INDIGO

A.      Author’s Visit To Gandhi

                                I.            In 1942 author visited Gandhi in Sevagram 4 the 1^st time.

                              II.            Sevagram is located in central India (Maharashtra).

                            III.            There he told author how he joined quit India mvmnt in 1917.

B.      Annual Conference Of National Congress

                                I.            In 1916 Gandhi went 2 attend annual convntn of Natnl Congrs in Luckhnow.

                              II.            Abt 2,301 delgts and many other visitors attended.

C.      Reason for Rajkumar Shukla’s visit

                                I.            Rajkumar Shukla came to see Gandhi.

                              II.            Champaran was in the foothills of Himalaya and near Nepal.

                            III.            Sharecropper’s condition in champaran was too bad.

                            IV.            Somebody suggested Shukla to meet Gandhi.

                              V.            Therefore, he came to complain of the injustice done by the landlord system.

D.      Rajkummar Shukla

                                I.            A poor and weak peasant from Champaran, Bihar.

                              II.            One of the sharecroppers.

                            III.            Illiterate but with a strong determination.

                            IV.            Came to complain Gandhiji about injustice of the landlord system.

                              V.            Begged Gandhi to come to his district.

                            VI.            But Gandhi had other appointments to attend in Cawnpore and other parts of the country.

                          VII.            Shukla accompanied him everywhere and to his ashram near Ahmedabad

                        VIII.            Begged Gandhi to fix a date.

                            IX.            Gandhi was impressed with his firmness (tenacity) and story.

                              X.            He told Shukla that he would come to Calcutta on a certain date and from there he will accompany him to Champaran.

E.       Shukla waiting in Calcutta

                                I.            Months passed

                              II.            Shukla waited intently(sitting on his hunched) until Gandhi was free

                            III.            When Gandhi came they boarded train to Patna

                            IV.            Reaching Patna Shukla led Gandhiji to the lawyer Rajendra Prasad’s house.

F.       Rajendra Prasad

                                I.            A Lawyer

                              II.            Later became president of National Congress and India.

G.     At Rajendra Prasad’s House

                                I.            He was not at home

                              II.            Servants don’t let them sleep in the house (let them stay on the ground)

                            III.            As they knew Shukla as poor land owner (yeoman)  who pestered (harass) his master

                            IV.         They thought Gandhi as another peasant

                              V.         They even doesn't allow them to draw water from the well doubting them as untouchable.

H.     Gandhi ji’s visit to Muzzafarpur

                                I.            Gandhi decided to go to Muzzafarpur.

                              II.            As it was on the way to Champaran.

                            III.            To get first-hand information on the peasants.

                            IV.            According to the plan he sent a telegram to Prof. J. B. Kripalani, teacher at Muzzafarpur Arts College.

                              V.            He met him at Tagore’s Shanti Niketan.

                            VI.            Their train arrived at night

                          VII.             Kripalani was waiting at the station along his students.

                        VIII.            Gandhi stayed in prof. Malian’s (a teacher in govt. school) house for two days.

                            IX.            He said, “It was an extraordinary thing for a prof. to provide shelter (harbour) to a man like Gandhi who advocates home-rule”.

