प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
Class - 12
English Core
Flamingo Prose Chapter-5 INDIGO
QUESTIONS:-
Q1. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another
peasant ?
Ans-
Shukla led Gandhi to Rajendra Prasad 's house. The servants knew Shukla as a
poor farmer. He always Rajendra Prasad to take up the cause of indigo share croppers
of Champaran. Gandhi was also clad in a simple dhoti. He was the companion of a
peasant. Hence, the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant.
Q2. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 percent refund to
the farmers?
Ans-
The landlors feared that Gandhi would demand repayment of all the money but for
Gandhi 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. So, he agreed to settlement of 25 percent refund to the
farmers.
Q3. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first
meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Ans-
Gandhi's first meeting with Shukla was at Lucknow. Then he went to Knapur and
other parts of India .He returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad. Gandhi visited
Calcutta. From there they boarded a train for Patna in Bihar. Then he came to
Muzaffarpur and from there to Motihari. Then finally, he came to Champaran.
Q4. 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?
Ans-
Gandhi had a deep respect for legal authority. But he could defy the
authorities if they violated natural justice and human values. Gandhi defied
the official order of quitting Champaran. He heard the 'voice of conscience.
The resistance and disobedience was peaceful and a fight for truth and
justice'. All these instances link them to his ideas of satyagraha and non-violence.
Q5. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
Ans-
The episode of Champaran brought more than one change in the plight of the
peasants of that district. These peasants gained confidence which was evident
in their spontaneous demonstration on the morning of Gandhi's trial. After the
successful refund of the compensation the peasants for the first time, realized
their own rights and were liberated from the fear that had plagued them. This
episode brought an end to the fifteen percent arrangement of sharecropping.
However, the most radical change that the episode brought about was in their
social and cultural standard. Gandhi opened schools in six villages His wife
took pains to make the peasants aware of the importance of general sanitation
and personal hygiene.
Q6. Why didn't Gandhi go straight to Champaran but stayed first
at Muzaffarpur ?
Ans-
Gandhi thought it advisable to go first to Muzaffarpur before going to
Champaran . He wanted to collect more information about conditions prevailing
there.J.B. Kripalani and Professor Malkani briefed Gandhiji. Even Muzaffarpur
lawyers called on Gandhi to brief him.
Q7. Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers of Muzaffarpur ?
Ans-
Muzaffarpur lawyers called on Gandhi to brief them. They have frequently represented
peasants groups in courts. Gandhi chided them for collecting big fees from the
poor sharecroppers. The peasants were poor and crushed. It was inhuman to
charge heavy fees from them.
Q8. What did Gandhi do to remove the cultural and social backwardness
in the Champaran villages ?
Ans-
For Gandhi the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages was a
curse. He wanted to do something about it immediately. Volunteers came from
many parts of India. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturbai
taught them about cleanliness and sanitation. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer
his service for six months..
Q9. How did Gandhi help the poor in Champaran to achieve freedom
from fear? What made indigo share-cropping disappear?
Ans-
Ganhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord
system. First he went to Muzaffarpur. He wanted to obtain complete information
about the actual conditions there .Most of the land in Champaran was owned by
Englishmen. The landlords compelled all tenants to plant 15 percent of their
land with indigo. Synthetic indigo was developed in Germany. Indigo plantation
no longer remained profitable. The landlords released the tenants from the 15
percent agreement. They obtained new agreements from sharecroppers to pay them
compensation for freeing them. Many refused to sign and others wanted their
money back. A huge crowd welcomed Gandhiji at Champaran. The commissioner
advised him to leave the place. Gandhiji didn't oblige him. He decided to defy
the order. Thousands of fearless peasants demonstrated around the courthouse.
The case against Gandhiji was dropped.
Q10. How could Gandhi persuade the lawyers to follow him into
jail?
Ans-
Many prominent lawyers of Bihar came to confer with Gandhi. Gandhi asked what
they would do if he was sentenced to prison. A senior lawyer told him frankly
that they would go home. Gandhi asked them about the injustice done to the
sharecroppers. The lawyers felt ashamed. They were ready to follow him into
jail.
Q11. Describe Gandhi's visit at Muzaffarpur.
