This article challenges the false dichotomy, created in much of the existing historical and political analysis concerning the welfare programmes for ‘Harijans’ as put forward by Gandhi and Ambedkar, claiming that Ambedkar’s proposals were more progressive than Gandhi’s approach. The article draws on a detailed letter written by Ambedkar in 1932, proposing a programme of action that the Harijan Sevak Sangh should undertake for the welfare of ‘Harijans’. It compares this with the Constitution of the Harijan Sevak Sangh, drafted by Gandhi himself, to argue that the programmes of these two leaders actually show significant similarities in their intent and content concerning welfare measures for uplifting ‘Harijans’ in India, but seem to differ regarding strategies.
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