5. Indigo - English Chapter - Indigo summary is going to assist students in learning about the chapter in a summarized version. I PDF

Preview

Summary

Indigo summary is going to assist students in learning about the chapter in a summarized version. Indigo is about how Mahatma Gandhi struggled for the underprivileged peasants of Champaran. They were the sharecroppers with the British planters. The peasants use to live a wretched life and were under...

Description

INDIGO 1. How was December 1916 important to Gandhi? Ans. It was in December 1916, during the annual convention of the Indian National Congress in Lucknow, that Gandhi was introduced by a peasant, Rajkumar Shukla, to the problems faced by the sharecroppers of Champaran. The ensuing Champaran Satyagraha, occupying almost a year of Gandhi’s life, was a turning-point. It not only prompted him to urge the departure of the British from India but also served as a blueprint for his course of action during India’s freedom struggle. 2. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being resolute? Ans. Rajkumar Shukla had come to the Congress session at Lucknow to complain about the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar, and somebody had asked him to speak to Gandhi. Despite Gandhi explaining that he had prior commitments in Kanpur and other places, Shukla was determined to get him to Champaran. Not giving up, he accompanied Gandhi everywhere. He even followed him to the Sevagram Ashram at Ahmedabad, never leaving his side for weeks. Impressed by Shukla’s tenacity, Gandhi asked him to meet him in Calcutta on a particular date and take him to Champaran from there. Months later when Gandhi arrived at the appointed spot, he found Shukla awaiting him. When Gandhi was free, both left for Champaran. This demonstrates that Rajkumar Shukla was resolute. 3. Why do you think the servants mistook Gandhi for a peasant? Ans. Rajendra Prasad’s servants knew Rajkumar Shukla as a peasant who frequented the house to pester their master about the problems of the Champaran farmers. As Gandhi had accompanied Shukla on this particular occasion, they mistook him for a peasant. Gandhi’s unassuming attitude / humility and simplicity might also have had something to do with it. Explain the context of “It was an extraordinary thing, in those days, for a government professor to harbour a man like me.” Ans. Gandhi meant that, in those days, it was quite unusual for a government professor to shelter or for others to show sympathy for an advocate of home rule. Professor J.B. Kripalani, of the Arts College, and a large body of students welcomed Gandhi at the Muzzafarpur station, Professor Malkani — a teacher in a government school — invited Gandhi stay at his home for two days. All of them seemed have ignored the danger of losing their government jobs or their college seats for supporting a backer of home rule.

4.

5. Give instances of how Gandhi was able to influence the lawyers? Ans. Gandhi’s sincerity of purpose, convincing arguments and logical approach deeply influenced the lawyers. Firstly, he chided the lawyers of Muzzafarpur for charging the farmers hefty fees for fighting their court cases. Secondly, he motivated the lawyers of Bihar to give up their self-interest and to focus on their responsibility towards their clients, the indigo growers. Leading by example, Gandhi inspired the lawyers to court arrest. He divided them into pairs and laid down the order in which they would court arrest. Several lawyers accompanied and helped him conduct a far-flung inquiry into the grievances of the farmers. Lastly, wanting Indians to be self-reliant, Gandhi dissuaded the lawyers from seeking the help of Charles Freer Andrews, the English pacifist, during the Champaran action. 6.

Why did Gandhi consider freedom from fear more important than legal justice for the poor farmers of Champaran? Ans. The ruthless exploitation of the poor Champaran farmers by their British landlords prompted the former to fight endless, though largely inconclusive, legal battles with the help of eminent lawyers. The sharecroppers were not only terrorised by the landlords’ hired goons but also got no respite in the courts against the landowners’ unfair dealings. Gandhi believed that, rather than getting into such fruitless litigations, it was imperative to teach the farmers courage and self-reliance. Only when they got over their fear of the British would they experience a true sense of relief. Therefore, empowering and emboldening the farmers became Gandhi’s priority. Securing justice or legal recompense in one specific instance would have resulted only in limited short-term benefit. However, getting over their perpetual fear of their oppressors brought about a permanent attitudinal change that helped the

