CBSE Class 12 English Indigo VBQs Set 02

Question. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to the court was useless? 
Answer: Gandhiji felt that taking the Champaran case to the court was useless because according to him, peasants were quite crushed and fear stricken. Gandhiji felt that there was little hope of getting justice as the case was against the British landlords. Moreover, the lawyers were collecting big fees from the poor peasants. He knew that the actual relief for the peasants would come when they become free from fear.

Question. How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma had come to help them? 
Answer: When the peasants of Champaran heard that a Mahatma had come to help them they came out in large numbers and demonstrated around court house demanding their leader to be set free.

Question. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji? 
Answer: The Lt. Governor dropped the case against Gandhiji because he was fighting a just cause because of which he had the support of the peasants and the local people. The authorities felt powerless. Mr. Fischer writes, “Civil disobedience had triumphed, the first time in modern India.”

Question. How were Shukla and Gandhiji received in Rajendra Prasad’s house? 
Answer: Raj Kumar Shukla and Gandhiji were not well received at Rajendra Prasad’s home. He was out of town. The servants knew Shukla as the peasant who pestered their master. Since Gandhiji accompanied Shukla, the servants took him to be a peasant as well. They allowed him to be on the grounds, but he was not allowed to draw water from the well as servants were unsure about Gandhiji’s caste. They did not want drops from his bucket to pollute the water in the well.

Question. How was Gandhiji able to influence the lawyers at Champaran? 
Answer: Gandhiji chided the lawyers for charging fees from the poor farmers. He even questioned them asking who would help the poor peasants after Gandhiji is arrested. Seeing that Gandhiji, being an outsider, was fighting for justice for the poor farmers and was willing to go to jail too, the lawyers felt ashamed. Later when lawyers suggested taking help from Mr. C.F. Andrews, Gandhiji strictly opposed the idea and encouraged them to be self-reliant. In these ways and with his ideas and action, Gandhiji was able to influence the lawyers at Champaran.

Question. How did Gandhiji help the peasants of Champaran? 
Answer: Gandhiji went to Champaran to look into the matter himself. He began by studying the problems and getting the facts. He visited the secretary of British Landlord’s Association and met the British Official Commissioner of Tirhut division. He consulted the laywers and chided them for collecting fees from the sharecroppers. He disobeyed the court order to leave Champaran immediately. Gandhiji inspired the peasants, with his talks and actions, to overcome their fear and be self reliant. Gandhiji ensured the triumph of civil disobedience. Eventually the British landlords were obliged to refund 25% of the peasants money. Within a few years the British landlords gave up their estates.

Question. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement ? 
Answer: Raj Kumar Shukla, who was an ordinary peasant, initiated Gandhiji’s fight in Champaran. Later, thousands of people demonstrated around the courtroom where Gandhiji was summoned which made the Britishers feel challenged and baffled. This is how we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement.

Question. How did Shukla succeed in persuading Gandhiji to visit Champaran?
Answer: Raj Kumar Shukla showed a great deal of patience and perseverance. He accompanied Gandhiji wherever he went. Gandhiji gave Shukla an appointment and asked him to meet the former in Calcutta on a specific date and time several months later. When Gandhiji arrived in Calcutta, he found Shukla waiting for him at the station. Such determination and perseverance of Shukla impressed Gandhiji, who agreed to visit Champaran.

Question. Why did Raj Kumar Shukla want to take Gandhiji to Champaran? 
Answer: Raj Kumar Shukla wanted to take Gandhiji to Champaran to help indigo sharecroppers in their fight against the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar.

Question. Why was Gandhiji opposed to C.F. Andrews helping him in Champaran? 
Answer: Gandhiji opposed to C.F. Andrews helping him in Champaran because the Indians were fighting an unequal fight. Therefore, support of an Englishman would show weakness of heart of the Indians. Gandhiji even wanted Indians to rely on themselves and to be free of fear.

Question. Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of mere 25 percent? 
Answer: For Gandhiji 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 their prestige too. It was also a lesson in self-reliance for Indians. They learnt that they too had rights and that Britishers were not above the law. Hence, he agreed to settlement of 25 percent refund to the farmers.

Question. At Champaran what did the British landlords want from the sharecroppers? 
Answer: At Champaran, the British landlords initially insisted that the Indian farmers plant 15% indigo and surrender entire crop as rent. However, when the Britishers learnt that Germany had developed synthetic indigo and that it could affect the demand and price of naturally grown indigo, they asked farmers to pay compensation for release from 15% agreement.

