Chapter 5
Indigo
Indigo
By Louis Fischer
Glossary
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·
Recounted
– narrated
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Emaciated – thin or feeble
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Sharecroppers – farmers who
give part of their crop as rent to the owner of the land
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Resolute – determined
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Tenacity – steadfastness;
persistence
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·
Haunches – the tops of the
legs and buttocks
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Yeoman – farmer
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Pestered – troubled by asking
again and again
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Harbor – given shelter to
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Advent – arrival
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Chided – criticized or blamed
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Arable – fir for cultivation
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Surrender – give up
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Irksome – annoying or
irritating
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Thugs – violent persons
especially criminals
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·
Bully – frighten
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Multitude – extremely large
number of people
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Maltreated – ill treated
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Regulate – control
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Hitherto – until now
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Dreaded – feared
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Baffled – confused completely
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Furnish – provide
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Reconvened – met again after
a break
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Upshot – outcome; conclusion
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Desertion – abandonment
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Far flung – spread over a
wide area
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Throbbed – pulsated
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Vehement – forceful
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Protracted – prolonged
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Entreaty – request
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Unlettered – illiterate
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Deceitfully – dishonestly
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Extorted – obtained by using
force or threats
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Adamant – determined not to
change one’s mind
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Reverted – returned back to
the original owner
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Trenches – long deep holes
dug in the ground
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Alleviate – to lesson
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·
Abstractions – existing as a
mental concept
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·
Distress – hardship
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Intertwined – very closely
connected
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·
Pacifist – a person who
believes in peace
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·
Prop – help or support
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SUMMARY:-
INDGO
Louis Fischer
Gandhiji urged the return of Britishers from India. This movement started
in 1917 when an illiterate peasant, Raj Kumar Shukla approached Gandhiji to ask
him to solve the problem of the poor peasants of Champaran.
Notes based on the Sequence
of Events
v The Champaran Peasants
·
Raj Kumar
Shukla shared with Gandhiji the miseries of the people of Champaran. He termed
the landlord system in Bihar gravely unjust and wanted Gandhiji to help the
poor peasants.
v Shuklas Tenacity, Perisistance, Resolve,
Determination
·
Shukla
visited Gandhiji in Lucknow and then in Cawnpore. He was told that Gandhi was
scheduled to visit other places in the coming days. Shukla patiently followed
him everywhere. Gandhiji agreed to accompany him to Champaran after his
Calcutta visit.
v Rajendra Prasad's House at Patna
·
Gandhiji
wished to meet Rajendra Prasad, a lawyer who later became the president of the
Indian National Congress. But the meeting did not take place as he was out of
town,
·
Gandhiji
then left for Muzzaffarpur to gather more information. Lawyers briefed Gandhiji
on the case and were chided by him for collecting high fees from the peasants.
Gandhiji decided to free the poor farmers from fear.
v Ancient Settlement
·
Large
Indian estates were owned by the Britishers who had put a compulsion on the
Indian tenants to grow indigo in 15% land. Farmers were deprived of the indigo
harvest. The entire indigo produce was taken as rent.
v German Synthetic Indigo
·
Landlords
did not want the indigo produce anymore as the coming of synthetic indigo
reduced natural crop cheap. The landlords released them from ancient agreement
but charged compensation for it. Some peasants signed the agreement willingly,
some engaged lawyers to resist it. When the news of the synthetic indigo reached
the peasants, they wanted their money back.
v Official Notice to Gandhiji
·
Gandhi
was ordered to leave Champaran. He took the order but signed his refusal. He
was summoned to appear in the court the next day. Rajendra Prasad arrived with
influential friends. Peasants came in thousands and the Britishers had to take
Gandhiji's help to regulate the crowd.
v Gandhiji's Reason for Disobedience
·
Gandhiji
disobeyed not to break law but to render humanitarian and national service. He
professed that he did not have any disrespect for law but for greater respect
for the voice of conscience.
v Triumph of Civil Disobedience
·
Gandhiji
proceeded to gather testimonies about grieving farmers. The Lt. Governor
appointed a commission of inquiry comprising landlords, government officials
and Gandhiji as the sole representative of farmers.
v British planters Defeated
·
When
heaps of evidences were collected against landlords, they agreed to refund the
money but only 25% of it. They had assumed that Gandhiji would not come down
from his demand of 50%. Surprisingly Gandhiji agreed to 25% as he believed that
refund did not matter but that the landlords had to surrender their prestige.
