Kendriya vidyalaya sangathan regional office

‘’Indigo’’ is the story of how Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of Britishers form our motherland. The chapter is an excerpt from Louis Fischer’s book-‘the life of Mhatma Gandhi’. It is an account of British high-handedness and oppression and the contributions made by the masses to the freedom movement. The events and facts in the chapter help the reader understand the method of Gandhian activism very clearly.

• 
  Indigo-- deals with a battle between the oppressor and the oppressed – is an uneven battle
  
• 
  The issue of Indigo harvesting and high handed attitude of the Britishers becomes a road to freedom for the sharecroppers
  
• 
  The only way out to win it is to develop qualities like self – reliance, strong –will, courage
  
• 
  Must openly stand up against injustice of any kind and not accept it lying down
  
• 
  Persistence and patience of Gandhiji helps him in procuring justice for the peasants
  
• 
  Talks about the need to fight our own battles in time of adversity inserted of depending on others
  
• 
  It is very important to be first free of any kind of fear
  
• 
  The account is also reflection of the affords made by Gandhiji to improve the health conditions as well as social and cultural life of the peasants
  
• 
  Carries a universal message for all to adapt to.
  

• 
  Raj Kumar Shukla- A poor sharecropper from Champaran wishing to meet Gandhiji.
  
• 
  Raj Kumar Shukla- an illiterate but resolute hence followed Gandhiji Lucknow, Kanpur, Ahemdabad, Calcutta, Patna, Muzzafarpur & then Champaran.
  
• 
  Servants at Rajendra Prasad’s residence thought Gandhi to be an untouchable.
  
• 
  Gandhiji considered as an untouchable because of simple living style and wearing, due to the company of Raj Kumar Shukla.
  
• 
  Decided to go to Muzzafarpur first to get detailed information about Champaran sharecropper.
  
• 
  Sent telegram to J B Kriplani and stayed in Prof. Malkani’s home - a government servant.
  
• 
  Indians afraid to show sympathy to the supporters of home rule.
  
• 
  The news of Gandhi’s arrival spread- sharecroppers gathered in large number to meet their champion.
  
• 
  Gandhiji chided the Muzzafarpur lawyer for taking high fee.
  
• 
  Champaran district was divided into estate owned by English people, Indians only tenant farmers.
  
• 
  Landlords compelled tenants to plant 15% of their land with indigo and surrender their entire harvest as rent.
  
• 
  In the meantime Germany had developed synthetic indigo –British landlords freed the Indian farmers from the 15% arrangement but asked them to pay compensation.
  
• 
  Many signed, some resisted, engaged lawyers, landlords hired thugs.
  
• 
  Gandhiji reached Champaran- visited the secretary of the British landlord association to get the facts but denied as he was an outsider.
  
• 
  Gandhiji went to the British Official Commissioner who asked him to leave Trihut, Gandhiji disobeyed, went to Motihari the capital of Champaran where a vast multitude greeted him, continued his investigations.
  
• 
  Visited maltreated villagers, stopped by the police superintendent but disobeyed the order.
  
• 
  Motihari black with peasants’ spontaneous demonstrations, Gandhi released without bail Civil Disobedience triumphed.
  
• 
  Gandhiji agreed to 25% refund by the landowners, it symbolized the surrender of the prestige.
  
• 
  Gandhiji worked hard towards social economic reforms, elevated their distress aided by his wife, Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh.
  
• 
  Gandhiji taught a lesson of self-reliance by not seeking help of an English man Mr. Andrews.
  

Q.1 How did Shukla succeed in persuading Gandhiji to visit Champaran?

Ans: RajkumarShukla was a tenacious and resolute person. He kept on pressing Gandhi to visit Champaran till he finally agreed to do so. After meeting Gandhi for the first time at Lucknow he followed him everywhere right up to Sabarmati ashram. His resoluteness urged Gandhi to yield.
Q2. What problems were the Champaran indigo Sharecroppers facing?

Or

What did the peasants pay to the British Landlords as rent?

Q.3.Why did Gandiji visit Muzzafarpur on his way to Champaran? Who received him there?

Ans: Shukla had given a fairly detailed account of injustice meted out to the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran by the British landlords. However,Gandhiji wished to gather more information about the issue to have a better insight into the problem.Hence he visited Muzzafarpur. There he was received by J.B.Kriplani,and a large number of his students.
Q.4 What episode in Patna showed Gandhi the existence of a rigid caste system?

