INDIGO Class 12 ENGLISH, Dav Chandrasekharpur

Class 12 english, indigo chapter

1. TOPIC: INDIGO Author: Louis Fischer RUPESH KUMAR SAHOO (PGT) DAV SCHOOL, CHANDRASEKHARPUR, BBBSR-21

2. AUTHOR

3. The Reminiscence of a Dye. INDIGO PLANTATION

4. INDIGO PLANTATION & MANUFACTURING

5. ABOUT THE AUTHOR LOUIS FISCHER (1896-1970)) Was a Jewish-American journalist. A Leftist His Major Works : The God that Failed(1949) The Soviets in World Affairs(1930) The War in Spain(1937) Men and Politics(Autobiography) The Essential Gandhi(editor)(1962) The Life of Lenin(1964)

6. THE LIFE OF MAHATMA GANDHI- LOUIS FISCHER The Life of Mahatma Gandhi (1950), basis for the Academy Award – winning film’ Gandhi’ (1982) The lesson, ‘Indigo’ is an excerpt from this book. It is regarded as one of the best books ever written on Gandhi.

7. PRE-READING ALBUM: TO CREATE A PHOTO COLLAGE OF DIFFERENT FREEDOM FIGHTERS INVOLVED IN THE CAUSE ART INTEGRATED- ACTIVITY-I

8. LEARNING OBJECTIVES To know that forgiveness, and peaceful means, can be more effective than revenge and violence. Why and how rules and laws are made and enforced, why different rules are needed in different situations and how to take part in making and changing rules. To think about the lives of people living in other places and times, and people with different values and customs. To realize the nature and consequences of racism, teasing, bullying and aggressive behaviour , and how to respond to them and ask for help.

9. Unequal battle between oppressed and oppressor. Oppressed foil wicked designs of the greedy landlords. Truthfulness, sincerity of purpose and indefatigable efforts of Indian leaders and masses bear fruit. Triumph of campaign against unjust British. THEMES IN THE TEXT

10. Meeting between Author and Gandhi Louis Fischer met Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram . Gandhi narrated how he urged the departure of British. It happened in 1917. Rajkumar Shukla , a Champaran peasant meets Gandhi and with his purpose. Met him at December 1916 Annual Convention at INC. Rajkumar Shukla pleaded Gandhi to come to Champaran . Purpose To fix a date for Champaran visit, for the cause of sufferings metted out to his community of sharecroppers. AN OVERVIEW - PRELUDE

11. Most arable land in Champaran Owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The Chief commercial crop was Indigo. The Landlords compelled all tenants to plant three twentieths of 15% of their holdings with Indigo. The entire Indigo harvest has to be surrendered as rent. This was done by a long-term contract. MAIN ISSUES IN CHAMPARAN

12. Germany devloped synthetic Indigo. Landlords obtained agreements from the sharecroppers to pay them compensation for being released from the 15% arrangement. Many peasants signed and paid willingly: others who went to court were threatened by landlord’s thugs. Peasants came to know of synthetic Indigo & they demanded their money back. Conflict in Gandhi. LATER DEVLOPMENTS

13. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being resolute? Locate Champaran in words? Give a pen- portarit of Rajkumar Shukla ? Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be an another peasant? What is J.B.Kriplani’s role here? What happened when the news of Gandhi and of the nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran ? List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting witj Shukla and his arrival at Chamoaran . What did the peasants pay the British lanlords 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? THINK AS YOU READ (PAGE-46-49)

14. Read the following extracts and answer the questions given below: … Rajkumar Shukla was one of them. He was illiterate but resolute. He had come to the Congress session to complain about the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar, and somebody had probably said, “Speak to Gandhi.”… .’ Who was Rajkumar Shukla ? Where and when did he meet Gandhi? What was his purpose of meeting Gandhi? Why is he called ‘resolute’? … Rajendra Prasad was out of town, but the servants knew Shukla as a poor yeoman who pestered their master to help the indigo sharecroppers. So they let him stay on the grounds with his companion, Gandhi, whom they took to be another peasant… .’ Why did Shukla take Gandhi to Rajendra Prasad’s house? What did the servants know of Shukla ? Why was Gandhi let to stay on the grounds at Rajendra Prasad’s place? What discrimination did Gandhi face during his stay there? FILTERTHROUGH READING(47-49)

