Class 12 English Chapter 4 Indigo

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Class 12 English Chapter 4 Indigo

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Indigo

PROSE SECTION

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Think as you read

1. Strike out what is not true in the following.

(a) Rajkumar Shukla was

(i) a sharecropper.

(ii) a politician.

(iii) delegate.

(iv) a landlord.

Ans. (i) a sharecropper is true.

(b) Rajkumar Shukla was

(i) poor.

(ii) physically strong.

(iii) illiterate.

Ans. (iii) illiterate is true.

2. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?

Ans. Rajkumar Shukla is described as being ‘resolute” because of the effort he spent on taking Gandhi to Champaran. Though Gandhi took a long time to finally go to Champaran, Shukla did not give up.

3. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?

Ans. The servants knew Shukla as a poor farmer who often pestered their master to help the sharecroppers. Seeing Gandhi with this man and also probably by the simplicity of his clothes, they presumed him to be another peasant.

4. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival in Champaran.

Ans. The first meeting with Shukla happened in Lucknow. Thereafter, Gandhi went to Cawnpore and several other places across the country. He returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad, from there to Calcutta, and then went with Shukla to Patna in Bihar. He then went to Muzaffarpur and finally to Champaran.

5. What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the British now want and why? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo?

Ans. The peasants were compelled to cultivate fifteen percent of their land with indigo and had to give up the entire indigo harvest as rent to the British landlords.

When the British landlords came to know of Germany’s synthetic indigo and that cultivating it was no longer profitable, they forced the sharecroppers to sign an agreement whereby the farmers would get back the 15 percent land holdings but would have to pay a compensation for the same.

Synthetic indigo was factory manufactured and hence prices would definitely be much lower than the cultivated ones. Thus, there would be no buyers tor natural indigo and market would slump. The landlord’s action was planned foreseeing this situation.

6. The events in this part of the text illustrate Gandhi’s method of working. Can you identify some instances of this method and link them to his idea of satyagraha and non-violence?

Ans. Gandhi never acted just to show his defiance to the law, although he refused to abide by it when it violated natural justice and basic human rights. When he was asked to leave Champaran, he made it known that he would not obey the order. It was not for the want of respect to legal authorities but in obedience to a higher law of our being, the voice of conscience. Gandhi cooperated with the officials in controlling the crowd at Motihari and was polite and friendly with them. But at the same time, he gave them concrete proof that the Indians were now ready to challenge the power of the British. These are some instances which link his methods to satyagraha and non-violence.

7. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers?

Ans. Though Gandhi had asked for 50 percent, it was finally settled at 25 percent. In his view, it was not the refund amount which was important, but the defeat of the landlord’s prestige and self esteem. They had always regarded themselves above the law but this incident humbled their pride. They had to surrender to the demand, though nominal, of the poor peasants.

8. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?

Ans. The indigo plantation episode of Champaran changed the plight of Indian farmers. They realised they had legal rights and that there were people to champion their cause. They learned that they could challenge the might of the British landlords who exploited them for years. Most importantly, the peasants learned courage.

S.L. No.	CONTENTS
	PROSE SECTION
1	The Last Lesson
2	Lost Spring
3	Deep Water
4	Indigo
5	Going Places
6	Memoirs Of A Chota Sahib
	POETRY SECTION
1	My Mother At Sixty-Six
2	Keeping Quiet
3	Notes A Thing Of Beauty
4	A Roadside Stand
	VISTAS
1	The Tiger King
2	The Enemy
3	On The Face Of It
4	Memories Of Childhood
5	Magh Bihu Or Maghar Domahi

Understanding the text

1. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point in his life?

