Summary of Indigo

Louis Fischer’s Indigo highlights Mahatma Gandhi’s first major experiment with satyagraha in India during the Champaran movement (1917). It shows how Gandhi’s methods of truth, non-violence, and civil disobedience won justice for oppressed peasants.

The story begins with Rajkumar Shukla, a poor sharecropper from Champaran, who persistently follows Gandhi and brings him to Bihar. The peasants were forced by British landlords to grow indigo on 15% of their land and surrender it as rent. When synthetic indigo reduced demand, landlords forced peasants to pay compensation for release. Many illiterate farmers, cheated into signing agreements, demanded their money back.

Gandhi visited Muzaffarpur and Champaran to investigate. He faced hostility from British officials, was ordered to leave, but refused in the spirit of satyagraha. At his trial, thousands of peasants demonstrated, showing freedom from fear. Gandhi’s calm defiance impressed the court; the case was dropped.

He then organised inquiries, collected testimonies, and confronted landlords. A commission was set up. Gandhi agreed to a 25% refund as compromise, explaining that principle mattered more than money. This humbled landlords and gave peasants courage. Eventually, the system of indigo sharecropping was abolished.

Gandhi did not stop at political victory. He addressed social backwardness by opening schools, promoting cleanliness, sanitation, and health care. His wife Kasturba and volunteers like Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh joined in. Gandhi emphasised self-reliance, teaching villagers dignity and courage.

A British follower, C.F. Andrews, offered help, but Gandhi refused, insisting that Indians must fight their own battles. This reinforced the lesson of self-reliance.

The Champaran episode was a turning point. Gandhi declared that the British could not order him in his own country. It demonstrated that oppression could be resisted through truth and non-violence. It also marked the beginning of Gandhi’s leadership in India’s freedom struggle.

Thus, Indigo is not just about peasants’ plight but also about Gandhi’s philosophy — combining politics with people’s everyday problems. It shows how courage, unity, and truth can overcome injustice.

Word Count: ~503

Chapter 5: Indigo – Louis Fischer

NCERT SOLUTION

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Page 46 – Comprehension Check

Q1. Strike out what is not true in the following:
(a) Rajkumar Shukla was (i) a sharecropper.
✅ Correct Answer: He was a sharecropper (not politician, delegate, or landlord).

(b) Rajkumar Shukla was (i) poor, (iii) illiterate.
✅ Correct Answer: He was poor and illiterate, but not physically strong.

Q2. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?
Answer: Because he followed Gandhi everywhere with determination, refusing to give up until Gandhi agreed to visit Champaran.

Q3. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Answer: Gandhi wore simple clothes and looked ordinary. They mistook him for a poor villager like Shukla.

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Page 48 – Comprehension Check

Q1. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Answer: Lucknow → Cawnpore → Ahmedabad (ashram) → Calcutta → Patna (Rajendra Prasad’s house) → Muzaffarpur (Professor Malkani’s house) → Champaran.

Q2. What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the British now want instead and why? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo?
Answer: Peasants had to grow indigo on 15% of their land and give it as rent. When Germany developed synthetic indigo, landlords asked for compensation to release peasants from this system. Synthetic indigo reduced demand and price of natural indigo.

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Page 50 – Comprehension Check

Q1. The events in this part of the text illustrate Gandhi’s method of working. Identify some instances and link them to satyagraha and non-violence.
Answer:

• Refusing to leave Champaran despite official orders.

• Facing trial calmly and pleading guilty out of moral duty.

• Organising peasants peacefully.

• Persuading lawyers to support peasants.
  These reflect satyagraha: truth, non-violence, civil disobedience, and self-suffering.

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Page 52 – Comprehension Check

Q1. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers?
Answer: Gandhi felt the amount was less important than the principle. The landlords had to surrender prestige and authority. This gave peasants courage and confidence.

Q2. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
Answer: It gave them self-respect, reduced exploitation, and ultimately ended the indigo sharecropping system. They realised they had defenders and rights.

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Page 53 – Understanding the Text

Q1. Why did Gandhi consider the Champaran episode a turning-point in his life?
Answer: Because it was the first time Indians won against British authority through non-violent civil disobedience. It gave Gandhi confidence and marked the beginning of his active leadership in India.

Q2. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Answer: Gandhi questioned their motives, asking them to share peasants’ suffering. Shamed by his courage, they pledged to follow him even to jail.

Q3. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home rule’?
Answer: They were generally fearful of showing sympathy to nationalists, as seen in Professor Malkani’s unusual courage in hosting Gandhi.

Q4. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Answer: Thousands of peasants came to support Gandhi, protested peacefully, and gained confidence. Teachers, students, doctors, and women volunteered in education, sanitation, and health services.

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Page 53 – Talking about the Text

Q1. “Freedom from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor.” Do you think the poor of India are free from fear after Independence?
Answer: Though legal equality exists, many poor still suffer from fear of poverty, exploitation, caste and gender discrimination. True freedom requires economic and social justice, not just political freedom.

Q2. The qualities of a good leader.
Answer: A good leader must be courageous, truthful, selfless, compassionate, morally strong, and able to inspire unity and confidence, like Gandhi in Champaran.

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Page 53 – Working with Words

Legal terms from the text: deposition, summons, bail, prosecutor, trial, judgment, evidence, contract, agreement, inquiry, communication.

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Page 54 – Thinking about Language

Q1. Why does the author use quotations in his narration?
Answer: Quotations bring authenticity, make the narrative lively, and let Gandhi’s words speak directly to the reader.

Q2. Notice the use of commas:

• If the subordinate clause comes first, use a comma.

• If the main clause comes first, comma may be omitted.

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Page 54 – Things to Do

Q: Choose an issue affecting the poor (like Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Narmada Dam) and suggest settlement.
Answer (Example – Narmada Dam):
Issue: Thousands displaced without proper rehabilitation.
Facts: Villages submerged, livelihood lost.
Arguments: Development vs human rights.
Settlement: Provide land-for-land, fair compensation, housing, jobs, and involve people in planning.