Freedom struggle and eradication of untouchability were both very important for Gandhiji. He preached against untouchability and has set a model by his deeds and words. He himself lived with the Harijans and shared their sorrows and sufferings. He made them participate in worships, prayers, keerthanas.

He wrote extensively in ‘Harijan’ and ‘Young India’ about the condition of Harijans and propagated in favour of various legal provisions against several kinds of injustice meted out to the untouchables. He cleaned the streets and toilets of Scheduled Castes. By his selfless, sincere self effort he created awareness among the Harijans regarding cleanliness, sanitation and health.

After 1931, Indian National Congress set up a council to consider the problem of untouchability.

It was due to ceaseless effort of this council that ‘Harijan Sevak Sangh’ came into existence. The sangh also provides the Harijan students with financial assistance and scholarships. Kasturaba Balika Ashram in Delhi, Harijan Balika Vidyalaya at Sabarmati are just two examples of schools started by the Sangh for the cause of female education.

The Sangh has branches all over the country and it is maintaining 120 boarding houses. Gandhiji called untouchables as Harijana and popularised the word Harijana. The word Harijana was first coined by Gujarathi saint Narasimha Mehata. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, popularly known as Baba Saheb stood for the emancipation of untouchables. Being the chief architect of the constitution, he has legalised the upliftment of the untouchables through the inclusion of many articles.

The constitution of India guarantees, protects, and safeguards the rights and interests of all in general and of untouchables in particular. Ambedkar wanted to instil in the hearts of untouchables, the ideas of self-dignity, self-confidence and selfrespect. For the very same purpose, he had started the ‘Bahishikrita Hitakarini Sabha’.

The movement he had started was known as ‘self-respect movement’. In order to attain a respectable position in society, he asked untouchables to follow five principles, i.e., Pancha Sutras’. They are; Self Improvement, Self-Dependence Self¬Respect Self Confidence Self Progress.

In order to create awareness among the untouchables Ambedkar started a paper called Mooka Nayaka. He brought them under one banner; organized ‘All-India Depressed Classed Conference’ in 1942 at Nagpur. In his dal it movement, Ambedkar suggested three principles: Education, Agitation and Organization.