Indigo By Louis Fischer - (English - XII)
Summary
TLDRThe story recounts Gandhi's pivotal role in the Champaran movement, initiated after meeting Raj Kumar Shukla, a peasant suffering under oppressive landlords. Gandhi traveled to Bihar, investigated the plight of farmers forced to grow indigo, and defied British orders to leave. Through civil disobedience, Gandhi won the first legal victory for India's independence, leading to the abolition of unjust landlord contracts. Beyond legal battles, Gandhi sought to uplift the district socially and culturally, emphasizing Indian self-reliance over foreign aid and laying groundwork for future peaceful resistance.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Gandhi met Raj Kumar Shukla in 1916, who urged him to visit Champaran to help oppressed peasants.
- 🚂 Shukla's persistence led Gandhi to agree to visit Champaran, demonstrating Gandhi's interest in the peasants' plight.
- 🏠 Gandhi visited Rajendra Prasad's house but was initially mistaken for a peasant by the servants.
- 🛑 Gandhi began gathering information in Champaran, despite being ordered to leave by the British authorities.
- 👨⚖️ Gandhi's refusal to obey the order and the subsequent court case highlighted the strength of civil disobedience.
- 🤝 Gandhi's efforts united local lawyers, who decided to support him, marking a significant step in the Champaran movement.
- 📜 The case against Gandhi was eventually dropped, signifying a victory for civil disobedience in India.
- 🔍 Gandhi led an investigation that resulted in the British landlords agreeing to refund 25% of the compensation to the peasants.
- 🌾 The Champaran movement succeeded in empowering the peasants and led to the eventual departure of British landlords.
- 🇮🇳 The movement was a pivotal moment in India's independence struggle, emphasizing self-reliance and peaceful protest.
Q & A
Who is the author of the story 'Indigo' and what is it about?
-'Indigo' is written by Louis Fischer. It recounts Mahatma Gandhi's involvement in the Champaran movement, where he helped peasants fight against the oppressive British landlords.
Who was Raj Kumar Shukla, and why did he approach Gandhi?
-Raj Kumar Shukla was a peasant from Champaran. He approached Gandhi at the Indian National Congress session in 1916 to seek his help in addressing the grievances of the farmers being exploited by British landlords.
How did Raj Kumar Shukla convince Gandhi to visit Champaran?
-Raj Kumar Shukla followed Gandhi persistently throughout his travels, eventually impressing Gandhi with his determination. Gandhi agreed to visit Champaran after a few months.
What was the main issue faced by the peasants in Champaran?
-The peasants in Champaran were forced by British landlords to grow indigo on 15% of their land and give it as rent. When synthetic indigo was developed, the landlords tried to exploit the peasants further by demanding compensation for releasing them from this obligation.
How did Gandhi respond to the legal fees being charged to the peasants?
-Gandhi was appalled by the high legal fees charged by lawyers to represent peasants. He believed that legal proceedings were not as effective as freeing the peasants from their fear of the landlords.
What action did Gandhi take when ordered to leave Champaran by the British authorities?
-Gandhi refused to obey the order to leave Champaran and was summoned to court. He admitted to disobeying the order but justified his actions as being humanitarian in nature.
How did the local authorities react to Gandhi's presence and refusal to leave Champaran?
-The local authorities were confused by the large support Gandhi received from the peasants. They eventually consulted higher officials and postponed Gandhi's trial, allowing him to stay in Champaran without bail.
What was the outcome of Gandhi’s trial in Champaran?
-The case against Gandhi was dropped on the orders of the Lieutenant Governor. This marked the first victory for civil disobedience in India.
What role did Gandhi play in the enquiry commission set up in Champaran?
-Gandhi was the sole representative of the peasants on the enquiry commission. He gathered evidence from 10,000 peasants, leading the British planters to agree to refunds.
How did Gandhi contribute to the social and cultural improvement of Champaran?
-In addition to securing justice for the peasants, Gandhi worked to improve the social, cultural, and health conditions in Champaran. Volunteers from his ashram came to educate and treat the people in the district.
Why did Gandhi refuse to seek help from Charles Freyr Andrews, an English follower?
-Gandhi believed that seeking help from an Englishman would be a sign of weakness. He emphasized that Indians needed to be self-reliant and learn to fight their own battles.