15. ‘…He said, ‘‘I have come to the conclusion that we should stop going to law courts. Taking such cases to the courts does litte good. Where the peasants are so crushed and fear-stricken, law courts are useless. The real relief for them is to be free from fear… .’ Who is ‘he’ in the above lines? What had he concluded? Why are the peasants crushed? To whom was this piece of advice given? ‘…The sharecropping arrangement was irksome to the peasants, and many signed willingly. Those who resisted, engaged lawyers; the landlords hired thugs. Meanwhile, the information about synthetic indigo reached the illiterate peasants who had signed, and they wanted their money back… .’ What was the sharecropping arrangement? How did the peasants react to it? Why would cultivation of Indigo not be economically viable? What forced the illiterate peasants to claim their money back? ‘…They did not know Gandhi’s record in South Africa. They had merely heard that a Mahatma who wanted to help them was in trouble with the authorities. Their spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British… .’ Who did not know Gandhi’s record in South Africa? Why had they collected there? Why was it a spontaneous demonstration in thousands? What was the consequence? FILTERTHROUGH READING(47-49)

16. What happened when the news of Gandhi and of the nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran ? Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers when they called on him? How did he analyse the problem of the sharecroppers? What happened when the news of Gandhi and of the nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran ? Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers when they called on him? How did he analyse the problem of the sharecroppers? How did the secretary of the British landlords’ association and the Commissioner behave with Gandhi when he called on them? What happened when Gandhi proceeded to Motihari , the capital of Champaran ? How did the peasants react to the receipt of summons by Gandhi to appear in court the next day? CONTINUATION(47-49)

17. Who was Rajkumar Shukla ? Why did he come to Lucknow ? Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’? Where is Champaran district? What did the peasants grow there and how did they use their harvest? Why did Rajkumar Shukla want to take Gandhi to Champaran ? How dis Rajendra Prasad’s servants know Rajkumar Shukla ? How did they deal with him when he went there with Gandhi? What, according to Gandhi, was ‘an extraordinary thing’ in those days about harbouring men like him? What happened when the news of Gandhi and of the nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran ? How did Gandhi protest against the delay of his trial in Motihari ? What shows that Gandhi never intended to be a lawbreaker while refusing to leave Motihari and what did he aim at in doing so? How did Gandhi make the magistrate show ‘leniency’ to him? QUESTIONS TO CRACK:

18. A very systematic approach with his lawyer friend to obtain the problem in Champaran . Gathered evidence and documents to support their case- everything documented (written down) – convinced British officials- who finally set up official commission of enquiry. Settlement reached to refund 25% to the peasants. GANDHIJI’S APPROACH: (50-52)

19. Gandhi- initiated a systematic approach to the problem with his lawyer friends as much as information about the problem in Champaran . Gathered evidence and documents in return to convince British officials- who finally set up an official commission of enquiry. Commission awarded 25% refund to the peasants. FARSIGHTEDNESS OF GANDHI

20. Gandhi stated that the amount of refund was less important than the fact that the landlords have been obliged to surrender part of the money and, with it, part of the prestige. Peasant saw that he had rights and defenders. Lesson learnt – courage and gained confidence. ERADICATING FEAR & INFUSING CONFIDENCE(50-52)

21. WHILE READING: ROLE PLAY/ DRAMATISATION INVOLVING, GANDHI, BRITISHERS, LAWYER FRIENDS AND PEASANTS ALBUM: EPISODES PERTAINING TO THE ISSUE ART INTEGRATION ACTIVITY-II

