| The most despicable feature of the Indian caste system is the position accorded to the low caste Untouchables. At various occasions, they have been called by various names such as Untouchables, Unapproachables, Depressed Classes, Avarnas, Adi-Dravidas, Panchamas, Scheduled Castes, Outcastes, Exterior castes and so on. Harijan is the glorified term coined by Gandhi in 193 for calling the total body of Untouchables. But the Depressed Class leaders like B.R.Ambedkar and M.C.Rajah strongly opposed the name Harijan. Though the term ‘Scheduled Castes’ is the expression standardized in the ‘Constitution of the Republic of India’, this name was first coined by the Simon Commission. This paper exposes the circumstances for calling the Untouchables in different names and the stand of the leaders like Gandhi, B.R.Ambedkar and M.C. Rajah in the nomenclature of Untouchables |