PANAJI
The Social Welfare Department has issued a circular instructing all government departments, corporations, autonomous bodies, municipalities and panchayats to stop using the term ‘Harijan’ in official correspondence and documents, and instead use ‘Scheduled Castes’.
The directive follows the National Human Rights Commission's serious concern about references to caste-indicative and derogatory names in official records, including those of villages, localities, settlements, and hamlets, as well as the use of the word ‘Harijan’ in government communications.
In a circular issued by Director of Social Welfare Dipak Desai, all Heads of Departments (HODs) have been asked to refrain from using the word ‘Harijan’ in any official correspondence or document.
“It has been brought to the notice that in respect of Scheduled Castes, the word “Harijan” is used in many correspondence by the government departments, corporations, educational institutions, municipalities and panchayats. As such serious view of this has been taken by the National Human Rights Commission regarding correspondence received on caste indicative and derogatory names for villages, localities, settlements, hamlets, etc and use of ‘Harijan’ in all official correspondences,” it said.
The circular states that the continued usage of the term is deemed discriminatory against the Scheduled Caste community, and has directed not to use 'Harijan' word.
“It is therefore enjoined upon all the HODs in government offices, corporations and autonomous bodies, local authorities to refrain from use of word ‘Harijan’ in all official correspondence and documents, as it deems discrimination against the Scheduled Caste Community and instead the word shall be read as “Scheduled Castes” in all future correspondences and other official documents,” it said.
