INDIGO BY LOUIS FISCHER NCERT SOLUTIONS -CLASS XII ENGLISH CBSE

NCERT QUESTIONS

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1 Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?

Ans. Rajkumar Shukla ,an illiterate sharecropper, came all the way from Champaran district to Lucknow to invite Gandhi to visit his district. When Gandhi mentioned about his prior engagements to go to Cawnpore and other parts of India, Shukla accompanied him everywhere. He also followed Gandhi to his ashram and stayed there for weeks till Gandhi asked him to meet him at Calcutta. Because of his strong will power and determination, he is described as being ‘resolute’.

Q2.Why do you think the servants thought Gandhiji to be another peasant?

Ans. As Gandhi was in the company of Rajkumar Shukla ,a poor yeoman ,the servants at Rajendra Prasad’s house assumed that he was another peasant. Moreover ,Gandhi’s emaciated looks and simplicity could have led to his mistaken identity.

Q3.List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.

Ans.Between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran ,Gandhi visited Cawnpur ,Calcutta ,Patna and Muzaffarpur.

Q4.What did the peasants pay to 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?

Ans. The British landlords compelled the peasants to plant 15% of the land with indigo and to surrender the entire harvest as rent. Now that Germany had developed synthetic indigo ,Britishers wanted the tenants to pay them compensation for being released from 15% agreement.

As the demand of the natural indigo would reduce due to the advent of synthetic indigo, its price would go down.

Q5.Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 percent refund to the farmers?

Gandhi agreed to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers to break the deadlock between the landlords and the tenants. For Gandhi the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been forced to return part of the money and with it, part of the peasants’ prestige. He wanted to establish that the landlords were not lords above law and their rule could be challenged.

Q6.How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?

The Champaran episode made the peasants aware of their rights and taught them courage. Apart from getting 25 percent of their compensation they got back their prestige. Within few years ,the British planters abandoned their estates , which reverted to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Q 7 How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances

Gandhi chided the lawyers for charging hefty fee from the peasants to fight their case. Later his words encouraged the lawyers to court arrest in case he was arrested. He also dissuaded them from seeking Charles Andrews’ assistance in their battle against the injustice of the Britishers in order to be self reliant.

Q8.What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home rule’?

Being afraid of inviting the wrath of the Britishers, the average Indian in small localities were reluctant  to show any sympathy towards the advocates of ‘home rule’.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

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

 Ans. The Champaran episode began as an attempt to alleviate the distress of a large number of poor peasants. But it became a turning point in Gandhi’ life.It build up Gandhi confidence that the British rulers could be made to bend and concede a popular demand. He declared that British could not order him in his own country.

It was during this struggle in 1917 that he decided to urge the departure of the British. When he came to Champaran, he was appalled to see fear –stricken peasants and injustice of landlord system in Chamaparan. His readiness to go to jail for the sake of seeking justice instilled courage among ordinary people and motivated the lawyers for court arrest . He led civil disobedience by refusing to leave Champaran even after he got the official notice. Civil disobedience triumphed for the first time when the case for disregarding the official order against him was dropped. Britisher’s agreement to pay 25 percent of the compensation made him and the peasants confident. It made the peasants realise that they had rights and defenders and he established that the authority of the British could be challenged. He taught the lawyers a lesson of self reliance by dissuading them from seeking the assistance from an English man, Charles Andrew.

Gandhi never contended himself with larger and political solutions. He also made endeavour to bring about cultural and social upliftment in the village.

Q2.How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?

The author mentions several ordinary people who contributed to the freedom movement.

Rajkumar Shukla was instrumental in arranging Gandhi’s visit to Champaran. Proffesssor Malkani , despite being a government servant, harboured Gandhi when he arrived at Muzzafarpur. When the news of Gandhi’s advent spread through Muzzafarpur and Champaran , Sharecroppers from Champaran began arriving on foot to see their champion.Their gathering in huge number at Motihari was the beginning of their freedom from the fear of the British. The lawyers also agreed to court arrest in case Gandhi went to Jail.

 Gandhi and the lawyers conducted a detailed inquiry into the grievances of the farmers. They prepared cases for about ten thousand peasants and collected relevant documents.

Moreover the masses volunteered to help in bringing cultural and social reforms in the village. The two young men ,Mahadev  Desai and Narihari Parikh  and their views volunteered to work. Several people came from Bombay ,Poona and other distant parts of the land. Devadas ,Gandhi’s youngest son arrived from the asharam. Kasturbai taught ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation.