Harijan Sevak Sangh
Topic: The National Movement: Gandhian Era · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Harijan Sevak Sangh was an organisation that Gandhi founded in 1932, after the Poona Pact. "Harijan", meaning "people of God", was Gandhi's name for the untouchable castes. The Sangh worked to end untouchability by running schools and hostels, opening wells and pressing for temple entry. It reflected Gandhi's belief that there could be no swaraj, or self-rule, without ending untouchability.
Example
In 1933, Gandhi also began a weekly paper called Harijan. He used it to spread the anti-untouchability message across India.
Don't confuse with
- Depressed Classes Association (1930): this was Ambedkar's organisation. It was led by dalits themselves and demanded separate electorates. The Sangh was run by caste-Hindu reformers.
Related concepts
- All India Kisan Sabha
- Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
- FICCI
- G.D. Birla
- Jamnalal Bajaj
- All India Trade Union Congress
- Communist Party of India
- Meerut conspiracy case
- Women in the civil disobedience movement
- Women's Indian Association