Indigo

Summary
Louis Fischer starts the chapter by recalling his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi at his
ashram in Sevagram in 1942. He remembers Gandhi explaining his urge to initiate
the departure of the British from India. It started in 1917. He had gone to attend the
annual convention of the Indian National Congress Party in Lucknow in December
1916. During this event, a farmer named Rajkumar Shukla came up to him, asking
for help. He wanted Gandhi to help him, and his fellow farmers deal with the injustice
imposed upon them by the landlord system in Bihar.

Rajkumar Shukla followed Gandhi to his ashram until the latter agreed to go to
Champaran. It was decided that Rajkumar Shukla would take Gandhi to Champaran
from Calcutta. After several months, when Gandhi went to Calcutta, he found
Rajkumar waiting for him at the exact spot at the given time. Rajkumar took Gandhi
to the house of Rajendra Prasad – a lawyer. The lawyer was not there. So, Gandhi
decided to go to Muzaffarpur. He was greeted by a professor at the train station – J.B.
Kripalani, who was accompanied by many students. Although the local people were
afraid of giving shelter to home-rule supporters like Gandhi, a government school
teacher – Professor Malkani let him stay for two days at his house.

As a number of lawyers and farmers came to meet him, Gandhi understood the
problem faced by the farmers. They were sharecroppers – tenants that worked on
estates owned by British landlords. This system compelled the farmers to cultivate
fifteen per cent of their land with indigo and hand over the complete harvest to the
landlords. When the landlords discovered that Germany had developed synthetic
indigo, they did not want the farmers to grow indigo anymore. So, they asked the
farmers to pay some compensatory fees for being released from the fifteen per cent
arrangement. Some farmers signed willingly, while others hired lawyers to fight
against this. But when they came to know about the development of synthetic
indigo, they wanted their money back.

Gandhi faced a lot of troubles while approaching the government officials about the
Champaran issue. They made many excuses and turned him away a number of
times. But he stayed put and filed a case with support from prominent lawyers and
the local farmers. After long meetings with the Lieutenant-Governor, Gandhi was
able to arrange investigations into the sharecroppers’ issues. A substantial amount
of evidence was unearthed, and the official enquiry agreed to refund the farmers’
money that was taken from them through illegal and deceitful ways.

Gandhi asked for fifty per cent of the money while the official enquiry counter-
proposed a twenty-five per cent refund. Gandhi agreed gladly. To him, the amount of
money that was to be paid was less important than the fact that British landlords
were compelled to surrender their money. Gandhi believed that the landlords were
surrendering their prestige as well.

The outcome of this event was that the fearful and suppressed farmers developed a
sense of self-reliance and courage to fight for their rights. The writer stresses the
fact that Gandhi’s politics was not about being loyal to ideals, but it was about being
loyal to the people – the human beings involved in it. He took up various initiatives to
improve the lives of people in Champaran. He started schools along with health and
sanitation campaigns to help the people of Champaran overcome poverty and
misery. His wife, disciples and many other people volunteered to help Gandhi bring
development to Champaran.

Conclusion
Indigo tells us about the journey of self-reliance and courage during the freedom
struggle in British India. Gandhi had considered an improvement in the physical and
mental conditions of people as a crucial factor in the contribution of nationalistic
sentiment and resistance by farmers against the British. The Champaran incident
was considered the first kind of Civil Disobedience victory in modern India.
1. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a
turning-point in his life?

Answer:

Gandhi considered the Champaran episode a watershed moment in his life because
it was India’s first Satyagraha movement, and it restored courage and a feeling of
self-reliance to the Champaran peasants. As a result, Gandhi regarded it as
significant in his life and the course of Indian independence.

2. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.

Answer:

Gandhi was able to persuade the lawyers by setting a good example. Gandhi was
willing to spend time in prison for the sake of the peasants. This prompted them to
remain in Champaran and volunteer to accompany him to jail if he was arrested.

3. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards
advocates of ‘home rule’?

Answer:

During that time, the average Indian in smaller towns and villages was terrified of
the British. They were afraid of the repercussions of assisting proponents of “home
rule.” As a result, while they were supportive of people like Gandhi, they were afraid
to express it openly, and only a few dared to do so. In the story, we meet people like
Professor Malkani, who had the courage to give shelter to Gandhi on the latter’s visit
to Muzaffarpur.

4. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom

movement?

Answer:

We know that ordinary people helped the freedom movement in the following ways.

Thousands of poor peasants took part in spontaneous demonstrations around the

courthouse in Motihari. Owing to his tenacity, an ordinary peasant named Rajkumar
Shukla spearheaded this movement. This resulted in India’s first Satyagraha
movement, which contributed to the freedom movement.

In Champaran, Mahadev Desai, and Narhari Parikh, two young men who had recently
become disciples of Gandhi, and their wives volunteered to teach in a school.
Champaran’s social and cultural backwardness was alleviated as a result of this. A
doctor also volunteered for six months in Champaran.

Extra Questions

1. “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?

Answer:

Gandhi stated in this story that the true relief for the poor peasants was to be free of
fear.

Even after independence, poor literacy rates, a lack of adequate nutrition, and a lack
of access to sanitary facilities continue to plague India’s poor. Even though many
government measures and schemes have been implemented, a lack of awareness of
such schemes leads to the underutilization of these helpful measures.

However, a new trend has recently emerged. Non-governmental organizations,

private companies, as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs,
and concerned individuals have all pitched in to ensure and uplift the standard and
quality of life for the poor and disadvantaged groups. The poor of India will be free of
fear as people help one another and develop self-reliance and courage.