What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home-rule’?

In the year 1917 the movement of freedom struggle was on its footing. The advocates of home-rule were moving throughout the country to encourage the common man to participate in it.

The peasants were leading miserable lives due to the atrocities of the landlords. Raj Kumar Shukla brought Gandhi to Champaran and he himself investigated the cases of misdeeds. He felt that the peasants were terror-stricken and exploited. The average Indian was indifferent to show sympathy to the advocates of the home rule. In order to gather more information and true picture about the share-croppers, Gandhi sent a telegram to Prof. J. B. Kripalani. He came there at the station with a large body of students. For two days Gandhi stayed at the house of Professo Malkani. Gandhi praised the courage shown by these people. In those days it was quite an extraordinary thing and a courageous act to give shelter to a man like Gandhi. The average Indians were afraid of mixing with such courage-ous people those who were the advocates as “home rule.” They preferred to remain aloof from such things.