The Champaran Satyagraha

I t was the Christmas week of 1916. The winter in Lucknow was at its peak. The 31st session of the Indian National Congress was being held at the Rifa-e-Aam Club in Lucknow. A group of farmers from Champaran, a village in Bihar came to the session. The delegation was headed by lawyer Raj Kumar Shukla along with his compatriots Brajkishore Prasad, Sant Rout, Peer Muhammad Munis, Harbans Sahay and Ganesh Ram. They were in Lucknow to look for a leader who could bring justice to peasants who were being exploited by British planters for a long time. It was Congress leader Madan Mohan Malaviya who introduced them to Gandhi. 

As they sat in front of Gandhi, Shukla became emotional. “Many tenants have died on account of oppression, many have fled away, many have settled in the nearby Nepal Terai,” he said. “From my village of Satwaria, about 200 families have left because of harsh taxation of indigo by the British. I used to own 60 buffaloes and 300 cows, now I have only three buffaloes and eight cows.” 

Gandhi replied that he will never judge anything unless he saw the situation with his own eyes. “One day will be enough,” said Shukla.

 Later, Congress passed a resolution at the meet expressing sympathy for the people of Champaran. Thereafter, Shukla followed Gandhi all the way to Kanpur. This time, Gandhi committed himself to visit Champaran. 

Shukla bid goodbye to Gandhi only to reappear again at his Sabarmati Ashram at Ahmedabad to confirm a date. But Gandhi said he had to go to Kolkata during the first week of April 1917.

 “Take me from there,” Gandhi said. 

Gandhi was taken up by Shukla’s commitment when he saw him at friend Bhupen Babu’s house at Kolkata. In his autobiography, Gandhi writes, “Before I reached Bhupen Babu’s place, Rajkumar Shukla had gone and established himself there. Thus, this ignorant, unsophisticated but resolute agriculturist captured me.” 

Soon Gandhi set off to Champaran

THE STAIN OF INDIGO

The story of indigo farmers was not known to many. In the early 19th century, British planters invaded the Champaran area. They forced the peasants to cultivate indigo (neel) in 3/20ths of their land. Hence, it also came to be known as Teen Kathia system. The planters chose the best portions of the land for indigo cultivation and offered very low prices for the output that failed to cover the cost of cultivation. For about 100 years the poor peasants suffered indignity, physical abuse, and exploitation. The planters kept suppressing every protest by misusing the judiciary. When the Germans introduced synthetic indigo in the world market, the situation of the farmers worsened. At Champaran, Gandhiji held a meeting with Englishmen James Wilson, the secretary of the Bihar Planters’ Association and L F Morshead, Magistrate of Tirhut Division. Later, he set off to Muzaffarpur, where he was greeted by Acharya J B Kripalani at Muzaffarpur. The English professor had just resigned from his job in protest against British atrocities. Gandhiji realised that apart from the indigo exploitation, he had to deal with the challenges of untouchability and caste-based discrimination prevalent in the region. Hence, Gandhiji was convinced that Champaran required more time and attention. A stay that was planned for two days was extended indefinitely.

GANDHI BECOMES MAHATMA

THE COURT PROCEEDINGS

The local administration viewed Gandhi's visit suspiciously and responded by issuing ordinances to stop him from his investigations. The District Magistrate asked him to leave the area immediately or face imprisonment. But Gandhi defied the order. This spread like wildfire among the people. So, when Gandhi walked to the Magistrate’s court with his friends, he was accompanied by a huge crowd.Money lender Sant Raut proclaimed him as the 'Mahatma'. 

Slogans of ‘Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai’ filled the court. And the title remained forever with Gandhiji. The magistrate was perplexed at the situation. The government pleader stated that he would require some time before he could get the witnesses. Gandhiji intervened and said that there was no need, he was pleading guilty but he wanted to read a brief submission. He said that he was invited by farmers to inquire into their conditions and thus he was duty-bound to do so. He did not want to disobey the law but said, “I have disregarded the order served upon me, not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of our being, the law of conscience.” The magistrate was confused. He postponed the judgment for a later date. Gandhiji was set free pending judgment. 

Eventually, the district administration dropped the case. Champaran found its new messiah. Parallel to this, Gandhiji also set up education centres, improved sanitation and empowered villagers. In time, prominent lawyers like Rajendra Prasad and Brajkishore Prasad collected over 12000 pieces of evidence of injustice, abuse and exploitation by indigo planters. Meanwhile, the British set up an interim commission; Gandhiji was included as the aggrieved party. In October 1917, the report submitted by Gandhiji was unanimously accepted. 

The notorious Teen Kathia was abolished on March 4, 1919, and tenant farmers were given relief on many other counts. The British Planters and factory owners were asked to pay back the farmers. Thus, Gandhiji along with his colleagues won a significant victory in Champaran. It infused enormous confidence in the people that they could stand up to the might of the British Raj.

(Published in The Making of Mahatma' Supplement, The New Indian Express, south India, October 02, 2019 

Link: http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/1841233/The-Making-Of-Mahatma/02102018#page/5/1