Ans-
Gandhiji decided to go to Muzaffarpur which was enroute to Champaran. He wanted
to obtain more information about the conditions there He stayed for two days in
the home of Professor Malkani who was a teacher in a government school. It was
not an ordinary thing those days for a government professor to harbour a man
like him. In smaller localities, the Indians were afraid to show sympathy for
the advocates of home- rule. The news of the advent of Gandhiji spread quickly to
Champaran and Muzaffarpur. Sharecroppers in large number came to see their
champion. Gandhiji talked to the lawyers about the court cases of the
sharecroppers. They brief him about the cases.
Q12. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the
freedom movement ?
Ans-
In the given text it was only due to the support of ordinary people that the
sharecroppers of Champaran would get justice. When Gandhiji was arrested in
Motihari, the ordinary people flicked on the roads in large numbers as a result,
the government had to drop the case against Gandhiji. This Champaran episode
was just a glimpse of the freedom movement. Thus, from this episode we can say
that the ordinary people too contributed for the freedom movement.
Q13. 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?
Ans-
The episode of Champaran represents the exploitation of the poor Indian
peasants by the British planters. At that time India was under British rule.
But even after seventy years of Independence there is Champaran everywhere in
India. The poor are still exploited by the bureaucrats, moneylenders and
politicians. The moneylenders charge unimaginably high rates of interest from
the farmers.
No
wonder the incidents of suicides by the farmers are on the rise. Our
constitution has given equal rights to all Indians. But in fact the poor can't
enjoy any of the rights given to them by the constitution. They are remembered
only at the time of elections. Though they had got political freedom yet this
freedom is shameful.
Q14. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being
"resolute"?
Ans-
Rajkumar Shukla wanted Gandhi to go to Champaran to take up the cause of the
poor peasants. He was firm in his intentions; it is evident from the fact that
he did not leave Gandhi until Gandhi promised to accompany him to Champaran.
Rajkumar traveled a long way from Champaran to Lucknow. Wherever Gandhi went,
he went with him so that he could find a solution to the serious problem and
make Gandhi realize what he and his villagers were facing.
Q15. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to
be a turning-point in his life?
Ans-
The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhi's life. Gandhi himself
accepts it. When he met Raj Kumar Shukla, he did not know anything about
Champaran.But since Gandhi was an advocate by profession, it was his habit to
get into the core of the matter. And he got all the information from different
sources. He found that injustice was being done to the weaker section and he
took recourse to the law for this and brought the British government on its
knees and forced it to compromise. Gandhi felt this victory as a victory for
the poor farmers apart from personally and hence he called it the turning point
of his life. Because by learning from this, he wanted to make his further plans
successful.
Q16. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller
localities towards advocates of 'home rule'?
Ans-
Before the advent of Gandhi, there was no mass movement in India. The common
masses were totally unorganized. The state terrorized them.The people were
afraid to show sympathy for advocates of home- rule.
Gandhi
brought the average Indian away from this isolation and indifference. Some
leaders like J.B. Kripalani and Prof. Malkani were with Gandhiji. It was not
quite usual in those days. Gandhi stayed for two days in the home of Professor
Malkani. It was quite a courageous thing in those days to give shelter to a man
like Gandhi. But J.B. Kripalani and Professor Malkani were exceptional cases.
The average Indians were still afraid of mixing up with the advocates of
'home-rule'.
Q17. What information did Gandhi get about the sharecropping
system in Champaran?
Ans-
The chief commercial crop of Champaran was indigo. The British landlords
compelled all the tenants to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo and
surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. This was done by a long- term
contract. Then the land-lords came to know that Germany had developed synthetic
indigo. Now producing natural indigo was not at all profitable. Very cunningly
the British landlords obtained agreements from the sharecroppers to pay them
compensation for being released from the 15% agreement. Many sharecroppers
signed it willingly while the others engaged lawyers. The landlords hired
thugs. Meanwhile, the information about synthetic indigo reached the illiterate
peasants who had paid the compensation and wanted their money back.
Q18. How did the peasants of Champaran react when they came to
know about the arrival of Gandhiji?
Ans-
The news of Gandhiji'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
Q19. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Ans-
Gandhi asked the lawyers what they would do if he was sentenced to prison. They
said that they had come to advise him. If he went to jail, they would go home.