22. ‘… They did not know Gandhi’s record in South Africa. They had merely heard that a Mahatma who wanted to help them was in trouble with the authorities. Their spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British… .’ Who did not know Gandhi’s record in South Africa? Why had they collected there? Why was it a spontaneous demonstration in thousands? What was the consequence? ‘…He was involved, he told the court, in a “conflict of duties”— on the one hand, not to set a bad example as a lawbreaker; on the other hand, to render the “humanitarian and national service” for which he had come. He disregarded the order to leave, “not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience”. He asked the penalty due… .’ What was the ‘conflict of duties’? What order had he disobeyed? Why was Gandhiji there in spite of breaking the law?? What was the ultimate consequence? ‘…They accordingly went back to Gandhi and told him they were ready to follow him into jail. ‘‘The battle of Champaran is won,’’ he exclaimed. Then he took a piece of paper and divided the group into pairs and put down the order in which each pair was to court arrest… .’ Who wanted to accompany Gandhi to jail? What made Gandhi exclaim that the battle of Champaran is won? What did Gandhi instruct the lawyers? What was the major consequence of this defiance? ‘…Gandhi explained that the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of the money and, with it, part of their prestige. Therefore, as far as the peasants were concerned, the planters had behaved as lords above the law. Now the peasant saw that he had rights and defenders. He learned courage… .’ What was the discrepancy in the payment of compensation to the peasants? Why did Gandhi agree with the landlords? Why was the amount ‘less important’? How was Gandhi’s stand substantiated realized? FILTERTHROUGH READING(50-52)

23. The events in this part of text illustrate Gandhi’s method of working. Can you identify some instances of this method and link them to his ideas of satyagraha and non-violence ? Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 percent refund to the farmers? How did the episode change the plight of the peasants? THINK AS YOU READ(51&53)

24. What shamed the lawyers to side with Gandhi who a few moments earlier had told that they would go home if he was sent to jail? When and how much refunds were the landlords ready to pay to the peasants? Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 % refund to the farmers? QUESTIONS TO CRACK:

25. Both Crusaders to the cause of above Gandhi’s cultural social vision- never contended with large and economic solutions Saw the cultural social backwardness of champaran village. Called for Devadas Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi (his wife) alongwith Narahari Parikh – opened up primary schools, where his wife taught personal cleanliness and community sanitization. GANDHI VS MODI- EDUCATION, SOCIAL BACKWARDNESS SWACHATA, SANITISATION AND HYEGINE

26. Not an ordinary thing Gandhi declared that the British could not order about in his own country. Not an act of self- defiance – grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of peasants TURNING POINT- CHAMPARAN

27. Gandhi’s interwined with practical Not an abstractions to living, - ‘mould a new free Indian who could stand on his feet and then make India ‘’free TYPICAL GANDHI PATTERN

28. CHARLES FREE ANDREWS – English pacifist – Gandhi’s – ardent follower- Gandhi’s lawyer friends opined Andrews to stay to help them and was also willing. Gandhi never complied. Gandhi advised not to seek a prop to Mr , Andrews simply because he happened to an Englishman. ULTIMATE LESSON – SELF RELIANCE

29. ‘…But Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large numbers of poor peasants. This was the typical Gandhi pattern — his politics were intertwined with the practical, day-to-day problems of the millions. His was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living, human beings… .’ What led Gandhi to Champaran ? What has been described as typical Gandhi pattern? How was Gandhi’s politics different? What was the greatest lesson that Indians learnt through the Champaran episode? FILTERTHROUGH READING(53-54)

30. What did Gandhi do for the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages? ‘Health conditions were miserable.’ How were they ‘miserable’? “This was the typical Gandhi pattern.” What was it? QUESTIONS TO CRACK (53-54)

31. POST READING: DEBATE ON “SWACHCH BHARAT AND A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON GANDHIJI’S POLICY VS MODIJI’S POLICIES ” ART INTEGRATED ACTIVITIES

