CBSE Class 12 English Indigo Notes

Indigo Class 12 English Summary of the Story

SUMMARY OF THE STORY

The story ‘Indigo’, written by Louis Fischer narrates Gandhiji’s struggle for justice to the poor peasants of Champaran. In those days, most of the arable land in the Champaran district was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was Indigo. The landlords compelled all tenants to plant Indigo on 15% of their land and surrender the entire Indigo harvest as rent. This was done by a long term contract. The British didn’t need the Indigo crop any more when Germany developed synthetic Indigo. But to release the peasants from the 15% agreement, they demanded compensation. Some illiterate peasants agreed but the others refused.
When Louis Fischer first met Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram, he told him how and why he decided to disobey the British in 1917. Gandhi had gone to the December 1916 annual convention of the Indian National Congress in Lucknow where he met a poor peasant named Rajkumar Shukla who pleaded Gandhi to visit Champaran. Rajkumar Shukla was one of the sharecroppers who was determined enough to accompany Gandhi everywhere till he fixed a date to visit his district.
Impressed by the resoluteness of the peasant, Gandhi agreed to meet him in Calcutta and go with him to Champaran from there. After a few months when Gandhi went to Calcutta, the two of them boarded a train for the city of Patna in Bihar. From there Shukla led him to the house of a lawyer named Rajendra Prasad. Mahatma Gandhi’s humble and simple attire made the servants mistake him for another poor peasant. However, Gandhi was not allowed to draw water from the well as they thought that he might turn out to be an untouchable.
Then, Gandhi decided to go to Muzzafarpur to gather more information about the condition of the peasants in Champaran.
The news of Gandhi’s advent and his mission spread rapidly through Muzzafarpur and Champaran. Many lawyers and peasant groups came in large numbers to support him. Gandhi came to know that the lawyers were charging a fee from the peasants.
The lawyers accepted the fact that their charges were high and for a poor peasant it was irksome. Gandhiji rebuked them.
He advised them against taking the farmers' cases to the law court as he felt that all that was needed was to make them feel liberated from fear. He stressed on counselling as this would give the peasants enough confidence to fight their fear. He looked into the matter, stood by the side of the poor peasants and fought a long battle of one year, managing to get justice for them. This made the peasants courageous and made them aware of their fundamental rights.
Gandhi’s work at Champaram didn’t just confine to political or economic struggle. He also worked on social issues like arrangements for education, health and hygiene for the families of the poor peasants. He taught them the lessons of selfreliance and self-dependence. This was one of the first struggles that paved the way for India’s independence.

Indigo Class 12 English Character Sketch

CHARACTER SKETCH: Rajkumar Shukla

Rajkumar Shukla was a poor peasant from Champaran. He was a sharecropper under the British landlords there. Under an old agreement, the peasants were compelled by the British to grow indigo on 15% of their land and part with it as rent. Later, to free them from Indigo cultivation, they collected compensation. This became a big trouble for all the peasants in Champaran and there was no one to help them. For this, Rajkumar Shukla had been advised to speak to Gandhiji who he was told, would be able to do something about their problem. Rajkumar Shukla was resolute and tenacious to take Gandhi with him. It was because of his determination that Gandhiji, went on to initiate one of the most powerful movements in the history of our national struggle.

Important Points for Chapter 5 Indigo Class 12 English

About the Author : Louis Fischer
A Jewish – American Journalist Began his career as school teacher later became a Journalist & famous International reporter.
In 1942, he was permitted to stay for a week, near Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram.

‘The Resolute Peasant’ – Raj Kumar Shukla
• In 1917, Gandhi Ji was at annual convention of the Indian National Congress party in Lucknow.
• Raj Kumar Shukla was a poor emaciated peasant or sharecropper at Champaran.
• Rajkumar wanted Gandhi Ji to visit his district and look into the peasant’s condition. (Injustice of the landlord system in Bihar).
• After a lot a tenacity, Gandhi told him to come Calcutta and take him from there.