sharecroppers face life with courage. Hence, freedom from fear is far more important than legal justice. 7. Ordinary people, too, contributed to the freedom movement. Elaborate. Ans. The freedom movement involved not only the contributions of prominent patriots but also the sacrifices of countless unknown and unsung heroes. Commoners like Rajkumar Shukla and other Champaran farmers fearlessly faced British tyranny. At Muzzafarpur, they came out in their thousands to meet the Mahatma while, at Motihari, they gathered to support him against the highhandedness of the British authorities. When Gandhi was summoned to appear in court, the peasants’ active backing and show of solidarity made possible the first victory of Civil Disobedience in India. The data provided by the farmers helped Gandhi and his colleagues compile a detailed report. People in other spheres of life also came out in support: Professor J.B. Kripalani, of the Arts College, and a large body of students welcomed Gandhi at Muzzafarpur station, Professor Malkani — a teacher in a government school — invited Gandhi stay at his home for two days. It was unusual, in those days, for a government professor to harbour or for others to show sympathy for an advocate of home rule. The lawyers not only briefed Gandhi about the court cases they were fighting for the peasants but, soon, also gave up their practice of overcharging the peasants. Later, they accompanied and helped him pursue his investigations into the issue. Furthermore, Gandhi’s selflessness inspired these lawyers to forget about their personal profit and to court arrest. Thus, the freedom movement was a mass movement. 8.

‘Cultural and social backwardness of the people of Champaran was Gandhi’s chief concern.’ Elaborate. Ans. Not satisfied merely with large political and economic solutions, Gandhi decided to do something about the cultural and social backwardness of the Champaran villagers. Heeding his appeal for teachers, Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh, two of Gandhi’s disciples, along with their wives, volunteered for the work. Many more came from Bombay, Poona and other parts of India. Kasturba Gandhi and Devadas, Gandhi’s youngest son, arrived from the ashram. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturba taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation, besides speaking to the women about the filthy state of their clothes. As health conditions were miserable, Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. Three medicines were made available — castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment — for patients suffering from coated tongue, malaria and skin eruptions, respectively. 9. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life? Ans. The Champaran episode proved to be the beginning of the educational, cultural, social and economic transformation of the exploited farmers. What began as an attempt to fight the injustice meted out to the helpless sharecroppers of Champaran and to alleviate their suffering ended up becoming a loud and clear declaration that the British couldn’t order Indians about in their own country. It turned the meek and mute masses into a courageous and united whole. The sharecroppers not only received the 25% refund from the British landowners but also realised that they had rights and learned the value of selfreliance. Soon, the British planters abandoned their estates, which reverted to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping disappeared. The Champaran episode established the efficacy of Civil Disobedience and Non-Cooperation as a means of fighting injustice, thus laying the foundation for Gandhi’s fight to drive the British out of India. 10. What was the typical Gandhi pattern of activism? Ans. Gandhi’s efforts in Champaran grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large numbers of poor peasants. This was the typical Gandhi pattern — his politics were intertwined with the practical, dayto-day problems of the millions. His was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living, human beings. In everything Gandhi did, moreover, he tried to mould a new free Indian who could stand on his own feet and thus make India free.

11.

