CBSE Class 12 English HOTs Indigo Set 04

Question. Strike out what is not true in the following
(i) Rajkumar Shukla was
(a) a sharecropper, (b) a politician.
(c) a delegate. (d) a landlord.
(ii) Rajkumar Shukla was
(a) poor. (b) physically strong.
(c) illiterate.
Answer: (i) (b) a politician, (d) a landlord
(ii) (b) physically strong.

Question. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being 'resolute'? or How did Rajkumar Shukla establish that he was resolute?
Answer: Rajkumar Shukla is described as being resolute as he went along with Gandhiji everywhere that he went until the time Gandhiji agreed to help him. He was adamant to take Gandhiji to Champaran to solve the problems faced by sharecroppers there and so he resolutely went everywhere with Gandhiji until, impressed with his tenacity, Gandhiji agreed to go to Champaran.

Question. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant? or How was Gandhi treated at Rajendra Prasad's house?
Answer: Gandhiji came along with Rajkumar Shukla, who was a peasant, to Rajendra Prasad's house. He was dressed very simply, so the servants thought Gandhiji to be another peasant, and he was treated like an untouchable peasant by not being allowed to drink water from the well.

Question. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Answer: After his first meeting with Shukla, Gandhiji did not visit Champaran immediately because he had prior commitments in other parts of the country. He was expected to visit Kanpur after which he returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad. It was only after his visit to Calcutta was he able to attend to the problem highlighted by Shukla.

Question. What did the peasants pay 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?
Answer: The British landlords forced all tenants to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. This was done on a long term contract. When the landlords learned that Germany had developed synthetic indigo, they wanted to dissolve the agreement. However, they asked the sharecroppers to pay them compensation for being released from the 15% arrangement. Obviously, synthetic indigo would be cheaper and more readily available and thus would bring down the price of natural indigo.

Question. The events in this part of the 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?
Answer: Gandhiji made efforts to learn the complete truth about the injustice done to the peasants in Champaran. His patient waiting for the response of the authorities, his refusal to quit Champaran and his acceptance of the meagre 25% refund to the farmers, are all based on his principle of satyagraha. He was merely requesting for truth and justice. Gandhiji helping the officials to regulate the crowd during the spontaneous demonstration and his willingness to court arrest are instances of his non-violent methods.

Question. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers? or Why did Gandhi agree to the planter's offer of a 25% refund to the farmers?
Answer: When the landlords agreed to pay a refund of only 25%, they wanted to create a deadlock which would prolong the dispute. To everybody's surprise, Gandhiji accepted the offer. According to him, the amount of refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of their money and, with it, part of their prestige.

Question. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
Answer: The episode changed the plight of the peasants by helping them immensely. It removed their mortal fear of the British. They were made aware of their rights and developed courage to fight for them. Within a few years, the British planters abandoned their estates, which reverted to the peasants. Slowly, indigo sharecropping disappeared from the district of Champaran.

Question. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point in his life?
Answer: Gandhiji considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life because it was the first successful civil disobedience movement for him. Though it began as an ordinary attempt to free the poor peasants from injustice and exploitation, it was important because it wiped out mortal fear of the Britishers from the hearts of the simple farmers.

Question. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Answer: There are two instances of Gandhiji influencing lawyers. These are
(i) He scolded the lawyers for charging a heavy fee from the peasants to fight their cases. Then he decided to oppose his eviction order from the district. This made the lawyers realise that it will not be good to not do anything for their own people, whereas an outsider like Gandhiji was prepared to go to jail for them. The lawyers realised their moral duty and decided to accompany Gandhiji to jail if he was arrested. Thus, he influenced the lawyers to be on his side.
(ii) CF Andrews, an Englishman, was a friend of Gandhiji. The lawyers thought it would be a good idea for Andrews to stay in Champaran and help them. Andrews was willing if Gandhiji agreed. But Gandhiji vehemently opposed this idea because he wanted the lawyers to be self-reliant and know their own strengths. Thus, he influenced the lawyers to work on their own.

Question. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of 'home rule'?
Answer: The average Indian in smaller localities was afraid to show sympathy openly for advocates of ‘home rule’. He probably feared negative consequences. It is for this reason that Gandhiji recalls Professor Malkani's offering him shelter in his own home as an extraordinary matter.

Question. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Answer: Ordinary people stood by and supported Gandhiji in their own little ways. Rajkumar Shukla and Professor Malkani defied all odds to contribute in the movement. Professor JB Kriplani motivated a large number of students and welcomed Gandhiji at the Muzaffarpur railway station at midnight. The spontaneous demonstration outside the court was also a significant contribution, as it showed the Britishers the unity of the Indians. Civil disobedience could triumph in India only because of the courage and unity of ordinary people.