This victory of peasants brought courage in them. Later on the estate holders
left their holdings and the land reverted to the peasants.
v Social, Cultural upliftment of Champaran
·
To
improve cultural and social lot of the people Gandhiji sought volunteers for
teaching. His own family including wife and son volunteered. Primary Schools
were opened and hygiene and health was taken care of. His politics comprised
day to day problems.
v Chamaparan, a Turning Point
·
Gandhiji
had learnt that he could not be ordered about in his own country.
·
Peasants
had learnt courage and also the fact that he could fight for his rights.
v Self-Reliance
·
Charles
Freer Andrew's, a pacifist and a devout disciple of Gandhiji came to bid him
farewell. The lawyer friends urged him to stay on in Champaran for the support
of Indians. But Gandhiji was against the proposal as he wanted the Indians to
face the crisis on their own.
v The Indian peasants learnt self-reliance
and courage
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
LESSONS COVERED
(from the book ‘Flamingo’)
INDIGO
POETS AND PANCAKES
THE INTERVIEW
GOING PLACES
Q.
Why did magistrate release Gandhiji?
Ans.
Gandhiji pleaded guilty of disobedience. The peasants held a demonstration around the court.
The Government was confused and
the officials were powerless. The
peasants were mounting pressure on the government. So, the magistrate
released Gandhiji without bail.
Q.
Why did Gandhiji say----:” The battle of Champaran is won”?
Ans.
The lawyers had decided to
go home, if Gandhiji went to prison. But Gandhiji asked them what would
become of the injustice to the sharecroppers. The lawyers thought over it and
decided that they too would follow Gandhiji. This was the time that Gandhiji
said that the battle of Champaran was won.
Q.Why
did Gandhiji agree to the settlement of 25% refund to the peasants?
ANS.
Gandhiji had demanded 50 percent refund from the landlords. The
landlords offered only 25 per cent. Gandhiji agreed to the settlement of 25
percent because according to Gandhiji money was not important. He had made the
Britishers bow down before the Indian peasants.
Q.How
did Indigo sharecropping come to an end in Champaran?
ANS.
Indigo sharecropping came to an
end in Champaran as Germany had developed synthetic Indigo. Sharecropping was
no longer profitable for the British planters. They had to surrender their
prestige and money to the peasants. So, they gave up their estates which came
back to the peasants.
Q.Why
was Gandhiji summoned to appear in court?
ANS.
Gandhiji went to see a badly
treated peasant .He was served with a notice from the Superintendent of Police
to quit Champaran. Gandhiji received the notice and wrote on it that he would
never quit Champaran. As a result, he was summoned to appear in the court.
Q.Why
did Gandhiji rebuke the Muzzafarpur lawyers?
ANS.
Gandhiji
rebuked the Muzzafarpur lawyers because they used to charge very high fees from
the poor peasants.
Q.What
was the condition of the peasants before Gandhiji’s arrival in Champaran?
ANS.
The peasants were copmpelled to plant 15 per cent of their
land with indigo crop and surrender the entire harvest as rent. When Germany
developed synthetic indigo they were asked to give compensation for making them
free from 15 per cent indigo plantation. Those who disobeyed were beaten by the
hired criminals.
Q.What
was the conflict of Gandhiji?
ANS.
Gandhiji’s conflict was of
discharging the duties. On one hand ,he did not want to set a bad example by
breaking the law. On the other hand he was to listen to the voice of his
conscience and serve the human beings.
Q.How
did Gandhiji regulate the crowd around the courthouse?
ANS.
The officials were powerless as
they could not control the crowd outside the courthouse. Gandhiji regulated the
crowd in a polite and friendly manner.