Question. After initial reluctance why did the lawyers tell Gandhiji that they were ready to follow him into jail? 
Answer: Gandhiji, who was an outsider, had come to Champaran to help the peasants in their fight against injustice. He was also willing to go to jail for them. The lawyers, who were locals, who had taken fees from the poor peasants, realised that deserting fellow Indians, especially Gandhiji and his cause, at this point would be shameful. This is why, after initial reluctance, the lawyers told Gandhiji that they were ready to follow him into jail.

Question. How did Rajkumar Shukla establish that he was resolute? 
Answer: Raj Kumar Shukla came from Champaran to Lucknow to speak to Gandhiji. He accompanied Gandhiji everywhere even to Cawnpore and his Ahmedabad ashram. Gandhiji asked Raj Kumar Shukla to come and meet him on a fixed day in Calcutta. But, the appointment day was several months later. When Gandhiji arrived in Calcutta, Raj Kumar Shukla was waiting for him on the appointed day at the appointed spot.

Question. How did Gandhi show that he cared for the cultural and social backwardness of Champaran villagers?
Answer: Gandhiji genuinely cared for the cultural and social backwardness of Champaran villagers. Therefore, Gandhiji opened primary schools in six villages and called for teachers to teach the children. Kasturba and their son joined. He also called doctors to look into health condition and taught the villages about hygiene and personal cleanliness.

Question. Why did Gandhi tell the court that he was involved in a ‘conflict of duties’ ? 
Answer: Since Gandhiji was a law abiding citizen, he did not want to go against the court’s orders. Gandhiji did not want to set a bad example as a law breaker on one hand and on the other wanted to render humanitarian and national service to the people. For this reason, Gandhiji told the court that he was involved in a conflict of duties.

Question. Why is Raj Kumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’ ? 
Answer: Raj Kumar Shukla is described as being ‘resolute’ because, in order to convince Gandhiji to come to Champaran, Raj Kumar Shukla accompanied him everywhere. He did not leave Gandhiji’s side for weeks, begging him to come to Champaran. He even followed Gandhiji to his ashram in Ahmedabad. Impressed by his perseverance, Gandhiji asked Raj Kumar Shukla to meet him in Calcutta on a particular date and take him from there. On the appointed date, Gandhiji found him at the appointed spot waiting for him.

Question. Why is Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for Independence? 
Answer: The Champaran episode is considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for Independence because it was for the first time that Gandhiji introduced a non-violent resistance, which came to be known as Satyagraha. It was a long drawn out but patient and peaceful agitation against the British. During this struggle, Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of the Britishers for the first time. Therefore, it was also a turning point in Gandhiji’s life. The struggle did not begin as an act of defiance, but it grew out of an attempt to make the sufferings of the poor peasants less severe. The farmers learnt courage to face their fears. They learnt for the first time that they too had rights and that self-raliance is the key to fight any battle. The Champaran episode was the beginning of their liberation from the fear of the Britishers and its success, a triumph of the first civil disobedience movement.

Question. Gandhiji’s was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living human beings. Why did Gandhiji continue his stay in Champaran even after indigo sharecropping disappeared? 
Answer: Unsatisfied with mere political and economic solutions, Gandhiji wanted to bring about a change in the social and cultural conditions of Champaran. He wanted to make the peasants self-reliant. He noticed the unhealthy living conditions and poor sanitation in the village. He also realised the need for literacy. Hence, he decided to continue his stay in Champaran even after the disappearance of indigo sharecropping. He opened up schools in six different villages, and several of his disciples and family members volunteered as teachers. His wife, Kasturba, worked on the personal cleanliness and community sanitation of the place. Gandhiji also hired a doctor for the improvement of the health conditions. This proves that Gandhiji’s was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living human beings. This also made him keen to eradicate social and cultural backwardness of Champaran.

Question. Describe how according to Louis Fischer, Gandhiji succeeded in his Champaran campaign. 
Answer: Gandhiji’s campaign to provide justice to the sharecroppers of Champaran was not an act of defiance. Therefore, the methods he used to win this battle were also non-violent. In order to help the peasants, Gandhiji was even willing to get arrested. He was asked to leave Champaran. However, he refused. He met various high ranking government officials, who could not help but agree with his rational arguments. Seeing the efforts put by Gandhiji to alleviate the distress of the poor peasants even though he was a non-resident of Champaran, he received full support of the common man, his followers and other leaders. His powerful words instilled moral courage in every Indian; he asked fellow Indians to have courage, be self-reliant and united. This is how, Gandhiji eventually succeeded in his Champaran campaign.

