This story is set in 1916 where Gandhi steps up to help a bunch of poor peasants from Champaran. It gives an account of how he struggled to bring them justice and equality. Thus, it begins with most of the arable land of Champaran being divided into large estates. The owners of the estates are Englishmen and the workers are tenants. We learn that the chief commercial crop of this land is indigo. Moreover, we also see that the landlords compel all the tenants to plant 15% of their land with indigo and submit the whole harvest in the form of rent. The tenants are under a long-term agreement to do so. However, Germany starts developing synthetic indigo. Thus, the British no longer require the indigo crop. Thus, in order to release the poor peasants from their agreement of 15%, they start demanding compensation from the peasants. While some of the uneducated peasants agreed on this, others did not agree. Thus, we notice that one of the sharecroppers, Rajkumar Shukla arranges for a meeting with Gandhi.
He meets him for the same issue and insists that Gandhi visit the place to end the longstanding injustice. Gandhi agrees and boards a train to Patna, Bihar. After that, Rajkumar Shukla helps Gandhi visit the house of Rajendra Prasad, a lawyer. As Gandhi dressed simply, the servants thought of him to be a poor peasant. Then Gandhi planned to save the poor peasants from injustice. However, the British government was punishing anyone who is keeping national leaders and protestors.
Thus, when Gandhi arrived in the place, the news of his arrival and mission spread across the town like wildfire. This resulted in a lot of lawyers and groups of peasants pouring in large numbers in his support. Consequently, the lawyers did accept that the charges are quite high and too unreasonable for a poor peasant.
However, Gandhi criticized them for collecting huge fees from the sharecroppers. He was emphasizing counselling as this will provide the peasants with confidence to fight their fear. Thus, he manages to get justice after a year-long fight for the peasants. He has also arranged for the education, health and hygiene for the families of the poor peasants. Finally, he teaches them a lesson of self-sufficiency and self-confidence.
Intro of “Indigo”
Indigo Summary
Character Sketch of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi emerges as a determined, empathetic, and fearless leader. Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life because he realized that civil disobedience, which had triumphed for the first time, could go a long way in the freedom struggle. Moreover, he had succeeded in making the peasants aware of their rights and becoming confident. This success, thus, proved the effectiveness of Gandhi’s method of non-violence and non-cooperation. Gandhi’s humility, simplicity, and commitment to truth (Satyagraha) won the hearts of the common people and signaled the beginning of mass participation in India’s independence movement.
Character Sketch of Rajkumar Shukla
Rajkumar Shukla was a poor, illiterate peasant from Champaran. We notice that he arranges for a meeting with Gandhi. The farmers were forced to grow indigo on part of their land and pay high rents that is why peasants were being badly exploited by British landlords.Shukla, being deeply affected by this injustice, believed that only Gandhi could help bring change. Despite being a poor and uneducated man, he was determined and persistent.
Important Points to Remember
The chapter Indigo, written by Louis Fischer, tells the story of Mahatma Gandhi’s first successful movement in India
We also see that the landlords compel all the tenants to plant 15% of their indigo and submit the whole harvest in the form of rent.
Rajkumar Shukla arranges for a meeting with Gandhi.
Rajkumar Shukla helps Gandhi visit the house of Rajendra Prasad, a lawyer.
The lawyers did accept that the charges are quite high and too unreasonable for a poor peasant.
He has also arranged for the education, health, and hygiene for the families of the poor peasants.
Finally, he teaches them a lesson of self-sufficiency and self-confidence.
Thus, he manages to get justice after a year-long fight for the peasants.
