Odisha Government Enforces Ban on Term 'Harijan'

The Odisha government has officially prohibited the use of the term 'harijan' in any form of official communication, in compliance with guidelines from the Odisha Human Rights Commission. All departments and institutions are instructed to use 'Scheduled Caste' instead, and report compliance actions.

The Odisha government has decisively moved to eliminate the term 'harijan' from all official and institutional communications across the state. This directive aligns with guidelines from the Odisha Human Rights Commission aimed at fostering respectful official language referring to scheduled caste communities. As per the circular issued by the commissioner-cum-secretary of the ST and SC Development Department on August 12, all references should now use 'Scheduled Caste' in English or 'anusuchita jati' in other languages.

The missive was circulated to all principal secretaries and administrative heads, necessitating complete eradication of the term in records, communications, certificates, and more. Additionally, institutions are expected to educate their personnel and revise existing documents accordingly. A compliance report detailing actions taken is mandatory under these new rules.

This move traces its origins back to 1982 when the central government initiated a similar discouragement, later reiterated in a 2013 mandate. With this enforcement by Odisha's state authorities, the Assembly also reinforces this compliance, marking a significant step forward in socially conscious governance.

(With inputs from agencies.)