Visit to Rajendra Prasad’s House
• Shukla & Gandhi ji went to Patna, Bihar to meet Rajendra Prasad (a lawyer) but he was out of town.
• The Servants knew Shukla as a poor peasant who pestered Rajendra Prasad to help the indigo Sharecropper
• Servants did not allow them to drink water from the well as they thought they were untouchable.

Visit to Muzaffarpur
• Gandhi decided to visit Muzaffarpur before Champaran.
• Gandhi sent a telegram to professor JB Kriplani.
• He came along with large number of students went to station to receive Gandhi.
• Gandhi Stayed in Muzaffarpur for two days in the home of Professor Malkani, a government school teacher.
• The stay was an extraordinary thing. Indians were afraid to show sympathy for advocates.

Gandhi scolded the lawyers
• News of Gandhi’s arrival spread like wild fire.
• Sharecroppers from champaran began arriving in large numbers.
• Gandhi scolded the lawyer for charging a huge fee amount.
• Gandhi concluded that peasants were crushed and fear stricken that they didn’t go to law courts.

The Share Cropping Arrangement
• Most of the cultivating land was owned by Englishmen.
• The peasants were forced to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo and Surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.
• Germany developed ‘Synthetic indigo’.
• They asked for compensation from the sharecroppers for being released from the 15% arrangement
• This arrangement was annoying so many farmers signed willingly to be released from the agreement.
• Some of the share croppers felt cheated, unhappy and asked for their money back.

Gandhi Disobeys the official order
• Gandhi Ji visited the secretary of the British landlord to collect the facts but got no information.
• Gandhi ji then visited the British Commissioner and reported that he was bullied and asked to leave Tirhut.
• Gandhi proceeded to Motihari, the capital of Champaran.
• Many people greeted him. He used a house as headquarters to continue his investigation.
• Suddenly, he report came that a farmer has been maltreated in a nearby village.
• Gandhi decided to check the matter himself.
• He was ordered by a police superintendent’s messenger to return to the town and quit Champaran.
• Gandhi disobeyed the order. As a result, he was summoned to appear in the court the next day.

Demonstration of the Peasants
• Gandhi ji telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come from Patna with influential friends and sent instructions to the ashram.
• He also gave full report to the Viceroy.
• Next day, several peasants reached Motihari and started their demonstration around the courthouse.
• They all came only to support Mahatama Gandhi which gave Gandhi ji hope of the beginning of their liberation.
• Gandhi ji controlled the crowd and gave them proof that the British tyranny will no longer be borne.
• The government was baffled.
• Gandhi ji confessed that he broke the law but only because of the voice of his conscience.
• The judge didn’t deliver the judgement for days & allowed him to remain at liberty.

Gandhi Influences the lawyers
• Gandhi ji asked lawyers what they would do if he was sent to jail.
• The senior lawyer replied that they would go home.
• The lawyers then realised that if Gandhi ji could go to jail for the sake of the peasants if would be shameful for them.
• The lawyers told Gandhi that they were ready to follow him to jail.
• Gandhi exclaimed, ‘The battle of Champaran is won’.

Civil Disobedience Triumphs,
• Gandhi was informed that the Lieutenant Governor of the province had ordered the case to be dropped.
• Evidences against landlords were collected.
• Civil Disobedience had triumphed for the first time in modern India.

Lieutenant – Governor Summons Gandhi
• In June, the Lieutenant – Governor, Sir Edward Gait summoned Gandhi.
• Gandhi ji prepared plans for Civil Disobedience.
• The Lieutenant – Governor, after having four meeting with Gandhi, appointed as official commission.
• In the commission, there were landlords, some government officials and Gandhi Ji himself who was the sole representative for the peasants.

Gandhji agrees to 25% compensation
• There were many evidences against landlords.
• Landlords expected Gandhiji to demand full repayment of the money which was illegally taken from the share croppers.
• Gandhiji asked for only 50% & the landlords offered 25%
• To everybody’s surprise, GANDHI AGREED.