Outlines
🌱 Gandhi's Journey to Champaran Begins
In 1942, Louis Fischer recalls his first visit to Gandhi's ashram. Gandhi shares how, in 1916, he was approached by Raj Kumar Shukla, a peasant from Champaran, at the Indian National Congress in Lucknow. Shukla sought Gandhi’s help to address the exploitation by landlords in Bihar. Gandhi was initially unable to help due to other commitments, but Shukla's persistence impressed him. Gandhi eventually agreed to meet him months later in Calcutta. Together, they traveled to Patna and visited Rajendra Prasad's house. However, Gandhi faced discrimination, as people assumed he was untouchable. Gandhi then traveled to Muzaffarpur to gather more information, where he was hosted by Professor Malkhani, a rare supporter of the anti-British cause. His arrival attracted attention, and peasants from Champaran, as well as local lawyers, began to gather around him. Gandhi was dismayed by the high legal fees charged to peasants and decided that legal action alone would not help. The crux of the problem was the exploitative contracts forcing peasants to grow indigo. When synthetic indigo was invented in Germany, landlords tried to extort compensation from the peasants. Learning of this, Gandhi visited both landlords and officials for more information but was denied help. In Champaran’s capital, Moti Hari, Gandhi was ordered to leave but refused, resulting in his arrest. His defiance galvanized the local population, leading to his temporary release and setting the stage for civil disobedience.
✊ Gandhi's First Victory for Civil Disobedience
After Gandhi's defiance in Champaran, the local support grew. Gandhi’s refusal to leave prompted his trial, but the local authorities were perplexed by the massive support he received. This led to the postponement of his trial, and he was released without bail. His local lawyer friends pledged to support him, marking a pivotal moment in the Champaran movement. A few days later, Gandhi was informed that the case against him had been dropped on the orders of the lieutenant governor, marking his first victory through civil disobedience. Following this, Gandhi and his team gathered evidence from over 10,000 peasants, which convinced the lieutenant governor to set up an inquiry commission. Gandhi represented the peasants in the commission, and the landlords eventually agreed to a 25% refund to the peasants. Though it was not a full refund, Gandhi believed this partial victory would empower the peasants to recognize their rights. Over the following years, the British landlords left, and the land was returned to the peasants. Gandhi spent nearly a year in Champaran not only fighting for the peasants' rights but also working to improve the district’s social, cultural, and health conditions. Volunteers from his ashram contributed to education and healthcare initiatives. The Champaran movement highlighted the power of civil disobedience and Gandhi's focus on self-reliance. Despite pressure to involve Englishman Charles Freyr Andrews, Gandhi insisted that Indians had to learn to fight their own battles without depending on outsiders. This movement became a vital precursor to India's independence struggle.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Champaran
💡Raj Kumar Shukla
💡Indigo farming
💡Civil disobedience
💡British landlords
💡Synthetic indigo
💡Lieutenant Governor
💡Rajendra Prasad
💡Self-reliance
💡Enquiry commission
Highlights
Louis Fischer recounts his first visit to Gandhi's ashram in Sevagram in 1942.
In 1916, Gandhi attended the Indian National Congress session in Lucknow, where a peasant named Raj Kumar Shukla approached him with a request for help against oppressive landlords.
Gandhi was impressed by Shukla’s persistence and agreed to visit Champaran months later to help the peasants.
Gandhi and Shukla went to Rajendra Prasad’s house in Patna, but Gandhi was treated as an untouchable by the servants.
Gandhi traveled to Muzaffarpur to gather more information, where he stayed at the house of Professor Malkhani, a rare act of support from a government employee.
Gandhi discovered that the peasants in Champaran were exploited by British landlords who forced them to grow indigo on 15% of their land and hand it over as rent.
The British landlords, after the discovery of synthetic indigo, began demanding compensation from the peasants to release them from the indigo-growing contracts.
Gandhi investigated the landlords' actions but was ordered to leave the district. He refused and was summoned to court, where his presence attracted a large crowd of supporters.
The British authorities were confused by Gandhi's widespread support and postponed his trial, allowing him to remain free without bail.
Gandhi’s lawyer friends offered to support him, declaring their readiness to go to jail with him. Gandhi considered this a victory in the battle of Champaran.
After many days, Gandhi received a letter stating that the case against him had been dropped. This marked the first victory for civil disobedience in India.
Gandhi collected evidence from 10,000 peasants and presented it to the lieutenant governor, leading to the formation of an inquiry commission.
The British planters agreed to a 25% refund to the peasants, which Gandhi accepted as a way to help the peasants recognize their rights and power.
Over time, the British landlords left, and the peasants gained control of the land. Gandhi spent nearly a year securing justice for the Champaran farmers.
Beyond helping the peasants, Gandhi also worked to improve the social, cultural, and health conditions of Champaran, involving volunteers from his ashram.
The Champaran movement was significant as it demonstrated the power of civil disobedience and emphasized the need for Indians to become self-reliant.