Q..Why
is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?
ANS.
Raj Kumar Shukla is described as
being ‘resolute’ because he wanted that Gandhiji should reach Champaran for
their welfare. He accompanied Gandhiji everywhere. When Gandhiji returned to
his ashram Shukla followed him there also. He even went to Calcutta to take Gandhiji
along with him .
Q.
Describe in your own words the Make –up department of Gemini Studio?
ANS.
The make-up room of the Gemini Studio
was looking like a hair-cutting saloon. There were half a dozen large mirrors
and brightly shining lights. The room was in the upstairs of a building which
was believed to have been Robert Clive’s stables.
Q.What
is the example of national integration that the author refers to ?
ANS.
The make up room of Gemini Studio was
a fine example of national integration. The department was first headed by a
Bengali. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kanndiga,
an Andhrian, A madras Indian Christian, an Anglo –Burmese and the local Tamils.
Thus there were people from all types of communities and states of India.
Q.Who
was Subbu? What were his qualities?
ANS.
Subbu was No.2 at Gemini Studios. He
had the ability to look cheerful at all times. He was creative genius. He was
tailor-made for films. He was very loyal
to the Boss. He was a good poet, a charitable person and a wonderful actor.
Q.Why was the Legal adviser referred
to as the opposite by others?
ANS.
The legal advisor was a lawyer by
profession. His duty was to give legal advice to the company. On the contrary,he
was a stupid and good for nothing fellow. It was all because of his stupidity
that the brilliant career of a talented actress came to an end. That is why he
was referred to as the opposite by others.
Q.
What was (MRA) Moral Re-Armament Army? Why was it welcomed at the studios?
ANS.
The Moral Rearmament Army was a
movement against communism. The people at Gemini studios hated communism and
believed that a communist was a godless man. The big bosses of Madras like
Mr.Vasan played into the hands of MRA.
This was the only reason that it was welcomed at Gemini Studios.
Q.
What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at
Gemini Studio?
ANS.
The people at Gemini Studios could
not understand what the Englishman was saying. His accent was also different. It
was very strange thing that an English poet was addressing the audience who
were making Tamil films. This caused lack of communication between the
Englishmen and the people at Gemini Studios.
Q.
What does ‘The God That Failed ‘ refer to?
ANS.
‘The God That Failed ‘refers to a
book written by six eminent writers. It describes that how these writers
adopted communism and how they gave it up with disappointment. So, it is the
philosophy of communism that failed.
Q.
How can you say that Subbu had literary inclinations?
ANS.
Subbu had a separate identity as a
poet .He wrote poems for the common people. He had composed original ‘story
poems’ in folk refrain. He had also written a novel entitled ‘Thillana
Mohanambal’. The characters in this novel were created in a beautiful manner.
Q.
‘A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up department’ what was the
hierarchy?
ANS.
The make up department followed and
maintained a strict hierarchy at Gemini Studios. The chief make man made the
chief actrors and actresses ‘ugly’, his senior assistant the second hero and
heroine, the junior assistant the main comedian and so forth. The ‘office boy’ used
to do the make up of the crowd players.
Q.
What work did the ‘Office Boy’ do in the Gemini Studio?
ANS.
It was the duty of the ‘office boy’
to do the make up of the crowd players at Gemini studios. He mixed his paint in
a big container and slapped it on the crowd players.
Q.
What is the concept of ‘interstices’ as declared by Umberto Eco?
ANS.
According to Umberto Eco
‘interstices’ are the empty spaces in our lives. We should make the best use of these empty
spaces. He means to say that we should not waste our free time. It must be
utilized for some creative works.
Q.
What do you understand by the expression’ thumbprints on his windpipe’?
ANS.
Saul Bellow has described interview
as being ‘thumbprints on his windpipe’. If somebody presses our throat, our
windpipe is choked and we can not breathe properly. Similarly, he felt choked
and suffocated during the interviews which made him difficult to breathe.
Q.
How does Rudyard Kipling condemn an Interview?
ANS.