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. When I first visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram, in central India, he said, “I will tell you how it happened that I decided to urge the departure of the British. It was in 1917.” He had gone to the December 1916 annual convention of the Indian National Congress Party in Lucknow. There were 2,301 delegates and many visitors. During the proceedings, Gandhi recounted, "a peasant came up to me looking like any other peasant in India, poor and emaciated, and said, 'I am Rajkumar Shukla. I am from Champaran, and I want you to come to my district'!"

Question. Who visited Gandhiji first in 1942?
(a) Pandit Nehru
(b) Raj Kumar Shukla
(c) Subhash Chandra Bose
(d) Sarojini Naidu
Answer: (b) Raj Kumar Shukla

Question. What did Shukla decided in 1917?
(a) To follow Mahatma Gandhi
(b) To support Bhagat Singh
(c) To join the British Forces
(d) To urge the departure of the British
Answer: (d) To urge the departure of the British

Question. Why did the peasant come up to Gandhiji?
(a) To invite Gandhiji to visit Champaran
(b) To become Gandhi's follower
(c) To complain about the British rule
(d) To invite Gandhiji to the kingdom of Nepal
Answer: (a) To invite Gandhiji to visit Champaran

Question. How are peasants described in India?
(a) As rich and elite
(b) As wealthy
(c) As poor and weak
(d) As healthy and kind
Answer: (c) As poor and weak

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. The news of Gandhi’s advent and of the nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran. Sharecroppers from Champaran began arriving on foot and by conveyance to see their champion. Muzaffarpur lawyers called on Gandhi to brief him; they frequently represented peasant groups in court, they told him about their cases and reported the size of their fee.

Question. What spread quickly through Muzaffarpur of Champaran?
(a) Gandhiji's popularity
(b) The news of Gandhiji's mission
(c) Gandhiji's attire
(d) Gandhiji's arrest in Patna
Answer: (b) The news of Gandhiji's mission

Question. Who started arriving on foot?
(a) the British troupes
(b) Muzzarfarpur's lawyers
(c) The British officials
(d) Sharecroppers from Champaran
Answer: (d) Sharecroppers from Champaran

Question. Why did the Muzarffarpur's lawyers call on Gandhiji?
(a) To brief him about peasant's plight
(b) To welcome him to Muzarffarpur
(c) To protect him from the arrest
(d) To hand him over to the British court
Answer: (a) To brief him about peasant's plight

Question. The word 'advent' in the extract means .......... .
(a) departure
(b) plan
(c) visitation
(d) secret
Answer: (c) visitation

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. Presently, the landlords learned that Germany had developed synthetic indigo. They thereupon, obtained agreements from the sharecroppers to pay them compensation for being released from the 15 per cent arrangement. 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.

Question. Who came to learn that Germany had developed synthetic indigo?
(a) The peasants
(b) The British officials
(c) The landlords
(d) Gandhiji
Answer: (c) The landlords

Question. Why did the landlords obtain the agreements from the sharecroppers?
(a) To seek compensation for being released from 15% arrangement
(b) To impose five on sharecroppers
(c) To torture peasants physically
(d) To obtain all their produce
Answer: (a) To seek compensation for being released from 15% arrangement

Question. What happened when the information of synthetic indigo reach the peasants?
(a) The peasants wanted partnership
(b) The peasants wanted compensation
(c) The peasants wanted their land back
(d) The peasants wanted their money back
Answer: (d) The peasants wanted their money back

Question. ............ in the extract means 'tedious'.
(a) Synthetic
(b) Irksome
(c) Compensation
(d) Thugs
Answer: (b) Irksome

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. Several days later, Gandhi received a written communication from the magistrate informing him that the Lieutenant - Governor of the province had ordered the case to be dropped. Civil disobedience had triumphed, the first time in modern India. Gandhi and the lawyers now proceeded to conduct a far-flung inquiry into the grievances of the farmers. Depositions by about ten thousand peasants were written down, and notes made on other evidence. Documents were collected. The whole area throbbed with the activity of the investigators and the vehement protests of the landlords.

Question. How had the civil disobedience triumphed?
(a) Lieutenant Governor ordered the case to be dropped
(b) Gandhi was imprisoned
(c) Gandhi was released from the prison
(d) Written communication was started
Answer: (a) Lieutenant Governor ordered the case to be dropped

Question. For what did Gandhi and the lawyers proceed?
(a) For dropping of the case
(b) For far-flung inquiry into the grievances of farmers
(c) To collect the documents
(d) For transfer of the magistrate
Answer: (b) For far-flung inquiry into the grievances of farmers

Question. What activity was witnessed in the whole area?
(a) Sharecropping
(b) Synthetic indigo
(c) Investigations and protests
(d) Money collection
Answer: (c) Investigations and protests

Question. ............ in the extract means 'resonated'.
(a) Dropped
(b) Proceeded
(c) Far-flung
(d) Throbbed
Answer: (d) Throbbed

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. Gandhi never contented himself with large political or economic solutions. He saw the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages and wanted to do something about it immediately. He appealed for teachers. Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh, two young men who had just joined Gandhi as disciples, and their wives, volunteered for the work. Several more came from Bombay, Poona and other distant parts of the land. Devadas, Gandhi’s youngest son, arrived from the ashram and so did Mrs. Gandhi. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturbai taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation.

