{"id":85784,"date":"2026-02-09T13:06:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T07:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=85784"},"modified":"2026-02-09T13:06:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T07:36:29","slug":"harijan-sevak-sangh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/harijan-sevak-sangh\/","title":{"rendered":"Harijan Sevak Sangh, About, Objectives, Contributions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harijan Sevak Sangh, formerly <\/span><b>All India Anti Untouchability League<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is a non-profit organisation founded by Mahatma Gandhi in <\/span><b>1932<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to eradicate untouchability in India, working for Harijan or Dalit People and upliftment of the Depressed Class of India.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is headquartered at <\/span><b>Kingsway Camp in Delhi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with branches in 26 states across India.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Origin of the word \u201cHarijans\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/mahatma-gandhi\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi<\/strong><\/a> referred to the Dalit community as <\/span><b>\u201cHarijans<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d a term that means \u201c<\/span><b>Children of God<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By using this name, Gandhi wanted to remove the social stigma attached to words like \u201cuntouchables\u201d or \u201cdepressed classes\u201d and highlight the equal dignity of all human beings.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His effort was aimed at improving the social status of Dalits and challenging the caste-based discrimination deeply rooted in Indian society.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Gandhi, the term Harijan was not just a new label but part of a larger social reform movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He believed that changing the way people thought and spoke about Dalits was essential to ending untouchability and social exclusion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>About Harijan Sevak Sangh<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was founded on September 30, 1932, after Gandhiji\u2019s Epic Fast at Yervada Jail, Pune, resulting in the historic <\/span><b>Poona Pact with Ambedkar<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It helped to make public places accessible to Dalits and did several kinds of social work for them such as the establishment of schools, support of inter-caste marriages, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A seminal weekly newspaper, \u201c<\/span><b>Harijan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d was launched to champion the cause against untouchability, promoting social reform and the upliftment of India&#8217;s marginalized communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It served as a crucial platform for Gandhiji&#8217;s campaigns, covering social, economic, and political issues during India&#8217;s freedom struggle until the 1940s, continuing even after his death.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Harijan Sevak Sangh Objectives<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The objectives of Harijan Sevak Sangh are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eradication of untouchability through truth and non-violence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Removal of social disabilities and ensuring equal status for Dalits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Securing civil and human rights, including access to schools, temples, wells, and other public places.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improvement of the social conditions of women and children.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promotion of values such as equality, fraternity, cooperation, and social service for an inclusive society.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Harijan Sevak Sangh Contributions<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Awareness and Social Reform<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It launched nationwide campaigns against untouchability and caste discrimination.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mahatma Gandhi led a Harijan campaign (1933\u201334), travelling across the country to promote Dalit upliftment, social equality, and welfare of marginalised communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was focused on changing social attitudes through public meetings, guidance, and direct interaction with Harijan colonies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Ensuring Civil and Civic Rights<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Worked to secure equal access for Dalits to public spaces such as temples, wells, roads, crematoriums, river ghats, guest houses, and restaurants.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facilitated access to essential services like doctors, barbers, laundry services, etc., to remove everyday social exclusion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Promotion of Education<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It established and managed schools, hostels, and Ashram schools for Dalit children across India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It runs institutions such as Kasturba Balika Vidyalayas and girls\u2019 hostels, with a special focus on Dalit girls and children from marginalised regions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Operates a large network of primary schools, Ashram schools, and hostels with support from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Skill Development and Self-Reliance<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set up Industrial Training Institutes (Udyogshalas) and vocational training centres to promote economic self-dependence among Dalits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Established Safai Vidyalaya (Ahmedabad) to train sanitation workers in modern tools, technology, and hygienic practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emphasised dignity of labour and skill-based empowerment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Welfare of Women and Children<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Operates creche centres across the country with support from the Central Social Welfare Board.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focuses on education, nutrition, and care of women and children from vulnerable sections. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harijan Sevak Sangh, founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932, worked to eradicate untouchability through education, social reform, civil rights, and Dalit upliftment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":86213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[5125],"class_list":{"0":"post-85784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-harijan-sevak-sangh","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85784"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86887,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85784\/revisions\/86887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}