Stop using 'harijan' word in official communications: Odisha govt asks depts
Odisha government
has asked all its departments, public and educational institutes and others to stop using the term '
harijan
' in communications, officials said on Wednesday.
The government suggested the authorities concerned that words like '
scheduled caste
' in English and 'anusuchita jati' in Odia or other national languages should be used to "denote persons belonging to scheduled castes as notified under
Article 341 of the Constitution
", according to a letter issued on August 12 by the commissioner-cum-secretary of the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Class Welfare Department.
Finance
Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4
By CA Himanshu Jain
View Program
Artificial Intelligence
AI For Business Professionals Batch 2
By Ansh Mehra
View Program
Finance
Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3
By CA Himanshu Jain
View Program
Artificial Intelligence
AI For Business Professionals
By Vaibhav Sisinity
View Program
Finance
Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2
By CA Himanshu Jain
View Program
Finance
Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1
By CA Himanshu Jain
View Program
The letter was sent to all the additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and commissioner-cum-secretaries, the officials said.
"They have been instructed to ensure that the word 'harijan' does not appear in any official communications, records, transactions,
caste certificates
, publications, departmental names, or any other form of use," one of the officials said.
The authorities concerned are also directed to educate their staff and update existing documents and records accordingly, he said.
Live Events
They are also told to submit a compliance report on the action taken on the matter, another official said.
The state government's action came in the wake of the guidelines issued by the
Odisha Human Rights Commission
(OHRC), prohibiting the use of the word 'harijan'.
These guidelines will be strictly enforced in all government offices, the official said.
In 1982, the Centre had asked all state governments not to use the term 'harijan' to refer to Dalits.
Following fresh guidelines prepared by the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
, a similar order was also issued in 2013 to all the states, directing them to ensure non-use of the 'harijan' word not only in caste certificates but also in official communications, the officials said.
The Odisha Assembly has also prohibited the use of the word 'harijan', they said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
Rahul Gandhi kicks off ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra'
Patna/New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched the party's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar, a 16-day march covering more than 1,300 km across over 20 districts. The campaign, aimed at protesting Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list and what the Congress calls 'vote chori,' began from Sasaram and will culminate with a rally in Patna on 1 September. The yatra began from Bihar's Sasaram, with several leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera, Kanhaiya Kumar and senior RJD leaders, including Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, joining Gandhi for the launch. Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, wrote: '16 days, 20+ districts, 1,300+ km. We are coming among the people with the Voter Adhikar Yatra. This is a fight to protect the most basic democratic right – 'one person, one vote'. Join us in Bihar to save the Constitution.' The route will take Gandhi through Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Munger, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Champaran, Siwan, Chapra and Arrah, before concluding in Patna. During the event, the Congress MP vowed to expose 'vote chori' and added that the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar was a 'conspiracy' by the Election Commission. The entire country knows what the Election Commission is doing. Earlier, the country did not know how votes were being stolen. But we made it clear in the press conference how votes are being stolen. Whenever the theft is happening, whether in Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, Bengal, we will catch the theft and working to show it to the people," said Gandhi. "I am telling you from this stage that Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen in the entire country. Their latest conspiracy is to conduct SIR in Bihar and steal the Bihar elections as well by cutting the new votes and adding fake ones. All of us have come to this stage to tell you that we will not let them steal this election," he said.
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
CEC junks ‘vote chori' charges
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday adopted a self-righteous tone, dismissing 'vote chori' allegations by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in its first press conference since Bihar's controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR), stating that they are standing like a rock behind the voters. 'Either give an affidavit under oath or apologise to the nation. If the affidavit is not received within 7 days, it means that all these allegations are baseless,' Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said in response to allegations made by Rahul Gandhi. The CEC stated that the EC takes every possible step to safeguard the voting rights of every citizen in the country, and a deliberate attempt is being made to discredit them. The Commission's press meet comes 10 days after the Opposition leader in a press conference accused the ECI of facilitating widespread electoral malpractice. Rahul Gandi alleged that over one lakh fake votes were registered to aid in BJP's victory in Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Parliament elections. He had also accused the election body of attempting to steal Bihar's Assembly elections. Following his press conference, the ECI had accused the Congress leader of using 'dirty phrases' against them. 'The EC is not scared of such allegations, and neither are the voters. I want to make it clear that the EC will without bias stand like a rock with women, poor, young, voters of the country,' he said, adding that the allegations are tantamount to insulting the Constitution. On questions regarding allegations of undue haste in SIR, the ECI said they are misleading. "The law says that such revisions are to be done before the polls," the CEC said. "In Bihar, in 2003 an SIR was done. It was done successfully then, it would be done successfully now," he added. When asked about voter irregularities in Kerala and Karnataka, the CEC said, 'If no candidate had a problem even up till 45 days after the election concluded, then it is clear to all voters what the intent is.' Gyanesh Kumar also said that unlike the special summary revision, the SIR is an attempt to purify the rolls by giving to each voter an enumeration form. Responding to a question on why the ECI is determining eligibility, Gyanesh Kumar said that it was being done to ensure that the Article 326 of the Constitution is not violated.
Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- Indian Express
August 18, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Punjab election
Punjab will go to the polls on September 22 to enable a popular government to be installed in the state before October 5, when the present term of President's Rule expires. The Punjab Assembly, which was earlier under suspended animation, stood dissolved on June 26 last year. The present term of President's Rule expires on October 5, andto extend it, the Constitution has to be amended. Opposition reacts The announcement of elections in Punjab evoked mixed reactions from political parties. While the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress (S) welcomed the announcement, the CPI (M) felt it was not a proper decision and 'unfortunate'. In separate statements, J P Mathur, member of the national executive of the BJP, and K P Unnikrishnan, Congress (S) general secretary, hoped the decision had been taken after careful consideration of all aspects of the situation. Harkishan Singh Surjeet, CPI (M) politburo member, said the elections should not be held immediately. Agitation continues The All-Assam Students Union and the All-Assam Gana Sangram Parishad will continue their non-cooperation with the caretaker government to be formed in Assam after dissolution of the legislative assembly. Sri Lanka massacre Over 200 Tamils were killed in two villages near Trincomalee in Sri Lanka as security men and armed hoodlums went berserk for the second day, violating the ceasefire agreement. According to the Eelam National Liberation Front and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam spokesmen, the securitymen and armed civilians entered the villages, pulled out the residents of the houses and shot them dead.