Then Gandhi asked them what about the injustice to the sharecroppers. The
lawyers held consultations. They came to the conclusion that it would be
shameful desertion if they went home. So, they told Gandhi that they were ready
to follow him into jail.
Q20. How was Gandhi treated at Rajendra Prasad's house?
Ans-
In Patna Shukla led Gandhi 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.
Q21. Why was Gandhiji opposed to C.F. Andrews helping him in
Champaran?
Ans-
Though Gandhi'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 help from Andrews just because
he happened to be an Englishman. Gandhiji wanted Indians to be self- reliant.
Q22. Why was Gandhi unhappy with the lawyers in Muzaffarpur? Why
was he against taking cases to the law courts?
Ans-
Gandhiji was unhappy with the lawyers in Muzaffarpur 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.
Q23. Describe the difficulties faced by Gandhi at Champaran.
Ans-
Gandhiji came to Champaran to fight against the injustice of the landlord
system. 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 percent 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.
Q24. How was a solution to the problem of indigo sharecroppers
of Champaran found?
Ans-
The entire harvest of indigo,the chief commercial crops produced by the
peasants in the 15 percent 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 percent 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.
Q25. Which factors helped the fear-stricken peasants of
Champaran to achieve freedom?
Ans-
There were several factors in which Gandhiji's contribution was remarkable. The
peasants were sharecroppers with the British planters. According to an old
agreement, the peasants had to produce indigo on 15 percent of the land and
give it as rent to the landlords. Around 1917, it was told that Germany had
developed synthetic indigo. So the British planters now no longer desired the
indigo crop. To release the peasants from the old agreement, they demanded
compensation from them. Most of the illiterate peasants agreed to it. However,
others refused. Lawyers were engaged to go to the court.
At
that time, Gandhiji appeared in Champaran. He fought a long battle for the poor
peasants for one year and managed to get justice for them. The peasants now
became courageous and became aware about their rights. Along with the political
and economic struggle, Gandhiji worked on the social level also. He made
arrangements for the education, health and hygiene of the families of poor
peasants by teaching the lesson of self-reliance. It was one of the ways to
forward the struggle for Indian independence.
The
peasants now had courage. They believed that they had rights which they could
defend. Gradually, the British planters left their estates. These estates now
came back to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping disappeared for all times to
come.
OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Who were ready to follow Gandhi into jail?
(a)
peasants
(b) lawyers
(c)
Shukla
(d)
J.B. Kripalani
2. Why was Gandhi not permitted to draw water from Rajendra
Prasad's well?
(a) the servant thought Gandhi was another peasant
(b)
as Rajendra Prasad was not at home
(c)
Gandhi looked like a vagabond
(d)
Gandhi was a Harijan
3. Who received Gandhi at the Muzaffarpur station?
(a)
Shukla
(b) J.B Kripalani
(c)
Rajendra Prasad
(d)
Nehru
4. Where was Champaran?
(a)
In Lucknow
(b)
In Delhi
(c)
In Uttar Pradesh
(d) A district of Bihar in British India
5. Who was Raj Kumar Shukla?
(a)
A lawyer
(b)
A government official
(c)
A politician
(d) A poor peasant
6. How did Gandhi help the peasants of Champaran?
(a) By fighting and securing justice for them
(b)
By hiring lawyers for them
(c)
By educating them
(d)
By teaching them cleanliness
7. How much did Indigo planters offer to pay?
(a)
30%
(b)
10%
(c) 25%
(d)
40%
8. Why is Champaran famous?
(a)
For fighting
(b)
For Indigo
(c)
Because Gandhiji had visited
(d) For the first Satyagraha movement in 1917
9. What's the meaning of the word "advocates of home
rule"?
(a)
Lawyers of own country
(b) One who defends his country
(c)
Advocates who break the colonial rule
(d)
None of the above.
10. Why did Gandhi not leave Champaran for a long time even
after this victory?
(a)
To improve social backwardness in Champaran
(b)
He wanted to lay the foundation of freedom from here
(c)
He wanted to bring awareness among people
(d) All of the above
JCERT/JAC Hindi Elective प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
Index
Flamingo | |
Poetry Section | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
6. | |
Prose Section | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
6. | |
7. | |
8. | |
Vistas | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
6. | |
7. | |
8. | |
