Gandhiji fought the case for the sharecroppers and the evidence that he collected was so overwhelming that the landlords were asked to repay. When Gandhiji asked for 50% repayment, the landlords offer to pay only 25% as they wanted to create a deadlock and thus prolong the dispute. To everybody's surprise, Gandhiji agreed on a refund of 25%.
Gandhiji explained that the amount of refund was not important. What mattered was that the landlords were obliged to surrender a part of their money and with it, part of their prestige. The peasants saw that they had rights and defenders. They learned courage. Gradually, indigo sharecropping disappeared from the area and the land came back to the poor peasants.
