Indigo
by Louis Fischer
Overall Plot Summary
The chapter details Mahatma Gandhi's struggle for the poor sharecroppers of Champaran in Bihar. In 1916, a poor peasant named Rajkumar Shukla approached Gandhi at the Congress session, requesting him to visit Champaran and address the exploitation of peasants by British landlords. Under the sharecropping system, peasants had to grow indigo on 15 percent of their land and surrender the entire harvest as rent. When Germany developed synthetic indigo, landlords demanded compensation to release them from this agreement. Gandhi arrived in Champaran, collected evidence, and resisted British orders to leave. He was summoned to court, but thousands of peasants gathered in support, forcing the government to drop the case. This was the first victory of Civil Disobedience in modern India. A commission was formed, and landlords agreed to refund 25 percent of the money. More than the refund, this made the peasants realize their rights and freed them from fear.
Chapter-wise Breakdown
Rajkumar Shukla and Gandhi's Arrival
Peasant Rajkumar Shukla persistently follows Gandhi to invite him to Champaran. Gandhi visits Patna, then Muzzafarpur, and finally Champaran to understand the situation.