Indigo

Indigo is a prose piece written by Louis Fischer describing an important historical event. The events narrated in the chapter take place in the year 1917.

Gandhi recalls the Champaran episode at Sevagram (1942)

• In 1942, Louis Fischer met Mahatma Gandhi at his ashram in Sevagram, central India.
• Gandhi explained how his decision to urge the departure of the British originated.
• He traced this decision back to his experience in Champaran in 1917.
• Gandhi described the Champaran episode as a turning point in his life.
• He clarified that the movement began as an effort to relieve peasant suffering, not deliberate defiance.

Gandhi attends the Lucknow Congress Session (1916)

• In December 1916, Gandhi attended the Indian National Congress session at Lucknow.
• The session had 2,301 delegates and many visitors.
• During the proceedings, a poor and weak-looking peasant approached Gandhi.
• The peasant introduced himself as Rajkumar Shukla.
• He said he came from Champaran, a place Gandhi had never heard of.
• Champaran was located in the Himalayan foothills near Nepal.

Rajkumar Shukla’s complaint and determination

• Rajkumar Shukla was a sharecropper in Champaran.
• He was illiterate, yet deeply resolute and determined.
• He had come to the Congress session to complain about the landlord system in Bihar.
• Someone had advised him to approach Gandhi for help.
• His persistence immediately impressed Gandhi.
• This incident highlights the role of ordinary peasants in the freedom movement.

Shukla follows Gandhi across India

• Gandhi told Shukla that he had prior commitments in Cawnpore and elsewhere.
• Despite this, Shukla followed Gandhi everywhere.
• When Gandhi returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad, Shukla followed him there.
• For several weeks, Shukla refused to leave Gandhi’s side.
• He repeatedly requested Gandhi to fix a date for Champaran.
• Gandhi was moved by Shukla’s tenacity and faith.

Meeting at Calcutta and journey to Patna

• Gandhi fixed a date for Shukla to meet him in Calcutta.
• Months later, Gandhi found Shukla waiting patiently at the appointed spot.
• Shukla sat on his haunches until Gandhi became free.
• This showed Shukla’s complete trust in Gandhi.
• Gandhi and Shukla then boarded a train for Patna, Bihar.

Visit to Rajendra Prasad’s house in Patna

• In Patna, Shukla took Gandhi to the house of Rajendra Prasad, a lawyer.
• Rajendra Prasad was out of town at that time.
• His servants recognised Shukla as a poor peasant who often troubled their master.
• They allowed Shukla and Gandhi to stay on the grounds.
• The servants assumed Gandhi was also a peasant.
• Gandhi was not allowed to draw water from the well due to fear of pollution.
• This incident exposed untouchability and social discrimination.

Gandhi halts at Muzaffarpur

• Gandhi decided not to go directly to Champaran.
• He chose to stop at Muzaffarpur, which lay on the route.
• His aim was to obtain first-hand and reliable information.
• He sent a telegram to Professor J. B. Kripalani of the Arts College.
• Gandhi had earlier met Kripalani at Tagore’s Shantiniketan.
• Gandhi arrived at midnight on 15 April 1917.

Stay with Professor Malkani

• Professor J. B. Kripalani received Gandhi at the station with students.
• Gandhi stayed for two days at the home of Professor Malkani.
• Professor Malkani was a government school teacher.
• Helping Gandhi was risky for a government employee.
• Gandhi later described this as an act of extraordinary courage.
• Indians in small towns feared supporting home-rule leaders.

Interaction with Muzaffarpur lawyers

• Lawyers from Muzaffarpur met Gandhi to brief him on peasant cases.
• They often represented peasants in court.
• They openly discussed the high fees they charged.
• Gandhi criticised them for exploiting poor peasants.
• He stated that law courts were useless for fear-stricken peasants.
• He emphasized that freedom from fear was the real solution.

Indigo cultivation system in Champaran

• Most land in Champaran was owned by English landlords.
• Indian tenants worked the land under oppressive conditions.
• The chief commercial crop was indigo.
• Tenants were forced to grow indigo on 15 percent of their land.
• The entire indigo crop was surrendered as rent.
• These were long-term and binding agreements.

Synthetic indigo and compensation issue

• British landlords learned that Germany had developed synthetic indigo.
• Natural indigo was expected to lose value.
• Landlords released peasants from the indigo arrangement.
• They demanded compensation money instead.
• Many illiterate peasants signed without understanding the terms.
• Later, they realised they were cheated and demanded refunds.

Gandhi’s meetings with British officials

• Gandhi arrived in Champaran and began his investigation.
• He first met the secretary of the British landlords’ association.
• The secretary refused to provide information to an “outsider.”
• Gandhi replied that he was no outsider.
• Gandhi then met the Commissioner of the Tirhut division.
• The commissioner bullied him and ordered him to leave.
• Gandhi calmly refused to comply.

Motihari investigation and notice to quit

• Gandhi proceeded to Motihari, the district headquarters.
• A huge crowd welcomed him at the railway station.
• He set up headquarters and continued investigations.
• He received news of a peasant being maltreated.
• Gandhi set out on an elephant to visit the village.
• Police stopped him and ordered him back.
• He was served a notice to quit Champaran.
• Gandhi wrote that he would disobey the order.

Court summons and mass awakening

• Gandhi received a summons to appear in court the next day.
• Thousands of peasants gathered around the courthouse.
• They had no knowledge of Gandhi’s South African work.
• They only knew a Mahatma had come to help them.
• Their spontaneous protest marked freedom from fear.
• Officials felt powerless without Gandhi’s cooperation.

Gandhi’s statement in court

• Gandhi pleaded guilty before the court.
• He explained his conflict of duties.
• He chose obedience to the higher law of conscience.
• He said he did not disrespect lawful authority.
• He refused to furnish bail. The judge released him without bail.
• Judgment was postponed indefinitely.

Moral awakening of the lawyers

• Rajendra Prasad, Brij Kishor Babu, and Maulana Mazharul Huq arrived.
• They initially planned to leave if Gandhi was imprisoned.
• Gandhi questioned their commitment to the peasants.
• The lawyers felt ashamed of their attitude.
• They decided to follow Gandhi to jail if necessary.
• Gandhi declared, “The battle of Champaran is won.”

Case withdrawal and inquiry

• The Lieutenant-Governor ordered the case to be dropped.
• Gandhi and lawyers conducted a widespread inquiry.
• Statements of about ten thousand peasants were recorded.
• Written depositions and documents were collected.
• The landlords strongly opposed the investigation.

Commission of inquiry and settlement

• Gandhi met Sir Edward Gait, the Lieutenant-Governor.
• An official commission of inquiry was appointed.
• Gandhi was the sole representative of the peasants.
• Landlords agreed to make refunds.
• Gandhi initially demanded 50 percent.
• A settlement of 25 percent refund was accepted.
• The settlement broke the prestige of the landlords.

Social reform and village upliftment

• Gandhi stayed in Champaran for several months.
• He returned for shorter visits later.
• Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh volunteered as teachers.
• Devadas Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi also helped.
• Primary schools were opened in six villages.
• Health services were provided using basic medicines.
• Sanitation and cleanliness were emphasized.

Charles Freer Andrews and self-reliance

• Charles Freer Andrews, an English pacifist and Gandhi’s follower, visited Champaran.
• Lawyers felt his presence would strengthen their case.
• Andrews was willing to stay if Gandhi agreed.
• Gandhi strongly opposed the idea.
• He warned against seeking a prop in an Englishman.
• Gandhi stressed the importance of self-reliance.
• Rajendra Prasad later admitted this taught them a lasting lesson.