Consider the following statements on the impact of Indigo crop on peasant life:
A. When the indigo crop was delivered to the planter after the harvest, a new loan was given to the ryot.
B. The price that the peasants got for the indigo they had produced was very low.
C. The planters insisted on the best soils for indigo.
D. Indigo did not have deep roots and exhausted the soil.
Choose the correct option:

Correct option is D

Correct Answer: (D) Only A, B and C are correct.
Explanation:
Statement A: Correct — Under the ryoti system, peasants received cash advances from indigo planters. After delivering the harvested crop, they were given a new loan for the next season, creating a continuous cycle of debt.
Statement B: Correct — The price paid to peasants for indigo was very low. The income from the crop was insufficient, making indigo cultivation economically disadvantageous for the ryots.
Statement C: Correct — Planters insisted on cultivating indigo on the best and most fertile soils. Peasants, however, preferred these lands for rice cultivation, leading to conflict with the planters.
Statement D: Incorrect — Indigo had deep roots that exhausted the soil rapidly. After an indigo harvest, rice could not be easily grown on the same land. Thus, the statement incorrectly says that indigo did not have deep roots.
Information Booster:
→ The intense exploitation of peasants led to the famous Blue Rebellion (Indigo Revolt) of 1859 in Bengal.
→ It began in the Govindpur village of Nadia district, led by Digambar Biswas and Bishnucharan Biswas.
→ Playwright Dinabandhu Mitra exposed the horrific suffering of the farmers in his famous play Nil Darpan (1860).
→ Following the rebellion, the British government set up the Indigo Commission, which declared that the system was deeply oppressive for the ryots.