NCERT Solutions CBSE Class 12th Indigo Chapter 5 Summary, Explanation, Solution - Question & Answers
Summary of Chapter 5 Indigo
The story is set in 1916 when Gandhi steps in to help a group of poor farmers in Champaran. It gives an account of how he fought to get them justice and equality. Thus, it begins with most of the arable land of Champaran divided into a large estate. The owners of the estate are Englishmen and the labourers are Indian tenants. We learn that the main commercial crop on this land is indigo. Besides this, we also see that the landlords force all the tenants to plant 15% of their indigo and deposit the entire crop as rent. Tenants are under a long-term agreement to do so. However, Germany begins to develop synthetic indigo. Thus, the British no longer needed to harvest indigo. Thus, to free the poor farmer from their 15% settlement, they start demanding compensation. While some illiterate farmers agreed with this, others did not. Thus, we see that one of the sharecroppers, Rajkumar Shukla arranges a meeting with Gandhi. He meets them for the same issues and urges Gandhi to visit the place to end the long standing injustice. Gandhi agrees and boards a train to Patna in Bihar. After that, Rajkumar Shukla helps Gandhi to go to lawyer Rajendra Prasad's house. As Gandhi wore simple clothes, the servants thought him a poor farmer. Thus, Gandhi planned before trying to get any justice to the farmers. This is because the British government is punishing anyone holding national leaders or protesters. Thus, when Gandhi arrived at the place, the news of his arrival and mission spread like wildfire throughout the city. This resulted in a large number of lawyers and farmers' groups coming out in his support. As a result, the lawyers admitted that the charges were exorbitant and very unfair to a poor farmer.
However, Gandhi was critical of him for charging heavy fees from the sharecroppers. He was stressing on counseling as it would give farmers the confidence to fight their fears. Thus, he manages to get justice for the farmers after a year-long fight.He has also made arrangements for education, health and sanitation for the families of poor farmers. Lastly, he teaches them a lesson in self-reliance and self-confidence.
Indigo Summary in Hindi
Indigo Short Answer Questions
Q1. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being “resolute”?
Rajkumar Shukla is described as resolute because he had come to the Congress session to
complain about the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar. Gandhi told Shukla he had an
appointment in Cawnpore and was also committed to going to other parts of India. Shukla
accompanied him everywhere.
Then Gandhi returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad, Shukla followed him to the ashram. He never left Gandhi’s side for weeks and begged him to visit Champaran. At last, Gandhi agreed to go with him and said, ‘‘I have to be in Calcutta on such-and-such a date. Come and meet me and take me from there.”
Q2. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Rajendra Prasad was out of town, but the servants knew Shukla as a poor yeoman who
pestered their master to help the indigo sharecroppers thus, the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant because he accompanied Shukla to Rajendra Prasad's house.
Q3. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Gandhi’s first meeting with Shukla in Lucknow. Then he went to Cawnpore and other parts of India. He returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad. later he went to Calcutta, Patna then he decide to go to Muzaffarpur before arriving at Champaran.
Q4. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
The peasants were saved from wasting money and time on court cases. After some years the British planters gave up control of their estates. These now return to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping disappeared.
Q5. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of “home rule”?
In smaller areas the average Indian was afraid to show sympathy for the supporters of Home Rule. Gandhi stayed for two days at the house of Professor Malkani, a teacher in a government school in Muzaffarpur. In those days it was an extraordinary thing for a government professor to give shelter to someone who opposed the government.
Q6. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 percent refund to the farmers?
For Gandhi ji the amount of refund money is less important than the fact that landlords had been forced to return part of money. He wanted the poor farmers realise that they too had rights and they do not need to fear of British Landlords. Therefore, Gandhi agreed to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers.
Q7. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Gandhi’s first meeting with Shukla in Lucknow. Then he went to Cawnpore and other parts of India. He returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad, later he went to Calcutta, Patna then he decide to go to Muzaffarpur before arriving at Champaran.
Q8. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life?
The Champaran episode began as an attempt to remove the sufferings of a large number of poor peasants. He got the impulsive support of thousands of people. Gandhi confessed that what he had done was a very usual thing. He declared that the British could not order him about in his own country. Hence, he considered the Champaran episode as a turning- point in his life.
Q9. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Gandhi asked the lawyers what will they do if he was sentenced to jail. They told Gandhi that they had come to advise him. “If you go to jail, they will go home”. Then Gandhi asked them about the injustice done to the sharecroppers. The lawyers discussed it within themselves and came to the conclusion that it would be a shame if they went home therefore, they told Gandhi that they were ready to follow him in jail.
Q10. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of “home rule”?
In smaller areas, the average Indians were afraid to show sympathy for the supporters of Home Rule. Gandhi stayed for two days at the house of Professor Malkani, a teacher in a government school in Muzaffarpur. It was unusual in those days, for a government professor to give shelter to someone who opposed the government.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the British subsequently want and why? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo?
The Champaran district was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was indigo. The landlords asked all tenants to plant 15 percent of their farms with indigo and give the entire indigo harvest as rent. This was done by long-term contract. In due time landlords had learned that Germany had developed synthetic indigo so they forced the sharecroppers to sign an agreement to pay them compensation on being released from the 15 percent arrangement. The share- cropping arrangement was irksome to the peasants, and many signed willingly but those who resisted engaged lawyers and the landlords hired thugs. Meanwhile, the information about synthetic indigo reached the illiterate peasants who had signed the agreement, and hence they wanted their money back.
Q2. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Professor JB Kriplani accompanied by a large group of students came to receive Gandhi at Muzaffarpur railway station at midnight. The sharecroppers from Champaran came on foot and by their own conveyance to see Gandhi. The lawyers of Muzaffarpur also met him. Gandhi was greeted by a huge crowd on his arrival at the Motihari Railway Station. Thousands demonstrated around the courtroom. This shows that common people also contributed to the freedom movement in India.
Q3. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Gandhi asked the lawyers what will they do if he was sentenced to jail. They said that they had come to advise him. “If he goes to jail, they will go home”. Then Gandhi asked them about the injustice done to the sharecroppers. The lawyers discussed among themselves that if Gandhi being an outsider and is ready to go to jail for the sharecroppers it would be a shame if they went home. So they came to the conclusion that he goes to jail they will follow him in jail.
Q4. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of “home rule”?
In smaller areas the average Indian was afraid to show sympathy for the supporters of Home Rule. Gandhi stayed for two days at the house of Professor Malkani, a teacher in a government school in Muzaffarpur. In those days it was an extraordinary thing for a government professor to give shelter to someone who opposed the government.
