INDIGO

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Karthik Rajesh

Louis Fischer (1896-1970) was born in Philadelphia. He served as a volunteer in the British Army
between 1918 and 1920. Fischer became a journalist and wrote for The New York Times, The
Saturday Review, and European and Asian publications. He was also a member of the faculty at
Princeton University. The following is an excerpt from his book- The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. The
book has been reviewed as one of the best books ever written on Gandhi by the Times
Educational Supplement.

TITLE JUSTIFICATION – Rishikka

The title 'Indigo' is quite appropriate, to the point and suggestive. It at once focuses our attention
on the central issue of exploitation of the indigo sharecropper peasants at the hands of cruel
British planters. They compelled them through a long-term agreement to raise indigo on 15
percent of their landholding and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. After the
development of synthetic indigo by Germany, the British planters extracted money from the
peasants as compensation for being released from the 15 percent agreement. The peasants who
wanted their money back had filed civil suits. The planters who behaved as lords above the law
and were dreaded by the poor were obliged to surrender part of their money and with it part of
their prestige. The extract also points out the work done by Gandhi and his associates to improve
the economic, political cultural, and social life of the indigo sharecroppers. Their education, health
and hygiene also received due attention. The plight of indigo sharecroppers, then- struggle under
Gandhi's leadership and ultimate victory when Indigo sharecropping disappeared from
important landmarks.

INTRODUCTION – Bavisyaa, Pranjal

Louis Fischer was an admirer of Gandhiji. He met Gandhiji several times and wrote his biography,
'The Life of Mahatma Gandhi'. This lesson 'Indigo' is taken from that book. Gandhiji considered
Champaran a turning point in his life. Probably, it was the turning point in the history of India.
Gandhiji visited Champaran in 1917. The British government was well-trenched in India at that
time. Indian masses had a deep-rooted fear of the British. An illiterate man Rajkumar, was greatly
perturbed by the injustice meted out to Indian peasants by the British landlords. The cause of the
problem was indigo and the greed of the landlords. The British landlords owned large estates in
Chamaparan. In those days, harvesting indigo was very profitable. The British landlords, through a
long-term agreement, forced Indian tenants to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo and
surrender the entire product to the landlord as rent. Harvesting indigo was an unpleasant job.
However, things changed. Germany developed synthetic indigo.
Naturally, the prices of indigo were sure to plummet. Harvesting indigo was no longer profitable.
Therefore, the landlords offered to release the peasants from the irksome job of harvesting indigo.
They demanded compensation for it. Illiterate peasants, who did not know the real motive of the
British landlords, gladly agreed to this while others resisted.
Soon, the peasants learned about the synthetic indigo. Then, those who had paid compensation
demanded their money back. The landlords hired thugs to calm them down. The peasants
engaged lawyers. At this point, Gandhiji visited Champaran. He felt it was no use going to courts.
He wanted to free the peasants from the fear of the British. Gandhiji campaigned for their cause
and finally succeeded. He remained firm, fearless, and dedicated.

EXPLANATION – Sarah, Harshal, Eashan

In December 1916 Gandhi went to Lucknow to attend the annual convention of the Indian
National Congress. There were 2,301 delegates and many visitors. A peasant from Champaran,
Rajkumar Shukla, asked Gandhi to visit his district. Shukla followed Gandhi, wherever he went. In
1917, Gandhi and Shukla boarded a train for Patna. Shukla led Gandhi to the house of a lawyer
named Rajendra Prasad. They Could not see him as he was out of town. Gandhi decided to go first
to Muzaffarpur to obtain complete information about the conditions in Champaran. He reached
Muzaffarpur by train at midnight on 15 April 1917. Professor J.B. Kriplani received him from the
station. Gandhi stayed there for two days. The news of Gandhi's arrival and the nature of his
mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran. Sharecroppers from Champaran
began arriving there. Muzaffarpur lawyers briefed Gandhi about the court cases. He chided the
lawyers for collecting big fees from the sharecroppers. He thought that law courts were useless for
the crushed and fear-stricken peasants. The real relief for them was to be free from fear. Then
Gandhi arrived in Champaran. He began by trying to get the facts from the secretary of the British
landlords' Association. He refused to give information to an outsider. Gandhi said that he was not
an outsider. Next, Gandhi called on the British official commissioner of the Tirhut division. The
commissioner started bullying Gandhi and advised him to leave Tirhut. Instead of leaving the area,
Gandhi went to Motihari, the Capital of Champaran, Several lawyers accompanied him. A large
crowd of people greeted Gandhi at the railway station. It was the beginning of their liberation
from fear of the British.

