Literary Analysis: Important Questions from Indigo, The Rattrap, and Lost Spring
The Champaran Episode (Indigo)
Q.1 Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to court was useless?
Ans: When Gandhiji learned about the plight of the peasant groups in Champaran from his discussion with the lawyers, he concluded that the poor peasants were so crushed and fear-stricken that law courts were useless in their case. Going to courts overburdened the sharecroppers with heavy litigation expenses. What really needed to be done was to make them free from fear.
Q.2 How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma had come to help them?
Ans: When the Champaran peasants heard that a Mahatma had come to help them, they assembled in Motihari in large numbers. Thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse where Gandhiji was supposed to appear. The crowd was so uncontrollable that the officials felt powerless, and Gandhiji himself helped the authorities to regulate the crowd.
Q.3 What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji?
Ans: When Gandhiji was asked to appear in the court in Motihari, thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse. The officials felt helpless, and the government was baffled. The trial was postponed, as the judge didn’t want to aggravate the situation. He held up the sentence for several days, after which Gandhiji was released without bail. All these events made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji.
Q.4 Why did Gandhiji object to C.F. Andrews’ stay in Champaran?
Ans: C.F. Andrews, an English pacifist, was a devoted follower of Gandhiji. The lawyers thought that being an Englishman, Andrews could be of immense help to them in their cause of fighting the battle of Champaran. Gandhiji, however, was against this because he felt that enlisting an Englishman’s help showed weakness. Their cause was just, and they had to win the battle by relying on themselves. This would make them self-reliant.
Q.5 Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life?
Ans: The Champaran episode began as an attempt to alleviate the distress of poor peasants. Ultimately, it proved to be a turning point in Gandhiji’s life because it was a loud proclamation that made the British realize that Gandhiji could not be ordered about in his own country. It infused courage in the masses to question British authority and laid the foundation of non-cooperation as a new tool to fight the British tooth and nail.
Key Questions from The Rattrap
Q.1 Why did the Peddler derive pleasure from his idea of the world as a rattrap?
Ans: People had never been kind to the poor Peddler. Therefore, he envied those whose lot was better than his, and was rather amused to think that someday they too would be tempted by the bait and be caught in the rattrap.
Q.2 What was the content of the letter written by the Peddler to Edla?
Ans: The contents of the letter written by the Peddler to Edla were that, as he had been treated as if he was a captain, he wanted to be nice to them in return. Thus, he requested the Crofter’s money (left with the note) to be returned to him. He wrote that he had left the rattrap as a Christmas present to her, as she had inspired him to reform himself.
Key Questions from Lost Spring
Q.1 Describe the irony in Saheb’s name.
Ans: The full name of Saheb, the ragpicker, is Saheb-e-Alam, which means ‘Lord of the Universe’. As per his name, he should live like a king. The irony is that he is a barefoot ragpicker who lacks even the basic necessities.
Q.2 What did Garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
Ans: For the children of Seemapuri, garbage is something wrapped in wonder, as at times they find a ten or a one-rupee note in it. For their parents, it is a means of survival because some of it could be sold for cash.
Q.3 What does Saheb look for in the Garbage dumps?
Ans: As per the author, Saheb is looking for currency notes or coins in the garbage dump. He belongs to a Bangladeshi family that migrated to India during the Indo-Pak war in 1971 in search of livelihood.
Q.4 To which country did Saheb’s parents originally belong? Why did they come to India?
Ans: Saheb’s parents belonged to Dhaka in Bangladesh, where they lived amidst green fields. They and the other ragpickers left their homes and migrated to India in search of a livelihood, as their homes and fields were destroyed in storms.