5.

INDIGO
Q.1 Why is Rajkumar shukla as being "resolute”?
Or
What made Gandhi to surrender to wish of Rajkumar shukla?
Or
How did shukla succeed in persuading Gandhiji to visit champaran?
Ans. Rajkumar shukla was described as being resolute because he had come to the congress ses-
sion to complain against the injustic of the landlord system in Bihar. He accompanied him
everywhere. He requested Gandhi to give a date, impressed by his tenacity to depart champaran.
Q.2 Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another servant?
Ans. Rajkumar shukla was a peasant. He would visit Rajendra prasad regrding peasants problem.
Gandhi accompanied Rajkumar shukla so the servant thought that Gandhi was also a peasant.
Q.3 Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers?
Or
The settlement of 25 % refund to the farmers appeared rather small. Why did Gandhi
agree to it ?
Ans. Gandhi agreed to the settlement of 25% refund to the farmers because for him the amount of
money was less important than the fact that the landlord had been forced to return part a money
and with it part of the prestige too. And as the token victory of the peasants.
Q.4 How did the episode change the plight of the peasant?
Or
What changes did the champaran episode bring about in lives of peasant
Ans. This episode freed the peasants from the fear of the Brifish. Now they could face the British
with courage. Within a few years, the British landlords abandoned their estates which was
given to the peasants.
Q.5 What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of
home rule?
or
What was an extra ordinary thing in those pre independence days.?
Ans. The average Indians in smaller localities were utterly unorganised and helpless They were
afraid of showing sympathy for the advocates of home rule .
Q.6 Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers?What according to him was the real relief for the share-
croppers?
Ans. Gandhi chided the lawyers for collecting big fees from the poor sharecroppers. He thought
that taking such cases to the court did little good.The relief for them according to Gandhi was
to be free from fear.
Q.7 How was Gandhiji received at the house of Rajendra prasad?
Or
Why was Gandhiji not allowed to draw water from the well at Rajendra prasad’s house in
patna?
Ans. He was not allowed to draw water from the well at Rejendra trasad’s house at patna lest some
drops from from his bucket pollute the entire source. His servants thought that he could be
untouchable.
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Q.8 Why did Gandhi decide to go first to muzaffarpur before going to champaran?
Ans. Gandhi wanted to obtain more complete information about conditions of peasents than shukla
was capable of imparting.
Q.9 Civile disobedience had triumphed the first time in modern inda.jusify this statement
Ans. Gandhi was asked to leave champaran by an officer order. He respected the lawful authourty.
But the voice of conscience made him disobey, the order thousands of peasants held a huge
demonstration an the officials felt helples Gandhi was released without wail.
Q.10 Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers who represented the interests of group of share-
croppers of Champaran?
Ans. Gandhiji chided the lawyers for collecting big fees from the sharecroppers to fight their case
in law courts. He felt taking their case to law courts would do little good when they were so
crushed and fear stricken. So his first priority was to free them from fear.
Q.11 What were the conditions of sharecroppers of Champaran?
Ans. The peasants of Champaran were tenants of British landlords. Under long term sharecropping
arrangement they were growing Indigo on 15 percent of their holding and surrendering the
harvest as rent to the British landlord. But when Indigo price fell due to synthetic Indigo devel-
oped in Germany the landlords obtained agreement from the peasant to pay them compensa-
tion which some of the peasants resisted and fought their case in court.
Q.12 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 ease the sufferings of large number of poor
peasants. He got the whole hearted support of thousands of people. Gandhiji admitted that he
had done a very ordinary 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.
Q.13 How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Ans. Gandhi was able to influence the lawyers through his conviction, earnestness and pertinent
questioning. Gandhi reproached the lawyers of Muzzafarpur for charging a large sum of money
as fee from the peasants. Later, the lawyers from Bihar opined that they would return to their
own places in the event of his imprisonment. But, Gandhi made them realise that it would be
impudent for them, being lawyers from a neighbouring place, to return when a stranger was
ready to get himself imprisoned for the peasants. So, they agreed to follow him to jail. Gandhi
also convinced the lawyers not to seek support from an Englishman and be self-reliant.
Q.14 What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of
‘home rule’?
Ans. The average Indians in smaller localities were afraid to show sympathy for the advocates of
home-rule. Gandhi stayed at Muzaffarpur for two days in the home of professor Malkani, a
teacher in a government school. It was an extraordinary thing in those days for a government
professor to give shelter to one who opposed the government.

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