INDIGO (Louis Fischer)
Main Character
Gandhi Ji: A great peace loving freedom fighter
Raj Kumar Shukle: A poor peasant.
Rajendra Prasad: Dedicated Lawyer
Charles Andrews: o peace lover, follower of Gandhi ji
Brief Summary
Rajkumar Shukla A Firmed Peasant: The author met Gandhi ji in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagrom, Gandhi ji shared his experience with him about Champaran Episode. In December 1916, o poor peasant named Raj Kumar Shukla came to complain about injulitice of the landlord in Champaran. It was the time of annual convention of the Indian National Congress party in Lucknow. Actually he wanted Gandhi to bring Champaran and look into the matter so he followed Gandhi ji everywhere. To see his determination Gandhi j to come with him. He waited for Gandhi ji in Calcutta for long time.
Gandhi Ji experience at Muzaffarpur: Both reached to Patna. In Patno, they went to Rajendra Prasad home, later who become the president of free India. At that time Rajedra Prasad was not at home. His servant treated Gandhi ji as other poor peasant. He did not let him get the water from well. According to him water could be polluted Gandhi ji faced the experience of untouchability
Lawyers were scolded: After that Gandhi ji went to Muzzafarpur, which was on the way of Champaran. He stayed there for two days at Professor Malkoni, a government school teacher home and got information about Champoran. The news of Gandhi's arrival spread like wildfire. Lawyers met Gandhi ji, reported their cases and fee. Gandhi ji scolded the lowyers as they were charging huge amount from share-croppers. He advised them not to go to court for this case and help him to make share-cropper free from fear.
15% Arrangement: Actually Englishmen were the owner of mostly arable land and Indians worked on that land Indigo was the commercial crop. Share-croppers were compelled to plant "Indigo on 15% land. As Germany had developed main synthetic indigo, landlord asked for compensation from the sharecroppers to release them from the 15% arrangement. Many peasants signed willingly. Some of them hired lawyer. The news of synthetic indigo reached the sharecroppers and they felt cheated. Now they wanted their money back. राजित मारत
Disobey by Gandhi ji: After arriving in Champaran, Gandhi ji started to collect more facts. He visited the secretary of the British landlord's association in order to peaceful solution. He met different authorities to settle the issue but result was zero. Gandhi ji was to leave Tirhut. But he didn't leave and Motihari, capital of Champaran, A huge crowd welcomed him at railway station. There Gandhi ji was reported that a peasant had been mistreated in a nearby village Gandhi ji decided to look into the matter himself. After some days he got a notice to leave Champaran immediately. But he did not obey that order. As a result he was summoned to appear in the court the next day. Gandhi ji could not sleep the entire night. He telegraphied Rajendra Prasad to come from Patra with influential friends and other side he wired a full report to the Viceroy.co
Demonstration by the Peasants/ Impact on Lawyers; Next day, thousand peasants reached Motihar and started demonstrating around the court house. The official felt powerless, but Gandhi ji helped them to manage the crowd. In the court Gandhi ji proved that he did not break any law. He did his moral duty for his people. Gandhi Ji was said to arrange the bail. But he refused and was released without bail Many prominent lawyers like Rajendra Prasad, Brij Kishore Babu, Maulana Mazharul Haq came to Gandhi ji and assured him for their support. The lawyers thought that Gandhiji was totally a stranger yet he was ready to go to jail for the peasants. If they don't support Gandhi it would be the same on them. It was the first time when civil disobedience got victory in modern India,
Civil Disobedience Triumphs: Gandhi ji and other lawyers made a great pressure on British government as a result an official Commission of Inquiry was appointed to look into the mater. The commission found big evidence against the landlords. They had extorted money from the share-croppers. Gandhi ji was asked, how much they should repay Gandhi ji asked for only 50%. But landlord agreed to refund 25 percent of total amount. To surprise everybody, Gandhi ji agreed. For Gandhi ji refund amount was less important than the surrender of the landlords. It was the end of indigo sharecropping system.
The Poor Conditions of Champaran: After this episode, Gandhiji observed that there were cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages. He wanted to do something for them. He appealed teachers to teach villagers. In the beginning Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh with their wives offered their service to Gandhiji. Their after many teachers came from different part of the country like Mumbai, Pune etc. Gandhiji's wife Kasturbai and his youngest son Devdas also reached there Primary Schools were opened in six villages. Kasturbai taught the people about personal cleanliness. That time health condition was miserable. Gandhiji got a doctor as volunteer for six month who susted people. Kasturbai talked to the women and helped to get rid of their problem. During his long journey at Champaran Gandhiji made the people self confident. The Champaran episode became a turning point in Gandhi's life. Here Gandhi ji British couldn't order him in his country. that the
Self Reliance: During this period, Charles Andrews, a peace lover became a dedicated follower of Gandhi j When he to Gandhi ji for departure, Gandhi's friend wanted him to stay and help them in Champaran. Gandhi ji strongly opposed this idea. He did not want Indians take the help of an Englishman. He wanted people to be self reliance.
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