Champaran Satyagraha Effects

Gandhi’s first civil disobedience movement was the Champaran Satyagraha in the liberation struggle. Gandhi traveled to Champaran, Bihar, after being persuaded by Rajkumar Shukla, an indigo farmer, to explore the plight of the farmers there. Europeans compelled cultivators in the Champaran district of Bihar to grow indigo, a blue dye, which caused them tremendous agony. They couldn’t cultivate the food they needed, and their indigo payments were insufficient.

The Idea of Satyagraha

Nationalism evolved in India post World War I in 1919. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, now widely known as Mahatma Gandhi, came to India in 1915 with the idea of Satyagraha. The focus was on the power of truth and urged people to find the truth. 

Gandhi believed that physical force was not needed to fight and win against the colonialists since their cause was true, and there was a struggle against injustice. 

He also traveled all across the country and organized many satyagraha movements. Some early activities include: 

• Peasants’ Movement, Champaran (1917)
• Peasants’ Movement, Kheda (1918)
• Mill Workers’ Movement, Ahmedabad (1918)

About Champaran movement

All of these movements met with massive success, ultimately improving the socio-economic condition of India. In 1918, the government passed an act for the welfare of Champaran’s tenants. During the Kheda Satyagraha, Gandhi asked people not to pay taxes, and the government had to bow. The payments of taxes were deferred to the next year because of the failure of crops. The movement also helped mill workers of Ahmedabad get their pay raised. 

Reason for the Champaran Satyagraha

Tinkathia was the most common method of Indigo cultivation in Champaran. In this case, the ryot was required to cultivate three kathas of indigo, each bigha of his land, or 3/20th of his total landholding (1 bigha= 20 kathas). There was no legal basis for it. It was carried out primarily at the request of the owners of the indigo factories (planters).Furthermore, after 1900, the indigo industries in Bihar began to deteriorate because of competition from European synthetic indigo. The planters began canceling their indigo-growing contracts with the ryots to avoid losing money. They demanded a tawan or damages of up to Rs. 100 per bigha, to relieve them from this obligation. If the ryots couldn’t pay in cash, they were given hand notes and mortgage bonds with a 12% annual interest rate.

Farmers suffered as a result of excessive taxes and an exploitative government. Under the Tinkathia system, British planters pushed them to produce indigo. Early in 1917, Gandhi traveled to Champaran with Rajkumar. On his arrival, the Region Magistrate issued him a notice stating that he could not remain in the Champaran district and must depart by the first train available. Gandhi disobeyed this instruction.He quickly gained the favor of the locals and the general public. In answer to a summons, he was escorted by about 2000 people when he went to court. The case against him was dropped, and he learned more about the situation.

Gandhi stayed in the area to research farmer complaints. He went to a lot of villages. He interrogated and documented the statements of almost 8,000 growers. In this way, he fully comprehends their grievance and the underlying causes.He concluded that the cultivators’ illiteracy was one of the key reasons the European planters could control them. As a result, Gandhi established voluntary groups to better the people’s economic and educational conditions. They built schools and educated people on how to better their sanitation.

Result of Champaran Satyagraha

The government subsequently appointed a commission to investigate the cultivators’ claims. Gandhi accepted to serve on the committee after being asked. As a result, the Champaran Agrarian Bill was passed within a few months. The cultivators and land tenants were greatly relieved.

Rowlatt Act (1919)

In March 1919, the Rowlatt Act, also known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was approved. With this bill, the Imperial Legislative Council gave the British government the authority to arrest anyone accused of terrorism. It also authorized Britishers to detain people for up to two years without trial. In addition, the police have been permitted to search any location without a warrant.In April 1919, Gandhi launched a nationwide Satyagraha movement against the act. It received a massive response with people, already suffering from poor socio-economic conditions, coming out in support all across the country. 

Khilafat Issue (1919 – 1925)

While incidents like the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre ignited the spirit of nationalism among Indians, Satyagraha movements were still limited to big cities and towns. Gandhi realized the need for a more broad-based movement pan India. He was convinced that it could be possible if Hindus and Muslims united on a common platform. 

Conclusion

The government agreed to dismantle the tinkathia system after Gandhi led non-violent rallies against landlords and plantations. As compensation, the peasants received a portion of their money.Gandhi’s first Satyagraha experiment was the Champaran Struggle, the Ahmedabad Mill Strike, and the Kheda Satyagraha.The people gave Gandhi the label ‘Bapu’.