoned. Muzaffarpur lawyers also came in support of
Gandhiji. This made the British feel challenged. The peasants’ spontaneous demonstration
around the courthouse was a clear indication of their liberation from fear. This new realisation
gave Gandhiji a direction in which to lead the freedom struggle and it proved to be a turning point
in his life.
6. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers?
Gandhiji was a man of principles and he didn’t pay much value to monetary benefits. In the
beginning he had demanded a 50% refund for the farmers, but he agreed to a settlement of a
mere 25% compensation from the British because he wanted the landlords to return not only
part of their money but also shed some of their prestige. Moreover, the peasants had shed their
fear also.
7. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
The Champaran episode touched many facets of peasants’ lives. Their demonstration outside the
courthouse on the day of Gandhiji’s trial indicated they had shed their fear against the British.
The peasants were also saved from spending time and money on court cases. After some years
the British planters gave up control of their states. It was then reverted to the peasants. Indigo
share cropping totally disappeared from India.
8. Why was Gandhiji opposed to C.F Andrews helping him in Champaran?
C.F Andrews was an English man and Gandhiji’s friend. Gandhiji did not want his help because
he did not believe in seeking a prop in him. It would have been helpful, but it would show the
weakness in their hearts. Gandhiji believed that their victory was certain and he also wanted the
peasants to be self-reliant.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
2. How was Gandhiji able to influence lawyers? Give instances. OR “I have come to the
conclusion that we should stop going to law courts” Gandhi told Muzaffarpur lawyers. How
was Gandhiji’s stay in Muzaffarpur?
Gandhiji wanted more information about the peasants’ problems, so he decided to go first to
Muzaffarpur which was on the way to Champaran. He stayed there for two days in the house of
professor Malkani, a teacher in a government school. Then news of Gandhiji's arrival and of the
nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran. Sharecroppers from
Champaran began arriving on barefoot and by conveyance to see their champion and defender.
Muzaffarpur lawyers who frequently represented peasant groups in court called on Gandhiji to
brief him. When he found the lawyers were collecting high fees from the sharecroppers Gandhiji
scolded them. He told them when the peasants were so crushed and fear stricken taking their
cases to law courts was useless. He felt that real relief for them was to be free from fear.
3. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home
rule’?
The average Indians in smaller localities were afraid to show sympathy for the advocates of home
rule because they lived in fear of the British. Gandhi stayed at Muzaffarpur for two days in the
home of Professor Malkani. a teacher in a government school. It was an extraordinary thing in
those days for a government employee or any other Indian to give shelter to one who opposed
government.
4. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
The lesson ‘Indigo’ opens with how a poor, illiterate peasant from Bihar goes to Lucknow to
appraise Gandhiji about the sharecropping problems with the British landlords. Professor J B
Kripalani, a friend of Gandhiji came to meet Gandhiji at the Muzzafarpur railway station at mid
night with a large number of students. When the sharecroppers from Champaran heard about
Gandhiji’s arrival they arrived in thousands on foot and by conveyance to see Gandhiji.
Muzaffarpur lawyers too called on him. A vast multitude greeted Gandhi when he reached
Motihari railway station. Thousands of people demonstrated around the courtroom when
Gandhiji’s trial took place. All these shows that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom
movement.
5. “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?
Means of Survival are far more important than freedom for legal justice for the poor people of
India. It is doubtful whether the poor of India are free from fear after independence. The rulers
have been replaced by corrupt politicians and self-serving bureaucracy. Middle men and money
lenders have a field day. Gandhiji had made the peasants shed their fear of the British and
become self- reliant. The situation has improved in cities and towns for the poor, but the poor
in the remote villages till fear the big farmers and money lenders. The police and other officials
who should take care of the helpless poor, mistreat them. The poor find it hard to make both
ends meet. The tenant farmers have to borrow money from rich money lenders at an exorbitant
rates of interest which usually they fail to repay due to failure of monsoon or bad crops. Cases of
farmers committing suicide are quite common these days. The plight of farmers is the same
before and after independence. The legal systems should support the farmers and see that they
are not afraid to bring their problems to the forefront and get legal justice.
EXTRA QUESTIONS.
1. ‘Exploitation is a universal phenomenon’. The poor Indigo farmers were exploited by the
British landlords to which Gandhiji objected. Even after our independence, we find exploitation
of unorganized labour. What values do we learn from Gandhiji's campaign to counter the
present day problems of exploitation?
2. ‘Firm determination and resolution, aimed towards a positive track of life, becomes a turning
point’. Discuss with reference to ‘Indigo’.

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