Indigo — Class 12 English PYQs

How was self-reliance intertwined with the Champaran incident ? (Indigo)

They thought he would demand repayment in full of the money which they had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers. He surprised them — he asked only fifty percent. 'There he seemed adamant,' writes Reverend J.Z. Hodge. 'Thinking probably that he would not give way, the representative of the planters offered to refund to the extent of 25 percent, and to their amazement Mr. Gandhi accepted. This was considered a great victory for the farmers.' 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. So the peasants of Champaran received the 25 percent, thus breaking the deadlock.

What did the planters expect Gandhi to demand?

Gandhi surprised the planters by asking only

Complete the following sentence appropriately.
Gandhi considered the settlement a great victory because _________.

The word 'adamant' in the context of the extract means

State whether the given statement is True or False with reference to the extract.
The planters willingly offered to refund the money to the sharecroppers.

What was more important to Gandhi than the amount of the refund?

'Lost Spring' and 'Indigo' highlight the apathy of society towards the underprivileged. Discuss with reference to both texts how the authors bring out the theme of social injustice and the need for change.

While M. Hamel talks of language as the key to the prison of an enslaved people, Gandhi tells the court that he cannot disregard the voice of his conscience. As a young student writing for a youth magazine, write an article exploring how language and conscience serve as tools of resistance.