INTRODUCTION

In Indigo, Mahatma Gandhi describes his fight

for the disadvantaged Champaran peasants.
They were the British planters' sharecroppers.
The peasants used to lead miserable lives and
were required to cultivate indigo. Their
situation deteriorated due to the landlord
system in place in Bihar at the time. Gandhi
made the decision to combat injustice as a
result. He launched a year-long struggle to
combat prejudice and secure justice for the
peasants. It then assisted the peasants in
developing their bravery and awareness of
their fundamental rights. Gandhiji also
worked to address social challenges in
addition to political and economic ones. He
sought to give people access to health care,
cleanliness, education, and self-confidence.
THE CHAMPARAN MOVEMENT
The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was the first Satyagraha
movement led by Gandhi in India and is considered a
historically important revolt in the Indian Independence
Movement. It was a farmer's uprising that took place in
Champaran district of Bihar, India, during the British colonial
period. The farmers were protesting against having to grow
indigo with barely any payment for it.

When Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915, and

saw peasants in northern India oppressed by indigo planters,
he tried to use the same methods that he had used in South
Africa to organize mass uprisings by people to protest against
injustice.

Champaran Satyagraha was the first popular satyagraha

movement. The Champaran Satyagraha gave direction to
India's youth and freedom struggle, which was tottering
between moderates who prescribed Indian participation within
the British colonial system, and the extremists from Bengal who
advocated the use of violent methods to topple the British
colonialists in India.

IMPORTANCE OF CHAMPARAN
MOVEMENT
It put an end to the planters’ long-standing tyranny of the peasant

through forced cultivation and subpar harvests. The British were given a

comprehensive analysis of the situation. Based on the evaluation, the

Champaran Agrarian Act of 1918 was created to safeguard the interests

of the peasants. Gandhi, who had not previously participated actively in

grassroots activism in India, observed that he was receiving a lot of

attention as a result of the success of the Champaran initiative to

reestablish justice. Rajendra Prasad, who would later become one of

Gandhi’s powerful itinerants, and other strong men like Kriplani were

added to his team. Here, Gandhi gathered documentation from the

oppressed peasants to support his claims, demonstrating that data-

 based arguments against British policy are more likely to succeed.

Gandhi was ordered to leave Champaran when he arrived, but he

responded that he would rather be arrested than leave and continued

with his mission. This is a significant first instance of satyagraha and civil

disobedience in action. It persuaded people of Satyagraha’s ability to

fight injustice. It paved the way for subsequent conflicts that finally led

to India’s independence

RESULTS OF CHAMPARAN MOVEMENT

Most of the Champaran Satyagraha’s goals were met. W.

Maude, a member of the Executive Council in the Government

of Bihar and Orissa, introduced the Champaran Agrarian Bill

following the movement’s end. This legislation, which included

all of Mahatama Gandhi’s suggestions, was later known as the

Champaran Agrarian Act of 1918. This was the first time the

British had ever changed their perspective on the people of

India. The movement’s nonviolent stance perplexed the British.

In terms of sheer power, the British were vastly superior

against the Indian masses thanks to their sophisticated guns

 and artillery. By the end of this movement, Mahatma Gandhi’s

moral superiority had been established, giving the masses hope

for change. This was crucial because it encouraged more

engagement. It was decided to end the Tinkathia System, which

had been in place for roughly a century. This significantly

reduced the planters’ oppression. After winning in Champaran,

Mahatma Gandhi was able to eventually accomplish more for

society. He was able to accomplish a number of things,

including cleanups, the establishment of schools and hospitals,

the dismantling of the purdah system, and untouchability.

