Harijan Sevak Sangh

2021-06-13T15:03:09Z

2402:3A80:1F80:8DD2:0:0:9B:7248: /* History */

{{Use Indian English|date=February 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox organization
| image =
| logo =
| formation = {{start date and age|1932|10|30|df=yes|p=y}}
{{nowrap|[[Bombay]], India}}
| headquarters = Gandhi Ashram, Kingsway, Delhi (today [[Rajpath]], [[Delhi]])
| name = Harijan Sevak Sangh
| website = https://harijansevaksangh.org
| founder = Mahatma Gandhi
| logo_size =
}}

'''Harijan Sevak Sangh''' is a non-profit organisation founded by [[Mahatma Gandhi]] in 1932 to eradicate [[untouchability]] in India, working for [[Harijan]] or [[Dalit|Dalit people]] and upliftment of [[Depressed Class]] of India.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/10/stories/2007021020740400.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212092426/http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/10/stories/2007021020740400.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=12 February 2007 | title=Harijan Sevak Sangh to publicise activities | date=10 February 2007 | work=[[The Hindu]] | access-date=6 May 2014}}</ref> It is headquartered at [[Kingsway Camp]] in Delhi, with branches in 26 states across India.<ref>{{cite web | title = Organisation|publisher=Harijan Sevak Sangh| url = http://www.gandhicreationhss.org/orgsture.php | access-date = 7 May 2014}}</ref>

==History==
After the [[Round Table Conferences (India)|Second Round Table Conference]], [[British Raj|British government]] agreed to give [[Communal Award]] to the depressed classes on the request of [[B. R. Ambedkar]]. Gandhi opposed the government's decision which he considered it would divide the Hindu society and subsequently went on to the indefinite fast in [[Yerwada Central Jail|Yerwada Jail]]. He ended his fast after signed [[Poona Pact]] with Ambedkar on 24 September 1932. On 30 September, Gandhi founded ''All India Anti Untouchability League'', to remove untouchability in the society, which later renamed as Harijan Sevak Sangh ("Servants of Harijan Society").<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170610/jsp/opinion/story_156002.jsp|title=Naming the reality|date=24 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524111411/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170610/jsp/opinion/story_156002.jsp|archive-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> At the time industrialist [[Ghanshyam Das Birla]] was its founding president with [[Thakkar Bapa|Amritlal Takkar]] as its Secretary.<ref name="Revankar1971">{{cite book|author=Ratna G. Revankar|title=The Indian Constitution: A Case Study of Backward Classes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ukZRZk_ttYcC&pg=PA124|date=1 January 1971|publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press|isbn=978-0-8386-7670-7|page=124}}</ref>

== Headquarters ==
The Sangh is headquartered at [[Kingsway Camp]] in Delhi. It was ''Valmiki Bhawan'' within the campus, which functioned as Gandhiji's one-room ashram, [[Kasturba Gandhi]] and their children stayed at the nearby ''Kasturba Kutir'', between April 1946 and June 1947, before he moved to [[Birla House]]. Today, the 20-acre campus includes the Gandhi ashram, Harijan Basti, Lala Hans Raj Gupta Industrial Training Institute and also has a residential school for boys and girls.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/share-gandhis-space-rs-800-pm/22851-3.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012162401/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/share-gandhis-space-rs-800-pm/22851-3.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=12 October 2012 | title=Share Gandhi's space @Rs 800 pm | work=CNN-IBN | date=30 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/tirath-spends-time-with-dalits-on-gandhi-jayanti_100255242.html|title=Tirath spends time with Dalits on Gandhi Jayanti|date=2 October 2009|work=The Indian}}</ref> Its headquarter Gandhi Ashram, [[Kingsway Camp]] is listed as Gandhian Heritage Site by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. [http://www.indiaculture.nic.in/gandhian-heritage-sites Gandhian Heritage Sites | Ministry of Culture, Government of India]

== Activities ==
The Sangh helped the depressed classes to access public places such as temples, schools, roads and water resources, also conducted inter dining and [[inter caste marriage]]s.<ref name="Kumar2003">{{cite book|author=Raj Kumar|title=Essays on Dalits|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5_dERFH6jMC&pg=PA67|date=1 January 2003|publisher=Discovery Publishing House|isbn=978-81-7141-708-7|page=67}}</ref> It constructed and maintains several schools and hostels across the country.<ref name="Pathak1999">{{cite book|author=Bindeshwar Pathak|title=Road to Freedom: A Sociological Study on the Abolition of Scavenging in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2A13gSHm770C&pg=PA70|date=1 September 1999|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-1258-1|page=70}}</ref>

In 1939, Harijan Sevak Sangh of Tamil Nadu headed by [[A. Vaidyanatha Iyer]] entered the [[Meenakshi Amman Temple]] in [[Madurai]], with members of depressed class including [[P. Kakkan]] despite opposition from the upper [[Varna (Hinduism)|caste]] Hindus. The Sangh led by Iyer organised several temple entry movements in other Parts of Tamil Nadu and in [[Travancore]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/man-who-led-harijans-into-the-temple/article4500396.ece | title=Man who led Harijans into the temple | work=The Hindu | date=12 March 2013 | access-date=7 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/reliving-the-historic-temple-entry/article4897572.ece | title=Reliving the historic temple entry | work=The Hindu | date=9 July 2013 | access-date=7 May 2014}}</ref> Through their movements, more than 100 temples were opened to all sections of the society.<ref name="Sharma1997">{{cite book|author=Rajendra Kumar Sharma|title=Rural Sociology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cq99HbGpIWsC&pg=PA172|year=1997|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist|isbn=978-81-7156-671-6|pages=172}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|author=Viyogī Hari|title=History of the Harijan Sevak Sangh, 1932-1968|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2mBXAAAAMAAJ|year=1971|publisher=Harijan Sevak Sangh}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gandhicreationhss.org/ Harijan Sevak Sangh, website]

{{Mohandas K. Gandhi}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Anti-caste movements]]
[[Category:Dalit]]
[[Category:Mahatma Gandhi]]
[[Category:Non-profit organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1932]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Delhi]]
[[Category:1932 establishments in India]]

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Harijan Sevak Sangh