Ans. Shukla took Gandhi to Patna. He led him to the house of a lawyer, Rajendra

Prasad,who was out of town, but the servants recognized Shukla as a poor indigo peasant.

So they let him and his companion Gandhi stay on his premises. They presumed him to

be another peasant. They thought Gandhi was an untouchable so he was not permitted

to draw water from the well for fear that some drops from his bucket may pollute the

1. 
   Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life?
   

• 
  Champaran peasants suffered exploitation, injustice and atrocities at the hands of the British landowners.
  
• 
  Gandhiji was appalled at the condition of the sharecroppers.
  
• 
  He tried to alleviate the pain and sufferings of the distressed peasants.
  
• 
  Was even willing to go to jail.
  
• 
  Inspired the lawyers to work for their welfare.
  
• 
  Thousands of farmers demonstrated to show solidarity with Gandhiji.
  
• 
  He emerged as a live politician
  
• 
  Champaran movement a national movement in the course of freedom struggle.
  
• 
  Eradicated fear from the minds of the ordinary people.
  
• 
  Forced Britishers to refund a part of money they had taken illegally.
  
• 
  Thus Britishers power was challenged.
  
• 
  After political struggle stayed back in champaran.
  
• 
  Providing medical help and teaching them the value of hygiene and cleanliness.
  
• 
  Taught them a lesson in self-reliance
  
• 
  Thus champaran incident – it turning point in his life.
  

2. 
   Why did Gandhiji consider freedom from fear more important than legal justice for the poor peasants of Champaran?
   

• 
  Exploitation of indigo farmers by British Landlords.
  
• 
  Farmers resorted to legal help to fight cases against the landlords
  
• 
  Not too many got encouraging results and also, this could only get them short term benefits
  
• 
  Farmers terrorized and crushed under the exploitation by landlords.
  
• 
  Gandhiji-practical and farsighted approach-felt that if the downtrodden farmers could be released from fear, rest everything would fall intoplace.
  
• 
  Started an exercisein empowering the farmers and giving them lessons in courage through his own example.
  
• 
  Dealt with all the clever moves of the Britishersfearlesslyand boldly without getting intimidated by theirorders.
  
• 
  Felt that lessons in courage would remain with the farmers all their lives and would never be taken advantage of/ exploited.
  

3. 
   On the basis of your reading of the account of Champaran in Indigo, write a brief character sketch of Mahatma Gandhi.
   

• 
  Gandhiji-man of outstanding qualities
  
• 
  Unassuming and modest
  
• 
  Dogged determination
  
• 
  Thorough and organized
  
• 
  Empathy/compassion for sharecroppers
  
• 
  Persistent worker
  
• 
  Fearless
  
• 
  Farsighted and practical
  
• 
  Persuasive and good convincing power
  
• 
  Humanitarian and holistic approach- thinks not only of political or economic solutions but also concerned with social and cultural progress as well as health issues.
  

1. 
   How did the Indian peasants react to the new agreement releasing them from sharecropping arrangement?
   

2. 
   Why was Gandhi in Lucknow in 1916? What happened there that was to change the course of Indian history?
   
3. 
   Why was Gandhiji stay with professor Malkani on astonishing experience?
   
4. 
   What made the peasants who had entered into agreement with the British landlords to pay compensation demand their money back from the British landlords?
   
5. 
   ‘Civil disobedience had triumphed, the first time in modern India,’ How?
   
6. 
   What do you think led Gandhi to exclaim ‘The battle of Champaran is won ’?
   

7. 
   What amount of repayment did the big planters think Gandhi would demand? What did Gandhi ask? What amount was finally settled?
   
8. 
   What other spheres besides political or economic fields received Gandhi’s attention during his long stay in Champaran?
   
9. 
   How important do you think team work and cooperation were in Gandhiji’s success in Champaran? (Value based)
   
10. 
    What values do we learn from Gandhiji’s campaign to counter the present day problems of exploitation?
    

The story “Going Places” is a dream journey which every adolescent undertakes. It is natural for youngsters to indulge in fantasising and hero-worship when they are on the verge of forging ahead in life and choosing a career for themselves. They idolize successful people and dream of following their footsteps. Their dreams drive them away from the harsh realities of life, but when this fact dawns on them, it becomes difficult for them to come to terms with life.

