Gandhiji saw the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages. In order to educate them he made an appeal for teachers. His two new young pupils Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh and their wives offered to work. Several more teachers came from Bombay (Mumbai), Poona and other distant parts of India. His youngest son Devdas and Mrs. Gandhi (Kasturba) also arrived from the Ashram.

Primary schools were also opened in six villages to teach children. Kasturba taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation. In order to improve the miserable health conditions Gandhiji got a doctor. He volunteered his services for six months.

Kasturba talked to the women to get rid of their filthy state of clothes. During his long stay at Champaran, Gandhiji taught people self-reliance and freedom from the fear of the British. Thus he paved the path for the freedom oflndia.

Sir Edward Gait, the Lieutenant Governor appointed a commission of inquiry to give details about the indigo sharecroppers situation. It consisted of (a) Landlords, (b) Government officials, and (c) Gandhi, as the sole representative of the peasants. The official inquiry collected very crushing proofs against the big planters. They all agreed in principle, to make refunds to the peasants. ‘But how much must we pay ?’ they asked Gandhi. He asked only 50 per cent. Thinking probably that he would not change his stand, they offered to refund to the extent of 25 per cent. To his surprise Mr. Gandhi took him at his word breaking the deadlock.

He explained to the peasants that the amount of refund was less important. More important was that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of the money, and with it part of indigo - their prestige. Till today the big planters behaved like the big planters lords. Now the peasants saw that they had rights and defenders, and courage. Within few years the British planters abandoned their estates. The peasants became the owners of the land.

After his arrival at Motihari, Gandhiji used a house as the headquarter so that he can have complete investigation for the sharecroppers. At that time there came a report about mal-treating a peasant. Next morning Gandhiji went to see him but he was overtaken by the police superintendent’s messanger with an order to return back. When he reached home, Gandhiji was asked to quit Champaran at once. Gandhiji signed the order but wrote to disobey the order.

Next day Gandhi appeared in the court. That night Gandhiji telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come with the influential friends. When the peasants knew that Gandhiji was in trouble with the authorities, the court ground of Motihari became black with peasants. The officials felt powerless and they had to seek his help. The trial was postponed but Gandhiji protested the delay. In between he was left at liberty. Now Gandhiji asked the prominent lawyers what they would do in case he was sent to jail. They told that they would follow Gandhiji and give the court arrest. Gandhiji exclaimed : “The battle of Champaran is won”.

As per fixed schedule, Gandhiji and Raj Kumar Shukla booked seats in a train for Patna from Calcutta. At Patna both went to the house of Rajendra Prasad who was out of the town at that time. Since the servants of Prasad did not recognise Gandhi, they thought him as another farmer. So they allowed to stay them on the ground. Even the water was not allowed to be drawn lest it should get polluted.

In order to collect more and more information, Gandhi moved to Muzaf’farpur for Champaran. Prof. J. B. Kriplani of the Arts College alongwith his innumerable students received Gandhi at the railway station. For two days he stayed at the house of Professor Malkani who was a Government servant. The lawyers from Muzzafarpur briefed Gandhiji about the losses and atrocities of the share-croppers. The peasants too started crowding there. The Secertary of the British landowners refused to Gandhiji and ordered him to leave Champaran at once. Instead of leaving, Gandhiji went to Motihari alongwith the lawyers. There he made his head quarter and started his investigations.

One Raj Kumar Shukla from Champaran, on the annual meeting of Indian National Congress, apprised Gandhiji about the appalling condition of share-croppers there. Gandhiji reached there and came to know that the large estates were owned by the Englishmen and the Indians worked as their tenant farmers and they had to pay 15% of their land. After the investigations by Gandhi and the lawyers into the grievances of the farmers, it was decided by the Britishers that 25% of the money would be refunded. The farmers learnt that they had their rights and they became courageous. Within a few years the landlords relinquished their claims over the estates and the farmers became the owners.

Gandhi saw their social, economic and cultural backwardness of the area. He appointed volunteers to teach the villagers. Kasturba Gandhi taught the Ashram rules and personal cleanliness and community sanitation. He got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months to improve the health conditions of the people.

They realised the value of self-reliance. The lawyers helped the peasants in their cases. Women gave Gandhi whole hearted support and the countrymen embarked in the national freedom movement. It became a turning point in the career of Gandhiji.