What were the steps taken by …

In 1932, Gandhi founded the Harijan Sevak Sangh as part of his efforts to eradicate the concept of 'untouchability' from India's caste system. He put his close friend, the pioneering industrialist Ghanshyam Das Birla, in charge of the organisation. '16 Gandhi publicly put the 'abolition' of untouchability as the essential prerequisite for India's true independence. Yet, one of the charges levelled against Gandhi is that he acted as an apologist for the caste system. ... ......Gandhi believed this would permanently and unfairly divide India's social classes. A member of the more powerful Vaisya, or merchant caste, Gandhi nonetheless advocated the emancipation of the untouchables, whom he called Harijans, or “Children of God.”

Gandhi was not only a freedom fighter but also a great social reformer. He took fallowing steps and practices to eliminate the problem of untouchability :

1.  He termed the untouchables as harijans i.e sons of God and started weekly publication with the same name for their cause.

2.  He launched satyagraha for the entry of untouchables into temple, access to public wells and other public places.

3.  He adopted a harijan girl and married her to a brahaman boy.

4.  He went to fast unto death against the separate electorates for untouchables.

5.  He set up All India Anti-Untouchability League which later renamed the Harijan Sevak Sang. It worked for the upliftment of untouchables.

6.  He regarded untouchability as a greater evil and opined that it is not possible to win freedom until untouchability is abolished.