According to Rudyard Kipling
interview is immoral. It is a crime. It is just like an attack on somebody.
Hence, it is punishable. He adds that it is a cowardly and unpleasant act. No
respectable man should ask anybody to give interview.
Q.
What are the distinguishing features of the novel by Umberto Eco entitled ‘The
Name of the Rose’.
ANS.
‘The
Name of the Rose’ is a very serious novel. It is a detective yarn. It is a novel in which there is the taste of
religion, metaphysics, and medieval history.
Q.
Why, according to Umberto Eco, were the journalists puzzled at the popularity
of the novel ‘The Name of the Rose’?
ANS.
According to Umberto Eco the
journalists were puzzled because journalists believed that people liked the
writings of poor quality. They thought that difficult reading experiences were
not liked by people. But they were wrong. The novel was liked by millions of
people even if it had difficult experiences.
Q.
What was distinctive about Umberto Eco’s writing style?
ANS.
Umberto Eco writes in a playful
manner. There is a personal touch in all the non- fictional works done by him.
The best quality of his writing is that his essays have narrative aspect. It
means he writes as if he is telling a story.
Q.
Why does Umberto Eco regard the success and popularity of the novel ‘The Name
of the Rose’ as a mystery?
ANS.
Umberto Eco believes that the
success of the popularity and huge success of the novel can not be predicted. It
was written at the right time. If he had written the same novel ten years
earlier or ten years later it would have been failed. Its success is a mystery.
Q.
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
ANS.
Most
celebrity writers despise (hate) being interviewed because they think it to be
an undue interference in their private lives. Rudyard Kipling calls it immoral,
vile and a crime. V. S. Naipaul feels that it hurts our feelings. H.G. Wells calls
it an ‘Ordeal ’.It makes difficult to breathe when we are being interviewed.
Q.
How does Umberto Eco compare himself as an academician and as a novelist?
ANS.
Umberto Eco says that as an
academician he simply writes about his philosophical interests. He works in
empty spaces. His style of writing is personal, playful and narrative. On the
other hand, he writes novels on Sundays. He mixes the tastes of all types of
people in his novels.
Q.
List some of the positive views on interviews.
ANS.
Interviews have many positive
aspects. It is an art and a source of truth. It is a very good medium of
communication. We can get information about our contemporaries through
interview. Impressions are formed and selections are made on the basis of
interviews.
Q.
Why did Lewis Carroll grudge interviews?
ANS.
Lewis
Carroll grudges the interviews because he thinks it to be ‘a horror’. He did not
want to be treated as an important person.
Q.
Do you think Sophie had really met Danny Casey?
ANS.
No, Sophie had never met Danny Casey
in reality. She was a dreamer. The story of her meeting Danny Casey was one of
the wild stories by her .It was totally a concocted story.
Q.
In what way was Jansie different from Sophie in ‘Going Places’?
ANS.
Sophie was a dreamer. She had
dreamed of becoming an actress, a fashion designer, a manager or the owner of a
boutique. Her dreams were impractical as she belonged to a poor middle class
family. Jansie, on the hand, is a realist. She knows that she and her friend
are earmarked for a biscuit factory. She is sensible and wise.
Q.
What kind of world did Sophie dream of?
ANS.
Sophie dreamed of a world full of
name and fame. There was no limit to her dreams. She wanted to buy a boutique
shop. She had other options to be a fashion designer, an actress or a manager.
She even dreams of having met with Danny Casey, a great Football player.
Q.
Where was it most likely that Sophie and Jansie would find work after school?
ANS.
Sophie
and Jansie were earmarked for working in a biscuit factory after school.
Q.
How can you say that Jansie is the voice of reason in the story ‘going places’?
ANS.
Jansie is really the voice of reason
in the story. It is she who warns Sophie not dream of big things in her life. She
asks her to be practical. She reminds her of the poor condition of her house
.It is all because of her wisdom that she knows her limits as a member of
middle class family and never tries to cross them. Sophie is disappointed at
the end only because she does not listen to Jansie.
Q.
Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny Casey?
ANS.