Why Gandhi Ji agreed for 25% Compensation
• Gandhiji believed that what mattered was that the landlords were obliged to surrender the part of the money.
• It was all about their prestige.
• They behaved as lords above the law, but after this incident, the peasants saw that they had rights and persons to defend them.
• Peasants learned courage. Which mattered most at that time.

The Poor Conditions of Champaran
• Gandhi Ji wanted to improve the cultural and social backwardness in the champaran villages
• He called for volunteers to help.
• His wife Kasturba & his youngest son also arrived to help.
• Primary schools were opened in six villages.
• Kasturba taught personal cleanliness and community sanitation.
• Gandhi Ji sent regular instructions by post and asked for financial accounts.

Self Reliance – The Making of a Free India
• Charles Freer Andrews, an English pacifist became a devoted follower of Gandhi
• Gandhi’s lawyer friends wanted Andrews to help them.
• Gandhi Ji strongly opposed the suggestion.
• Andrew’s help was showcasing the weakness of their hearts.
• Self-Reliance, Indian independence and help to the sharecroppers were all bound together

Summary

This chapter is an Excert of:
‘The life of Mahatma Gandhi’.
First time, the author met Gandhi in 1942 in Sevagram ashram in Maharashtra. How I build the desire to free India from British in 1917.
In 1916, Gandhi went to attend an annual meeting of Indian National Congress in Lucknow which had 2301 representatives & many visitors.
Then a poor, emaciated (week) peasant (farmer) named Raj Kumar Shukla came to meet him. He introduced himself & wanted Gandhi to visit Champaran (District of Bihar).
There was An ancient arrangement at Champaran, where peasants were sharecroppers. The landlords used to give their lands to these sharecroppers for cultivation and grant them with very less percent of their produce. Raj was also a sharecropper. He was illiterate but ‘resolute person. He travelled this for the Lucknow to the cogrees to complain against the injustice.
After discussing the issue, Gandhiji replied, declined by saying that he had an appointment in ‘Cawnpore’ and was committed to go other parts of India RKS still followed Gandhi and asked him to fix a date. Gandhiji was impressed by the farmers of RKS.
G.J then invited RKS to Calcutta. After passing few months, RKS reached there and they both took a train to Patna. RKS took GJ to Rajendra Prasad’s house who was a lawyer & later became the president of congress party. Rajendra Prasad was not available at home but his servants knew RKS was a peasant and had arrived several times to pesture. Rajendra P to help sharecroppers. The servants allowed them to stay at the grounds but did not permit to draw water from the well as untouchability was quite privilent at that time. They could not meet RP & planned to go Muzzafarpur which was on the way to Champaran to obtain. The complete information about the Sharecroppers.
Gandhi ji sent a telegram to Professor JB Kriplani in Muzaffarpur. Train arrived there at mid night on 15th April, 1917.
Kriplani ji along with students were waiting at the railway station for them. Gandhi Ji was impressed the way he was welcomed by Kriplani. People at that time were scared to help freedom fighters. The advent of Gandhi ji spread really quick & his mission’s news people joined him to see him.
Lawyers of Mujaffarpur briefed him about the case and the fees they used to charge G.J chided the lawyers for taking big amount fees. They decided to stop taking the peasants case to courts. The wanted to make sharecroppers free from fear. Most of the land was owned by Englishmen in Champaran. The main commercial crop there was ‘Indigo’. These men forced the peasant to cultivate Indigo on 15% of their land and Surrended their entire harvest as rent. Later, the landlords learned that Germany had developed. Synthetic indigo so they asked for compensation from the sharecroppers for being released from the 15% arrangement. Some peasants signed & some engaged lawyers. But when the sharecroppers heard the news they felt cheated & wanted their money back
G.J wanted to collect the facts and visited the secretary of the British landlord’s association the Secretary denied to give any information to on outsides. Then, he went to the commissioner of the Tirhut division Gandhi ji proceeded to Motihari, the capital of champaran. Many people greeted him. He continued his investigations using a house as head quarter. Then, a report came that a peasant was tortured in a nearby village. GJ went to look for the matter.
