Q. 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?
(a) The Poona Pact
(b) The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact)
(c) Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement
(d) Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935
Correct Answer : (a) The Poona Pact
UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper's Solution
Explanation :
The event subsequent to which Gandhiji decided to include the upliftment of ‘Harijans’ in his political and social programme was The Poona Pact.
The Poona Pact (1932): This pact was a direct consequence of Mahatma Gandhi’s fast unto death in protest against the Communal Award, which proposed separate electorates for the Depressed Classes (Dalits). Gandhi believed that separate electorates would permanently segregate the untouchables from the Hindu community. The Poona Pact, signed between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar, replaced separate electorates with reserved seats for Dalits within the general electorate.
Following this intense period, Gandhi dedicated himself more vigorously to the cause of eradicating untouchability. He launched the All India Anti-Untouchability League (later renamed Harijan Sevak Sangh) and started the weekly paper Harijan to propagate his views and work for the social, economic, and educational upliftment of the untouchables, whom he called ‘Harijans’ (children of God). This marked a significant shift where the upliftment of Harijans became an explicit and central part of his political and social agenda.
The other options are less directly related to this specific shift in Gandhi’s program:
The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact) (1931): This agreement was primarily about ending the Civil Disobedience Movement and addressing political demands, not specifically about the Harijan upliftment program.
Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement (1942): This was a much later event related to the broader independence struggle. By this time, Harijan upliftment was already a well-established part of Gandhi’s work.
Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935: While this act had significant constitutional implications, it was not the direct catalyst for Gandhi’s decision to specifically include Harijan upliftment in his political and social program in the way the Poona Pact was.