RESULTS OF CHAMPARAN MOVEMENT

LEADS TO ANOTHER MOVEMENTS
The Champaran movement, which took place in 1917 in the Champaran district of
Bihar, India, was a significant event in the Indian independence movement led by
Mahatma Gandhi. The movement primarily addressed the exploitation of indigo
farmers by European landlords. The successful outcome of the Champaran
movement had several consequences and influences on subsequent movements in
India. Here are some of the notable results and their impact on other movements:

1. Recognition of Nonviolent Protest: The Champaran movement marked one of

the early instances where Mahatma Gandhi implemented his philosophy of
nonviolent resistance on a larger scale. The success of this approach inspired
him to adopt similar methods in subsequent movements.
2. Formation of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922): The success of the
Champaran Satyagraha contributed to the momentum of the non-cooperation
movement launched by Gandhi in 1920. This movement aimed at nonviolent
resistance to British rule and the non-cooperation with the British authorities.
3. Impact on Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934): The Champaran
movement set a precedent for other successful nonviolent campaigns and laid
the groundwork for future movements like the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The strategies and principles employed during Champaran were refined and
applied on a larger scale during the Civil Disobedience Movement.
4. Empowerment of Peasants and Workers: The Champaran Satyagraha
empowered peasants and workers to stand up against injustice. This spirit of
resistance and the belief in nonviolent methods influenced subsequent
movements, particularly those focused on agrarian issues and workers' rights.
5. Influence on Quit India Movement (1942): The success of earlier movements,
including Champaran, contributed to the sentiment and confidence among
Indians to demand an end to British rule. The Quit India Movement in 1942 was
a culmination of such sentiments and marked a significant step toward
independence.
6. International Recognition: The success of the Champaran movement brought
international attention to the Indian independence movement and Gandhi's
philosophy of nonviolence. This recognition had a positive impact on India's
quest for independence and inspired similar movements around the world.

In summary, the results of the Champaran movement played a crucial role in shaping
the trajectory of the Indian independence movement. The successful application of
nonviolent resistance and the empowerment of ordinary people had a lasting impact
on subsequent movements, influencing their strategies and contributing to the
ultimate goal of gaining independence from British rule.

NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT

India’s struggle for independence began when they refused to

get overpowered by the Britishers and planned to work
together towards an independent India. But, the process
wasn’t easy. There were hurdles all through the way. Many
movements were launched with an effort to throw British
powers outside India, but most of them failed in fulfilling the
purpose they were started for. But, they strengthened India’s
 will towards freedom and finally paved the path towards an
independent India.

The non-cooperation movement, popularly known as the civil

disobedience movement, was launched on 1 August 1920 by
Mahatma Gandhi. The non-cooperation movement was the
first mass movement organized as a part of India’s freedom
struggle.

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

The Salt Satyagraha was a massive civil disobedience action led by Mahatma Gandhi
in response to the British government’s salt tax in India. On March 12, 1930, Gandhi
led a large group of people from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a Gujarat coastal
village, to break the salt prohibition by manufacturing salt from seawater. There are
a few essential aspects of the Gandhi movement:

On March 12, 1930, the Salt March began and ended on April 6, 1930. Mahatma
Gandhi organized a nonviolent 24-day March The Salt March marked the start of a
widespread resistance movement against British oppression. The British had barred
Indians from collecting or selling salt at the time. Indians were also compelled to
purchase the staple diet item from the British, who had a monopoly on its
production and sale and imposed a high salt tax When Mahatma Gandhi arrived at
the Dandi seashore, he breached the law by making illegal salt. Millions of Indians
 disregarded salt restrictions by producing salt or buying illicit salt, resulting in a
widespread Gandhi movement across the country.The Salt March started with only
80 people, but as more people joined it for the 390-kilometer journey, it expanded
to a force of 50,000 people.The nonviolent aspect of the Salt March gained national
and worldwide acclaim, as did its nonviolent nature. It received a lot of press

attention and brought the Indian Independence Movement to the noti ce of the rest
of the globe.

QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT

The Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi

on 8 August, 1942 at the Bombay session of the All India
Congress Committee (AICC). Also known as the Bharat Chhodo
Andolan, this movement was a mass civil disobedience that
took place in the country. During the launch of the movement,
the father of the nation delivered a speech amid a ‘do or die’
situation. He demanded that the British must leave India
immediately or face dire consequences. As a part of this
movement, a call for mass agitation was followed by violence
that took over the country after which Indian National Congress
leaders were arrested. Every year on 8 August, the anniversary
of Quit India Movement is marked and observed by paying
tribute to freedom fighters who without a doubt laid their lives
for the country and its people.

ABOUT FATHER OF THE NATION:

MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was born

on October 2, 1869, into a Hindu Modh family in Porbanadar,

Gujarat, India. His father, named Karamchand Gandhi, was

the Chief Minister (diwan) of the city of Porbanadar. His

mother, named Putlibai, was the fourth wife; the previous

three wives died in childbirth. Gandhi was born into the

vaishya (business caste). He was 13 years old when

married Kasturbai (Ba) Makhanji, through his parents

arrangement. They had four sons. Gandhi learned tolerance

and non-injury to living beings from an early age. He was

abstinent from meat, alcohol, and promiscuity.

Gandhi studied law at the University of Bombay for one

year, then at the University College London, from which he

graduated in 1891, and was admitted to the bar of England.

His reading of "Civil Disobedience" by David

Thoreau inspired his devotion to the principle of non-

violence. He returned to Bombay and practiced law there

for a year, then went to South Africa to work for an Indian

firm in Natal. There Gandhi experienced racism: he was

thrown off a train while holding a valid first class ticket

and pushed to third class. Later he was beaten by a

stagecoach driver for refusing to travel on the foot-board to

make room for a European passenger. He was barred from

many hotels because of his race. In 1894, Gandhi founded

the Natal Indian Congress. They focused on the Indian

cause and British discrimination in South Africa. In 1897,

Gandhi brought his wife and children to South Africa. He

was attacked by a mob of racists, who tried to lynch him.

He refused to press charges on any member of the mob.

Gandhi became the first non-white lawyer to be admitted to

the bar in South Africa.

During the South African War, Gandhi was a stretcher barer.

He organized the Indian Ambulance corps of 300 Indian

volunteers and hundreds of associates to serve wounded

black South Africans. He was decorated for his courage at

the Battle of Spion Kop. At that time Gandhi corresponded

with Lev Tolstoy and expressed his admiration of the

Tolstoyan principles of non-violence. In 1906 Gandhi, for the

first time, organized a non-violent resistance against the

Transvaal government's registration act. He called upon his

fellow Indians to defy the new law in a non-violent manner

and suffer the punishment for doing so. He was jailed on

many occasions along with thousands of his supporters.

Peaceful Indian protests caused a public outcry and forced

the South African General J. C. Smuts to negotiate a

compromise with Gandhi. However, Gandhi supported the

British in World War I and encouraged Indians to join the

Army to defend the British Empire, in compliance with the

full citizenship requirement.

Back in India, Gandhi became active in the struggle for

Indian Independence. He spoke at the conventions of the

Indian National Congress, becoming one of its leaders. In

1918, Gandhi opposed the increasing tax levied by the

British during the devastating famine. He was arrested in

Champaran, state Bihar, for organizing civil resistance of

tens of thousands of landless farmers and serfs. In jail

Gandhi was on a hunger strike in solidarity with the famine

stricken farmers. Hundreds of thousands of his supporters

gathered around the jail. Gandhi was addressed by the

people as Mahatma (Great Soul) and Bapu (Father). He was

released. Then he represented the farmers in negotiation

with the British administration. His effort worked. The tax

collection was suspended and all prisoners were released.

He declared that all violence was evil after the Amritsar

massacre of 379 civilians by British troops, which

traumatized the Indian nation. As the leader of the Indian

National Congress party Gandhi launched "Swaraj", a

campaign for independence and non-cooperation with the

British authorities. He urged Indians to replace British

goods with their own fabrics and goods. He was imprisoned

from 1922-1924, being released after an appendectomy.

