CBSE Indigo Important Questions Class 12 English

CBSE Practice Questions are supplementary questions issued by the board, distinct from the sample papers. These additional questions offer students an excellent opportunity to practice and get well-prepared for the current exam format. By working through these questions, students can become familiar with the various types of questions that may be featured in the board exams. In this article, you’ll find CBSE practice questions and answers for Class 12 English, Chapter Indigo. Students can download the PDF of these resources to boost their preparation and excel in the 2025 CBSE Class 12 English Exam.

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Indigo Important Questions Short Answer Type Questions (3-4 MARKS)

Question 1. Why did Gandhiji agree to the planters’ offer of a 25 percent refund to the farmers? (Delhi 2009)
Answer: Gandhiji had asked the indigo planters for a 50 percent refund to the farmers but they offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji still agreed to their offer because for him the amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. So he agreed to their settlement.

Question 2. How was Gandhiji able to influence the lawyers at Champaran? (All India 2009)
Answer: Gandhiji chided the lawyers for over-charging the poor peasants. When the peasants were so poor and crushed, it was inhuman to charge heavy fees from them. Gandhiji’s selfless service and devotion to the cause of the peasants put the lawyers to shame.

Question 3. How did Gandhiji help the peasants of Champaran? (All India 2009)
Answer: At Champaran, the British landlords forced all the tenants to plant 15 per cent of their holding with indigo and then surrender the entire harvest as rent. This increased the misery of the poor tenants. But when synthetic indigo was developed and indigo plantation was no longer profitable, the landlords obtained fresh agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation for releasing them from the 15% arrangement. Gandhiji came in at this time and through non-violent civil disobedience he forced the landlords to refund 25 per cent of the compensation money to the peasants.

Question 4.Why did the servants think Gandhiji to be another peasant? (Delhi 2010)
Answer: In Patna, Rajkumar Shukla led Gandhiji to the house of Rajendra Prasad who was a lawyer. The servants knew Shukla as a poor peasant of Champaran who often came to Rajendra Prasad’s house and pestered him to take up the cause of the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. Since a simple-clad Gandhiji accompanied Shukla the servants mistook him to be another peasant.

Question 5. Why did Gandhiji agree to the planters’ offer of a 25% refund to the farmers? (Comptt. All India 2011 )
Answer: Gandhiji had asked the indigo planters for a 50 percent refund to the farmers but they offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji still agreed to their offer because for him the amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. So he agreed to their settlement.

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Question 6. How were Shukla and Gandhiji received in Rajendra Prasad’s house? (Delhi 2012)
Answer: In Patna Shukla led Gandhiji to the house of a lawyer, Rajendra Prasad. He was out of town but his servants knew Shukla as a poor peasant who pestered Rajendra Prasad (their master) to help the indigo sharecroppers. So he was allowed to stay there with his companion. But Gandhiji was not permitted to draw water from the well lest he be an untouchable and some drops of water from his bucket pollute the entire source.

Question 7. What made Gandhiji demand 50% refund from the British landlords? (Comptt. Delhi)
Answer: Gandhiji demanded 50% refund from the British landlords in the form of repayment of money which the landlords had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the poor sharecroppers.

Question 8. Why did Gandhiji accept 25 percent compensation? (Comptt. All India 2012)
Answer: Gandhiji had asked the indigo planters for a 50 percent refund to the farmers but they offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji still agreed to their offer because for him the amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. So he agreed to their settlement.

Question 9. While at Champaran how did Gandhiji keep a long distance watch on his ashram? (Comptt. All India 2012)
Answer: During his long stay in Champaran, Gandhiji kept a long distance watch on his Ashram. He sent regular instructions by mail and asked for financial accounts. He even wrote to the residents that it was time to fill in the old latrine trenches and dig new ones.

Question 10. “The battle of Champaran is won.” When and why did Gandhiji exclaim this? (Comptt. AI 2012)
Answer: When several prominent lawyers told Gandhiji that they were ready to follow him to jail, Gandhiji exclaimed, “The battle of Champaran is toon”. Gandhiji made this statement because he had been able to shake the lawyers out of their stupor and they were ready to support Gandhiji.

