Gandhi's opposition to untouchability was not merely moral rhetoric but evolved into a structured political commitment, making the eradication of caste-based discrimination inseparable from India's broader freedom struggle.
Gandhi viewed untouchability as a blot on Hinduism and a fundamental violation of human dignity. He argued that a society practising such discrimination could not claim moral authority in its demand for self-rule from a colonial power. This linkage made social reform a prerequisite for political freedom.
Gandhi established the Harijan Sevak Sangh to undertake constructive work among depressed classes, including access to temples, wells, and schools. The organisation channelled voluntary effort into tangible social change, embedding upliftment within the Congress's constructive programme rather than treating it as peripheral charity.
Gandhi's fast against separate electorates for depressed classes — which culminated in the Poona Pact — demonstrated his willingness to use personal sacrifice to keep the community united while still pressing for the removal of untouchability. This episode formally elevated Harijan welfare to a central political concern.
Removal of untouchability was explicitly listed among the items of Gandhi's Constructive Programme alongside khadi and village industries. This institutionalisation ensured that social reform was pursued alongside, not after, political independence.
Gandhi's approach reveals a persistent tension between immediate political mobilisation and long-term social transformation. Sustainable emancipation of marginalised communities ultimately requires structural legal reform alongside the moral persuasion he championed.
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