Answer any one of the following in 100‒125 words:
Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for Independence?

The Champaran episode is considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for independence because, for the first time, farmers and peasants rose against the Britishers. The English landlords had owned most of the arable land in Champaran. The Indian tenants worked on the land. The chief commercial crop was indigo. The English planters compelled all sharecroppers to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo. They had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent to the landlords. Later, it was found that the Germany had already developed synthetic indigo. The British Landlords realised that the plantation of natural indigo was no more a profitable business for English landlords. So, they decided to free the Indian sharecroppers from the 15% contract. They were to pay compensation for this freedom. The peasants saw through the trick and fraud of the landlords. Therefore, they wanted their money back. The peasants had always been oppressed by their British landlords, but they lacked the courage to revolt. Now, under the leadership of Gandhiji, they became aware of their rights. Thousands of peasants demonstrated courageously. Soon, a commission of enquiry was set up and its findings forced the landlords to agree to refund the money to the peasants. The surrender of landlords declared the victory of the peasants and the victory of the Civil Disobedience in India. 

The commission of enquiry decided to make refunds to the peasants.Gandhi asked for 50%. But the representative of planters offered to refund to the extent of 25%. In order to break the deadlock, Gandhiji agreed to 25 percent refund to the farmers.
For Gandhi, it was not the money but the principles that were of utmost importance. In his belief, the submission of British landlords was more significant than the percentage of refund. He wanted the poor farmers to realise that they too had rights and that they need not really live in fear of the British landlords.
The conflict between the British planters and the peasants changed the plight of the peasants. Within a few years, after the settlement, the British planters abandoned their estates and returned them to the peasants for goods. Thus, indigo sharecropping disappeared.

Rajkumar Shukla was determined to take Gandhiji to Champaran to bring into his notice the problem of the sharecroppers. Though Gandhiji had a foregoing obligation to go to Kanpur, Shukla followed him. He was so determined to take Gandhiji with him that he stood in Ahmedabad for three days and left when Gandhi assured him that he would be there on a certain day. Not only this, he also waited for him at the appointed spot in Calcutta.

Raj Kumar Shukla is described as being ‘resolute’ because he wanted that Gandhiji should reach Champaran for their welfare. He accompanied Gandhiji everywhere. When Gandhiji returned to his ashram Shukla followed him there also. He even went to Calcutta to take Gandhiji along with him.