During that time a Swaraj party was formed by his anxious

opponents; it later dissolved back into the Congress.

On New Year's Eve, December 31, 1929, the Indian National

Congress unfurled it's flag of independence. Gandhi and

Jawaharlal Nehru issued the Declaration of Independence

on January 26, 1930. Gandhi planned to achieve stability

through the secularization of India, as the only way of

uniting Hindus and Muslims in one peaceful nation. The

religious divide was growing under the British colonial rule,

which prospered from the monopoly on the salt trade.

Everyone needed salt. Gandhi wrote to the Viceroy, Lord

Irwin: "If my letter makes no appeal to your heart, on the

eleventh day of March I shall proceed with co-workers of

the Ashram as I can take, to disregard the provisions of the

Salt Laws. I regard this tax to be the most iniquitous of all

from the poor man's standpoint. As the Independence

movement is essentially for the poorest in the land, the

beginning will be made with this evil."

From March 12 to April 6, 1930, Gandhi made the famous

Satyagraha ("Satya" - truth, "Agraha" - persuasion), The

Salt March to Dandi. He walked on foot to the ocean in

protest against the British salt monopoly and salt tax. He

led thousands of Indians on a 240 mile (400 km) march

from Ashram Ahmetabad to the village of Dandi on the

ocean to make their own salt. For 23 days the two-mile long
procession was watched by every resident along the

journey. On April 6, Gandhi raised a grain of salt and

declared, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the

British Empire." Gandhi's plan worked because it appealed

to people in every region, class, religion, and ethnicity. The

successful campaign led to the reaction of the British

government and imprisonment of over 60,000 people for

making or selling salt without a tax. The British opened fire

on the unarmed crowd and shot hundreds of demonstrators.

Gandhi was arrested in his sleep on the night of May 4th,

1930. Eventually the British government, represented by

Lord Irwin, signed the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in March 1931,

agreeing to free all political prisoners. Gandhi was invited

to London as the leader of the Indian National Congress,

but he was disappointed with the British attempts to

destroy his influence by dividing him from his followers.

Gandhi campaigned to improve the lives of the

untouchables, whom he called Harijans (the children of

God). He promoted equitable rights, including the right to

vote in the same electorates as other castes. In 1934

Gandhi survived three attempts on his life. In 1936, he

briefly resigned from the party, because his popularity was

stifling the diversity of membership; ranging from

communists and socialists to religious conservatives and

pro-business groups. He returned to the head of the party

with the Jawaharlal Nehru presidency. At the beginning of

the Second World War Gandhi declared that India could not

be a party to this war, unless it has independence. His

"Quit India" campaign led to mass arrests on an

unprecedented scale of struggle. He was arrested in

Bombay (Mumbai) and was held for two years. During his

captivity his wife passed away and his secretary also died.

Gandhi was released in May of 1944, due to a necessary

surgery. His campaign led to a release of over 100,000

political prisoners before the end of the war.

India won independence in 1947, followed by the Indo-

Pakistani War of 1947, and partition of India. Gandhi said,

"Before partitioning India, my body will have to be cut into

two pieces." About one million people died in the bloody

riots until partition was reluctantly asserted by Gandhi as

the only way to stop the Civil War. He urged the Congress

Party to accept partition, and launched his last "fast-into-

death" campaign in Delhi, calling for a stop to all violence.

Gandhi also called to give Pakistan the 550,000,000 rupees

in honor of the partition agreement. He tried to prevent

instability and anger against India.

Gandhi was shot three times in the chest and died while on

his way to a prayer meeting, on January 30, 1948. His

assassins were convicted and executed a year later. The

ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were split in portions and sent to

all states of India to be scattered in rivers. Part of Gandhi's

ashes rest in Raj Ghat, near Delhi, India. Part of Mahatma

Gandhi's ashes are at the Lake Shrine in Los Angeles.