1. A form of nonviolent protest in South Asia in which a person or group sits outside someone's house or office and refuses to leave until their demands are met.
Usage: From Hindi/Urdu; primarily used in Indian English and South Asian contexts; Often associated with civil disobedience and social activism

Examples

• The workers organized a dharna outside the factory manager's office to demand better wages.
• She participated in a dharna to protest the unfair land acquisition policy.
• The dharna lasted for three weeks before the government agreed to negotiate.
• Local residents staged a dharna to draw attention to the pollution problem in their neighborhood.
• The activist's dharna became a symbol of peaceful resistance in the community.