                              X.            As people scared to support advocates of home-rule.

                            XI.            But Kripalani ji took the risk.

I.        People came to meet Gandhi ji

                                I.            The news of Gandhi ji’s arrival spread fast through Muzzaffarpur to Champaran

                              II.            Sharecroppers from Champaran came to see their leader(champion)

                            III.            They came paddling or by vehicle

                            IV.            Lawyers of Muzzaffarpur came to meet Gandhi

                              V.            They told that they frequently represented peasants in court.

                            VI.            Also told him of high fee they charge to the peasants.

                          VII.            At this Gandhi ji chided (scolded) them.

                        VIII.            He said taking cases to court won’t serve any purpose.

                            IX.            As peasants were fear traumatized (fear-stricken) and crushed.

                              X.            Real relief is to make them free from fear itself.

J.        Estates of Champaran & peasants problem

                                I.            All large estates of Champaran belonged to Englishman.

                              II.            They grow commercial crop. (such as ‘Indigo’)

                            III.            Indians are just leaseholders (teanants).

                            IV.            There was a long term contract between English landlords and tenants.

                              V.            According to contract landlords forced tenants to plant indigo in 15% of land.

                            VI.            Rest they need to surrender them.

                          VII.            Presently landlords learned Germany developed a synthetic Indigo.

                        VIII.            So they obtain agreement from the sharecroppers to pay compensation for releasing them from the 15%.

                            IX.            The agreement was irksome (annoying) to the peasants.

                              X.            It displeased them.

                            XI.            Many accepted willingly many resisted and seek help of lawyers.

                          XII.            Illiterate farmers (who accepted) learning about it demanded their money back.

K.      Gandhi ji’s visit to Champaran and Motihari

                                I.            Then Gandhi ji reached Champaran.

                              II.            He started getting the facts about real condition of the farmers.

                            III.            First he visited secretary of the British Landlord Association.

                            IV.            Secretary refused to give information calling him an outsider.

                              V.            Gandhi ji called British as outsider.

                            VI.            Next he goes to British Official Commissioner of the Tirhut Division.

                          VII.            He tried to torment him.

                        VIII.            Ordered to leave Champaran.

                            IX.            He didn’t leave

                              X.            Instead proceeded to Motihari (capital of Champaran).

                            XI.            Several lawyers accompanied him.

                          XII.            Large people greeted Gandhi @ station.

                        XIII.            Went to a house & used it as headquarter.

L.       First act of civil disobedience

                                I.            Getting a report of a peasant maltreated in a nearby village he decided to go.

                              II.            But he was driven back by a messenger.

                            III.            He obeyed(complied)

                            IV.            Served with a notice to quit Champaron.

                              V.            Gandhi ji wrote on it that he would disobey the order.

                            VI.            @ this he was summoned (called)to the court.

                          VII.            @ night he remained awake.

                        VIII.            Telegraphed Dr. Rajendra Prassad to come along his influential friends.

                            IX.            Instructed his ashram.

                              X.            Reported viceroy.

                            XI.            Next morning all peasants of Motihari came to see him.

                          XII.            Administration of Champaran didn’t know of Gandhi and his past (incidents of South Africa).

                        XIII.            They just knew a Mahatma wanted to help peasants was in trouble with the authorities.

                        XIV.            People in thousand crowded around court house.

                          XV.            It was the beginning of people’s liberation from fear.

                        XVI.            Officials felt powerless without Gandhi ji’s help.

                      XVII.            He helped them to control the crowd.

                    XVIII.            He was polite and friendly.

                        XIX.            He showed the British official that they may be challenged by Indians although till now (hitherto) they were feared (dreaded) and unquestioned.

                          XX.            Govt. was confused (baffled).

                        XXI.            Prosecutor requested to postpone the trial.

                      XXII.            Consequently (apparently) authorities wished to consult their superiors.

                    XXIII.            Gandhi protested against delay.

                    XXIV.            He read a statement pleading himself guilty.

                      XXV.            Also told the court that he didn’t want to set bad example of law breaker.

                    XXVI.            But he had come to render the “humanitarian and national service”.

                  XXVII.            He disregarded the order to leave not because he wanted to disobey law but because he wanted to obey a higher law, law of conscience. 

                XXVIII.            He asked for the penalty.

                    XXIX.            Judge announced the judgement will be passed after recess

                      XXX.            He directed Gandhi ji to furnish bail for those 120 minutes.

                    XXXI.            Gandhi refused.

                  XXXII.            The judge released him without bail.

                XXXIII.            But judge said he won’t deliver judgement for several days.

                XXXIV.            Till then Gandhi was free.

                  XXXV.            Rajendra Prassad, Brij Kishor Babu, Maulana Mazharul Haq and several other prominent lawyers arrived from Bihar.

                XXXVI.            They discussed what would be the consequent if he was jailed.

              XXXVII.            Then there won’t be anyone to guide.

            XXXVIII.            Gandhi ji insisted on continuing the struggle to safeguard sharecroppers’ interest.

                XXXIX.            Lawyers held a separate meeting.

                           XL.            They decided to help Gandhi ji in his struggle.

                         XLI.            They thought even though Gandhi was stranger to the peasants he was ready to go to jail for them. If those belonged to nearby district won’t help then it would be shameful.

                       XLII.            They also decided to go to jail along Gandhi.

                     XLIII.            Gandhi noted their names on a piece of paper.

                     XLIV.            Divided the group into pairs.

                       XLV.            Put down the order in which each pairs was to be arrested.

                     XLVI.            Several days later Gandhi received an order from magistrate informing that the lieutenant governor of the province have ordered to drop the case.

                   XLVII.            Thus for the first time civil disobedient had triumphed in modern India.

M.    Formation of Commission of Inquiry

                                I.            Now lawyers proceeded to conduct an inquiry of peasants’ grievance (object).

                              II.            Disposition by about ten thousand peasants were noted.

                            III.            Documents were collected.

                            IV.            Whole area throbbed (vibrated) with the activity of the investigators. And vehement (heated) protest of the landlords.

                              V.            In June Gandhi was summoned to Sir Edward Gait, the lieutenant-governor.

                            VI.            Before leaving Gandhi ji met his associates and made detailed plans for civil disobedience in case he wouldn’t return.

                          VII.            He had four prolonged interviews with governor.

                        VIII.            As a result he appointed a commission of inquiry into the Indigo sharecroppers’ situation.

                            IX.            The commission consist of the landlords, government official and Gandhi as sole representative of the peasants.

N.     Inquiry commissions’ report and its consequences

                                I.            Gandhi remained in Champaran for seven months and he made several short visits.

                              II.            The official enquiry revealed evidence against the estate planters.

                            III.            By seeing the inquiry report they agreed to refund the peasants.

                            IV.            But the question was how much to refund.

Gandhi demanded only 50%

                              V.            He didn’t relax his demand.

                            VI.            Finding him adamant (stubborn) they offered only 50%.

                          VII.            Gandhi ji at once agreed for that so the deadlock was broken.

O.     Building peasants courage

                                I.            Later he explained money was less important than the fact that landlords had to surrender the money which had become their prestige issue.

                              II.            Peasants now saw they have rights and defenders.

                            III.            They got courage.

                            IV.            Within a period planters abandoned their estates which were given back to the peasants.

                              V.            Indigo sharecropping disappeared.

P.      Dealing social and cultural problems

                                I.            Gandhiji never contented himself only in political and economic solutions.

                              II.            He saw social and cultural backwardness of Champaran villages and wanted to do something about it immediately.

                            III.            Several teachers like Mahadev Desai and Narahari Parikh and two young men had joined Gandhi as disciple.

                            IV.            Their wives volunteered to work.

                              V.            Several more came from other parts of the country like Poona, Bombay etc.

                            VI.            They were joined by Devdas, Gandhi’s youngest son and Mrs Gandhi.

                          VII.            Primary schools were opened in six villages.

                        VIII.            Kasturbai taught Ashram’s rule of cleanliness and community sanitation.

                            IX.            Even health condition was measurable.

                              X.            Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer to work there for six months.

                            XI.            Medicines like castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment were made available to the people suffering from coated tongue (bacteria infected tongue that look white), Malaria and skin diseases.

                          XII.            He noticed women of the village wearing dirty cloths & asked Kasturba to talk to them.

                        XIII.            Even while living in Champaran he kept contacting Ashram and advised them through mail..

                        XIV.            Champaran episode was a turning point in his life.

                          XV.            He declared British can’t order me what should he do in his own country.

                        XVI.            Although Champaran didn’t begin as an act of disobedience.

                      XVII.            It was started as an act to remove distress of poor peasants.

Q.     Rebuilding and & Indians

                                I.            His politics was intertwined with practical day-to-day problems of the millions.

                              II.            Through everything he tried to build a new Indian who could stand on his feet and thus could make a free India.

                            III.            Early in the Champaran episode an English pacifist (one who opposes war) came to bid him farewell before to a tour of duty to Fiji islands. Lawyers thought it as good idea if Andrew would stay in Champaran & help them.  Even Andrew was interested but Gandhi opp.

                            IV.            Thinking it would show a weakness of heart in their part. The cause was just to build self-reliance.

                              V.            Self-reliance, Indian independence and sharecroppers were all bound together.  

Abbreviations and symbols used        Convtn- convention(self-coined abbreviation)        Natnl- national        Congrs- congress        Mvmnt- movement        Abt- about        Delgts- delegates        Opp- opposed      govt.-government        4- for(number).            2-to (number)         @ for at(symbol)         % for percent (symbol)        1st – first (standard abbreviation)