:: CLASS: XII: ENGLISH NOTES :
:: CHAPTER : INDIGO ::
0 .1 1/Vhy is Raj Kumar Shukla described as being resolute ?
Ans. Raj Kumar Shukla had come to meet Gandhiji as a representative of all the poor
peasants of Champaran . He asked Gandhiji to accompany him to Champaran .
Since Gandhiji did not immediately heed him. he accompanied Gandhiji to
Cawnpore and other parts of India, for weeks. He even followed him to his
ashram near Ahmedabad and insisted that he fix up a date to visit Champaran . It
was his determination and dedication to the cause that forced Gandhiji to relent.
Gandhij i, asked him to come to Calcutta . Months later, Raj Kumar Shukla sat on
his haunches waiting for Gandh iji at the appointed spot in Calcutta.
Q.2 1/Vhy do you think the servants at Rajendra Prasad 's house thought Gandhi to be
another peasant ?
Ans . Gandhi was a simple man - the true representative of the poor and common man
of India. He had gone to the house of Rajendra Prasad with Raj Kumar Shukla
who was a peasant. Thus , the servants mistook him to be a peasant. Gandhiji
did not disclose his true identity and as was his habit, was humble and
unassuming , on looking at him no one cou ld guess his political stature.
Q.3 List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his
arrival at Champaran .
Ans. 1/Vhen Shukla first met Gandhij i, he was attending the annual convention of the
Indian National Congress party in Lucknow. He was then scheduled to visit
Cawnpore and other parts of India before returning to his ashram in Ahmedabad .
He then had to visit Calcutta . Shukla and Gandhiji stopped at Patna and
Muzzafarpur in Bihar on his way to Champaran to obtain more complete
information about the plight of the sharecroppers.
Q.4 What was the system of share cropping ? What did the British now want instead
and why ? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural
indigo?
Ans. The fertile land in the district of Champaran was divided into large estates owned
by English men . The arable land was utilized for the cultivation of the chief
commercial crop i.e. indigo. Indian peasants were made to work on these
estates by their English landlords , who forced these tenants to plant three
twentieths or 15 percent of their holdings with indigo. The entire indigo harvest
was then to be surrendered as rent to the landlords. This was a long-term
contract which had been settled between the English landlords and the Indian
tenants.
, The English landlords soon got the information about Germany's success in
developing synthetic indigo , which would be cheaper and easier to obtain . Thus,
they manipulated the situation and obtained agreements from various peasants
agreeing to pay a con:,pensation to the English landlords for releasing them from
the 15% arrangement.
As the prices of synthetic indigo would be lower compared to those of natural
indigo, the Englishmen selling natural indigo would suffer great monetary losses
as they too would have to lower their prices. Therefore they were no longer
interested in buying natural Indigo, hence offering to release the farmers from
15% agreement.
Q.5 The events in the text illustrate Gandhi's method of working . Can you identify
some instances of this method and link them to his ideas of satyagraha and non-
violence?
Ans . Gandhiji was a firm believer of Satyagraha and non-violence. He adopted the
same method to fight for the cause of the peasants of Champaran. lnspite of
being advised by the commissioner, Gandhiji did not leave Tirhut but proceeded
to Motihari, where a vast multitude greeted him . He further decided to go to the
nearby village where a peasant had been maltreated. Before Gandhi could reach
the village he was driven back by a British messenger who later served him with
an official notice to quit Champaran . Gandhi disobeyed the order and in
consequence received summons to appear in the court. This news brought
thousands of peasants together. They gathered outside the court house to prove
their support and solidarity with the champion of their rights . This spontaneous
demonstration left the British officials powerless and they sought Gandhi's co-
operation . He helped them in regulating the crowd though he could have
instigated them to indulge in violent demonstration . But he stuck to his ideals of
Satyagraha and non-violence .
His truthful statement in the court when his trial was delayed is yet another proof
of his truthfulness. He read a statement pleading guilty and stated that he was
involved in a 'conflict of duties' - on one hand he appeared to be a law breaker
(as he had disobeyed the legal order) but on the other he had upheld the
humanitarian cause and national service. He believed that whatever he did was
not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of
our being , the voice of conscience . Being a strong believer of truth he asked the
penalty due. Thus, the British were forced to relent and the case against him was
dropped and he established the fact that even the unattainable can be attained
through truthful and non-violent means.