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Question 11. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Cham-paran case to the court was useless? (Delhi 2014)
Answer: Gandhiji felt taking the Champaran case to the court was useless as taking such cases to the courts did little good. Where the peasants are so crushed and fear-stricken, law courts prove useless. The real relief for these peasants was to be free from fear.

Question 12. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji? (Comptt. All India 2014)
Answer: The Lieutenant Governor was forced to drop the case against Gandhiji because the lawyers had told Gandhiji that they would follow him into jail. So the Lieutenant Governor wrote to the Magistrate ordering him to drop the case against Gandhiji.

Question 13.How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma had come to help them? (Comptt. All India 2014)
Answer: As the news of Gandhiji’s advent and the nature of his mission spread, the peasants began arriving on foot and by conveyance to get a glimpse of their champion. The lawyers, who had represented the peasant groups in court, also came to brief Gandhiji.

Question 14. Why did Gandhiji agree to 25% compensation? (Comptt. All India 2015)
Answer: Refer to Question 20, Page 185

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Question 15.
How did Rajkumar Shukla establish that he was resolute? (All India 2015)
Answer:
Rajkumar Shukla wanted Gandhiji to visit Champaran to take up the cause of the poor sharecroppers who were being exploited by the English landlords but Gandhiji said he had appointments in various parts of India. Shukla started following Gandhiji everywhere the latter went and for weeks he never left Gandhiji’s side thus establishing his resoluteness.

Question 16.
How was Gandhi treated at Rajendra Prasad’s house? (All India 2015)
Answer:
In Patna Shukla led Gandhiji to the house of a lawyer, Rajendra Prasad. He was out of town but his servants knew Shukla as a poor peasant who pestered Rajendra Prasad (their master) to help the indigo sharecroppers. So he was allowed to stay there with his companion. But Gandhiji was not permitted to draw water from the well lest he be an untouchable and some drops of water from his bucket pollute the entire source.

Question 17.
What were the terms of the indigo contract between the British landlords and the Indian peasants? (All India 2015)
Answer:
The arable land in the Champaran district was divided into estates which were owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was indigo. The landlords compelled all tenants to plant 15 per cent of their holdings with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.

Question 18.
Why is Raj Kumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’? (Comptt. Delhi 2015)
Answer:
Shukla wanted Gandhiji to visit Champaran to take up the cause of the sharecroppers but Gandhiji said he had appointments in Cawnpore and other parts of India. Shukla did not leave Gandhiji’s side for weeks begging him to fix a date for Champaran. Gandhiji was impressed by his determination and resoluteness and Shukla finally managed to convince Gandhiji to accompany him to Champaran.

Question 19.
Why was Gandhiji opposed to C.F. Andrews helping him in Champaran? (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
Though Gandhiji’s lawyer friends thought it would be a good idea for C.F.Andrews to stay in Champaran and help them, Gandhiji vehemently opposed it. He said that if they had an Englishman on their side it would show the weakness of their heart. They should not attempt to seek a prop in Andrews just because he happened to be an Englishman. Gandhiji wanted Indians to be self-reliant.

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Question 20.
Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of mere 25 percent? (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
Gandhiji had asked the indigo planters for a 50 percent refund to the farmers but they offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji still agreed to their offer because for him the amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. So he agreed to their settlement.

Question 21.
Why was Gandhiji unhappy with the lawyers in Muzzafarpur? Why was he against taking cases to the law courts? (Comptt. All India)
Answer:
Gandhiji was unhappy with the lawyers in Muzzafarpur as they were collecting a huge fee from the peasants. He was against taking the case to the law courts as he knew the fear stricken peasants would be further crushed and exploited in the court. Gandhiji wanted to free the farmers from the fear of Britishers.

Indigo Important Questions Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 MARKS)

Question 22.
Describe the difficulties faced by Gandhi at Champaran. (Comptt. Delhi 2010)
Answer:
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord system there. Most of the land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen who hired Indian tenants to grow indigo there. The Indian peasants were sharecroppers and had to surrender 15 per cent of the indigo harvest as rent to the British. After synthetic indigo was developed the Englishmen obtained fresh agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation. Many refused to sign and others wanted their money back. At this point Gandhiji arrived in Champaran with an aim to free the peasants from fear. He collected all the facts and met the commissioner who tried to bully him and advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji did not leave. In the course of securing justice for the oppressed farmers of Champaran, Gandhiji had to clash with the British authorities several times before he could persuade them to agree to his viewpoint.

