Mahatma Gandhi used the term Harijan for people formerly described by caste society as “untouchables.” He began promoting the term in the 1930s, giving it the meaning “child of God.”
Gandhi used Harijan in speeches, publications, and campaigns against untouchability. In 1933 he began publishing the journal Harijan, which discussed caste discrimination, social reform, and the campaign for equal treatment.
The term was intended by Gandhi as respectful, but many Dalit scholars and activists later rejected it as paternalistic. “Dalit,” meaning oppressed or broken, became the preferred self-identifying political term for many communities, although usage varies by context.
Harijan should not be confused with satyagrahi, which means a practitioner of nonviolent resistance, or swaraj, which refers broadly to self-rule. Those terms describe movements or ideals rather than a social community.