Class 12 (English) – Flamingo
Ch. 5 - Indigo
by Louis Fischer
About the Author
Louis Fischer (1896-1970) was born in Philadelphia in 1896. He served as a volunteer in the
British Army between 1918-1920. Fischer made a career as a journalist and wrote for The New
York Times, The Saturday Review and for European and Asian publications. He was also a
member of the faculty of Princeton University.
Introduction to the chapter
The story is based on the interview taken by Louis Fischer of Mahatma Gandhi. In order to
write on him he had visited him in 1942 at his ashram- Sevagram where he was told about the
Indigo Movement started by Gandhiji. The story revolves around the struggle of Gandhi and
other prominent leaders in order to safeguard sharecroppers from the atrocities of landlords.
Summary - 1
In December 1916 Gandhi went to Lucknow to attend the annual convention of the Indian
National Congress. There were 2,301 delegates and many visitors. A peasant from Champaran,
Rajkumar Shukla, asked Gandhi to visit his district. Shukla followed Gandhi, wherever he went.
In 1917, Gandhi and Shukla boarded a train for Patna. Shukla led Gandhi to the house of a
lawyer named Rajendra Prasad. They could not see him as he was out of town.
Gandhi decided to go first to Muzaffarpur to obtain complete information about the conditions
in Champaran. He reached Muzaffarpur by train at midnight on 15 April 1917. Professor J.B.
Kriplani, received him at the station. Gandhi stayed there for two days. The news of Gandhi’s
arrival and the nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran.
Ch. 5 - Indigo
by Louis Fischer
About the Author
Louis Fischer (1896-1970) was born in Philadelphia in 1896. He served as a volunteer in the
British Army between 1918-1920. Fischer made a career as a journalist and wrote for The New
York Times, The Saturday Review and for European and Asian publications. He was also a
member of the faculty of Princeton University.
Introduction to the chapter
The story is based on the interview taken by Louis Fischer of Mahatma Gandhi. In order to
write on him he had visited him in 1942 at his ashram- Sevagram where he was told about the
Indigo Movement started by Gandhiji. The story revolves around the struggle of Gandhi and
other prominent leaders in order to safeguard sharecroppers from the atrocities of landlords.
Summary - 1
In December 1916 Gandhi went to Lucknow to attend the annual convention of the Indian
National Congress. There were 2,301 delegates and many visitors. A peasant from Champaran,
Rajkumar Shukla, asked Gandhi to visit his district. Shukla followed Gandhi, wherever he went.
In 1917, Gandhi and Shukla boarded a train for Patna. Shukla led Gandhi to the house of a
lawyer named Rajendra Prasad. They could not see him as he was out of town.
Gandhi decided to go first to Muzaffarpur to obtain complete information about the conditions
in Champaran. He reached Muzaffarpur by train at midnight on 15 April 1917. Professor J.B.
Kriplani, received him at the station. Gandhi stayed there for two days. The news of Gandhi’s
arrival and the nature of his mission spread quickly through Muzaffarpur and to Champaran.
