CLASS 12 PROSE LESSON

1. MUSHIKA RAJU
Indigo
Louis Fischer

2. Louis Fischer (1896-1970)
• Born in Philadelphia
• served as a volunteer in the British Army (1918-1920)
• worked as journalist in The New York Times, The Sunday Review,
for European & Asian publications
• was a faculty at Princeton University.
• Major Works:
• A Life of Mahatma Gandhi (1950)
• The God that Failed (1949)
• The Soviets in World Affairs (1930)
• The War in Spain (1937)
• Men and Politics (autobiography)
• The Life of Lenin (1964).

3. Emaciated /iˈmeɪ.si.eɪ.tɪd/: very thin and weak, usually because of illness or hunger
Foothill /ˈfʊt.hɪl/: a low mountain or low hill at the bottom of a larger mountain
Towering /ˈtaʊərɪŋ/: extremely tall, especially in comparison with the surroundings.
Resolute /ˈrez.ə.luːt/: determined in character, action, or ideas.
Peasant /ˈpez.ənt/: a person who owns or rents a small piece of land and grows
crops, keeps animals, etc. on it, especially one who has a low income, very little
education, and a low social position. This is usually used of someone who lived
in the past or of someone in a poor country:
Farmer /ˈfɑːmə/: a person who owns or manages a farm.
Former /ˈfɔː.mər/: of or in an earlier time; before the present time or in the past
Sharecropper /ˈʃeəˌkrɒp.ər/: a farmer who rents land and who gives part of his or
her crop as rent, especially in the past
Tenacity /təˈnæs.ə.ti/: the determination to continue what you are doing (మొండిపట్ట
ు )
such and such /ˈsʌtʃ ən ˌsʌtʃ/: used to refer to something that you do not want to say
exactly
Haunches /hɔːn(t)ʃes/: a buttock and thigh considered together, in a human or animal.
Yeoman /ˈjəʊ.mən/: a man holding and cultivating a small landed estate; a freeholder
(2)a servant in a royal or noble household, ranking between a sergeant and a groom
or a squire and a page.

4. Pester /ˈpes.tər/: trouble or annoy (someone) with frequent or persistent requests or
interruptions.
en route /ˌɒn ˈruːt/ (adv): on the way to or from somewhere.
Impart /ɪmˈpɑːt/: to communicate information to someone:
Harbour /ˈhɑː.bər/ నౌకాశ్రయం (ఆశ్రయంచడానికి)
Advent /ˈæd.vent/: the arrival of a notable person or thing.
Conveyance /kənˈveɪ.əns/: the process of moving something or someone from
one place to another:
Chide /tʃaɪd/: scold or rebuke. సుతిమెత్తగా మందలంచు
Arable /ˈær.ə.bəl/: (of land) used or suitable for growing crops.
Tenant /ˈten.ənt/:a person who pays rent for the use of land or a building అద్దెద్ారులు
Compelled /kəmˈpeld/: force or oblige (someone) to do something బలవంత్ం
Thereupon /ˌðeə.rəˈpɒn/:immediately or shortly after that. త్త్ఫలత్మగు
Irksome /ˈɜːk.səm/: irritating; annoying.
Bully /ˈbʊl.i/: to hurt or frighten someone రౌడీ
Forthwith /ˌfɔːθˈwɪθ/: immediately, without delay. వేంటనే, త్క్షణము
Multitude /ˈmʌltɪtjuːd/ a large number of people or things.
Wired /waɪəd/:making use of computers to transfer or receive information, especially
by means of the internet.

5. Hitherto /ˌhɪð.əˈtuː/: until now or until a particular time: ఇంత్వరకు
Dreaded /ˈdred.ɪd/: causing fear or worry
baffle/ˈbæf.əl/: totally bewilder or perplex/confuse
Pronounce /prəˈnaʊns/: declare or announce in a formal or solemn way.
Recess /rɪˈses/ : a break from doing something / a period of time in the year when
the members of a parliament, court of law, or other government organization are
not meeting:
Furnish /ˈfɜː.nɪʃ/:provide
Reconvene /ˌriː.kənˈviːn/: to come together again or to bring a group of people
together again for a meeting:తిరిగి కలుసుక ండి
Confer /kənˈfɜːr/:to exchange ideas on a particular subject, often in order to reach a
decision on what action to take:
the upshot /ˈʌp.ʃɒt/: something that happens as a result of other actions, events,
or decisions:
Desertion/dɪˈzɜː.ʃən/ the act of leaving without permission, or without planning to
return/ the act of leaving someone in a difficult situation or without help
far-flung/ˌfɑːˈflʌŋ/: distant or remote.
Grievance /ˈɡriː.vəns/: a complaint or a strong feeling that you have been treated
unfairly

6. Deposition /ˌdep.əˈzɪʃ.ən/: a formal written statement made or used in a law court/
the act of removing someone from a powerful position:
Throb /θrɒb/: beat or sound with a strong, regular rhythm
Vehement /ˈviː.ə.mənt/: showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense.
Protracted /prəˈtræk.tɪd/: lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual
ద్ీరఘకాలక
Sole /səʊl/:being one only; single/ the bottom part of the foot ఒకే ఒక
Entreaty /ɪnˈtriː.ti/: an earnest or humble request.
Extort /ɪkˈstɔːt/: obtain (something) by force, threats, or other unfair means
Adamant /ˈæd.ə.mənt/: unwilling to change an opinion or decision
Defender /dɪˈfen.dər/: a person who resists against someone or something
Contented /kənˈten.tɪd/:happy and satisfied:
Quinine /ˈkwɪn.iːn/: a drug used to treat fevers such as malaria
Filthy /ˈfɪl.θi/: extremely or unpleasantly dirty
Defiance /dɪˈfaɪ.əns/: open resistance; bold disobedience.
Alleviate /əˈliː.vi.eɪt/: to make pain or problems less severe: ఉపశ్మనం
Pacifist/ˈpæs.ɪ.fɪst/:believes in pacifism :శాంతివాదం
Prop /prɒp/: a pole or beam used as a temporary support

7. The Central Problem
• Most arable land in Champaran owned by Englishmen
and worked by Indian tenants.
• The chief commercial crop was indigo.
• The landlords compelled all tenants to plant three
twentieths or 15 percent of their holdings with indigo.
• The entire indigo harvest was to be surrendered as rent.
• This was done by a long-term contract

8. Later Developments
• Germany developed synthetic indigo.
• Landlords obtained agreements from the sharecroppers
to pay them compensation for being released from the 15
per cent arrangement.
• Many peasants signed & paid willingly; others who went
to court were threatened/intimidated by landlord's thugs.
• Peasants came to know of synthetic indigo & they
demanded their money back.
• Thus arose the conflict - Gandhiji arrived at this point.

9. Gandhiji's Approach
• Gandhiji had a very systematic approach to the problem
• He along with his lawyer friends gathered as much
information about the problem in Champaran
• Gathered evidence & documents to support their case -
everything was documented(written down) – convinced
the British officials - who finally set up an official
commission of enquiry.
• Commission awarded 25% refund to the peasants.

10. Eradicating Fear & Infusing Confidence
• Gandhi explained that the amount of the refund was less
important than the fact that the landlords had been
obliged to surrender part of the money and, with it, part
of their prestige.
• Now the peasant saw that he had rights and defenders.
• He learned courage. He gained confidence.

11. Gandhiji did not stop at that...
• He saw the cultural and social backwardness in
the Champaran villages.
• He with the help of his associates set up school,
taught the community lesson in health &
hygiene.
• This was the typical Gandhi pattern — his
politics were intertwined with the practical, day-
to-day problems of the millions.