Question 94
Set 2
Contents
QQuestion
OOptions
✓Correct Answer
DDalvoy Solutions
After the Poona Pact (1932), Gandhi decided to include the upliftment of 'Harijans' (Dalits) in his political and social program.
The Poona Pact was signed between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar following Gandhi's fast-unto-death in protest against the British Communal Award that provided separate electorates for Dalits. The Pact replaced separate electorates with reserved seats for Dalits within the general electorate.
This event marked a turning point in Gandhi's approach to the caste question. Following the Pact, Gandhi intensified his efforts for Dalit welfare, started the weekly journal 'Harijan', undertook extensive tours to promote Dalit rights, and made temple entry and removal of untouchability central to his constructive program. The experience of negotiating with Ambedkar and the moral challenge posed by the separate electorate issue compelled Gandhi to make Harijan upliftment a priority.
SUPSC Prelims Strategy and Tips
For Gandhi's social reform evolution, focus on key events that forced him to prioritize specific issues. The Poona Pact was a watershed moment that shaped his later social agenda.