Harijan and Social Reform

Harijan was an English-language weekly journal founded by Mahatma Gandhi on February 11, 1933, from Poona (now Pune) to lead a social reform movement against untouchability. Emerging in the aftermath of the Poona Pact of September 1932, the publication served as the official media organ of the Anti-Untouchability League (later renamed the Harijan Sevak Sangh). Gandhi used the weekly to advocate for the complete eradication of caste discrimination, temple entry rights for marginalized communities, and social equity across India. Printed without commercial advertisements, Harijan became the primary vehicle for Gandhi’s social philosophy, constructive work, and political thought during the 1930s and 1940s.

Historical Background and Foundation

Aftermath of the Poona Pact

• The British government announced the Communal Award in August 1932, granting separate electorates to the Depressed Classes.
• Gandhi initiated a fast unto death at Yerwada Central Jail in Poona to protest separate electorates, arguing they would divide Hindu society.
• The impasse resolved with the signing of the Poona Pact on September 24, 1932, between B.R. Ambedkar and caste Hindu leaders.
• The pact abandoned separate electorates in favor of reserved seats for the Depressed Classes in provincial and central legislatures.
• Following the agreement, Gandhi shifted his primary political focus toward the eradication of untouchability, launching the Harijan weekly to build public support.

Launch and Editorial Structure

• The first issue of Harijan appeared on February 11, 1933, from Poona while Gandhi was incarcerated in Yerwada Jail.
• R.V. Shastri served as the inaugural editor of the English weekly under Gandhi’s direct supervision.
• Gandhi coined the term Harijan (meaning “Children of God”) to replace derogatory labels used for marginalized castes.
• The journal was published under the auspices of the Servants of Untouchables Society, which Gandhi founded in September 1932 and later renamed Harijan Sevak Sangh.
• The administration operated from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and later from Sevagram Ashram in Wardha.

Language Variants and Translation Network

• Gandhi launched regional language counterparts to ensure mass reach across non-English speaking provinces.
• Harijan Bandhu (Gujarati) was edited by Chandrashanker Shukla.
• Harijan Sevak (Hindi) was managed by Amritlal V. Thakkar (popularly known as Thakkar Bapa) and Viyogi Hari.
• The articles were translated into multiple regional languages including Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, and Telugu through local nationalist networks.

Ideological Agenda and Reformist Campaigns

Temple Entry Movement and Social Rights

• The weekly campaigned for the legal opening of Hindu temples to all castes across British India and Princely States.
• It extensively covered local temple entry agitations, including the Guruvayur Temple Satyagraha in Kerala led by K. Kelappan.
• Harijan published public appeals, scriptural interpretations, and petitions demanding equal access to public wells, roads, and schools.
• The journal documented the historic Travancore Temple Entry Proclamation issued by Maharajah Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma in November 1936.

The Harijan Tour (1933–1934)

• Gandhi conducted a nine-month nationwide Harijan Tour from November 1933 to July 1934, covering over 12,500 kilometers.
• Harijan published weekly itineraries, speech transcripts, and collection reports for the Harijan Fund.
• The tour faced fierce opposition from orthodox Hindu groups (Sanatanists), culminating in a bomb attack on Gandhi’s car in Poona on June 25, 1934.
• Reports in the weekly tracked the collection of funds dedicated to building hostels, schools, and sanitation infrastructure for marginalized communities.

Constructive Programme and Village Reconstruction

• The journal expanded its scope beyond anti-untouchability to promote Gandhi’s broader Constructive Programme.
• It advocated for Nai Talim (Basic Education), emphasizing vocational training, sanitation, and hygiene in rural areas.
• Harijan promoted village industries through the All-India Village Industries Association (AIVIA), established in 1934.
• The publication printed technical guides on Khadi production, manual spinning, organic farming, and cottage industries.

Censorship, Suspensions, and Closure

Government Suppression During WWII and Quit India

• Publication was suspended in 1940 when Gandhi launched the Individual Satyagraha against forced Indian participation in World War II.
• It resumed in early 1942, serving as the main forum where Gandhi outlined his rationale for demanding immediate British withdrawal.
• Gandhi published his famous “Quit India” call and articles urging non-violent resistance in the pages of Harijan during July and August 1942.
• The colonial government banned the publication and seized the Navajivan Press following the launch of the Quit India Movement in August 1942.
• Publication resumed in February 1946 under the editorship of Pyarelal Nayyar, continuing through the partition and post-independence transition.
• The journal permanently ceased publication in 1956.

Key Periodicals Founded or Edited by Gandhi

| Publication | Year | Language | Key Associates | Primary Focus | | Indian Opinion | 1903 | English, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil | Mansukhlal Nazar, Madanjit Vyavaharik | Civil rights in South Africa, Phoenix Settlement | | Navajivan | 1919 | Gujarati, Hindi | Indulal Yagnik, Swami Anand | Mass mobilization, Satyagraha, Autobiography serialization | | Young India | 1919 | English | Mahadev Desai, Shankarlal Banker | Non-Cooperation Movement, Anti-colonial policy, Khadi | | Harijan | 1933 | English | R.V. Shastri, Pyarelal Nayyar | Eradication of untouchability, Temple entry, Quit India | | Harijan Sevak | 1933 | Hindi | Thakkar Bapa, Viyogi Hari | Rural upliftment, Anti-caste reform in North India | | Harijan Bandhu | 1933 | Gujarati | Chandrashanker Shukla | Regional reform, Village industries, Constructive work |

Key Facts for Quick Revision

• Harijan was founded by Mahatma Gandhi on February 11, 1933, in Poona.
• The inaugural editor of the English weekly was R.V. Shastri.
• The journal replaced Young India as Gandhi’s primary English-language publication.
• Harijan Sevak Sangh was initially established as the Anti-Untouchability League in September 1932.
• Amritlal V. Thakkar (Thakkar Bapa) served as the first general secretary of the Harijan Sevak Sangh.
• Harijan Bandhu was the Gujarati edition, and Harijan Sevak was the Hindi edition of the paper.
• Gandhi conducted the nationwide Harijan Tour from November 1933 to July 1934 to collect funds for social upliftment.
• The Travancore Temple Entry Proclamation occurred in November 1936, opening state-controlled temples to all Hindus.
• The colonial administration seized the Navajivan Press and banned Harijan in August 1942 due to its Quit India coverage.
• Pyarelal Nayyar edited Harijan when it resumed publication in February 1946 following the release of nationalist leaders.
• The publication ran continuously through the post-independence period until its closure in 1956.