(Coutsey: Wiseart.com)
This month, India is observing the 100th annivesary of the first non vilent satyagraha movement of Gandhi. April 1917 was the month when a man who later on became ‘Mahatma’ and father of the nation and liberated India from the British yoke was ushered into the political scene of India. A couple of years before that year, Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi had returned from South Africa after fighting against racial discrimination in that country where he had resorted to the non- violent Sathyagraha means to resist the oppression of the colonial power there.
Gandhi having returned to India was only getting himself familiar with the Indian scenario at that time. But the famers of Bihar especially of the Champaran area were undergoing oppression from the planters with whom they had entered into agreements called “teenkathia” means the farmers had to grow indigo in three out of 20 parts of his farm land compulsorily. Even if it was off season, he was not allowed to grow any other crops. The British used to take these indigo products to Britain. But as synthetic colour started replacing indigo, its demand also started dwindling. The farmers were not allowed to stop cultivating indigo but were penalised for not growing them. This led to widespread resistance and indignation among the peasantry. They started revolting against the planters/landlords who were supported by the British rulers. At that time strangely though, a money lender by occupation but sympathiser and crusader against teenkathia system Raj Ku,at Shukla was heard of Gandhi’s leadership in South Africa. He approached Gandhi to take up the cause of the farmers. Gandhi was not willing because he was not in fact in his own words aware where Chamaparan was located. Not only that, at that time these political leaders were not interested in teh cause of farmers as they did not feel that fighting their cause would get them any result against the British Rule. However Raj Kumar Shukla succeeded in persuading Gandhi to take up the cause of the farmers when he met him at Lucknow Congress session in 1916. He followed Gandhi everywhere so that he should take uop their cause. He had immense faith in Gandhi. When Gandhi agreed, he brought him to Motihari, a town in Champaran in a third class compartment. There are several stories about the reception Gandhi got at the station. In fact he was taken in a cart pulled by the people. The farmers believed that Gandhi could rescue them from this oppression. Raj Kumar Shukla brought Gandhi in contact with Rajendra Prasad who was then a young Advocate, J.B.Kripalani, a College Professor, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopalkrishna Gokhale etc who had knowledge of the plight of the poor farmers.
On arrival at Motihari Gandhi proceeded to a village called Jasaulipatti where he was informed that a farmer had been beaten and his property had ben destroyed. Before he could reach the village, Gandhi was served with a notice to leave Champaran but Gandhi refused and defied the order. He said that he would prefer being incarcerated than obeying the orders. The British had seen the support Gandhi had received on arrival at Motihari station sensing trouble withdrew the case within two days and decided to constitute a committee to go into the question of farmers problems. The leaders like Rajendra Prasad , J.B. Kripalani and others who had made a thorough study of the farmers vows and had compiled lot of facts, presented these testimonials before the Committee. The report was submitted to the Government. The report was accepted by the Government and the system was abolished. It is through civil disobedience that Gandhi could get success for the farmers cause. That was first non violent movement of Gandhi in India which he used as a weapon to force British to end their colonial rule from India, Therefore Champaran introduced Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement to India.
The Champaran Satyagraha was the first movement by which Gandhi could free nearly 19 lakh peasantry of Champaran from the oppression of “tinkathiya” system for which they were fighting since over 60 to 70 years . They could get relief only when Gandhi intervened in this. It was a very important event in the life of Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi who thereafter became the father of the nation and Mahatma. Therefore this year, being the 100th anniversary of Champaran Satyagraha the nation is celebrating the year to pay homage to the father of the nation . Blessed are the people of this country to have born in the land wwhere Bapu or Mahatma or Fatherr of the Nation was born and crissed cross the country with his message of peace, harmony and non violence.