Indigo questions and answers: Ncert Solutions for Class 12 English flamingo Chapter 5 Indigo
| Textbook | Ncert |
| Class | Class 12 |
| Subject | English flamingo |
| Chapter | Chapter 5 |
| Chapter Name | Indigo ncert solutions |
| Category | Ncert Solutions |
| Medium | English |
Are you looking for Class 12 English flamingo Chapter 5 Indigo question answer? Now you can download Indigo questions and answers pdf from here.
The Rattrap Think As you Read:
Question 1: Strike out what is not true in the following.
a. Rajkumar Shukla was
(i) a sharecropper.
(ii) a politician.
(iii) delegate.
(iv) a landlord.
b. Rajkumar Shukla was
(i) poor.
(ii) physically strong.
(iii) illiterate.
Answer 1: (a) (i) a sharecropper.
(b) (i) poor.
Question 2: Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?
Answer 2: Rajkumar Shukla is described as being ‘resolute’ because even after being told about the prior engagements of Gandhi at Kanpur and other parts across the country, he did not quit, rather he continued to accompany Gandhi everywhere. He persistently asked Gandhi to fix a date for his visit to his native district of Champaran. Gandhi, finally impressed by his resolution and determination, complied with his request.
Question 3: Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Answer 3: The servants knew shukla who was a poor peasants of champaran. He always troubled Rajendra Prasad to fight for the cause of the sharecroppers. Gandhi was simple and so they thought him to be another peasants from champaran.
The Rattrap Think As you Read:
Question 1: List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Answer 1: Lucknow → Ashram (Ahmadabad) → Calcutta → Patna → Muzaffarpur → Motihari → Champaran.
Gandhi’s first meeting with Shukla was at Lucknow. Then he went to Cawnpore and other parts of India. He returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad. Later he went to Calcutta, Patna and Muzaffarpur before arriving at Champaran.
Question 2: What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the British now want instead and why? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo?
Answer 2: The peasants used to pay indigo as rent to the British landlords. Germany had now developed synthetic indigo. So the British landlords wanted money as compensation for being released from natural arrangement. The prices of natural Indigo would go down due to the synthetic indigo.
The Rattrap Think As you Read:
Question 1: 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?
Answer 1: Gandhi’s politics intermingled with the day-to-day problems of the millions of Indians. He opposed unjust laws. He was ready to court arrest for breaking such laws and going to jail. The famous Dandi March to break the ‘salt law’ is another instance. The resistance and disobedience were peaceful and a fight for truth and justice…This was linked directly to his ideas of Satyagraha and non-violence.
The Rattrap Think As you Read:
Question 1: Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers?
Answer 1: Gandhi explained that the amount of refund was less important than the landlords were humbled. They were compelled to surrender not only money but also their prestige. Therefore, Gandhi agreed to accept the settlement though earlier he had claimed 50% refund.
Question 2: How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
Answer 2: The episode of Champaran changed the plight of the peasants of that district. These peasants gained confidence which was evident in their spontaneous demonstration in the morning of Gandhi’s trial. The successful refund of the compensation, made the peasants realise, for the first time that, they too had their own rights and were liberated from the fear that had plagued them.
This episode also brought an end to the fifteen percent arrangement of sharecropping. 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. Gandhiji even appointed a doctor.
The Rattrap Understanding the text:
Question 1: Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point in his life?
Answer 1: Gandhi considered the Champaran episode a watershed moment in his life because it was India’s first Satyagraha movement, and it restored courage and a feeling of self-reliance to the Champaran peasants. As a result, Gandhi regarded it as significant in his life and the course of Indian independence.
Question 2: How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Answer 2: Gandhi influenced the lawyers by setting a powerful example of self-sacrifice and moral courage. When he arrived in Champaran and saw the plight of the peasants, he made it clear that he was willing to be arrested and even go to jail for their cause. His willingness to suffer for the truth made the lawyers re-evaluate their own commitment. Initially, the lawyers were hesitant to get involved, fearing the consequences.
However, when they saw Gandhi’s determination, they couldn’t remain passive. Gandhi’s moral authority was so compelling that the lawyers, who were initially concerned with their own safety, decided to stay in Champaran and support the peasants, even if it meant going to jail. This change in attitude was a direct result of Gandhi’s influence.
Question 3: What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home rule’?
Answer 3: During that time, the average Indian in smaller towns and villages was terrified of the British. They were afraid of the repercussions of assisting proponents of “home rule.” As a result, while they were supportive of people like Gandhi, they were afraid to express it openly, and only a few dared to do so. In the story, we meet people like Professor Malkani, who had the courage to give shelter to Gandhi on the latter’s visit to Muzaffarpur.
