Class 12 English - HARYANA
Prose: Indigo
Indigo by Louis Fischer is an important chapter in Class 12 English for Haryana (BSEH) students. It narrates Mahatma Gandhi's struggle in Champaran, Bihar, during 1916-1917 to secure justice and dignity for poor sharecroppers exploited by British landlords. The chapter highlights how Gandhi's method of Satyagraha, combined with meticulous fact-finding, legal support, and empowering the local peasantry, led to a historic victory against the indigo planters. For board exams, this chapter is crucial for testing reading comprehension, character analysis of Gandhi, and understanding the theme of self-reliance and fearlessness against oppression.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
The Champaran Sharecropping System
Poor peasants were forced by British landlords to plant 15% of their land with indigo and surrender the entire harvest as rent.
Rajkumar Shukla's Persistence
A resolute and unlettered sharecropper from Champaran who persistently followed Gandhi to various places until Gandhi agreed to visit Champaran.
Gandhi's Strategy of Civil Disobedience
Gandhi used non-violent resistance, refused to obey unjust official orders in court, and successfully proved that British authority could be challenged.
The Principle of Self-Reliance
Gandhi refused to take British help (like Charles Freer Andrews) during the Champaran struggle to ensure Indians learned to rely on themselves.
Social and Cultural Upliftment
Gandhi addressed the backwardness of Champaran by opening primary schools and improving healthcare and personal hygiene.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Haryana (BSEH) Class 12 English board exam, 'Indigo' typically carries 5 to 8 marks. Common question types include long-answer questions based on the character of Mahatma Gandhi, short-answer questions about Rajkumar Shukla and the Champaran episode, and extract-based reading comprehension questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the chapter named 'Indigo'?
The chapter is named 'Indigo' because the entire conflict and struggle revolved around the forced cultivation and exploitation of indigo sharecroppers in Champaran by British planters.
How did Rajkumar Shukla persuade Gandhi to visit Champaran?
Despite being unlettered and resolute, Shukla followed Gandhi everywhere—from Patna to Sevagram and Kanpur—until Gandhi was impressed by his tenacity and fixed a date to visit.
Why did Gandhi oppose taking help from Charles Freer Andrews?
Gandhi opposed taking help from the British pacifist Andrews to ensure that Indians did not lean on a prop and learned to be self-reliant in their battle for justice.
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