Centenary
of Champaran Satyagraha, 1917
In April 1917, Mahatma Gandhi took up the cause of
the poor peasants suffering from the excesses of the indigo planters in
Champaran, Bihar. This experiment marked the beginning of satyagraha in India. The
British government was forced to set up the Champaran Agrarian Enquiry
Committee to address the injustices committed by the indigo planters and put an
end to them.
Some
excerpts from the Transcripts of the recording of OHD:
Acharya J.B. Kripalani (Gandhian, Parliamentarian and
Participant of Champaran Satyagraha)
Dr
Hari Dev Sharma: Now,
coming to Champaran, what psychological change Gandhi’s movement brought in the
peasants there?
Acharya J.B. Kripalani: He [Mahatma Gandhi] had
gone to Champaran to study the conditions of the kisans there. But the British
bureaucracy ordered him to leave Champaran within twenty-four hours. He
disobeyed the order and asked the Magistrate to award him the maximum
punishment for his deliberate disobedience. The very fact that he disobeyed the
law and was willing to bear the consequences, electrified the atmosphere.
Nothing like this was known in India. Even Tilak had defended himself in the
court of law. So did everybody who was accused on the charge of sedition.
Gandhiji’s resistance was a new phenomenon. Added to that was the mode of
Gandhiji’s living. He had identified himself with the masses. All that made the
peasantry there bold and fearless. They came and gave their evidence and
narrated all the hardships they suffered at the hands of the white planters …
The most important persons
who worked in Champaran, one was Babu Braj Kishore, the father of Prabhavati
Devi who married afterwards Jayaprakash Narayan. He was the oldest politician
and had often taken up the cases of the kisans against the planters. Then,
there was Babu Rajendra Prasad. Another person who came into prominence
afterwards was Anugraha Narayan Sinha who later became the Deputy Chief
Minister of Bihar. The other lawyers were Dharni Dhar Babu of Darbhanga who is
no more, and Ram Naumi Babu of Muzaffarpur who still carries on his legal
profession there. Then there was Gandhiji’s host in Motihari, [Babu Gorakh
Prasad]. There were one or two other lawyers. They had all come merely to
record the complaints of the kisans against the white planters …
Gandhiji’s Champaran campaign had a tremendous impact upon the political life of Bihar which was
considered a sleepy hollow …
Sharma: Do you think the
enquiry helped the peasants of Champaran?
Kripalani: The Enquiry Committee
consisted of officials and landed planters. Besides, there were one Zamindar
and Gandhiji in it. The other companions of Gandhiji helped him to present the
evidence that they had collected. It was headed by F.G. Sly who was
Commissioner in the Central Provinces. The Report was written out and submitted
to Gandhiji. Gandhiji refused to sign it unless certain facts were incorporated
in it. This was done and the Report was unanimous. I think, it gave very little
advantage to the peasants but that was the beginning of the end. Soon the
planters did not find that atmosphere in which they could reign over the
peasants. On account of economic reasons also, in course of two or three years,
they all disappeared, selling or relinquishing their rights and their
properties. So, the whole question automatically solved itself.