Question 23.
How was a solution to the problem of indigo sharecroppers of Champaran found?(Comptt. Delhi 2010)
Answer:
The entire harvest of indigo, the chief commercial crop produced by the peasants in the 15 per cent of their land had to be paid as rent to the British landlords. After Germany developed synthetic indigo, it brought a steep fall in indigo prices. Now the landlords very cleverly wished to give up this arrangement and get compensation for releasing the farmers land. Gandhiji at this time appeared in Champaran and fought a year long battle to get the poor peasants justice. Gandhiji decided to accept a settlement of 25 per cent of the compensation money to break the deadlock between the landlords and their tenants. The moral victory of the farmers to make the landlords own-up their dishonesty and surrender their money and prestige mattered more to Gandhiji. So he was successful in defeating the nefarious designs of the British landlords and also made the farmers courageous and conscious of their rights.

Question 24.
Why and how did Raj Kumar Shukla persu-ade Gandhiji to visit Champaran? (Comptt. AI 2010)
Answer:
Raj Kumar Shukla was an illiterate and oppressed indigo farmer from Champaran who came to invite Gandhiji to visit his district where injustice and oppression was rampant. He wished Gandhiji to accompany him to Champaran and sort out the problems of the miserable peasants. Gandhiji mentioned about his prior engagements to Shukla but he did not give up and followed Gandhiji everywhere. He kept urging Gandhiji to visit Champaran. Finally his persistent and patience bore fruits and Gandhiji agreed to accompany him to Champaran immediately after his Calcutta visit. Gandhiji’s truthfulness, sincerity of purpose and undeterred efforts spelled the triumph of the campaign against the unjust British rulers. What began as an attempt to fight for justice against the hapless peasants later turned out to be a clear proclamation that the Indians would not submit to British tyranny meekly.

Question 25.
How was the Champaran incident a turning point in Gandhiji’s life? (Comptt. All India 2010)
Answer:
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord system there. Most of the land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen who hired Indian tenants to grow indigo there. The Indian peasants were sharecroppers and had to surrender 15 per cent of the indigo harvest as rent to the British. After synthetic indigo was developed the Englishmen obtained fresh agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation. Many refused to sign and others wanted their money back. At this point Gandhiji arrived in Champaran with an aim to free the peasants from fear. He collected all the facts and met the commissioner who tried to bully him and advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji did not leave. In the course of securing justice for the oppressed farmers of Champaran, Gandhiji had to clash with the British authorities several times before he could persuade them to agree to his viewpoint.

The Champaran episode turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronouncement that the Britishes could not order him about in his own country. It established the effectiveness of non¬cooperation as a means of fighting for justice. The Champaran episode revealed Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. Even after winning the peasants’ battle against the English landlords Gandhiji stayed in Champaran for the cultural and social upliftment of the poor and the backward of the villages of Champaran.

Question 26.
Why do you think Gandhiji considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point in his life? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord system there. Most of the land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen who hired Indian tenants to grow indigo there. The Indian peasants were sharecroppers and had to surrender 15 per cent of the indigo harvest as rent to the British. After synthetic indigo was developed the Englishmen obtained fresh agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation. Many refused to sign and others wanted their money back. At this point Gandhiji arrived in Champaran with an aim to free the peasants from fear. He collected all the facts and met the commissioner who tried to bully him and advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji did not leave. In the course of securing justice for the oppressed farmers of Champaran, Gandhiji had to clash with the British authorities several times before he could persuade them to agree to his viewpoint.

The Champaran episode turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronouncement that the Britishes could not order him about in his own country. It established the effectiveness of non¬cooperation as a means of fighting for justice. The Champaran episode revealed Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. Even after winning the peasants’ battle against the English landlords Gandhiji stayed in Champaran for the cultural and social upliftment of the poor and the backward of the villages of Champaran.

