Ways of Working

To give a full account of the Champaran inquiry would be to narrate the history, for the period, of the Champaran ryot, which is out of the question in these chapters. The Champaran inquiry was a bold experiment with Truth and Ahimsa, and I am giving week by week only what occurs to me as worth giving from that point of view. For more details the reader must turn to Sjt. Rajendra Prasad’s history of the Champaran Satyagraha in Hindi, an English edition²⁷ of which I am told is now in the press.

A full account of the Champaran inquiry would mean telling the history of the Champaran tenant farmers during that period. That is beyond the scope of these chapters. The Champaran inquiry was a bold experiment with Truth and Ahimsa. Week by week, I am giving only what I think is worth sharing from that point of view. For more details, readers must turn to Sjt. Rajendra Prasad’s history of the Champaran Satyagraha in Hindi. I am told that an English edition²⁷ is now in the press.

But to return to the subject matter of this chapter. The inquiry could not be conducted in Gorakhbabu’s house, without practically asking poor Gorakhbabu to vacate it. And the people of Motihari had not yet shed their fear to the extent of renting a house to us. However Vrajakishorebabu tactfully secured one with considerable open space about it, and we now removed there.

But to return to the subject of this chapter. We could not conduct the inquiry at Gorakhbabu’s house without practically asking poor Gorakhbabu to move out. And the people of Motihari were still too afraid to rent us a house. However, Vrajakishorebabu tactfully secured one with plenty of open space around it, and we moved there.

It was not quite possible to carry on the work without money. It had not been the practice hitherto to appeal to the public for money for work of this kind. Vrajakishorebabu and his friends were mainly vakils who either contributed funds themselves, or found it from friends whenever there was an occasion. How could they ask the people to pay when they and their kind could well afford to do so? That seemed to be the argument. I had made up my mind not to accept anything from the Champaran ryots. It would be bound to be misinterpreted. I was equally determined not to appeal to the country at large for funds to conduct this inquiry. For that was likely to give it an all-India and political aspect. Friends from Bombay offered Rs. 15,000, but I declined the offer with thanks. I decided to get as much as was possible, with Vrajakishorebabu’s help, from well-to-do Biharis living outside Champaran, and if more was needed, to approach my friend Dr. P. J. Mehta of Rangoon. Dr. Mehta readily agreed to send me whatever might be needed. We were thus free from all anxiety on this score. We were not likely to require large funds, as we were bent on exercising the greatest economy in consonance with the poverty of Champaran. Indeed it was found in the end that we did not need any large amount. I have an impression that we expended in all not more than three thousand rupees, and as far as I remember we saved a few hundred rupees from what we had collected.

It was not really possible to carry on the work without money. Until then, it had not been the practice to ask the public for money for this kind of work. Vrajakishorebabu and his friends were mainly lawyers. Whenever money was needed, they either contributed it themselves or got it from friends. How could they ask the people to pay when they and others like them could easily afford to do so? That seemed to be their argument. I had decided not to accept anything from the Champaran tenant farmers. Accepting money from them was bound to be misinterpreted. I was equally determined not to appeal to the country at large for funds for the inquiry. Such an appeal was likely to give the inquiry an all-India and political character. Friends from Bombay offered Rs. 15,000, but I thanked them and declined. With Vrajakishorebabu’s help, I decided to get as much as possible from well-to-do Biharis living outside Champaran. If more was needed, I would approach my friend Dr. P. J. Mehta of Rangoon. Dr. Mehta readily agreed to send me whatever might be needed. We were thus free from all anxiety about money. We were not likely to need large funds. We were determined to spend as little as possible, in keeping with the poverty of Champaran. In the end, we did not need a large amount. I believe we spent no more than three thousand rupees in all. As far as I remember, we had a few hundred rupees left from what we had collected.