Question. What never satisfied Gandhiji?
(a) Large political or economic solutions
(b) The British orders
(c) The landlords agreements
(d) The peasant's aggression
Answer: (a) Large political or economic solutions

Question. Why did Gandhiji appeal for teachers?
(a) To enhance literacy rate
(b) To teach the kids
(c) To spread awareness about cultural and social backwardness
(d) To bring economic prosperity
Answer: (c) To spread awareness about cultural and social backwardness

Question. Whose wives had volunteered for the work?
(a) Devdas's
(b) Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh's
(c) Mahadev Desai and Devdas's
(d) None of the options
Answer: (b) Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh's

Question. What did Kasturbai teach?
(a) Sanskrit
(b) English
(c) Religious content related to life
(d) Ashram rules on personal cleanliness
Answer: (d) Ashram rules on personal cleanliness

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. During his long stay in Champaran, Gandhi kept a long distance watch on the ashram. He sent regular instructions by mail and asked for financial accounts. Once he wrote to the residents that it was time to fill in the old latrine trenches and dig new ones otherwise the old ones would begin to smell bad. Health conditions were miserable. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. Three medicines were available - castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment. Anybody who showed a coated tongue was given a dose of castor oil; anybody with malaria fever received quinine plus castor oil: anybody with skin eruptions received ointment plus castor oil.

Question. How did Gandhiji control ashram being in Champaran?
(a) By providing financial assistance
(b) Through his family
(c) By recruiting the volunteers
(d) Using long distance watch via mail
Answer: (d) Using long distance watch via mail

Question. Why did he once write to the residents of the ashram to fill the old laterine trenches and dig new ones?
(a) At present his monitoring skills
(b) To generate funds through collection
(c) To prevent foul smell in the surroundings
(d) To force the British officials for some action
Answer: (c) To prevent foul smell in the surroundings

Question. Which medicine was given to one having a coated tongue?
(a) Quinine
(b) Castor oil
(c) Sulphur ointment
(d) Neem leaves
Answer: (b) Castor oil

Question. The word 'eruptions' in the extract means .......... .
(a) trickle
(b) stiffness
(c) discharge
(d) colouration
Answer: (c) discharge

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. Months passed. Shukla was sitting on his haunches at the appointed spot in Calcutta when Gandhi arrived; he waited till Gandhi was free. Then the two of them boarded a train for the city of Patna in Bihar. There Shukla led him to the house of a lawyer named Rajendra Prasad who later became President of the Congress party and of India.

Question. Where was Shukla sitting when Gandhiji arrived after months?
(a) In the city of Patna
(b) Banaras
(c) Calcutta
(d) Champaran
Answer: (c) Calcutta

Question. How did Shukla along with Gandhiji reach Patna?
(a) by train
(b) on foot
(c) by bus
(d) by aeroplane
Answer: (a) by train

Question. To whom did Shukla introduce Gandhiji?
(a) An untouchable
(b) Rajendra Prasad
(c) Indigo sharecroppers
(d) Pandit Upadhyay
Answer: (b) Rajendra Prasad

Question. ............ in the extract means 'backside.
(a) Haunches
(b) Pestered
(c) Untouchable
(d) Peasant
Answer: (a) Haunches

Read the extract given below and choose the correct option. The official inquiry assembled a crushing mountain of evidence against the big planters, and when they saw this they agreed, in principle, to make refunds to the peasants. “But how much must we pay?" they asked Gandhi. They thought he would demand repayment in full of the money which they had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers. He asked only 50 per cent. “There he seemed adamant,” writes Reverend JZ Hodge, a British missionary in Champaran who observed the entire episode at close range. “Thinking probably that he would not give way, the representative of the planters offered to refund to the extent of 25 per cent, and to his amazement Mr. Gandhi took him at his word, thus breaking the deadlock.”

Question. What did the officials agree to?
(a) To make refunds to the peasants
(b) To arrest Gandhiji
(c) To release Gandhiji
(d) To set up inquiry
Answer: (a) To make refunds to the peasants

Question. What did the official inquiry reveal?
(a) Violation of the principles
(b) Illegal repayment
(c) A crushing mountain of evidence against the big planters
(d) Breaking to deadlock
Answer: (c) A crushing mountain of evidence against the big planters

Question. Why did Mr Gandhi take revered JZ Hodge at his word?
(a) To his amazement
(b) To break the deadlock
(c) To demand repayment
(d) To establish inquiry
Answer: (b) To break the deadlock

Question. ............ in the extract means 'pulverizing'.
(a) Dealock
(b) Amazement
(c) Extorted
(d) Crushing
Answer: (d) Crushing