How did Gandhiji succeed in getting justice for the Indigo sharecroppers?
Answer –
Gandhiji stayed in Muzaffarpur, where he met lawyers and concluded that fighting through the courts would not solve the problem of Champaran’s poor sharecroppers. He declared that the greatest relief for them would be to be free of fear. He arrived in Champaran with this intention and contacted the Secretary of the British Landlords Association. The Secretary flatly refused to give him any information. Following this, Gandhiji met the Commissioner of the Tirhut division, who served him a notice to leave Tirhut immediately. Gandhiji signed the notice and wrote on it that he would not obey the order. He was even willing to go to jail for the sake of the peasants’ cause.
Following four rounds of negotiations with the Governor, an official commission of inquiry was formed, with Gandhiji appointed as the sole representative of the peasants. Through this commission, Gandhiji was able to obtain from British landowners 25% of the compensation award for poor sharecroppers. The peasants realized that they had rights and advocates. They gained courage.
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