Sophie knew that Jansie was very
inquisitive. She would ask so many questions from Sophie about her meeting with
Danny Casey and the truth might come out during their conversation that Sophie
was telling a lie. Moreover, she feared that Jansie would spread it in the
whole neighbourhood. That is why; Sophie did not want that Jansie should come
to know about it.
Q.
What was Sophie’s father’s reaction to her story regarding her meeting with
Danny Casey?
ANS.
Sophie’s father did not believe the
news of Sophie’s meeting with Danny Casey. He considered it to be another of
her wild stories. He looked at Sophie with hatred .He ignored her and went on
to discuss football and footballers.
Q.
How did Sophie come to know that her dad was not at home? Why was she glad to
know it?
ANS.
Sophie came to know that her father
not at home when she passed by the pub. She saw her father’s Bicycle propped
against the wall of the pub. She was glad because she would not have to see her
father when she reached home disappointed.
Q.
What sort of personality does Sophie’s brother have?
ANS.
Geoff is a reserved sort of person.
He is a motor mechanic under training. He is a hard worker. He is great fan of
Danny Casey. He has the coloured photographs of the Irish Footballer on his
bedroom wall. Sophie wants to share her secrets with him.
VALUE BASED
QUESTIONS
5 Marks
100 Words
Indigo
Q. ‘Non-Violence’ and ‘Truthfulness’
were Gandhi Ji’s tools against the British. He fought with them and won the
battle. It proves that ‘non-violence’ has the power. So, write a paragraph on
the issue in about 100 words.
Ans.: If we meditated deeply and
turn the pages of our sacred history our philosophers, thinkers, saints, rishis
and munis have stressed the need and significance of non-violence. Emperor
like Ashoka, Prince like Gautam Buddha
and the modern sacred souls like our father of nation, Mahatama Gandhi all have
not only preached but also put into practice the act of non-violence. Ashoka
the great forbade even the killing of wild animals in his kingdom. Buddha sent
his preachers far and wide to sermonize the public on the importance of leading
a peaceful life. It was Gandhi who brought Independence to India through
non-violence means with the help of Indians. It was our concerted effort and
sacrifice that brought colours to this nation.
We can well understand the dictum
that we have no right to kill innocent lives. It is a great sin to do sway
others life. The recent attack of terrorists over Mumbai on 26th
November, 2008 will remain a black day in the history of the world. Have these
brutal ever thought that many families become orphan, their children suffer.
The nation and the economy shatter due to their savage activities. Such mean
acts are useless and shameful. These bring dishonor, chaos, confusion and
trouble. We can do away with these unlawful activities through our concerned
efforts. Though the extremists are the traitors but they should be taught the
lesson of peace, affection, sympathy, love and selfless service to others since
all complicated problems can be solved through mutual-understanding and love.
It is the need of the hour to bring such strategies into action that may change
the lives and ideologies of these forlorn extremists. Let us preach and follow
the path of non-violence.
Q. The text
‘Indigo’ expresses the value of freedom and Indians’ fight for freedom. How
would you define FREEDOM? Write your views in the form of a speech to be
delivered in the morning assembly of your school. Don’t exceed 100 words.
Ans.: Today I am going to share
my views on the value of freedom for me.
Freedom is precious for everyone.
‘Only a caged bird can know its importance.’ In fact, we, Indians, have a great
value for it. Our freedom fighters left no stone unturned to get our freedom
back from the Britishers. Their long but firm struggle brought us this precious
gift of freedom. We have freedom to do anything. We have freedom to live, to
express our views, to cast our vote, to religious expressions and adaptions and
the list continues. Here the most important thing is that this freedom is
priceless for us and we should respect it. This is our duty to keep it up and
abiding by social and moral ethics. Freedom is so important for us and we
cannot lose it at any cost.
Q. “He had
read our minds correctly.” Rajendra Prasad comments. “and we had no reply…….Gandhi
in this way taught us a lesson in self-reliance”. These lines prove that
Gandhiji was a true leader in each and every respect. Taking ideas from the
lesson about the true leadership skills along with your own views, write a
paragraph in about 100 words on “The qualities of a good leader.”
