Question

26. Explain the contribution of Gandhiji to uplift the position of Untouchables in the society?​

Answer 1

Mahatma Gandhiji played a memorable role in uplifting the untouchables. Gandhiji popularised the word “Harijan”‘ meaning “the people of God”. According to Gandhiji, the practice of untouch­ability is “a leper wound in the whole-body of Hindu politic”. He even regarded it as “the hate fullest expression of caste”. He made it his life’s mission to wipe out untouchability and to uplift the de­pressed and the downtrodden people. As a servant of mankind, he preached that all human beings are equal and hence the Harijans too have a right for social life along with other caste groups.

Gandhiji’s Appeal to the Conscience of the People:

Gandhiji believed in the four-fold division of the Hindu society into four varnas. He regarded untouchables as. Shudras and not as the Panchamas or fifth Varna or Avarna.

Hence he sincerely felt the need for bringing about a basic change in the caste structure by uplifting the untouchables and not by abolishing the caste as such. He appealed to the conscience of the people to realise the historical necessity of accommodating the “Harijans” by providing them a rightful place in the society.

Gandhiji had much compassion for the Harijans. He said: “I do not want to be reborn. But if I am to be born, I would like to be born an untouchable, so that I may share their sorrows and sufferings.”

He was of the opinion that the practice of untouchability was a moral crime. He said that “if untouchability is not wrong, then nothing in the world is wrong.” He believed that a change of heart on the part of the Hindus was essential to enable the social and cultural assimilation of Harijans. He was very much moved by their social distress and started a nationwide movement to remove their disabilities.

Gandhiji’s Campaign against Untouchability:

Gandhiji who regarded untouchability as a blot on Hinduism wanted to do away with it com­pletely. He wrote in 1920 “… Without the removal of the taint [of untouchability], “Swaraj” is a meaningless term.” He even felt that the foreign domination of our country was the result of our exploitation of almost one-sixth of our own people in the name of religion.

He advocated positive means for the uplift of Harijans. He addressed various public meetings reposing doctrines of Harijan welfare. He led several processions of Harijans with other upper caste people and made them participate in “poojas, bhajans, keerthans and puranas”.He believed that opportunities of education and temple entry would reduce social inequalities be­tween Harijans and caste Hindus. He launched movements for cleaning Harijan residential areas, for digging wells for them and for similar other beneficial things.

Gandhiji wrote in “Young India” in April 1925. “Temples, public wells ana public schools must be open to the untouchables equally with caste Hindus.” He started two journals, ‘Harijan’ and ‘Young India’ through which he advocated his ideas. He started an ashram where people of all castes and creeds could come and stay without any differences.

Gandhiji served the “Harijan Sevak Sangha” started by the social reformer Takkar Bapa in the year 1932 for working out the religious and social welfare of the Harijans. The organisation opened schools and dispensaries in various places and arranged for free educational facilities and scholar­ships for Harijan children.Gandhiji’s Protest against the Proposal of Separate Electorate for Harijans:

Gandhiji was very much against the British policy of “divide and rule”. He condemned the British policy of separating the Harijans from the rest of the Hindu Hence he protested against the proposal of creating separate electorate for the Harijans. He said to Ambedkar who was in favour of the pro­posal, that “the political separation of the untouchables from the Hindus would be suicidal to the nation.”

Gandhiji declared at the Minorities Committee of the Second Round Table Conference in Lon­don [1932] that “we do not want the untouchables to be classified as a separate class. Sikhs may remain such in perpetuity, so many Muslims and Christians. Will the untouchables remain untouch­ables in perpetuity? I would rather feel that Hinduism died than that untouchability lived. I will resist it with my life.”

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Answer 2

Answer:

the contribution of Gandhiji to play the position of untouchables are the following

1. Gandhiji declared as the Swaraj would not come for 100 years if untouchable was not eliminated
2. he called untouchable hurricane the children of God
3. the organised Satyagraha to secure them entire into temples to end to assess the public where thank road and schools
4. himself clean toilets to dignity the work of the sleeper he pressured the upper cars to change their hurt and give them the same of untouchability
5. insult on their colony and live there