Q.6 Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 percent refund to the farmers ?
:: CHAPTER : INDIGO ::
0 .1 1/Vhy is Raj Kumar Shukla described as being resolute ?
Ans. Raj Kumar Shukla had come to meet Gandhiji as a representative of all the poor
peasants of Champaran . He asked Gandhiji to accompany him to Champaran .
Since Gandhiji did not immediately heed him. he accompanied Gandhiji to
Cawnpore and other parts of India, for weeks. He even followed him to his
ashram near Ahmedabad and insisted that he fix up a date to visit Champaran . It
was his determination and dedication to the cause that forced Gandhiji to relent.
Gandhij i, asked him to come to Calcutta . Months later, Raj Kumar Shukla sat on
his haunches waiting for Gandh iji at the appointed spot in Calcutta.
Q.2 1/Vhy do you think the servants at Rajendra Prasad 's house thought Gandhi to be
another peasant ?
Ans . Gandhi was a simple man - the true representative of the poor and common man
of India. He had gone to the house of Rajendra Prasad with Raj Kumar Shukla
who was a peasant. Thus , the servants mistook him to be a peasant. Gandhiji
did not disclose his true identity and as was his habit, was humble and
unassuming , on looking at him no one cou ld guess his political stature.
Q.3 List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his
arrival at Champaran .
Ans. 1/Vhen Shukla first met Gandhij i, he was attending the annual convention of the
Indian National Congress party in Lucknow. He was then scheduled to visit
Cawnpore and other parts of India before returning to his ashram in Ahmedabad .
He then had to visit Calcutta . Shukla and Gandhiji stopped at Patna and
Muzzafarpur in Bihar on his way to Champaran to obtain more complete
information about the plight of the sharecroppers.
Q.4 What was the system of share cropping ? What did the British now want instead
and why ? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural
indigo?
Ans. The fertile land in the district of Champaran was divided into large estates owned
by English men . The arable land was utilized for the cultivation of the chief
commercial crop i.e. indigo. Indian peasants were made to work on these
estates by their English landlords , who forced these tenants to plant three
twentieths or 15 percent of their holdings with indigo. The entire indigo harvest
was then to be surrendered as rent to the landlords. This was a long-term
contract which had been settled between the English landlords and the Indian
tenants.
, The English landlords soon got the information about Germany's success in
developing synthetic indigo , which would be cheaper and easier to obtain . Thus,
they manipulated the situation and obtained agreements from various peasants
agreeing to pay a con:,pensation to the English landlords for releasing them from
the 15% arrangement.
As the prices of synthetic indigo would be lower compared to those of natural
indigo, the Englishmen selling natural indigo would suffer great monetary losses
as they too would have to lower their prices. Therefore they were no longer
interested in buying natural Indigo, hence offering to release the farmers from
15% agreement.
Q.5 The events in the text illustrate Gandhi's method of working . Can you identify
some instances of this method and link them to his ideas of satyagraha and non-
violence?
Ans . Gandhiji was a firm believer of Satyagraha and non-violence. He adopted the
same method to fight for the cause of the peasants of Champaran. lnspite of
being advised by the commissioner, Gandhiji did not leave Tirhut but proceeded
to Motihari, where a vast multitude greeted him . He further decided to go to the
nearby village where a peasant had been maltreated. Before Gandhi could reach
the village he was driven back by a British messenger who later served him with
an official notice to quit Champaran . Gandhi disobeyed the order and in
consequence received summons to appear in the court. This news brought
thousands of peasants together. They gathered outside the court house to prove
their support and solidarity with the champion of their rights . This spontaneous
demonstration left the British officials powerless and they sought Gandhi's co-
operation . He helped them in regulating the crowd though he could have
instigated them to indulge in violent demonstration . But he stuck to his ideals of
Satyagraha and non-violence .
His truthful statement in the court when his trial was delayed is yet another proof
of his truthfulness. He read a statement pleading guilty and stated that he was
involved in a 'conflict of duties' - on one hand he appeared to be a law breaker
(as he had disobeyed the legal order) but on the other he had upheld the
humanitarian cause and national service. He believed that whatever he did was
not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of
our being , the voice of conscience . Being a strong believer of truth he asked the
penalty due. Thus, the British were forced to relent and the case against him was
dropped and he established the fact that even the unattainable can be attained
through truthful and non-violent means.
Q.6 Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 percent refund to the farmers ?
