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Indigo

Gandhi felt taking the Champaran case to court was useless because the peasants were too fearful of the British system to get a fair trial. When the peasants heard Gandhi had come to help them, thousands assembled and demonstrated, overwhelming officials. The Lieutenant Governor dropped charges against Gandhi due to lack of evidence and his popularity. Gandhi considered the Champaran episode a turning point, as it proved the effectiveness of non-violence in achieving change.

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SOURABH Biswas
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68 views

Indigo

Gandhi felt taking the Champaran case to court was useless because the peasants were too fearful of the British system to get a fair trial. When the peasants heard Gandhi had come to help them, thousands assembled and demonstrated, overwhelming officials. The Lieutenant Governor dropped charges against Gandhi due to lack of evidence and his popularity. Gandhi considered the Champaran episode a turning point, as it proved the effectiveness of non-violence in achieving change.

Uploaded by

SOURABH Biswas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ch-Indigo

Q1. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to court
was useless?
Peasants were crushed and gripped by fear of the system. Going to
court wouldn't help to resolve any issue. He believed that real
resolution may come when they are free from this fear. So, Gandhi
felt that taking the Champaran case to the court was useless.

Q2. How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a
Mahatma had come to help them?
When the Champaran peasants heard that a Mahatma had
come to help them, they assembled in Motihari in large number.
Thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the
courthouse where Gandhiji was supposed to appear. The crowd
was so uncontrollable that the officials felt powerless, and
Gandhiji himself helped the authorities to regulate the crowd.

Q3. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against
Gandhiji?
The judge did not pronounce judgement for several days and
Gandhiji was released. However, due to a lack of any malicious proof
about Gandhiji's intent for his stay in Champaran also Gandhiji had
so many followers and he was such an honest man that even the
lawyers wanted to get into jail if Gandhiji was arrested., the
Lieutenant Governor dropped all charges against Gandhiji.
Q4. Why did Gandhiji oppose when his friend Andrews offered to
stay in Champaran and help the peasants?
Gandhiji did not accept C.F. Andrew's help during the Champaran
movement because he believed that it would be very unfair to have
an English man on their side. He wanted Indians to be self-reliant in
the fight against British. He did not want an English man's
involvement or help in the battle against British.

Q5. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to


be a turning point in his life?
Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in
his life because he realised that civil disobedience, which had
triumphed for the first time, could go a long way in the freedom
struggle. Moreover, he had succeeded in making the peasants aware
of their rights and becoming confident. This success, thus, proved the
effectiveness of Gandhi’s method of non-violence and non-
cooperation.

Q6. What did the peasants pay to the British landlords as rent?
the peasants paid the entire indigo harvest, which they had to
cultivate on 15 percent of the land, as a rent to the British. The
British then wanted to release the peasants from this arrangement,
provided they compensate for being released. They wanted to do so
because they had learned about Germany producing synthetic
indigo. The prices of natural indigo decreased as an impact of
synthetic indigo.
Q7. Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur before going to
Champaran?
Rajkumar Shukla had given quite a lot of information to Gandhiji
about the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. However, Gandhiji
wished to obtain more complete information about the conditions
than Shukla had imparted. He visited Muzaffarpur, which was en
route to Champaran, to inquire from the lawyers there about the
issue, as they frequently represented the peasant groups in the
court.

Q8. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another


peasant?
Gandhi was a simple and humble man dressed in a plain ‘dhoti’
(loincloth). To the servants, he must have looked like just another
poor farmer in this country. Moreover, he was accompanied by
Rajkumar Shukla whom they knew to be a poor indigo sharecropper.
Thus, when the servants saw them both together, they mistook
Gandhi to be another peasant.

Q9. “The battle of Champaran is won!” What led Gandhiji to make


this remark?
Gandhi was ready to go to jail fighting against the injustice to the
sharecroppers. Many prominent lawyers had come from all over
Bihar to advise and help him. At first, they said they would go back if
Gandhi went to prison. Later, they had consultations. They told
Gandhi they were ready to follow him into jail. This support made
Gandhi extremely happy and confident. This confidence led him to
exclaim that the battle of Champaran was won.
Q10. Why did Gandhi agree to the planters’ offer of a 25% refund to
the farmers?
According to Gandhi, the amount of money given as a refund to
farmers was not more important than the fact that the landlords
were obliged to surrender a part of their money and with it, a part of
their prestige too. Gandhi was of the view that the peasants were
indeed lords above law in this setting. So, he agreed to a settlement
of 25 per cent even when he had put forth a demand of 50 per cent.

Q11. How was Gandhi able to influence the lawyers? Give instances.
The lawyers wanted Andrews to stay in Champaran and help them.
But Gandhiji opposed them. He said that it would be their weakness
to take the help of an Englishman. they should learn to win the battle
by their own strength. They should learn to be self reliant.Gandhiji
influenced the lawyers by example of selfless service. He was
prepared to go to jail for the sake of the poor peasants who were
quite strangers to him. The lawyers were deeply impressed They
came to the conclusion that it would be shameful desertion if they
went home. They too became ready to go to jail.

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