Indigo
Understanding the text
1. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode
to be a turning-point in his life?
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2. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
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3. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities
towards advocates of ‘home rule’?
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4. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the
freedom movement?
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Talking about the text
Discuss the following.
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?
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2. The qualities of a good leader.
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.
Thinking about language
1. Notice the sentences in the text which are in ‘direct speech’.
Why does the author use quotations in his narration?
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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.
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(b) He had not proceeded far when the police superintendent’s
messenger overtook him.
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(c) When the court reconvened, the judge said he would not
deliver the judgment for several days.
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Things to do
1. Choose an issue that has provoked a controversy like the Bhopal
Gas Tragedy or the Narmada Dam Project in which the lives of
the poor have been affected.
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2. Find out the facts of the case.
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3. Present your arguments.
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4. Suggest a possible settlement.
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