Identify some instances of Gandhi’s method of working and link them to his ideas of satyagraha and non-violence. Ans. Gandhi believed in fair play and had great respect for lawful authority and the norms of justice. On arriving in Champaran, he tried to get the facts from the British landlords and officials but in vain. He needed to do so to have an unbiased and complete picture of the issue. Soon, circumstances compelled Gandhi to defy the order to quit Champaran. So, he was summoned to court. Thousands of peasants gathered outside the courthouse in spontaneous demonstration. A believer in non-violence, Gandhi helped the officials regulate the crowd. Similarly, truth was important to him: in court, he didn’t hesitate to plead guilty and ask for the penalty due. However, he refused to furnish bail. The judge had no option but to set him free. His willingness to go to jail inspired the lawyers to court arrest, too. It was in Champaran that Gandhi’s ideas of civil disobedience, satyagraha and non-violence came into play for the first time. This became his blueprint during his further struggles against British rule. 12. From your reading of the lesson, what opinion do you form of Gandhi’s character? Ans. Gandhi’s whole life was devoted to serving humanity and his nation. He was a fearless and selfless person: despite being a total stranger to the Champaran sharecroppers, he was willing to go to prison for their cause. He was law-abiding: his intention wasn’t to disregard any lawful authority but to obey the voice of his conscience, which to him was a higher authority. Gandhi approached a problem in a well-planned, methodical and unbiased manner. Once he got to Champaran, he began gathering facts from various sources, both Indian and British, about the issue. On being summoned to court, he fearlessly admitted his guilt and asked for the penalty due. Gandhi’s courage and his integrity towards the farmers inspired not only the lawyers but also the peasants and other commoners. He was constant in his purpose and, as a result of his strong will, Civil Disobedience triumphed for the first time in modern India. Besides this, Gandhi was quite practical in dealing with the day-to-day problems of the masses. His was a loyalty to living human beings rather than to abstract ideals. 13. Detail the dispute between the English landowners and the Champaran sharecroppers as well as Gandhi’s role in its successful resolution. Ans. Most of the arable land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants, under an ancient arrangement. The chief commercial crop was indigo. Forced to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo, the sharecroppers then had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. This was done by long-term contract. The indigo was sold to the traders / planters at a fixed price. In turn, this caused losses and subsequent hardships to the farmers, especially as indigo rendered the soil infertile. Once synthetic indigo was developed in Germany, the demand for natural indigo would have fallen and its price would have had to be lowered. So, when the landlords learned of the synthetic indigo, they forced their tenants to sign agreements to pay them compensation so as to be released from the 15% arrangement. This arrangement being irksome to the peasants, many signed willingly. Those who resisted and engaged lawyers were intimidated by hired thugs. On learning about the synthetic indigo, those illiterate peasants who had paid compensation demanded their money back. That was when Gandhi arrived in Champaran to look into the matter. His in-depth study of various cases caused the landowners and the authorities grave concern. He was asked to leave the district, which he refused. Summoned to court, Gandhi pleaded guilty but, ultimately, the authorities had to dismiss the case and set him free. Having had four protracted interviews with Gandhi, Sir Edward Gait, the Lieutenant-Governor of Bihar, constituted an inquiry commission comprising British landlords, government officials and Gandhi as the sole representative of the peasants. Gandhi’s thorough investigation, documentation and evidence collection had revealed the blatant extortion by the British. Therefore, the landlords agreed, in principle, to refund the money. They expected Gandhi to demand full repayment of the extorted amount but he asked for only 50% as settlement. However, after further discussion, he settled for a 25% refund so as to break the deadlock. Gandhi considered this a victory of principles rather than a financial settlement: the British landowners were obliged to surrender a part of their prestige along with the money. Thus, the Champaran episode not only taught Indians they had rights but also the values of courage and self-reliance.

14. Undoubtedly, only a socially just country has the right to exist. In the modern world, justice is a concept. Muscle is the reality. Corruption has become the way of the world. Craftiness is better than learning. Write an article on the topic mentioned above taking guidelines from the given lines: "Gandhi protested against the delay. He read a statement pleading guilty..... when the court reconvened the judge said he would not deliver the judgment for several days." Muscle Power and Corruption: India’s Reality Social justice is an abstract concept in a country like India, where discrimination on the basis of caste and gender still exist [decisions by khaps, quotes about rape victims, instances of freedom of speech being curtailed = banning films, books; churches being vandalised] In America, the killings of AfricanAmericans by white police officers, the excessive force used against Mr. Patel by a white officer, leaving Mr. Patel semi-paralyzed. [Muscle is the reality = threats and intimidation / physical violence by those in powerful positions]. Corruption = we don't mind paying if it makes things easier for us... examples of corrupt practices around the world. People like Sanjay Dutt get bail on flimsy excuses while others less privileged or less connected remain behind bars. Farmers commit suicide as they face intimidation from loan recovery agents when the farmers are unable to repay the loans taken from banks, etc. However, banks kept loaning Vijay Mallya money despite his delay in repaying the same or even paying the staff of his failed Kingfisher Airlines. [Nirav Modi case] Craftiness [cunning] helps one manipulate things to one's advantage... Style wins over substance... if you present yourself a certain way, that becomes more important than your actual qualifications or knowledge / learning. No one is willing to accept his / her mistake and take the punishment. So one should be as courageous as Gandhi, stand up for what one believes in and accept one's wrongdoing and the punishment due....