32. Convention: agreement Delegates: Representatives Peasant: small farmer Emaciated: thin  Sharecroppers: a tenant farmer who gives a part of each crop as rent. Resolute: determined  Committed: dedicated Cawnpore: British name for the city of Kanpur Tenacity: determination Haunches: thighs Yeoman: a man who cultivates a small piece of land Pestered: bother, harass  En route: on the way Imparting: pass on, giving WORD PITARA (PAGE 46-47)

33. Harbour : here, entertain Conveyance: Transportation Chided: criticize, scold Crushed- suppressed & oppressed Arable: land suitable for farming Tenants: occupants paying rent in cash or kind Estate: Lrge landed property owned by Zamindars Contract: agreement Indigo: plant that produces a blue color dye  Synthetic: Chemical based, artificial Compensation: payment in lieu of taken something as loan Resisted –To fight against (something) WORD PITARA (PAGE 48-49)

34. Irksome: Irritating Thugs – A brutal ruffian Arrangement(here): Process Resisted: Opposed, to be against something Bully: Trying to harm others considering them to be weak Forthwith: Immediately, at once  Multitude: A large number of people Investigations: inquiries Maltreated: Ill treat\ Torture Superintendent: Manager, supervisor Overtook: Went ahead of him CONTINUATION: (PAGE 48-49)

35. Complied: followed or obeyed  Consequence: result Influential: powerful Wired: Telegraphed Merely: only Authorities: officials, power Spontaneous: voluntary, unforced Demonstrations: protest Concrete: solid Hitherto: Earlier, Previously Dreaded: regarded with great fear or apprehension Unquestioned: not examined or inquired into Baffled: confused CONTINUATION: (PAGE 50-51)

36. Prosecutor: Lawyer or legal adviser Apparently: seemingly, evidently Pleading: the action of making an emotional or earnest appeal to someone Guilty: at fault Conflict: to be against someone Humanitarian: Concerned with human welfare Conscience: sense of right and wrong Pronounce: declare or announce recess: break bail: an amount of money that a person who has been accused of a crime pays to a law court so that they can be released until their trial. CONTINUATION: (PAGE 50-51)

37. Province: region, territory Civil Disobedience: peaceful form of political protest Triumphed: won Grievances: complaints Depositions: a formal written statement Evidence: proof Throbbed: produced a lot of vibrations due to a huge crowd Investigators: the inspectors Vehement: showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense. Summoned: called CONTINUATION: (PAGE 50-51)

38. Reconvened: to start again after a small break Prominent: Important, well known Conferred: Consulted\ Discussed Withdrew: left Upshot: result, conclusion Consultations: discussion Desertion: action of leaving a place, organization etc  Lieutenant-Governor: deputy governor CONTINUATION: (PAGE 50-51)

39. Amazement: surprise Obliged: required, made legally bound to do something Deadlock: a situation in which no progress can be made Unanimously: without opposition Defenders: protector Justified: marked by a good or legitimate reason Abandoned: deserted, inhibited Reverted: returned Contented: willing to accept something, satisfied CONTINUATION: (PAGE 52-54)

40. Miserable: unhappy, sad Volunteer: a person who offers his service free of cost Eruptions: here, a spot, rash, or other mark appearing suddenly on the skin. Trenches – A long narrow hole (here, release of excretions) Defiance: opposition Alleviate: uplift Distress: torture Intertwined: twisted, braided, knitted Abstractions: something which exists only as an idea. CONTINUATION: (PAGE 52-54)

41. Associates: supporters Protracted: lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual. Representative: spokesperson, agent Initial: at the start Uninterrupted: continuous Entreaty: an earnest or humble request Assembled: gathered Deceitfully: dishonestly Extorted: took forcibly Adamant: firm CONTINUATION: (PAGE 52-54)

42. Mould – To bring about a change Pacifist: Peace maker Devoted – An ardent\ faithful follower Vehemently: In an intense manner Self Reliance: self sufficiency, self support on one’s own Bound- United together (for a single cause) prop: support CONTINUATION: (PAGE 52-54)

43. PHOTO GALLERY

44. THANK YOU