Now Gandhi heard about an obnoxious
system of agricultural labour prevailing in Bihar.
In the Champaran District of Biher,
the cultivators were forced by Europeans to grow indigo, a blue dye, and this
imposed on them untold sufferings. They neither could nor grow the food they
needed nor did they receive adequate payment for the indigo.
Gandhi was unaware of this until an
agriculturist from Bihar, rajkumar Shukla, met him and told him of the owes of
the people of Champaran. He requested Gandhi to go to the place and see for
himself the state of affairs there. Gandhi was then attending the Congress
meeting at Lucknow and he did not have time to go there. Rajkumar Shukla
followed him about, begging him to come and help the suffering villagers in
Champaran. Gandhi at last promised to visit the place after he had visited
Calcutta.