Odisha Government Bans 'Harijan' in Official Communication

Bhubaneswar, Aug 13 (PTI) - The Odisha government has directed all its departments, public and educational institutions, and other entities to cease using the term 'harijan' in any form of communication, as per officials' statement on Wednesday.

According to a letter dated August 12 from the commissioner-cum-secretary of the ST and SC Development, Minorities, and Backward Class Welfare Department, authorities are advised to use terms like 'scheduled caste' in English and 'anusuchita jati' in Odia or other national languages to identify persons belonging to scheduled castes, as outlined under Article 341 of the Constitution.

The letter, addressed to all additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and commissioner-cum-secretaries, emphasizes this change.

"Officials have been instructed that the term 'harijan' must not appear in any official documentation, records, transactions, caste certificates, publications, departmental nomenclature, or any other usage," an official stated.

Moreover, the authorities are tasked with educating their staff and updating all existing documents and records to reflect this change.

They are also required to submit a compliance report on the actions taken to implement this directive.

The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) guidelines prohibiting the use of the word 'harijan' motivated the state government's decision.

As per another official, these guidelines will be strictly enforced across all government offices.

The central government had already instructed all states in 1982 to refrain from using the term 'harijan' in reference to Dalits.

In 2013, following new guidelines from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, states were again directed to ensure the term 'harijan' was no longer used in caste certificates or official communications.

The Odisha Assembly has similarly banned the use of the word 'harijan'.

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