Transcripts
here is the summary of the story indigo
by louis fisher the author recounts his
first visit to gandhi's ashram in
sevagram
in 1942. gandhi offered to explain
how he had decided to ask the british to
leave india
in 1916 gandhian attended the annual
session
of the indian national congress in
lucknow
there a peasant named raj kumar shukla
from the district of champaran
approached gandhi and asked him
to accompany him to his district shukla
had come to the meeting
to complain about the oppressive
landlords in bihar
and wanted gandhi to help
however gandhi had to travel to other
parts of india
shugla accompanied him everywhere
when gandhi returned to his ashram
shukla followed him
impressed shukla's resolve and his story
gandhi told him
that he would visit calcutta a few
months later
and asked shukla to meet him there on
the appointed day
many months later nandi found shukla
waiting for him at the place
agreed upon the left for patna by
train once gandhi was free shukla took
gandhi to the house of rajendra prasad
the future president of india the
servants
recognized shukla as a regular visitor
assuming gandhi to be another peasant
the servants allowed him to stay on the
grounds along with shukla
but did not permit gandhi to draw water
from the well for fear
that he was an untouchable gandhi then
went to muzaffarpur
to gather more information he stayed at
the house of professor malkhani
a teacher in a government school
gandhi noted that it was rare for a
government employee to help him
as most indians in small towns were
apprehensive about supporting
anti-british agitators as news of
gandhi's arrival spread
prisons from all over champaran started
to collect in muzap perform
even lawyers who had represented peasant
groups came to meet gandhi
gandhi was appalled at the amount of
legal fees charged
he declared that legal proceedings were
not as useful as freeing
the peasant from the fair of the
landlord
in champaran most of the land was owned
by the british
who rented it out to the peasants under
long-term contracts
the peasants were required to grow
indigo on 15
of the land and hand over the indigo
crop as rent
however when synthetic indigo was
developed in germany
natural indigo was of little use to the
landlords
the landlords offered to free their
tenants
farmers from the contractual obligation
to grow indigo if
they agreed to pay the landlord's
compensation
many peasants who did not want to grow
indigo quickly signed agreements
others refused to pay the compensation
upon which
the landlords resorted to thuggery
however
when the peasants finally learned of
synthetic indigo
they realized that they had been cheated
and wanted their money back
gandhi arrived in champaran at this
juncture
he visited both the british landlords
association
as well as the british official
commissioner to
gather information they declined to help
and gandhi went to muti hari the capital
of champaran
accompanied by many lawyers he continued
his investigations
but was soon served notice to leave the
district immediately
gandhi declined to obey the order he was
summoned to court
the next day the next morning moti hari
was crowded with peasants
who had heard that a mahatma who had
come to help them
was in trouble gandhi helped the
officials control the crowd
around the courthouse thus providing the
officials with proof that their
authority would no longer
go on questions the local authorities
confused by the support for gandhi
decided to consult their superiors and
requested the judge to postpone the
trial
gandhi protested this move admitting
that he did disobey the order
he declared that he was there for a
humanitarian purpose
and thus could not leave he demanded to
be punished for disobeying
the order to leave the judge eventually
postponed the judgment for a few days
allowing gandhi to remain free without
bail
gandhi's lawyer friends conferred
together and concluded that
it would be shameful if they the locals
left gandhi
at this moment they informed gandhi that
they too were ready to go to jail
with him gandhi was pleased and declared
that
the battle of champaran was won
many days later gandhi received a letter
from the magistrate informing him
that the case had been dropped on the
orders of the lieutenant governor
of the province this was the first
victory for civil disobedience
in india gandhi and the lawyers then
collected evidence
and documents from about 10 000 peasants
before he met the lieutenant governor of
the province
who finally agreed to set up an enquiry
commission
gandhi was the sole representative of
the peasants in the commission
confronted by the evidence provided by
the official inquiry
the planters decided in principle to
make refunds
to the prisons gandhi agreed on a 25
refund explaining that even this would
help the
peasants realize his rights and his
powers
this came true as in a few years the
british planters left
leaving the land to the peasants gandhi
thus
dedicated almost a year to secure
justice for the farmers of
champaran but he did not stop there
he also strove hard to improve the
social
cultural and health conditions of the
district
volunteers from his ashram as well as
elsewhere
came to educate and treat people in the
district
though the champion hesitation had began
as an effort to help
poor peasants it was important because
it demonstrated
the power of civil disobedience gandhi
was always concerned about the practical
problems of people
not mere philosophies in addition all
his actions
were focused on ensuring that indians
would make themselves self-reliant
rather than depend on others in the
early days of the champion movement
gandhi's lawyer friends wanted charles
freyr andrews
an english follower of gandhi to stay in
champaran and help them
gandhi refused and told his friends that
asking an englishman for support
was a sign of weakness he stressed that
indians would have to be self-reliant
and learn to fight their own battles
thus we can see that helping the
peasants to our self-reliance and
freeing them from the oppression of the
british landlords
provided gandhi with the perfect impetus
for initiating the movement for
independence
through peaceful means
you
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