For what purpose did Mahatma Gandhi popularise the term 'Harijan', literally children of God, for the so-called 'untouchables'?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → To counter the pejorative charge carried by the caste names used for them
Option (1) To assert their identity as part of a struggle for rights and dignity — Incorrect. Asserting identity in a struggle for rights and dignity is how the Dalit Panthers used the term 'Dalit' in the early 1970s.
Option (2) To convey the sense of an oppressed and downtrodden people — Incorrect. The sense of an oppressed and downtrodden people is carried by 'Dalit', which literally means 'downtrodden'.
Option (3) To list the castes deserving special treatment because of massive discrimination — Incorrect. Listing castes that deserve special treatment because of massive discrimination was the job of the 'Schedules'. The British Indian government drew them up in 1935.
Option (4) To counter the pejorative charge carried by the caste names used for them — Correct. The old names for these groups were all derogatory and carried a strongly pejorative charge. Gandhi's term was meant to counter that charge.
NCERT (2026-27): “Exercise for Tables 1 and 2 … “However, the ex-untouchable communities and their leaders have coined another term, ‘Dalit’, which is now the generally accepted term for referring to these groups. In Indian languages, the term Dalit literally means ‘downtrodden’ and conveys the sense of an oppressed people. Though it was neither coined by Dr. Ambedkar nor frequently used by him, the term certainly resonates with his philosophy and the movement for empowerment that he led. It received wide currency during the caste riots in Mumbai in the early 1970s. The Dalit Panthers, a radical group that emerged in western India during that time, used the term to assert their identity as part of their struggle for rights and dignity.” |