Sophie, the central character in the story and an adolescent, also lives in her pipe dreams. She belongs to a lower middle class family but dreams of making it big. She dreams of setting up a boutique after completing her school. It would be the best boutique and it would be visited by celebrities. She tries to live her dream by cooking up the story of her meeting with Danny Casey, an Irish soccer player outside Royce’s, a designer store. She even talks about her next meeting with him when he would give her autograph. Sophie tries to make her dream a reality by waiting for him, knowing fully well that he will not come. Even the Knowledge of the stark reality within her does not deter (stop) her from making her journey in and out of her dreams.

Theme

The story also highlights the strength of family bonds and relationships. The family is one anchor which supports you and helps you in times of need. Thus, Sophie’s family tries its best to help her see reality. Her brother Geoff, with whom she shares all her secrets and her friend Janise also help her, by not rejecting her dreams, but by believing in her and wishing she came out of them comfortably.

• 
  Sophie
  Sophie belonged to a poor family. She had a lot of unfulfilled dreams. She wanted to own a boutique, she wanted to be an actress, she wanted to be a fashion designer and much more. She longed to be anything that was beyond her reach. When she could not achieve them she satisfied herself by telling lies and enjoying when people believed her.
  
• 
  Sophie Tells a Lie
  

• 
  The Lie Spreads
  

• 
  Lie or Truth?
  

• 
  Victim of a Lie
  

Ans. The author calls the family’s weekly visit to watch the `United` as a pilgrimage to highlight the hero worship of the family. They religiously came to watch the football matches they were deeply interested in the game and being absolutely fascinated by Danny Casey, they loved to see him in action.

Ans. Sophie was first surprised and upset with Geoff for having talked about her meeting with Danny to Frank. She felt it was something that should have been to brother and sister. She told Jansie that it was to be kept a secret because if her dad got to hear about it he would be angry. Jansie was surprised as she thought her father ought to be pleased. Sophie realized that Jansie didn’t know about her meeting him the following week. Sophie said that her father would hate to have people asking him about Danny.

1. 
   Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind . What was her extent of fantasizing as a teenager?
   

Value Points.

• 
  Sophie-poor, mediocre family
  
• 
  Aspires to have a boutique; but no means, no resources
  
• 
  Could become manage or an actress
  
• 
  She is a day dreamer
  
• 
  Wants to see the vast would
  
• 
  Father does not permit
  
• 
  Dreams of meeting Danny Casey
  
• 
  Imagines meeting him in the arcade
  
• 
  Extent of fantasy-feels she has really met him
  
• 
  Tells her brother who doesn’t believe her
  
• 
  Father feels it is another of her wild stories.
  
• 
  She goes again to meet Danny but he doesn’t come.
  
• 
  Imagines meeting him again in the arcade
  

2. 
   What do you gather about the socio-economic background of Sophie and her family from the story ‘Going Places’?
   

• 
  Sophie belonged to the lower middle strata of society.
  

• 
  Father worked hard.
  
• 
  His labour reflected on his face .
  
• 
  Mother-bent-crooked burdened with household work
  
• 
  Brother Geoff-an apprentice mechanic.
  
• 
  A small house-displayed humble living-dirty liven-the room smelling of stone
  
• 
  Janise-referred-ear marked for the biscuit factory
  
• 
  When Sophie dreamt of having a boutique-father
  
• 
  Reminded-poverty stricken family needed a decent house
  
• 
  All indicators prove poor financial status.
  

3. 
   Would you like to be like Sophie a dreamer, or like Janise-a realistic? Give Reasons for your answer.
   

• 
  World of fantasy make you realize what you cannot have in reality.
  
• 
  It is a way to escape from unpleasant or stressful situations
  
• 
  Controlled daydreaming fosters imagination, enhances creativity.
  

Like Janise

• 
  Daydreaming shuts one out of reality
  
• 
  Person becomes absentminded
  
• 
  One is able to achieve goals only when one lives in reality and struggles.
  

Questions for practice:

1. 
   What did Sophie intend to do after passing from school?
   
2. 
   Describe the room in which Sophie and her family lived?
   
3. 
   Who was Geoff and what did he do?
   
4. 
   Why did Sophie want to accompany her brother to the far side of the city?
   
5. 
   Whom was Sophie closest to in her family and why?
   
6. 
   What secret did Sophie share with her brother?
   
7. 
   Who was Danny Casey?
   
8. 
   Was Sophie’s secret real or imaginary? Give reasons.
   
9. 
   Sophie and Janise are friends, yet very different. How?
   
10. 
    Describe the meeting between Sophie’s and Casey in the arcade?