YOUTUBE CHANNEL: SHIPRA MISHRA

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: SHIPRA MISHRA

INDIGO
BY: Louis Fischer

 Gandhiji's decision to seek the ouster of the British regime from

India was affected by an incident that happened in 1917.
 In December 1916, Gandhiji had gone to Lucknow to attend the
annual convention of the Indian National Congress. Rajkumar
Shukla, a poor farmer from Champaran, approached him and
requested him to visit his place to see the plight of the indigo
planters in that part of the country.
 However, Gandhiji had prior commitments and he could not go
with Shukla. But the indigo cropper patiently followed Gandhiji to
all the places that he went. Noticing the persistence of this man,
Gandhiji decided to accompany him to Champaran.
 The duo reached Patna and stayed for one night at the house of
Rajendra Prasad who later became the President of India. Then
on, they moved to Muzzafarpur where they were received by Prof.
J B Kriplani and his students. Gandhiji stayed at the house of Prof.
Malkani, a government school teacher.
 This was unusual because government employees were generally
reluctant to show any inclination towards the Congressmen.
Meanwhile, the news about Gandhiji's arrival spread and peasants
reached Muzaffarpur with the hope of a solution to their plight.
 The plantations and estates were owned by the British who
compelled the tenants to grow indigo in 15% of the land. This crop
was then taken away as rent. But after the Germans developed
synthetic indigo, the British land owners knew that they could no
longer continue making profits via cropping of indigo.
 In an attempt to squeeze out the last profit from the planters, they
began to charge compensation from them for releasing them from
the arrangement of forceful planting of indigo.
 Some peasants signed the agreement because they did not yet
know of the synthetic indigo. Slowly, when the news about the
synthetic indigo reached the farmers, they sought the legal course
to retrieve the compensation money.
 Gandhiji tried to analyze this situation by talking to the lawyers who
were representing the case of the peasants. During the course of
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conversation he discovered that the lawyers had been charging

high fee from the peasants.
 He scolded the lawyers for this apathy and decided to change the
course of action because he did not expect justice from the law
courts run by the British. He then resolved to free the people of
fear from the ruler.
 Gandhiji arrived in Champaran and asked the secretary of the
British landlord's association for details but was refused on the
ground that he was an outsider.
 Gandhiji claimed that he was not an outsider because this was his
country. He then tried to contact the administrative officials of
Tirhut who declined any help and advised him to leave the town at
once. Instead, Gandhiji left for Motihari along with several
prominent Indian lawyers.
 Crowds of peasants greeted release Gandhiji but asked him to
furnish bail for the two hour recess before the judgment was
pronounced. Gandhiji defied again. The judgment was withheld for
a few days but Gandhiji was allowed to stay free.
 The lawyers who had come for the trial had no choice but to return
because of this stand-off. However, they decided to court arrest,
as per Gandhiji's wish, thus registering their fight against the
injustice meted out to the sharecroppers.
 This marked the beginning of the victory of the battle of
Champaran.
 Gandhiji's principle of civil disobedience had proved successful.
The Lt Governor dropped the case against Gandhiji. However, a
defiant Gandhiji did not leave Champaran and went ahead to
inquire further into the grievances of the farmers.
 About ten thousand testimonies were recorded. Gandhiji was
again summoned by the Lt Governor because the civil
disobedience launched by him had set the stage for greater
trouble.
 Finally a commission of inquiry was appointed in which Gandhiji
represented the peasants. The British landlords were him at the
station. He began investigations to understand deeply this system
of exploitation of ignorant farmers.
 During one of his visits to an affected farmer, he was stopped on
his way and was driven back to town. An official notice was served
ordering him to leave Champaran.
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 Gandhiji signed the notice but put a remark that he would defy it.
Subsequently, he was summoned to appear in the court the next
day. Gandhiji stayed awake the whole night and made
preparations before appearing at the court.
 The news about the brewing trouble spread fast and thousands of
peasants gathered around the court. The officials had to seek
Gandhiji's help to control these men.
 As a result of this mass unrest, the authorities postponed the trial.
In turn, Gandhiji protested against the delay and read out a
statement admitting that he disobeyed the law but also
emphasized that the voice of his conscience held greater value
than the law.
 The judge decided to left with no choice and they agreed to refund
the money. Gandhiji agreed to a refund of 25% of the original
amount because this was signatory of the victory of the
suppressed as well as the surrender of the British.
 Gandhiji did not stop at this political victory because his real aim
was the social and cultural upliftment of Champaran.
 He initiated a campaign of social welfare by setting up schools and
health centres. His wife and youngest son, along with many
volunteers, joined him in this task.
 Thus, a brief visit to a remote district was extended for more than a
year and this experience marked a turning point in the life of
Gandhiji.
 His unconventional way of politics became apparent because his
focus remained on the common man's everyday problems seeking
liberation through self-reliance.
VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
A. The Champaran episode was a turning-point in Gandhi’s life.
‘‘What I did,” he explained, “was a very ordinary thing. I declared
that the British could not order me about in my own country.” But
Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew out of an
attempt to alleviate the distress of large numbers of poor peasants.
This was the typical Gandhi pattern — his politics were intertwined
with the practical, day-to-day problems of the millions. His was not
a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living, human beings. In
everything Gandhi did, moreover, he tried to mould a new free
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Indian who could stand on his own feet...

