Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of ‘Harijans’ in his political and social programme? 

  • The Poona Pact   
  • The Gandhi-Irwin (Delhi Pact) Agreement   
  • Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement   
  • Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935   

Answer: (a) The Poona Pact

The Poona Pact (1932)

In September 1932, Mahatma Gandhi undertook a fast unto death in Yerwada Jail (Poona) to oppose the provision of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes announced by the British government under the Communal Award (1932). The proposal, supported by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, aimed to provide separate political representation to the Depressed Classes.

Gandhi believed that separate electorates would divide Hindu society permanently, and therefore strongly opposed the measure. His fast created intense political pressure and negotiations between leaders of the caste Hindus and representatives of the Depressed Classes.

The crisis was resolved through the Poona Pact signed on 24 September 1932 between Gandhi and Ambedkar. The agreement provided:

  • Joint electorates for Hindus instead of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes.
  • A significant increase in reserved seats for the Depressed Classes in provincial legislatures.
  • Special provisions to ensure adequate political representation of the Depressed Classes within the joint electorate framework.
Gandhi’s Campaign against Untouchability

After the Poona Pact, Gandhi intensified his campaign for the eradication of untouchability and incorporated the upliftment of the Depressed Classes into his social and political programme.

  • Gandhi began referring to the Depressed Classes as “Harijans” (Children of God), a term he considered less derogatory than “Untouchables” or the colonial expression “Depressed Classes.”
  • The term “Harijan” had earlier been used by the medieval Bhakti saint Narsinh Mehta, whom Gandhi admired.
Institutional Initiatives

To promote social reform and the removal of untouchability:

  • Gandhi had earlier established the Anti-Untouchability League (1932).
  • After the Poona Pact, it was renamed the Harijan Sevak Sangh, which worked for the social, educational, and economic upliftment of the Depressed Classes.
  • Gandhi also renamed his weekly journal Young India as Harijan (1933) to spread awareness about the campaign against untouchability.

Thus, it was after the Poona Pact (1932) that Gandhi more actively incorporated the upliftment of ‘Harijans’ into his political and social programme.