Question. Exploitation is a universal phenomenon. The poor indigo farmers were exploited by the British landlords to which Gandhiji objected. Even after our independence we find exploitation of unorganised labour. What values do we learn from Gandhiji’s campaign to counter the present day problems of exploitation? 
Answer: Exploitation continues in unorganised sectors, such as farm workers, construction site labourers, house maids or helpers at ‘dhabas’ who are paid too little for the quantum of work done. Gandhiji showed us the way to counter the present day problems of exploitation. He helped Champaran sharecroppers by infusing courage and freedom from fears. He taught them to be confident and self reliant which in turn enhanced their self esteem. By fighting against injustice by non-violent ways, Gandhiji proved that if the cause is just, then one must not fear anything, only rely on oneself. After Gandhiji made the British landlords refund the sharecroppers’ money, the Indians realised the Englishmen, who acted as their lords were not indispensible. Therefore, when the peasants came together to demonstrate outside the courthouse the British officials found themselves powerless. In a violence-ridden world, he taught the sharecroppers to move towards their goal in a united and tolerant manner. As a result they won their fight against injustice and became self-reliant. These values helped them improve their quality of life and bring relief to present day problems of exploitation.

Question. What did Gandhiji do to remove the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages? 
Answer: The purpose of Gandhiji’s visit to Champaran was to bring justice to the sharecroppers. During their struggle, Gandhiji made the poor, illiterate peasants realise that they too had rights. He wanted them to become self-reliant and fight for their rights. Gandhiji’s aim was to mould the Indians in such a way that they could stand on their feet and make India free. He felt that this was possible only if the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages is removed. Therefore, after achieving victory for the Champaran sharecroppers, Gandhiji stayed on to alleviate their sufferings. He started schools in six different villages and clinics. His disciples, wife and sons and many others volunteered to help him. Mrs. Gandhi taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation. Health conditions were bad. So, Gandhiji and his volunteer doctor took care of that as well by providing the available medical aids.

Question. How did a visit to Champaran become a turning point in Gandhiji’s life? How does this show Gandhi’s love and concern for the common people of India? 
Answer: Gandhiji’s fight against the injustice of the landlord system in Bihar made people realise the power of civil disobedience. They became self reliant and gained courage to stand up against injustice. With Gandhiji’s help and local support, the peasants received 25% compensation out of the full amount. This was a turning point for them, Gandhiji and all those who were involved in the struggle. It was the first time in India that natives won against the British. Gandhiji was not a local yet he fought for the rights of the poor peasants of Champaran. Post victory, he even had his wife, sons and medical representatives work for the welfare of the farmers. This shows Gandhiji’s love and concern for the common people of India.

Question. Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers? How did it influence the peasant—landlord relationship in Champaran? 
Answer: Gandhiji received reports from Raj Kumar Shukla about the Indian farmers being exploited by British landlords. The farmers were forced to grow indigo on 15% of the land that harvest was treated as rent by the landlords. When the news of German synthetic indigo reached the landlords, they agreed to release the sharecroppers but the latter were asked to pay compensation to the landlords for their 15% for their land. Gandhiji ensured the triumph of civil disobedience. He agreed to a 25% refund to make the poor farmers realise that because of their united efforts, the British landlords had no other option than to lose their money as well as their prestige and that was more important. The peasants learned about courage from this incident and that they too had rights. Within a few years the British landlords gave up their estates. These now went back to the peasants. Eventually, indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Question. Why do you think Gandhiji 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 perhaps because he declared that the British could not order him in his own country. It was for the first time that Gandhiji introduced a non-violent resistance, which came to be known as Satyagraha, against the Britishers. During this struggle, Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of the Britishers for the first time. The Champaran episode grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large number of poor peasants and farmers and became the first civil disobedience movement led by Gandhiji. He, with local support, convinced poor farmers that they too had rights. When his lawyer friends suggested that having Mr. Andrews around would prove to be beneficial for them, Gandhiji told them taking help from a Britisher only shows the weakness in the hearts of the Indians. Gandhiji taught self reliance to his fellow Indians. The Champaran episode proved that if the cause was just there was nothing to fear, not even the Britishers; the victory was inevitable.