Ans. The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhi’s life and also in India’s struggle for freedom. It marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience movement. It sent a very clear and loud message to the British that they could not order about Indians in their own country. In trying to reduce the sufferings of the peasants, Gandhi was able to mould a new free Indian who could stand on his own feet and thus, fight for the country’s freedom. He showed everyone the meaning and value of self-reliance. About seeking help from Charles Andrews, Gandhi said that when the cause is just, we should try to rely on ourselves to win the battle and not seek support from an Englishman because that would only show the weakness of our heart. The Champaran episode was the first step towards liberation from fear of the British.

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

Ans. When Gandhi was in Muzaffarpur to study the Champaran situation, the lawyers called on him. These lawyers represented the farmers and took their cases to the court. Gandhi came to know they charged high fees from the peasants and was very unhappy about it. He told them to stop going to courts as it did not help the fear stricken farmers. The first duty would be to free them from the fear of the British landlords.

Later, when Gandhi was to be tried in court, several prominent lawyers came to support him. He asked them what they would do if he did not return, and they replied that since they would have no work they would go home This greatly disturbed Gandhi and he asked what would happen to the sharecroppers. It was then they discussed among themselves and concluded that if Gandhi was ready to go to prison for the sake of the farmers, their act of returning home would be extremely disgraceful. The lawyers assured their allegiance to Gandhi and to the issue of farmers from then on. Gandhi was satisfied and said the battle of Champaran was won.

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

Ans. The common man was scared to show sympathy towards people who advocated ‘home rule’ because it would mean going against the British. The common Indian was suppressed and exploited beyond words and their spirit was completely crushed. They lacked courage even to show kindness or hospitality to a countryman who took up their cause. Under such circumstances, Gandhi was surprised when a government teacher provided him shelter in Muzaffarpur.

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

Ans. Without the participation of the common masses and their immense strength, India’s freedom movement would not have been possible. The British authorities received the first jolt when thousands of spontaneous demonstrators gathered around the courthouse where Gandhi was to be tried. Their participation showed they were no longer afraid of the British. The officials felt powerless in front of the teeming masses whose unflinching faith in Gandhi and his non-violent movement contributed immensely to the struggle.

Talking about the text

Discuss the following.

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? 

Ans. Poverty and fear have become synonymous even in post-independent India. Exploitation has just changed. hands, from the imperialist British to our own countrymen. Poor are still reeling in poverty, giving rise to beggars, criminals, child labour, human trafficking and so on. Disparity between rich and poor has widened as never before. In a country where resides the world’s richest man, we also find the world’s biggest slum a few kilometres away from his home. The farmers are exploited by the landlords and middlemen. The daily wage earners can barely have one meal a day. There is no justice for the poor because they cannot hire lawyers. They have no access to healthcare, education or even basic human rights. Money spells power and might. The poor, therefore, live in constant fear of the rich powerful people who turn a blind eye to their misery and suffering.

2. The qualities of a good leader.

Ans: Students, Do Yourself.

Working with words

• List the words used in the text that are related to legal procedures.

For example: deposition

• List other words that you know that fall into this category.

Ans. Words related to legal procedures, in the text are: proceedings, cases, compensation, trial, summons, notice, prosecutor, pleading, magistrate, pronounce sentence, bail, judgement, court, reconvened, evidence, defenders, penalty, lawyer.

Other words that fall into this category are: convict, conviction, warrant, witness, prosecution.

Thinking about language

1. Notice the sentences in the text which are in ‘direct speech. Why does the author use quotations in his narration?

Ans. The author uses quotations for exact reproduction of the words uttered by the speaker at that point of time.

2. Notice the use or non-use of the comma in the following sentences.

(a) When I first visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram, he told me what happened in Champaran.

(b) He had not proceeded far when the police superintendent’s messenger overtook him.

(c) When the court reconvened, the judge said he would not deliver the judgement for several days.

[Note: n a sentence where the subordinate clause comes before the main clause, as in sentences (a) and (c), a comma is used to separate the two. When the main clause comes before the subordinate clause, as in sentence (b), a comma is not required.]

Things to do

1. Choose an issue that has provoked a controversy like the Bhopal Gas Tragedy or the Narmada Dam Project in which the lives of the poor have been affected.

