harijan

Thân thiện

A woman offers a basket of fresh bread to a harijan family.

Definition

Noun: 1. A member of the lowest social and ritual class in the traditional Hindu caste system of India; an outcast. The term literally means "a person of God" and was popularized by Mahatma Gandhi to refer to those traditionally considered "untouchable."

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Gandhi worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the harijans.
  • The term harijan was coined to replace more derogatory labels for the outcast community.
  • Despite legal protections, many harijans still face social discrimination.

Advanced Usage

• The term "Harijan" is often capitalized when referring to the social group as a whole.
  • The Harijan community has a rich cultural history.

Variants and Related Words

• Dalit (n): The contemporary and preferred term for members of this social group, meaning "oppressed" or "broken." It is a term of political identity and assertion.
  • The Dalit rights movement continues to fight for equality.
• Scheduled Caste (n): The official administrative term used in the Constitution of India for historically disadvantaged castes.
  • The government has policies for the welfare of Scheduled Castes.

Synonyms

• Untouchable (n, historical/offensive): A now largely offensive historical term for a person considered ritually impure.
• Outcaste (n): A person who has been expelled from or born outside of the traditional caste system.

Important Note on Usage

• While "Harijan" was introduced with positive intent, many within the community now consider it patronizing and prefer the term "Dalit" as a term of self-identification and political empowerment. It is important to be aware of the evolving and sensitive nature of this terminology.

Học thuật

Noun

1. belongs to lowest social and ritual class in India

Từ đồng nghĩa

• untouchable
• Harijan