A peasant had been maltreated in a nearby village. The next morning Gandhi started out on the
back of an elephant. Soon he was stopped by the police superintendent's messenger and ordered
to return to town in his carriage. Gandhi complied. The messenger drove Gandhi home. Then he
served him with an official notice to quit Champaran at once. Gandhi signed the receipt for the
notice and wrote on it that he would disobey the order. Gandhi received a summons to appear in
court the next day. At night Gandhi telegraphed Rajendra Prasad, sent instructions to the ashram,
and wired a full report to the Viceroy. Thousands of peasants gathered around the courthouse.
The officials felt powerless. The authorities wished to consult their superiors. Gandhi protested
against the delay. The magistrate announced that he would pronounce the sentence after a two-
hour recess. He asked Gandhi to furnish bail for those 120 minutes. Gandhi refused. The judge
released him without bail. The court started again after a break. The judge said he would not
deliver the judgment for several days. He allowed Gandhi to remain at liberty. Gandhi asked the
prominent lawyers about the injustice to the sharecroppers. They consulted among themselves.
Then they told Gandhi that they were ready to follow him into jail. Gandhi then divided the group
into pairs and fixed the order in which each pair was to court arrest. After several days, Gandhi
was informed by the magistrate that the case had been dropped. For the first time in modern
India, civil disobedience had triumphed. Gandhi and lawyers conducted an inquiry into the
complaints of the peasants. About ten thousand peasants were deposed. Documents were
collected. Gandhi was summoned by Sir Edward Gait, the Lieutenant-Governor. He met the
Lieutenant Governor four times. An official commission of inquiry was appointed.

Gandhi remained in Champaran initially for seven months and then came for several shorter visits.
The official inguiry assembled evidence against the big planters. They agreed in principle to make
refunds to the peasants. Gandhi asked only 50 per cent. The representative of the planters offered
to refund up to 25 per cent. Gandhi agreed. The deadlock was broken. Gandhi explained that the
amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been forced to give
some money and their prestige. The peasant now saw that he had rights and defenders. He
learned courage. Events justified Gandhi's position. Within a few years, the British planters
abandoned their estates. These now went back to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping
disappeared. Gandhi wanted to do something to remove the cultural and social backwardness in
Champaran villages He appealed for teachers. Two young disciples of Gandhi, Mahadev Desai and
Narhari Parikh, and their wives volunteered for work. Several more came from Bombay, Poona,
and other distant parts of the land. Devdas, Gandh's youngest Son, arrived from the ashram and
so did Mrs. Gandhi. Primary schools were opened in Six villages, Kasturba taught the ashram rules
on personal cleanliness and community sanitation. Health conditions were miserable. Gandhi got
a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. Three medicines were available: castor oil,
quinine, and sulfur ointment. Gandhi noticed the filthy state of women's clothes. One woman told
Kasturba that she had only one sari. During his long stay in Champaran, Gandhi kept a long-
distance watch on the ashram and sent regular instructions by mail.

The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhi's life. It did not begin as an act of defiance.
It grew out of an attempt to lessen the suffering of the poor peasants. Gandhi's politics was closely
Connected with the practical day-to-day problems of the millions. He tried to mold a new free
Indian who could stand on his own feet and thus make India free. Gandhi also taught his followers
a lesson in self-reliance His lawyer friends thought that it would be a good idea for Charles Freer
Andrews, the English pacifist, to stay in Champaran and help them. Andrews was willing if Gandhi
agreed. But Gandhi opposed it forcefully. He said, The cause is just and you must rely upon
yourselves to win the battle." Thus, self-reliance, Indian independence and help to sharecroppers
were all bound together.
Character Sketch – Vikram
There are two main characters in this story: Rajkumar Shukla & Mahatma Gandhi Ji
1) Rajkumar Shukla
Rajkumar Shukla was a poor sharecropper who was a victim of British landlords. Though he
was illiterate, he was determined to fight against the injustice of the British landlords, and
to fight them, he goes to meet Gandhiji to seek his help. It was because of Rajkumar Shukla
that Gandhiji came to Champaran village in Bihar. Later, this struggle with British landlords
became a turning point in the fight for the independence of India.
2) Mahatma Gandhi
The protagonist in the chapter "Indigo" is Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most influential
leaders in India’s struggle for independence. Mahatma Gandhi Known for his principles of
non-violence and civil disobedience, Gandhi played a pivotal role in addressing the injustices
faced by the indigo farmers in Champaran, Bihar. Through his actions in Champaran, Gandhi
not only helped the farmers gain better living conditions but also set a powerful example of
how non-violent resistance can bring about social change. His leadership and dedication to
justice are central themes in this chapter.

Theme – Shreya
In the chapter (Indigo', the main theme that is how an effective leadership can overcome any
problem. The chapter tells us about the leadership shown by Mahatma Gandhiji to secure justice
for the oppressed people through convincing argumentation and negotiation, assertion, and
dialogue. So, Gandhiji imparted the lesson of self-reliance and fearlessness. It also emphasizes the
contributions made by many unacknowledged Indians to the freedom movements. This story
highlights that the struggle for the noble cause never goes unrewarded.
The chapter 'Indigo' highlights the unequal economic system that existed during colonial British
rule. It resulted in Indian peasants suffering, while the British planters exploited them. It also
highlights the importance of Gandhiji's decision to take up their case, which exposed
the unjust system.