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Question 27.
How did Gandhiji use satyagraha and non-violence at Champaran to achieve his goal? (2011)
Answer:
Gandhiji reached Champaran with a goal to alleviate the peasants’ sufferings at the hands of the British landlords. He met the Secretary of the Landlords’ Association and the Commissioner who told him to leave Champaran. They signed the order but also wrote that Gandhiji would disobey it and sent a full report to the Viceroy. This was followed by spontaneous demonstrations by thousands of peasants around the court house. The lawyers too resolved to follow Gandhiji to jail forcing the case against him to be dropped. This was the first victory of Civil Disobedience. Then an official enquiry into the indigo sharecroppers’ situation was instituted and the landlords agreed to refund the peasants. The sharecropper accepted the 25 per cent refund. The landlords surrendered a part of the money with a part of their prestige. So Gandhiji achieved his objective in removing the fear of the poor peasants and getting justice for them through ‘satyagraha’ and ‘non-violence’.

Question 28.
Give an account of Gandhiji’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. (All India 2012)
Answer:
Gandhiji took up the cause of the indigo sharecroppers at Champaran. He fought against the injustice of the cruel British landlords who extorted money from the poor sharecroppers. Gandhiji collected all the facts and met the Commissioner. He tried to threaten Gandhiji and advised him to leave from there. But Gandhiji was undeterred. He decided to launch a peaceful ‘satyagraha’ and non-violent movement. This led to spontaneous demonstra¬tions in Motihari. Thousands of peasants challenged the Britishers and the government was baffled. Despite earlier hesitations the prominent lawyers declared their uncondi¬tional support to Gandhiji. Finally Gandhiji’s peaceful and non-violent civil disobedience bore the desired results. The indigo share¬croppers at Champaran secured justice and the landlords agreed to refund 25 per cent of the compensation money.

Question 29.
The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhiji’s life. Elucidate. (All India 2012)
Answer:
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord system there. Most of the land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen who hired Indian tenants to grow indigo there. The Indian peasants were sharecroppers and had to surrender 15 per cent of the indigo harvest as rent to the British. After synthetic indigo was developed the Englishmen obtained fresh agreements from sharecroppers to pay them compensation. Many refused to sign and others wanted their money back. At this point Gandhiji arrived in Champaran with an aim to free the peasants from fear. He collected all the facts and met the commissioner who tried to bully him and advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji did not leave. In the course of securing justice for the oppressed farmers of Champaran, Gandhiji had to clash with the British authorities several times before he could persuade them to agree to his viewpoint.

The Champaran episode turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronouncement that the Britishes could not order him about in his own country. It established the effectiveness of non¬cooperation as a means of fighting for justice. The Champaran episode revealed Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. Even after winning the peasants’ battle against the English landlords Gandhiji stayed in Champaran for the cultural and social upliftment of the poor and the backward of the villages of Champaran.

Question 30.
Why did Rajkumar Shukla invite Gandhiji to Champaran? How did Gandhiji solve the problem of the indigo farmers? (All India 2012)
Answer:
Rajkmar Shukla who was an illiterate and oppressed indigo farmer from Champaran invited Gandhiji to visit his district so that he could alleviate the problems faced by the miserable peasants at the hands of the British landlords. He kept urging Gandhiji to visit Champaran. Gandhiji’s truthfulness, sincerity of purpose and undeterred efforts enabled him to solve the problem of the indigo farmers. He began by trying to get the facts. The British landlords as well as Commissioner of Tirhut were non-cooperative. Lawyers from Muzaffarpur briefed him about court cases of these peasants. Gandhiji and the lawyers collected depositions by about ten thousand peasants. Notes were made on other evidence. Documents were collected. The whole area throbbed with the activities of the investigators and forceful protests of landlords. The Lieutenant Governor summoned Gandhiji. After four protracted interviews an official commission of inquiry was appointed to look into the indigo sharecroppers’ situation. Gandhiji was the sole representative of the peasants. The official inquiry assembled huge quantity of evidence against the big planters. After negotiation a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers was agreed on. This was a moral victory of the peasants. They recognised their rights and learned courage.