Ans.: A good leader is a torch
bearer who shows the light to his followers and to the masses at large. He
brings them from darkness to light, from ignorance to awareness, from fear to
self-reliance and from violence to non-violence.
A good leader is a model for all. He
has the personality traits of fearlessness, bravery, initiatives, spot decision
making and hard work directed to the public welfare. His feelings of sacrifice
for his motherland and for his people make him a charismatic personality for
them.
A good leader must be a man of words,
of high integrity and truthfulness. He is above all narrow feelings of caste,
religion, colour, creed, sex or regionalism and language barriers. His
punctuality, love for humanity, patriotism and sincerity to his people, are the
models for others to follow.
All the time of national calamity he
sets examples for others and helps all through which and then. He is devoid of
selfishness, greed and even comforts. Though he is an advocated of world peace,
yet he is ready to sacrifice his life for his motherland.
Q. The lesson ‘indigo ‘highlights the
qualities of leadership shown by Mahatma Gandhi to secure justice for the
oppressed people through argumentation and negotiation. Getting a clue from the
way Mahatma Gandhi dealt with the Champaran episode, write an article on
‘qualities of a good leader’ or ‘what makes a good leader’.
ANS: ‘Qualities of a Good
Leader’
Or
‘What makes a Good Leader’
Leadership
is the process by which a leader imaginatively directs, guides and influences
the work of other in choosing and attaining specified goals by mediating
between the individuals and the organization in such a manner as will satisfy
both.
A leader may not be physically strong but he
needs to be mentally strong and firm in decisions. For example, Mahatma Gandhi,
the greatest of our leader, had the power of organizing, uniting and attracting
people, towards him by possess is intelligence and alertness. A leader has to
use his/her brain every time and has to remain alert with eye and ears open, to
avoid being carried by any fraud or enemy. Apart from being impartial, a leader
needs to be action-oriented. A leader should be affective enough towards
himself and encourages everyone through his word to do constructive work while
walking on the right path so that everyone can become aware of his/her rights
and duties. A leader has to be dedicated. He does whatever it takes to be role
model in every sense of the word.
Q. “ In
everything, Gandhi did, moreover, he tried to mould a news free Indian whom
could stand on his own feet and thus make India Free.”
Instead of
choosing a lavish life as a learned advocate, Gandhiji decided to be the
pioneer of Independence in India. He gave a new direction to the Indian
politics and led us towards freedom. He deliberately recognized the power of
youth. In fact, the young generation is needed to be a part of politics even
today. Taking reference from the text INDIGO along with your own views, write
an article on ‘The involvement of students in politics’ in about 100 words for
your school magazine.
Q. ‘Freedom
from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor.’ Do you think that
the poor of India are free from fear after Independence? Write your views in
the form of an article of about 100 words to be published in a social magazine.
Exercise
1.
What was the positive
quality about Rajkumar Shukla? How did he benefit from this quality
2. What proves that Gandhiji was an unknown figure in Patna?
3. Why was the government servants scared to be acquainted with
a person like Gandhiji?
4. What was the first instance of achieving freedom from fear by
the peasant community?
5. What made the lawyers shamefaced before Gandhiji?
6 Narrate how the civil disobedience became a triumph for the
first time?
7 Why did Gandhiji agree to 25% refund when his actual demand
was for 50%?
8 What qualities was he able to make in the Indians by the
Champaran episode?
9 Why did he feel that help from the foreigner Mr. Andrews was
unnecessary?
10 Why does he entrust teachers rather than politicians to
Make changes in the society?
Essays
1. To think differently is a challenging job but ultimate
victory comes to those who are not the usual run of the mill. In what way is
this true of Gandhiji in the lesson indigo?
2. Freedom from fear is more important than legal justice for
the poor “how does he bring home this point in this lesson? State whether
Indians have attained freedom from fear even in this post independence
era-justify your answer?
3what are the qualities of a good leader as portrayed by Gandhji
in the lesson indigo?
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