Summary – Kousik
This chapter is an excerpt from the book "The Life of Mahatma" written by Louise Fischer. It involves
three issues such as- self-reliance, help to sharecroppers and Indian independence. It begins with
the problem of sharecropping in Champaran. A peasant named Rajkumar Shukla goes to Mahatma
Gandhi and requests him to visit Champaran and solve the problem of the sharecroppers. Gandhi ji
goes to Champaran with him and first, he visits Dr. Rajendra Prasad's house. However he is not
treated well by his servants and even not allowed to draw water from the well. Prof.G. B. Kriplani
of Arts College and Prof. Malkani help him. Gandhi ji chides the lawyers who represent peasants'
cases in the law courts, for collecting big fee from the peasants. He meets the secretary of British
Landlords' Association and the British official commissioner of the Tirhut Division. He is asked to
quit Tirhut but he disobeys. He is summoned to court but with the support of the villagers he comes
out of the court without being punished and the case against him is dropped which proves to be
the first victory of Civil Disobedience in Modern India. Later he meets Sir Edward Gait, the Lt.
Governor of the province. The meeting results in the setting up of an enquiry commission which
brings out evidence against the big planters. The landlords agree to pay the refund thus indigo
sharecropping disappears and lands are reverted to the! I peasants. Gandhi ji worries about the
social and cultural backwardness of Champaran villages. He appeals to his disciples. Several people
volunteered. His sons Devdas and Kasturba Gandhi also came to volunteer. They open primary
schools in six villages. Gandhi ji seeks the help of a doctor also. Moreover, when the lawyers think
of taking Charles Freer Andrews to their side, Gandhi ji chides them and asks them to rely on;
themselves. Thus he teaches them self-reliance as well. Thus self-reliance, Indian independence and
the help of sharecroppers were all bound together.

Questions – Everyone
1. Who is the author of Indigo?
A) Louis Fischer
B) Leo Tolstoy
C) Mark Twain
D) Charles Dickens
2. Where was the author born?
A) in Philadelphia
B) In Yugoslavia
C) In Scotland
D) None
3. When did the author serve in the British army?
A) 1918 – 1920
B) 1909 – 1910
C) 1912-1913
D) 1900-1902
4. Gandhi’s protest in Champaran is most appropriately a great model of (CBSE QB, 2021)
A) power.
B) leadership.
C) charity.
D) sponsorship.
5. Indigo is an excerpt from which book of the author?
A) Men and Politics
B) Life of Lenin
C) The Life of Mahatma Gandhi.
D) None
6. What is the message conveyed in the lesson Indigo?
A) Efficient lawyers
B) Speak aloud
C) Wise and courageous leadership can resolve any problem.
D) None
7. Why did M.K. Gandhi fight in Champaran?
A) To secure justice for the oppressed
B) To get popularity
C) To show power
D) To boast of his intelligence
8. What does Gandhi’s fight in Champaran signify?
A) The power of effective leadership
B) The power of lawyers
C) The power of farmers
D) The power of money
9. Why was Motihari back with peasants?
A) Because of people’s rights
B) Because of the oppression of the British
C) Because their champion was in trouble
D) None
10. How did Gandhi address the actions of the people of Motihari ?
A) As liberation from the fear of the British
B) By calling them courageous
C) By chiding the lawyers
D) None
11. What was Gandhiji’s demand from the British landlords?
A) 30% refund as repayment
B) 40% refund as repayment
C) 50% refund as repayment
D) 10% refund as repayment
12. How much did Gandhi ji ask the Indigo planters to pay to the farmers?
A)20%
B) 40%
C) 30%
D) 50%
13. How much did Indigo planters offer to pay?
A) 30%
B) 10%
C) 25%
D) 40%
14. What was the condition of the Sharecroppers?
A) Were forced to give 10% of land for Indigo plantation
B) Were forced to give 20% of land for Indigo plantation
C) Were forced to give 15% of land for Indigo plantation
D) Were forced to give 5% of land for Indigo plantation
15. How did Gandhiji help peasants of Champaran?
A) By fighting and securing justice for them
B) By hiring lawyers for them
C) By educating them
D) By teaching them cleanliness
16. What problems were faced by the Champaran Indigo sharecroppers?
A) Poverty
B) Were forced to grow Indigo
C) Unable to raise voice
D) Illiteracy
17. Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur?
A) To have detailed information of the sharecroppers of Champaran
B) To have information about lawyers
C) To know different capacities of the people
D) To have a personal bond with the people
18. Who briefed Gandhiji at Muzaffarpur?
A) Government officers
B) Politicians
C) Farmers
D) Lawyers
19. Why did Mr. Shukla meet Gandhiji?
A) to seek his guidance for his own upliftment
B) to get ideas to be famous
C) to learn the art of speaking
D) to seek his help for the poor sharecroppers
20. Why is Champaran famous?
A) For fighting
B) For Indigo
C) Because Gandhiji visited
D) For the first Satyagraha movement in 1917