Question 31.
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 unorganized labour. What values do we learn from Gandhiji campaign to counter the present day problems of exploitation?(Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Gandhiji’s campaign in Champaran is relevant even in the present day to counter the problems of exploitation. What we must keep in mind is to teach the downtrodden to be courageous. Unless the labour class overcomes the fear within them, they will never be able to fight for their rights. Therefore, priority has to be given to empowering and making the labour class bold and fearless and to give them the courage to oppose injustice and exploitation. Another thing we must remember is to focus not on the problems of the labour class but on the solution of their problems. We must possess a humanitarian approach and should be ready to brave hardships with non-violence, patience and perseverance. Only then can we overcome the present-day problems of exploitation.

Question 32.
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? (All India 2013)
Answer:
Gandhiji had demanded the indigo planters for a 50 per cent refund to the farmers but they offered only 25 per cent. But Gandhiji agreed to their offer because for him the amount of the refund was of less importance. More important was the fact that the planters had been forced to surrender part of their rights. It was a moral victory for the farmers. Gandhiji’s main aim was to break the deadlock between the landlords and their tenants and to enable the peasants to recognise their legal rights. Within a few years the British planters abandoned their estates, which reverted to the peasants and finally indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Question 33.
Attempt the following in about 100 words:
Our scriptures tell us that determination and perseverance are cardinal virtues of a good human being. Raj Kumar Shukla succeeded in taking Gandhiji to Champaran with the help of these two.
How can young students today use these two qualities to make successful careers for themselves? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Determination is your decision to do something against all odds. Perseverance is to keep doing something for the time needed to achieve your goal no matter how long or difficult the path is. No wonder these two qualities should be the ‘mantra’ for young students to make a successful career for themselves. If there is one quality, one personal trait that is most correlated with success it is the trait of per¬sistence—the ability to endure till the end. With a little more perseverance what once seemed a hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. Determination and perseverance give us hope that the righteous suffer no other failure except that of giving up and no longer trying.

Question 34.
Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for Independence? (All India 2014)
Answer:
The Champaran episode was a landmark in the Gandhian style of fighting against the British. It was a long-drawn out but peaceful agitation. It was also a turning point in Gandhiji’s life. During this struggle Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of the Britishers. It 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. It was the triumph of the first civil disobedience movement. The Champaran episode taught the farmers to be courageous and made them aware of their rights. It was a spontaneous demonstration around the courtroom and the beginning of the peasant liberation from the fear of Britishers. In the Champaran episode, self-reliance and freedom struggle went hand in hand.

Question 35.
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? (All India 2014)
Answer:
Gandhiji never contented himself with large political and economic solutions. He saw the cultural and social backwardness in the villages of Champaran and wanted to do something about it immediately. So he continued his stay in Champaran even after indigo sharecropping disappeared. He appealed to two young men, who were teachers and their wives to engage volunteers for improving conditions of health and hygiene. Since the health conditions were miserable in Champaran, Gandhiji got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. He noticed the filthy state of women’s clothes and asked his wife, Kasturba to talk to them about it. During his long stay in Champaran Gandhiji also kept a long distance watch on the ashram. In everything Gandhiji did, he tried to mould a new free India that could stand on its own feet.

Question 36.
Describe how, according to Louis Fischer, Gandhiji succeeded in his Champaran campaign? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
According to Louis Fischer, the Champaran campaign began as an attempt to fight against the injustice towards the helpless peasants to alleviate their sufferings. It later turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronouncement that the Britishers could not order him about in his own country. Gandhiji took up the cause of the indigo sharecroppers at Champaran. He fought against the injustice of the cruel British landlords who extorted money from the poor sharecroppers. Gandhiji collected all the facts and met the Commissioner. He tried to threaten Gandhiji and advised him to leave from there. But Gandhiji was undeterred. He decided to launch a peaceful ‘satyagraha’ and non-violent movement. This led to spontaneous demonstrations in Motihari. Thousands of peasants challenged the Britishers and the government was baffled. Despite earlier hesitations the prominent lawyers declared their unconditional support to Gandhiji. Finally Gandhiji’s peaceful and non-violent civil disobedience bore the desired results. The indigo sharecroppers at Champaran secured justice and the landlords agreed to refund 25 percent of the compensation money.