2. Find out the facts of the case.

3. Present your arguments.

4. Suggest a possible settlement.

[Note: Suggestion: Teacher may suggest issues that are more recent and pertaining to their region so that students may find it easier to discuss and identify with. In that way they will be able to communicate and present their arguments better.]

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

Short answer type questions

1. What was it that happened in Lucknow and changed the course of Indian history?

Ans. Gandhi’s meeting with the poor sharecropper Rajkumar Shukla and the subsequent visit to Champaran changed the course of Indian history. This meeting took place at Lucknow on 1916 during the annual convention of the Indian National Congress.

2. Why was Gandhi annoyed with the lawyers of Champaran?

Ans. Gandhi was annoyed with the lawyers at Champaran and even reproached them for charging high fees from the poor peasants for taking their cases to the court. He said law courts could not bring any relief to the fear-stricken sharecroppers.

3. How was Gandhi’s visit to Champaran viewed by the peasants?

Ans. The peasants did not know anything about Gandhi’s record in South Africa but they thronged to Motihari in thousands to see him. These sharecroppers from Champaran began arriving on foot or by conveyance to see the man who had come to champion their cause.

4. What did the Motihari demonstration prove to the British government?

Ans. The unprecedented demonstration by thousands of peasants at Motihari proved that the power of British, which was till then dreaded and unopposed, could now be challenged by the Indians. It was the first blow to the powerful British rulers.

5. Why did the English landlords decide to return the 15 percent land holdings?

Ans. The English landlords who reserved 15 percent holding for indigo cultivation decided to release it to the peasants because they came to know that Germany had developed synthetic indigo and so, cultivation of indigo was no longer a profitable business.

6. What justification did Gandhi give for the compromise on refund money by the planters?

Ans. Gandhi compromised on the refund of 25 percent by the landlords to the farmers. He justified it saying the amount was irrelevant. What was important was that the landlords were made to concede to the demand of the peasants. Along with the small amount of money, the English landlords had to surrender their pride and prestige.

7. What were the steps taken to remove the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages?

Ans. In order to remove the cultural and social backwardness of the villagers, Gandhi appealed for teachers. Several volunteered, and primary schools were opened in six villages. Rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation were taught. A doctor was brought in and he volunteered his services for six months.

8. What was the outcome of Gandhi’s interviews with Sir Edward Gait?

Ans. Gandhi had four sessions of interviews with Lieutenant Governor Edward Gait, as a result of which an inquiry commission was instituted to look into the sharecroppers’ problems. It consisted of landlords and government officials, and Gandhi as the sole representative of the peasants.

9. Justify the statement that Gandhi’s political principles were intertwined with the practical problems of Indians.

Ans. Gandhi’s loyalty was not to any abstract ideology; it was to the living human beings. His political pattern was different in the sense that it was always closely linked to the hard reality of life and the day-to-day problems of the millions of Indians.

10. How did Gandhi teach us a lesson in self-reliance?

Ans. Gandhi’s refusal to take help of Charles Andrews and his argument for doing the same, taught everyone a lesson in self-reliance. He said that if we had a just cause, we should rely on our own strength to win the battle. Seeking help would only show the weakness of our heart.

Long answer type questions

1. Describe the efforts made by Rajkumar Shukla in finally persuading Gandhi to visit Champaran.

Ans. Rajkumar Shukla was a poor sharecropper from Champaran, a remote village that Gandhi had vaguely heard of. In Champaran, most of the fertile land was owned by English landlords who forced the Indian farmers to grow indigo. The condition of farmers was deplorable and pathetic. Somebody had advised him to meet Gandhi. Shukla came to Lucknow to meet Gandhi, apprise him of the injustice of the landlord system and take him to Champaran. Gandhi told Shukla he had prior appointments in Cawnpore and also in other parts of the country. But Shukla was resolute. He accompanied Gandhi everywhere. For weeks, he never left Gandhi’s side and even accompanied him to his ashram near Ahmedabad. Shukla pleaded Gandhi to fix a date.