The curious ways of living of my companions in the early days were a constant theme of raillery at their expense. Each of the vakils had a servant and a cook, and therefore a separate kitchen, and they often had their dinner as late as midnight. Though they paid their own expenses, their irregularity worried me, but as we had become close friends there was no possibility of a misunderstanding between us, and they received my ridicule in good part. Ultimately it was agreed that the servants should be dispensed with, that all the kitchens should be amalgamated, and that regular hours should be observed. As all were not vegetarians, and as two kitchens would have been expensive, a common vegetarian kitchen was decided upon. It was also felt necessary to insist on simple meals.

In those early days, I often teased my companions about their curious habits. Each of the vakils, or lawyers, had a servant and a cook, and therefore a separate kitchen. They often ate dinner as late as midnight. Though they paid their own expenses, their irregular habits worried me. But we had become close friends, so there was no chance of a misunderstanding, and they took my teasing in good humor. In the end, we agreed to do without the servants, combine all the kitchens, and keep regular hours. Not everyone was vegetarian, but two kitchens would have been expensive, so we decided on a shared vegetarian kitchen. We also felt it was necessary to insist on simple meals.

These arrangements considerably reduced the expenses and saved us a lot of time and energy, and both these were badly needed. Crowds of peasants came to make their statements, and they were followed by an army of companions who filled the compound and garden to overflowing. The efforts of my companions to save me from darshan-seekers were often of no avail, and I had to be exhibited for darshan at particular hours. At least five to seven volunteers were required to take down statements, and even then some people had to go away in the evening without being able to make their statements. All these statements were not essential, many of them being repetitions, but the people could not be satisfied otherwise, and I appreciated their feelings in the matter.

These arrangements greatly reduced expenses and saved us time and energy. We badly needed both savings. Crowds of peasants came to give their statements. They were followed by an army of companions who filled the compound and garden to overflowing. My companions often tried in vain to protect me from people seeking darshan. I had to be put on display for darshan at certain hours. At least five to seven volunteers were needed to write down statements. Even then, some people had to leave in the evening without giving their statements. Not all these statements were essential, and many repeated what others had said. But the people could not be satisfied otherwise, and I understood how they felt about it.

Those who took down the statements had to observe certain rules. Each peasant had to be closely cross-examined, and whoever failed to satisfy the test was rejected. This entailed a lot of extra time, but most of the statements were thus rendered incontrovertible.

Those who recorded the statements had to follow certain rules. Each peasant had to be questioned closely, and anyone who failed the test was rejected. This took a lot of extra time, but it made most of the statements impossible to dispute.

An officer from the C. I. D. would always be present when these statements were recorded. We might have prevented him, but we had decided from the very beginning not only not to mind the presence of C. I. D. officers, but to treat them with courtesy and to give them all the information that it was possible to give them. This was far from doing us any harm. On the contrary the very fact that the statements were taken down in the presence of the C. I. D. officers made the peasants more fearless. Whilst on the one hand excessive fear of the C. I. D. was driven out of the peasants’ minds, on the other, their presence exercised a natural restraint on exaggeration. It was the business of C. I. D. friends to entrap people, and so the peasants had necessarily to be cautious.

An officer from the C. I. D. was always present when these statements were recorded. We might have kept him away. But from the very beginning, we had decided not only to accept the presence of C. I. D. officers. We also decided to treat them courteously and give them all the information we could. Far from harming us, this made the peasants more fearless. Their statements were being recorded in the presence of the C. I. D. officers. On the one hand, the peasants lost their excessive fear of the C. I. D. On the other, the officers’ presence naturally kept the peasants from exaggerating. It was the business of our C. I. D. friends to entrap people, so the peasants had to be cautious.

As I did not want to irritate the planters, but to win them over by gentleness, I made a point of writing to and meeting such of them against whom allegations of a serious nature were made. I met the Planters’ Association as well, placed the ryots’ grievances before them and acquainted myself with their point of view. Some of the planters hated me, some were indifferent, whilst a few treated me with courtesy.

I did not want to anger the planters, but to win them over through gentleness. So I made a point of writing to and meeting those accused of serious wrongdoing. I also met with the Planters’ Association, presented the tenant farmers’ grievances, and learned about the planters’ point of view. Some planters hated me, some were indifferent, and a few treated me politely.