Question 4: How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Answer 4: Ordinary people were the backbone of the freedom movement, and this was evident in the Champaran episode. The spontaneous demonstrations by thousands of peasants outside the Motihari courthouse were a clear sign of their involvement. These peasants, led by the persistent efforts of Rajkumar Shukla, showed that the movement was not just a leadership-driven initiative but a mass uprising.
Additionally, volunteers like Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh, and their wives contributed to the movement by setting up schools and improving the social conditions in Champaran. A doctor even volunteered for six months, which highlights the collective effort of ordinary people to support Gandhi’s mission. These contributions, though often overlooked, were crucial to the success of the movement and the broader struggle for independence.
The Rattrap Talking about the text:
Discuss the following.
Question 1: “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?
Answer 1: In the story, Gandhi makes it possible for the sharecroppers of Champaran to shed their fear of the British landlords. According to Gandhi, freedom from fear is the first step towards self-reliance. However, it is unfortunate that the poor people of the country are not free from fear, even decades after the independence. Their actions, work, etc. are still under pressure; they are under the mercy of the bureaucratic system.
Furthermore, the poor live in a continual fear of the police, who instead of taking care, often end up maltreating them. The already poor farmers are becoming poorer, because of globalisation and the craze for foreign products. This leaves them in the fear of further destitution.
Question 2: The qualities of a good leader.
Answer 2: A good leader has a mass appeal. He rises from the masses, thinks for them, and works for them. He is sincere in his approach. He is a man of principles. Truth, honesty, patriotism, morality, the spirit of service, and sacrifice are the hallmarks of a good leader. He never mixes politics with religion or sect.
He believes in working for the welfare of the nation and does not think in the narrow terms of class, caste, or region. Corruption and nepotism are two evils that surround a leader in power. The life of a good leader is an open book. There is no difference between his words and actions. Such good leaders are very rare.
What we find today are practical politicians, who think of achieving their end without bothering about. the purity of means. The law of expediency gets the better of morality.
The Rattrap Thinking about Language:
Question 1: Notice the sentences in the text which are in ‘direct speech’. Why does the author use quotations in his narration?
Answer 1: Below are some sentences in the text which are in ‘direct speech’:
| “I will tell you how it happened that I decided to urge the departure of the British. It was in 1917.” |
| ‘I am Rajkumar Shukla. I am from Champaran, and I want you to come to my district’!’’ |
| “Speak to Gandhi.” |
| “Fix a date,” |
| ‘‘I have to be in Calcutta on such-and-such a date. Come and meet me and take me from there.” |
| ‘‘It was an extraordinary thing … for a government professor to harbour a man like me”. |
| ‘‘The commissioner … to bully me and advised me forthwith to leave Tirhut.’’ |
| “conflict of duties” |
| “humanitarian and national service” |
| “not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience” |
| “But how much must we pay?” |
| ‘‘Look, there is no box or cupboard here for clothes. The sari I am wearing is the only one I have.” |
| ‘‘What I did,” he explained, “was a very ordinary thing. I declared that the British could not order me about in my own country.” |
| ‘‘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’’. |
The author uses quotations to indicate the actual words of a speaker. Usually a quotation is used when a particular passage or sentence is well-written or memorable or is especially relevant in the context under discussion. In ‘Indigo,’ the author uses quotations when he mentions important commentary or observation, or any pertinent utterance by Gandhi, or for that matter, by any other character.
Question 2: Notice the use or non-use of the comma in the following sentences.
(a) When I first visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram, he told me what happened in Champaran.
(b) He had not proceeded far when the police superintendent’s messenger overtook him.
(c) When the court reconvened, the judge said he would not deliver the judgment for several days.
Answer 2: (a) In this sentence, the comma is used after a long introductory phrase.
(b) Essential clauses do not require commas. In this sentence, the clause ‘when the police superintendent’s
messenger overtook him’ is an essential clause because it provides essential information. Hence, a comma is not required in this sentence.
(c) In this sentence again, we have an introductory clause which provides extra information. The secondhalf of the sentence can stand alone and, therefore, is separated from the introductory clause with a comma
The Rattrap Working with Words
List the words used in the text that are related to legal procedures.
For example: deposition
List other words that you know that fall into this category.
Answer :
| Deposition | Notice | Summon | Lawyer |
| Court | Cases | Fee | Agreement |
| Opposition | Prosecution | Offense | Crime |
| Compensation | Order | Courthouse | Judge |
| Prosecutor | Statement | Guilty | Trial |
| Bail | Judgment | Inquiry | Evidence |
| Documents | Imprison | Appeal | Rights |
| Investigation | Reconvene | Appear | Pleading |
| Witness | Accused | Proceedings | Adjourn |
| Verdict | Decree | Accusation | Defense |
| Impeachment | Charge | Affidavit | Indictment |