Fear, leadership and language

Champaran shows what Gandhi believed most deeply: for the poor, freedom from fear mattered more than winning in court. Once the peasants lost their fear, they could stand up for their rights.

It also shows what makes a good leader. Gandhi listened to an unknown peasant; he checked the facts before acting; he was fearless before the authorities; he led by example, ready to go to jail himself; and he taught people to stand on their own feet, not to depend on others, even friends.

The chapter uses many legal words: summons, trial, judge, bail, penalty, deposition, evidence, case.

Fischer often quotes people's own words (direct speech), especially Gandhi's. This makes his account more trustworthy, because we hear the people themselves, and more lively to read.

Commas with 'when' clauses: put a comma after a 'when' clause that comes first: 'When I asked Gandhi, he told me the story.' If the main clause comes first, no comma is needed: 'He told me the story when I asked him.'