i. In the extract, the phrase 'loyalty to abstractions' refers to a

strong commitment to __________.
A. selected groups
B. simple pleasures
C. certain ideologies
D. governmental authorities
ANS. C

ii. Select a suitable word from the extract to complete the following
analogy:change: transform :: relieve: __________.

iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank.

The primary motive of Gandhi's actions was to _________.

A. make Indians self-reliant
B. eradicate peasant poverty
C. unite the people of Champaran
D. expose the incompetence of the British
ANS. A

iv. Which of these best describes the primary purpose of the

extract?
A. It highlights Gandhi's intention to use peasants to overthrow
colonial power.
B. It points out why the Champaran episode is still relevant in
free modern India.
C. It explains the differences between the political strategies of
Gandhi and the British.
D. It shows how Gandhi's position in the Champaran struggle
reflected his political views.
ANS. D

v. Identify the textual clue that allows the reader to infer Gandhi's
view of his own accomplishments (clue: a word).
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vi. Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation, as per

the extract. Gandhi uses the words 'turning point' to refer to the
Champaran incident because it __________.

B. They had merely heard that a Mahatma who wanted to help them
was in trouble with the authorities. Their spontaneous
demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was the
beginning of their liberation from fear of the British. The officials felt
powerless without Gandhi’s cooperation. He helped them regulate
the crowd. He was polite and friendly. He was giving them
concrete proof that their might, hitherto dreaded and unquestioned,
could be challenged by Indians. The government was baffled. The
prosecutor requested the judge to postpone the trial. Apparently,
the authorities wished to consult their superiors.

i. The officials felt powerless because

a. of Gandhi’s refusal to cooperate with them.
b. of Gandhi’s polite and friendly behaviour.
c. the crowd was listening only to Gandhi.
d. the crowd was getting violent.
ANS. C

ii. The demonstration proved that the

a. policies of the British had failed.
b. dread instilled in the hearts of Indians had begun to lessen.
c. dealings with the Indian citizens had been unsuccessful.
d. might of the British had not been understood by Indians.
ANS. B

iii. Which style, from those given below, is being used by the
author, when he says,
“Apparently, the authorities wished to consult their superiors.”?
a. humourous
b. dramatic
c. sarcastic
d. persuasive
ANS. C

iv. Gandhiji’s behaviour towards the British prior to the proposal of

postponement of the trial was that of
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a. indifference.
b. calm acceptance.
c. ignorance of consequences.
d. polite helpfulness.
ANS. B

Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract

A. They thought he would demand repayment in full of the
money which they had illegally and deceitfully extorted from
the sharecroppers. He asked only 50 per cent. “There he
seemed adamant,” writes Reverend J. Z. Hodge, a British
missionary in Champaran who observed the entire episode
at close range. “Thinking probably that he would not give
way, the representative of the planters offered to refund to
the extent of 25 per cent, and to his amazement Mr. Gandhi
took him at his word, thus breaking the deadlock.”
This settlement was adopted unanimously by the
commission.
i. Gandhi knew that he would not get an agreement on the
demand for 50% repayment.
Choose the option that offers the correct justification for
the assumption made above.
a) He had anticipated the negotiating tactics of the
planter’s representative.
b) He had been informed about the depleting funds of the
planters.
c) He had taken the advice of the Reverend on board.
d) He had evaluated the commission’s attitude towards
Indians
ans. a
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a) Option 1
b) Option 2
c) Option 3
d) Option 4
ans. ii. b
iii.c

iv The deadlock broke because

a) Gandhi’s settlement offer was worth considering.
b) All commission members agreed to adopt the
representative’s offer.
c) Reverend J. Z. Hodge’s intervention brought both
parties together.
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d) The sharecroppers refused to be convinced by the