Gandhi was touched by the poor farmer’s sincerity of purpose and his tenacity. He informed Shukla about his proposed Calcutta visit and asked Shukla to come and take him from there. After months of waiting, Gandhi arrived and finally, with Shukla, boarded a train to Patna in Bihar.

2. The Champaran episode turned out to be the turning point in Gandhi’s life. How?

Ans. The Champaran episode gave a new dimension to India’s freedom struggle. It challenged the might of the British who considered themselves above the law. When Gandhi refused information about sharecroppers by the secretary of the British landlords association on the ground that he was of an outsider, Gandhi told the officer that he was not an outsider in his own country. The British commissioner ordered him to leave Tirhut at once, but Gandhi did not. He proceeded to Motihari, Champaran’s capital and wrote back that he would disobey the order to quit Champaran. He was summoned to appear in court the next day. Gandhi called Rajendra Prasad to come with his influential friends. Next morning, thousands of peasants thronged Motihari to support their leader. Gandhi helped the officials regulate the crowd but, at the same time, proved to them that their power could be challenged by the Indians. A commission was finally set up to solve the indigo farmers’ issue. 

The landlords lost their case, and also their pride. They had to return 25 percent of the farmers’ money. The success of Champaran was the first success of Civil Disobedience in India. It sent a loud and clear message that Indians had the courage to challenge the power and strength of the British and they will not be ordered around in their own country. The mass movement started from there.

3. Give a detailed account of the problems of sharecroppers in Champaran.

Ans. In Champaran, most of the fertile cultivable land was in the possession of the British landlords where Indian farmers worked as tenants. The chief commercial crop was indigo. The landlords compelled the farmers to cultivate 15 percent of their land holdings with indigo and then surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. This arrangement was done on a long term agreement.

A little before Gandhi’s arrival, the landlords came to know that Germany had developed synthetic indigo. Thus, indigo cultivation no longer remained a profitable venture. They decided to free the sharecroppers from the 15 percent arrangement if the farmers paid compensation. Some complied, while others sought legal help. Later, when the news of synthetic indigo became known to everyone, the peasants who paid, saw through the trick and the fraud committed by the landlords. They wanted their money back.

4. Who was Charles Andrews? Who wanted to seek his help? Why did Gandhi oppose it?

Ans. Charles Freer Andrews was a devoted follower of Gandhi and was a conscientious Englishman. He had come to bid Gandhi farewell before going to the Fiji Islands on an official tour.

Gandhi’s friends thought it would be a good idea if Andrews stayed back in Champaran and helped them. Andrews was willing but waited for Gandhi’s approval.

Gandhi vehemently opposed the idea. He said having an Englishman in their fight would only emphasize their inequality and weakness of heart. Their fight was for a just cause and they should rely upon their own strength to win the battle. They should not cling to Andrews for support just because he happens to be an Englishman. In this way, Gandhi taught everyone a lesson in self-reliance.

5. Self-reliance, Indian independence and help to sharecroppers were all bound together. Explain the statement.

Ans. These three facets were bound together and they resulted from each other. What started as an attempt to assuage the sufferings of the indigo farmers ended up as the beginning of Civil Disobedience in colonial India. Gandhi’s politics had a typical pattern – it was always intertwined with the practical day-to-day problems of the millions. It was not ideologies he fought for; his fight was for basic human rights and freedom from fear. The motive behind every action taken by Gandhi was to mould a new free Indian who could stand on his own feet and make India a free country. 

The success of the sharecroppers’ issue instilled courage in the poor peasants who learnt that they too had rights and defenders. Gandhi showed everyone that to fight a just cause they need not take help from anyone but rely on their own strength to win the battle. Thus, freedom from fear, self- reliance, and end of sharecropping were all bound together in the struggle for India’s independence.

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