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 (Sitting left to right)Rajendra Prasad andAnugrah Narayan Sinha with (standing left to right) localvakils (lawyers) Ramnavmi Prasad and Shambhu Sharan Verma duringMahatma Gandhi's 1917 Champaran movement | |
| Date | 10 April ― May 1917 |
|---|---|
| Location | Champaran district ofBihar |
| Organised by | Mahatma Gandhi,Brajkishore Prasad,Rajendra Prasad,Anugrah Narayan Sinha Ramnavmi Prasad, Mazhar-ul-Haq and others includingJ. B. Kripalani & Babu Gaya Prasad Singh. |
TheChamparan Satyagraha of 1917 was the firstsatyagraha movement led byMahatma Gandhi inBritish India and is considered a historically important rebellion in theIndian independence movement. It was a farmer's uprising that took place inChamparan district ofBihar in theIndian subcontinent, during theBritish colonial period. The farmers were protesting against having to growindigo with barely any payment for it.[2]
When Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915 and saw peasants inNorthern India oppressed by indigo planters, he tried to use that he had used in South Africa to organize mass uprisings by people to protest against injustice.
Champaran Satyagraha was the first popular satyagraha movement. The Champaran Satyagraha gave direction to India's youth andfreedom struggle, which was tottering betweenmoderates who prescribed Indian participation within the British colonial system, and theradicals from Bengal who advocated the use of violent methods to topple British colonial rule in India.[3]
Under colonial-era laws, many tenant farmers were forced to grow some indigo on a portion of their land as a condition of their tenancy, under Panchkathia or Teenkathia system. This indigo was used to makedye. The Germans had invented artificial dye so the demand for indigo fell. Some tenants paid more rent in return for being let off from growing indigo. However, during theFirst World War the German dye ceased to be available and so indigo became profitable again. Thus many tenants were once again forced to grow it on a portion of their land- as was required by their lease. Naturally, this created much anger and resentment.[4][5]
Prompted by the invitation of local peasantRaj Kumar Shukla to investigate the grievances of farmers, Mahatma Gandhi undertook his initial political endeavor in India, the Champaran Satyagraha. Joined by prominent figures includingRajendra Prasad,Mazhar ul-Haq,Mahadeo Desai,Narhari Parekh andJ.B. Kripalani, Gandhi journeyed to Champaran to examine the oppressive conditions.Brajkishore Prasad,Anugraha Narayan Sinha, Ramnavmi Prasad, Shambhusharan Varma also participated. When authorities instructed Gandhi to depart, he defied the order and preferred to face punishment. Gandhi's refusal marked his first act of passive resistance or civil disobedience on Indian soil. This pivotal action, coupled with his subsequent efforts leading to the establishment of a Government Commission of Inquiry on which he served, resulted in a negotiated settlement. This agreement compelled the planters to reimburse the peasants 25% of unlawfully collected funds and, significantly, led to the dismantling of the exploitative 'Teenkathia' system.Within a decade, the planters left the area.[6]
The series of celebration began on 10 April 2017 with a National Conclave (Rashtritya Vimarsh) where eminent Gandhian thinkers, philosophers, and scholars participated. The event was organised byEducation Department and Directorate of Mass Education being the nodal office.[7] On 13 May 2017, Indian Postal Department Issued three commemorative postage stamps and a miniature sheet on Champaran Satyagraha Centenary.[8][9][10]
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi on 10 April 2018 attended the concluding ceremony of the Champaran Satyagraha's centenary celebrations at Motihari in Champaran district of Bihar.[11] PM Modi's key initiatives, includingSwachh Bharat Mission attempt to re-interpret the theme of Champaran Satyagraha as Swachhagraha, thus to "re-emphasise the spirit of cleanliness – or Swachhta – which was close to Mahatma Gandhi's heart.