The document discusses the historical context of untouchables in India, including their social restrictions and the significant role Mahatma Gandhi played in their upliftment, branding them as 'harijans.' It highlights Gandhi's campaigns against untouchability, his efforts toward integration, and the legislative advancements resulting from his influence. Despite legal prohibitions today, remnants of untouchability persist, with low-caste individuals still facing social and economic disadvantages.

1. GANDHI & HARIJAN –
A CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT TODAY
BY:-
ADITYA SAMADHIYA

2. CONTENTS
TITLE SLIDE NO.
Introduction 3
Hindu caste system in India 4
Untouchables in India 5
Mahatma Gandhi and Harijans 6
Gandhi’s campaign against Untouchability 7
Upliftment of Harijans 8
The fruits of Gandhi’s efforts 9
Classification of Indian Society – Modern India 10 – 11
Government Policy 12
The Dilemma of positive Discrimination 13
Untouchability Today 14

3. INTRODUCTION
•Untouchable (Formerly Harijan, also
called Dalit, officially Scheduled Caste) - the
former name for any member of a wide range of
low-caste Hindu groups and any person outside
the caste system.[1]
[1] Britannica Encyclopedia STANDARD EDITION 2006: www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/618508/untouchable; Last accessed on 17th March 2015 at 22:40

4. HINDU CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA
Source : https://nataliepeart.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/hindu-caste-system-the-facts; last
accessed on 18/03/2015 at 21:00

5. UNTOUCHABLES IN INDIA
 Were forbidden entry to many temples, most schools, and wells from
which higher castes drew water.
 Their touch was seen as polluting to people of higher castes.
 Could not eat with other castes, nor inter-marry and were generally
subjugated to carry out the most menial of jobs.
 They were forced to live a nocturnal existence.
 Often such untouchables were the target of the most heinous crimes.
 These restrictions led many untouchables to seek some degree of
emancipation through conversion to Christianity, Islam, or
Buddhism.2
2. www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/618508/untouchable; last accessed on 18/03/2015 at 21:37

6. MAHATMA GANDHI AND HARIJANS
 He played a very important role in supporting the upliftment of
untouchables.
 Popularised the word “Harijan” meaning “the people of God”
 Regarded untouchability as the “the hate-fullest expression of caste”.
 Made it his life’s mission to wipe out untouchability and to uplift the
oppressed and downtrodden people.
 Preached that all human beings are equal and hence the Harijans too
have a right for social life along with other caste groups.3
3. http://www.shareyouressays.com/86990/essay-on-role-of-mahatma-gandhi-in-uplifting-the-untouchables; last accessed on 19/03/2015 at 20:57

7. Gandhi’s campaign against
Untouchability
 Started a nationwide movement to remove them from their social
quagmire and life of stigma and servitude.
 Launched movements for cleaning Harijan residential areas and for
digging wells for them.
 Created three publications: Harijan in English (from 1933 to 1948),
Harijan Bandu in Gujarati, and Harijan Sevak in Hindi to disseminate
his teachings and comment on ethical, political, and social issues.
 He started an ashram where people of all castes and creeds could
come and stay without any differences.
 He also served the “Harijan Sevak Sangha” started by the social
reformer Takkar Bapa in the year 1932 to work for the religious and
social welfare of the Harijans.4
4. http://www.shareyouressays.com/86990/essay-on-role-of-mahatma-gandhi-in-uplifting-the-untouchables; last accessed on 21/03/2015 at 16:24

8. UPLIFTMENT OF HARIJANS
 During the national movement, Mahatma Gandhi made the eradication of
un-touchability one of his goals.
 He tried to integrate them into the Indian National Congress and the
freedom movement.
 He went and stayed with them in their colonies, shared meals and
performed all the tasks of cleaning along with them.
 He condemned the British policy of segregating the Harijans from the rest
of the Hindu by creating a separate electorate for the Harijans.
 In protest against this “communal award” Gandhi decided to stage the fast
unto death Satyagraha.5
5. http://www.preservearticles.com/201012271774/mahatma-gandhis-role-in-the-upliftment-of-harijans.html ; last accessed on 19/03/2015 at 17:17

