Question 71 from UPSC CSE 2025 - Modern History

Question

Subsequent to which one of the following events did Gandhi, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decide to include the upliftment of Harijans in his political and social programme?

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Correct Option: A. The Poona Pact

Strategy: Focus on the timeline and context of Gandhi's intensified work against untouchability. The Poona Pact directly centered on the rights of the Depressed Classes and resulted in Gandhi's fast. The aftermath of this pact was marked by his decision to launch a systematic Harijan uplift movement, distinguishing it from his earlier general opposition to untouchability. The other options either do not relate to the untouchability issue (like the Government of India Act, 1935 or the Quit India Movement arrests), or they predate the pivotal mass action and social campaign by Gandhi (like the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, which was about Civil Disobedience Movement withdrawal). The Poona Pact is the only event after which Gandhi formally included Harijan uplift in his programme.

Key Info: The Poona Pact (signed on 24 September 1932) was a negotiated agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar concerning the representation of the Depressed Classes (later called Scheduled Castes) in provincial legislatures under the British system. It was a response to the 'Communal Award' (1932) by the British, which provided separate electorates for these communities—a move Gandhi fiercely opposed, fearing it would further fragment Indian society. Gandhi's opposition included a fast unto death in Yerwada Central Jail. The fast compelled a compromise: reserved seats within the general Hindu electorate instead of a separate electorate. After the pact, Gandhi intensified efforts for 'Harijan' (a term adopted for 'Depressed Classes') upliftment. He launched a major social campaign, including renaming his weekly 'Young India' to 'Harijan', forming the Harijan Sewak Sangh (1932), and traveling extensively to raise awareness against untouchability. The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (1931; Delhi Pact) pertained to civil disobedience and political prisoner issues, not specifically untouchability. The Congress leadership's arrest occurred in 1942's Quit India Movement without direct connection to Gandhi's Harijan program. The Government of India Act, 1935, was a constitutional measure, not a catalyst for Gandhi's anti-untouchability campaign. Key figures in Harijan uplift efforts included G.D. Birla and A.V. Thakkar, who helped institutionalize the work post-Poona Pact. Gandhi's campaign comprised public appeals, social reforms, temple entry, and educational initiatives for Harijans, reflecting his conviction that social liberation and national freedom were inseparable.

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Option B: The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact)

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Option C: Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement

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Option D: Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935