Subsequent to which one of the following events

(a) The Poona Pact

(b) The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact)

(c) Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement

(d) Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935

Answer: (a) The Poona Pact

Explanation:

Gandhiji decided to formally include the upliftment of ‘Harijans’ (Depressed Classes) as a central part of his political and social programme after the Poona Pact of 1932.

The Poona Pact, signed in September 1932 between Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, followed Gandhi’s fast-unto-death in Yerwada Jail against the Communal Award, which had proposed separate electorates for the Depressed Classes. The pact replaced separate electorates with reserved seats within the general electorate, to be elected by a joint electorate.

After the pact, Gandhi intensified his campaign against untouchability, shifting significant attention from purely political resistance to social reform within Hindu society. He founded the All India Anti-Untouchability League, later renamed the Harijan Sevak Sangh, to promote education, temple entry, and social equality for the Depressed Classes. Gandhi also began publishing the weekly journal Harijan, using it as a platform to spread awareness and mobilize public opinion against caste discrimination.

The broader objective of this movement was to eradicate untouchability through moral persuasion and internal reform, rather than through legal or coercive measures. Gandhi emphasized changing the attitudes of caste Hindus, describing this process as one of “conversion of hearts” rather than compulsion.

Therefore, the correct answer is (a) The Poona Pact, which marked a turning point in Gandhi’s sustained and organized efforts toward the social upliftment of Harijans.

Answer: (a) The Poona Pact