Question 37.
What did Gandhiji do to remove the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages? (Comptt. Delhi 2015)
Answer:
Gandhiji never contented himself with large political and economic solutions. He saw the cultural and social backwardness in the villages of Champaran and wanted to do something about it immediately. So he continued his stay in Champaran even after indigo sharecropping disappeared. He appealed to two young men, who were teachers and their wives to engage volunteers for improving conditions of health and hygiene. Since the health conditions were miserable in Champaran, Gandhiji got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. He noticed the filthy state of women’s clothes and asked his wife, Kasturba to talk to them about it. During his long stay in Champaran Gandhiji also kept a long distance watch on the ashram. In everything Gandhiji did, he tried to mould a new free India that could stand on its own feet.

Also add: Gandhiji was different from other politicians. His politics was concerned with the day to day problems of the people. His aim was to mould the Indians who could stand on their own feet and make India free. The purpose of
Gandhiji’s visit to Champaran was to bring justice to the sharecroppers. But after that was achieved he stayed on to alleviate the sufferings of the people in Champaran. He started schools and clinics. His friends, wife and sons volunteered to help him. Gandhiji stayed nearly for a year in Champaran.

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Question 38. How did a visit to Champaran become a turning point in Gandhi’s life? How does this show Gandhi’s love and concern for the com¬mon people of India? (Comptt. All India 2015)
Answer: The Champaran episode began as an attempt to fight against the injustice towards the hapless peasants to alleviate their sufferings. It later turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud pronounce-ment that the Britishers could not order him about in his own country. It established the effectiveness of non-cooperation as a means of fighting for justice. Gandhiji did not get intimidated either by the British officials or by their offers. The Champaran episode was not an outcome of defiance of authorities but it was a result of sincere efforts to relieve the suffering of the masses. It revealed Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. After winning the peasants’ battle against the English landlords Gandhiji stayed on in Champaran for the cultural and social upliftment of the poor and backward villages of Champaran.

Question 39. Gandhiji had great love for the poor. What did he do for the indigo farmers of Champaran? (2016)
Answer: The indigo sharecroppers in Champaran were being exploited by the British landlords. Gandhiji was called for help to alleviate their sufferings. At first he removed the peasants’ fear and united them. He then changed the professional mindset of the lawyers. He also made the landlords agree to return 25 per cent of the compensation. The landlords finally left Champaran. Then Gandhiji started his second mission of solving the problem of the cultural and social backwardness in Champaran. He spread awareness regarding sanitation, health and education. Since the health conditions were miserable, he got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. After winning the peasants’ battle Gandhiji started working for the cultural and social upliftment of the poor and backward villagers.

Question 40. Gandhiji, Father of our nation, is a great leader whose values have been admired by one and all. Describe at least three characteristics of Gandhiji you get to know from ‘Indigo’, which you wish to adopt into your own life quoting suitable instances from the story. (Comptt. Delhi 2017)
Answer: There is no denying the fact that Gandhiji’s values and ideologies have been admired by one and all. In the lesson ‘Indigo’ we get a glimpse of his certain traits that we should adopt in our own life. When Gandhiji reached Champaran, his main aim was to solve the problem of the sharecroppers and he worked towards that cause relentlessly. This quality enabled him to overcome all obstacles. Despite his unassuming and simple personality Gandhiji did not get intimidated by the British. He dared to face each situation fearlessly and nothing could deter him from his path. After having resolved the issue of compensation of the sharecroppers he focussed his attention on the social and cultural problems of the people of Champaran. Here too he displayed an extreme sense of sincerity towards this mammoth task. If we adopt these characteristics of Gandhiji in our life we too are bound to achieve success in our endeavours.

Question 41. Leadership is all about a strong concern for others. What light does Champaran episode throw on Gandhiji’s leadership? (Comptt. All India 2017)
Answer: There is no doubt about the fact that a good leader is one who has a strong concern for others. Not only does he have a mass appeal but he even rises from the masses. He is a man of principles and his life is an open book. Gandhiji’s sincere efforts to get justice for the Champaran sharecroppers and his conscientious endeavours to uplift the people there are proof enough of the true leadership qualities that he possessed. His primary concern was the welfare of the common man because Gandhiji never contented himself with large political or economic solutions. Seeing the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran village he wanted to do something about it immediately. His politics was always intertwined with the practical day-to-day problems of the millions and through his selfless actions he displayed what true leadership was all about.

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