commission.
Ans. b

B. But Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew

out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large numbers of
poor peasants. This was the typical Gandhi pattern — his
politics were intertwined with the practical, dayto-day
problems of the millions. His was not a loyalty to
abstractions; it was a loyalty to living, human beings. In
everything Gandhi did, moreover, he tried to mould a new
free Indian who could stand on his own feet and thus make
India free.
i. Choose the option listing the sentence that is the
most appropriate example of an ‘act of defiance’,
from the following:
She picked up the telephone terrified of what was
about to come. She could hear nobody on the other
side. Meanwhile, there was a thud at the door loud
enough to scare her. Curious as she was, she
wanted to open it as soon as possible. Her mother
tried to stop her several times, but she went ahead,
nevertheless.
a) She picked up the telephone terrified of what was
about to come.
b) Meanwhile, there was a thud at the door loud
enough to scare her.
c) Curious as she was, she wanted to open it as
soon as possible.
d) Her mother tried to stop her several times but she
went ahead nevertheless.
Ans. d

ii. Choose the correct option with reference to the two

statements given below.
Statement 1: His was not a loyalty to abstractions; it
was a loyalty to living, human beings.
Statement 2: Gandhi was a humanitarian at heart.
a) Statement 1 is the cause of Statement 2.
b) Statement 2 is the effect of Statement 1.
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c) Statement 2 can be inferred from Statement 1.

d) Statement 1 and Statement 2 are independent of
each other.
Ans.c
iii. The given extract DOES NOT talk about
a) details of the daily problems faced by human
beings.
b) efforts to relieve suffering of the common people.
c) the reason for the occurrence of Champaran.
d) Gandhi’s principles in the field of politics.
Ans. a

Ans.b

Stand Alone MCQs

i. In the light of the following statement, pick the option
that lists characteristics of Gandhi. “Gandhi never
contented himself with large political or economic
solutions. He saw the cultural and social
backwardness in the Champaran villages and wanted
to do something about it immediately.”
1. pragmatic
2. obedient
3. compassionate
4. philanthropic
5. patient
6. dramatic
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a) 1, 3, 6
b) 2, 4, 5
c) 1, 3, 4
d) 2, 5, 6
ans. c
ii. Complete the statement about the form of the
chapter, ‘Indigo’. The chapter ‘Indigo’ is __________ a
Louis Fischer book.
a) a preface to
b) the blurb for
c) the foreword of
d) an excerpt from
ans. a
iii. Gandhi’s protest in Champaran is most appropriately a
great model of
a) Power
b) leadership.
c) charity.
d) sponsorship.
Ans.d

iv. Rajkumar Shukla’s efforts resulted in Gandhiji’s fight

for the farmer’s cause. This showcases that he was
a) meticulous and kind.
b) sincere and curious.
c) enterprising and persistent.
d) respectful and congenial.
ANS. C

Answer in 30-40 words

i. The peasants were themselves the most crucial
agents in the success of the Champaran Civil
Disobedience. Expand.
ii. Gandhi makes it clear that money and finance are a
secondary aspect of the struggle in Champaran.
Comment on aspect that you think was most important
for Gandhi.
iii. Gandhi was a lawyer himself. Examine how his
professional expertise helped in Champaran.
iv. Explain the possible reasons for Gandhi’s quick
popularity among the peasants of Champaran.
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v. As the host of a talk show, introduce Rajkumar Shukla

to the audience by stating any two of his defining
qualities.

You may begin your answer like this:Meet Rajkumar

Shukla, the man who played a pivotal role in the
Champaran Movement. He ……

Answer in 120-150 words

i. Imagine Gandhi were to deliver a speech to students
in present day India showing them the path to
becoming responsible world leaders. Based on your
understanding of Gandhi’s own leadership skills, write
a speech, as Gandhi, addressing the students about
the qualities that every leader and politician should
nurture.
Dear students, you are all leaders of social change. I
see many bright and enthusiastic faces that assure me
that our future is in good hands. I have learnt from my
own experience……………(continue)………….

ii. Let us assume it was Rajendra Prasad who informed

Charles Freer Andrews of Gandhi’s decision and the
reasons for other leaders’ support of him. Thinking
creatively of how Andrews would have responded and
pen down the discussion you think would have taken
place between Rajendra Prasad and Andrews.

iii. Biographies include features of non-fiction texts –

factual information and different text structures such
as description, sequence, comparison, cause and
effect, or problem and solution. Examine Indigo in the
light of this statement, in about 120-150
words.

iv. The prose selections, Deep Water and Indigo, bring

out the importance of overcoming fear, in order to be
able to lead our lives successfully. Imagine yourself to
be a motivational speaker who has to address high
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school students. Write this address in 120 – 150 words

elaborating on occurrences from the two texts to
inspire your audience and to convince them about the
importance of overcoming fear.
You may begin like this …
Good morning, students!
We all know what it’s like to be afraid. Fear is our
body’s natural response to a perceived threat or
danger.
But when …