On his way he was ordered by a police superintendent’s messenger to return back to his town. He even received an official notice to quit Champaran Gandhi ji disobeyed the order and was summoned to appear in the court next day.
He telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come to Patna with influential friends and sent instructions to the ashram. He shared a full report to the viceroy.
Several thousand peasant reached Motihari and started demonstrating the court house. This gave G.J a hope of liberation from fear of the British. The officials of British felt powerless but G.J. helped to regulate the crowd. The government was baffled.
The trail was also delayed. G.J confessed that he broke the law but only because of the voice of his conscience. The magisterate asked. G J to get a bail prepared but he refused. The judge didn’t deliver any judgement for days and G. J was allowed to remain at liberty.
Next G.J influenced lawyer. Including Rajendra Prasad He proved his dedication to help sharecroppers even after going to jail. This boosted the lawyers and they all were ready to help him.
‘The Battle of champaran is won’ said by G.J He wanted people to follow the laws and wanted to serve the nation. Next, G.J divide the lawyers into groups and decided their sequences. After few days, G.J received a written letter by Lieutenant Governor which says that the case of G.J was dropped. For the first time Civil Disobedience was triumphed.
G.J next set an inquiry to know all the problems of share croppers. He collected all the evidences of the torture peasants after this. Landlords, also started protesting opposing peasant’s protest.
In June, G.J went to meet Sir Edward Gate and made detailed plans of Civil Disobedience moment. G.J had four prolonged interviews with Lieutenant Edward Gad. A commission was hired to know everything about the tortures on peasants. In that commission, there were landlords, some government officials & G.J himself. Who was the only presenter & supporter for peasants.
G.J stayed in Champaran for 7 months and then started taking small visits to Champaran.
Big evidences were collected and landlords agreed to return the money back to peasants. G.
the money. A British missionary was observing the Champaran mission. The representatives of landlords agreed to give back only 25% of the money G. J agreed to it which he explained late that the refund amount did not matter Landlords had been obliged to surrender some part of the money but also surrendering their prestige.
Few year later, Britishers abandoned the whole village & the lands were given the local peasants.
G.J wanted to improve the poor conditions of Champaran for that he called his wife ‘Kasturba & his youngest son to help’. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturba taught women there cleanliness G J sent regular instructions by post & asked for financial accounts.
Everything Gandhi did tried to mould a new free Indian, who could stand on their own feet & thus make India free. An English pacifist, Charles freer Andrews became a devoted follower of Gandhi. Gandhi’s lawyer friends wanted Andrews to help them but he opposed the suggestion. It will show the weakness of their hearts G.J taught a lesson of self reliance & helped the share croppers.

Question. The Battle of Champaran is won! What led Gandhi Ji to make this remark? 
Answer: Gandhi Ji had influenced farmers by going to jail himself for the unjustice against poor peasants. They decided to follow Gandhi Ji in to jail which led Gandhi Ji to make the remark ‘The Battle of Champaran is Won’.

Question. Why did Gandhi Ji feel that taking the Champaran case to the court was useless? 
Answer: Gandhi Ji realised that poor peasants were so crushed & fear stricker that law courts were useless in their case. Going to courts will only over burden them with expenses and not help them.

Question. Though the sharecroppers of Champaran received only out-fourth of the Compensation, how can the Champaran struggle still be termed a huge success & victory? 
Answer: Champaran struggle is still a victory even after receiving only one-fourth of the compensation because sharecroppers learned their rights and got free from the fear. British could not order him about his own country.

Question. Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur before going to Champaran?
Answer: Muzaffarpur was en route to Champaran. To collect complete Information about the Champaran than Shukla was capable of imparting. Lawyers in Muzaffarpur who had represented peasant in the court briefed Gandhiji about their cases.

Question. 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
(a) 1,3,6 (b) 2,4,5 (c)1,3,4 (d) 2,5,6
Answer: (c) 1,3,4