9. THE FRUITS OF GANDHI’S EFFORTS
 1937 – Passing of a resolution at the Karachi Conference of all
people being equal in the eyes of the law.
 1938 - The Removal of the Civil Disabilities Act passed by the
Madras Legislature which provided that no Harijan shall be disabled
from any social or public amenity.
 1938 - The Malabar Temple Entry Act passed which threw open the
temples in Malabar.
 1939 - The temple of Madurai was opened to the Harijans.
 Public dinners were organized at his ashram in which people
expressed their feelings against the practice of untouchability by
eating with people of different communities.
 Many people rejected this practice and the rigidity of caste rules was
given up for the betterment of all.6
6. Dalits Development and Change: An Empirical Study

10. Higher Castes & Lower Castes, the latter of which is subdivided
into 3 categories :
 Scheduled Castes : includes communities who were untouchables.
 Scheduled Tribes : includes those communities who did not accept
the caste system and preferred to reside deep in the jungles, forests
and mountains of India, away from the main population.
 Other Backward Classes : includes castes who belong to Shudra
Varna, former untouchables who converted from Hinduism to other
religions.
CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN SOCIETY –
Modern India

11. CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN SOCIETY –
Modern India
Indian
Society
Lower
Castes
Scheduled
Castes
Scheduled
Tribes
Other
Backward
Classes
Higher
Castes
~ 15%
of India’s
Population
~ 7.5%
of India’s
Population
~ 50%
of India’s
Population

12. GOVERNMENT POLICY
 Besides banning untouchability, the constitution provides specific educational and
vocational privileges and grants them special representation in the Indian parliament.
 According to the central government policy the three categories of lower castes are
entitled for positive discrimination.
 15% of the government jobs and 15% of the students admitted to universities must be
from Scheduled Castes.
 For the Scheduled Tribes about 7.5% places are reserved.
 27% of government jobs are reserved for Other Backward Classes.
 Also, different states have different figures of communities entitled for positive
discrimination based on the population of each state.7
7. Brief review on effects of Politics on caste in India : http://bipublication.com/files/ijaser-v3i2-2013-05.pdf; last accessed on 22/03/2015 at 18:09

13. The Dilemma of Positive Discrimination
 High caste communities often feel discriminated by the government policy to
reserve positions for the Backward Classes.
 In many cases a large number of high caste members compete for a few places
reserved for them, while the Backward Classes members do not have to compete at
all because of the large number of reserved places for them compared to the
candidates.
 Sometimes in order to fill the quota, candidates from the lower classes are accepted
even though they are not suitable.
 Other Backward Classes are about 50% of India's population but only 27% of the
Other Backward Classes are entitled for positive discrimination according to central
government policy.
 Some Other Backward Classes communities are organizing politically to be
recognized as Backward Classes entitled for positive discrimination.8
8. Brief review on effects of Politics on caste in India : http://bipublication.com/files/ijaser-v3i2-2013-05.pdf; last accessed on 23/03/2015 at 15:05

14. UNTOUCHABILITY TODAY
 The name ‘Harijan’ is now considered condescending and offensive. The
official designation Scheduled Caste is the most common term now used
in India.
 Practicing untouchability or discriminating a person based on his/her
caste is legally forbidden.
 Remnants of untouchability still exist today but in many different forms
even if the same is forbidden by written law.
 Most of the communities who were low in the caste hierarchy remain low
in the social order even today.
 Most of the degrading jobs are even today done by the Dalits, while the
Brahmins remain at the top of the hierarchy by being the doctors,
engineers and lawyers of India.8
8. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm; last accessed on 17/03/2015 at 20:54

15. “… Without the removal
of the taint of
untouchability, “Swaraj”
is a meaningless term.”
- Mahatma Gandhi, 1920

16. THANK YOU