UPSC Prelims 2025 Q74: Modern History – Gandhian Mass Movements (1915 - 1942)
Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of ‘Harijans’ in his political and social programme?
- (a) The Poona Pact
- (b) The Gandhi - Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact)
- (c) Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement
- (d) Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935
Answer: (a) The Poona Pact
Explanation
When Gandhiji took up the uplift of 'Harijans'
After the Poona Pact of September 1932, Gandhiji made the fight against untouchability a central part of his programme.
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Communal Award (August 1932) | Gave separate electorates to the Depressed Classes |
| Fast unto death | Gandhiji fasted in Yerawada Jail against it |
| Poona Pact (24 September 1932) | Reserved seats in joint electorates, in place of separate electorates; signed by Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya |
What Gandhiji did next:
| Year | Action |
|---|---|
| 1932 | Founded the All India Anti-Untouchability League, later the Harijan Sevak Sangh |
| 1933 | Started the weekly 'Harijan' |
| 1933-34 | A Harijan tour of over 20,000 km across India |
The other options are unrelated: the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931), the 1935 Act and the 1942 arrests.
Answer: (a) The Poona Pact.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. After the Poona Pact (1932), Gandhiji took up the uplift of 'Harijans'.
- (b) Incorrect. The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement of 1931 was about ending Civil Disobedience.
- (c) Incorrect. The Quit India arrests came in 1942, a decade later.
- (d) Incorrect. The Government of India Act, 1935 came after his Harijan campaign had begun.
Key point
Poona Pact (September 1932): reserved seats replaced separate electorates; Gandhiji then founded the Harijan Sevak Sangh, started 'Harijan' (1933) and toured India.
Remember
Harijan uplift campaign followed the Poona Pact (1932).
Common mistakes
- Confusing the Poona Pact with the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
- Forgetting that the Pact followed the Communal Award.
- Not linking the weekly 'Harijan' to this phase.
Exam tip
Communal Award, fast, Poona Pact, Harijan campaign: four events in one chain, 1932 to 1934.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra — India's Struggle for Independence, Ch 23 (From Karachi to Wardha: The Years from 1932-34)
- Spectrum — A Brief History of Modern India (Communal Award and Poona Pact)