Class 10 Notes

Class 10 Social Science Notes Chapter 5 (Popular struggles and movements) – Democritic Politics Book

Philoid

Philoid

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Democritic Politics
Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 5, 'Popular Struggles and Movements'. This chapter is crucial because it explains how ordinary citizens, often outside the formal structures of elections and political parties, shape democracy and influence government decisions. Understanding this is vital, not just for your exams, but for being an informed citizen.

Remember, democracy isn't just about voting every few years; it's an ongoing process where conflicts of interest and different aspirations are expressed and negotiated. Popular struggles are one key way this happens.

Chapter 5: Popular Struggles and Movements - Detailed Notes

1. Introduction: The Role of Struggles in Democracy

  • Democracy evolves through popular struggles. Defining moments often involve conflict between those in power and those aspiring for a share in power or different policies.
  • These conflicts are often resolved through mass mobilisation, sometimes spontaneous, but often channelled through organisations.
  • These struggles highlight the difference between direct participation (like protests, movements) and indirect participation (through elected representatives).

2. Case Study 1: Movement for Democracy in Nepal

  • Context: Nepal witnessed a popular movement in April 2006. The aim was to restore democracy.
  • Background:
    • Nepal became a constitutional monarchy in 1990, after a pro-democracy movement limited the King's powers.
    • King Birendra accepted this framework but was killed in a mysterious massacre in 2001.
    • King Gyanendra, the new king, was unwilling to accept democratic rule.
    • In February 2005, citing the Maoist insurgency, King Gyanendra dismissed the Prime Minister and dissolved the popularly elected Parliament, effectively ending democracy.
  • The 2006 Movement:
    • Key Players:
      • Seven Party Alliance (SPA): All major political parties in the dissolved Parliament formed this alliance.
      • Nepali Communist Party (Maoist): Engaged in an armed struggle against the monarchy, controlling large parts of rural Nepal. They joined hands with the SPA for this movement.
      • General Public: Ordinary citizens, activists, and various organisations defied curfew and took to the streets.
    • Demands:
      1. Restoration of Parliament.
      2. Power to an all-party government.
      3. Formation of a new Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution.
    • Actions: A four-day strike called by the SPA and Maoists turned into an indefinite strike with massive daily protests in Kathmandu. Security forces were overwhelmed.
    • Outcome: On April 24, 2006 (the ultimatum day), the King conceded to all three demands.
      • Parliament was restored. Girija Prasad Koirala became the interim Prime Minister.
      • SPA and Maoists agreed on a Constituent Assembly.
      • The restored Parliament stripped the King of most powers.
      • In 2008, the monarchy was formally abolished, and Nepal became a Federal Democratic Republic.
  • Significance: This struggle is often called Nepal's 'second movement for democracy'. It demonstrates how organised popular mobilisation can successfully challenge autocratic rule and restore democratic institutions. It serves as an inspiration globally.

3. Case Study 2: Bolivia's Water War

  • Context: A popular struggle against the privatisation of water supply in Bolivia.
  • Background:
    • The World Bank pressured the Bolivian government to give up its control of municipal water supply.
    • The government sold these rights for the city of Cochabamba to a multinational corporation (MNC).
  • Consequences of Privatisation:
    • The MNC immediately increased water prices fourfold.
    • Many poor families received monthly water bills of around ₹1000, a huge sum given the average income.
  • The Protest (January 2000):
    • A spontaneous popular protest erupted, led by an organisation called FEDECOR.
    • FEDECOR: Comprised local professionals (engineers, environmentalists), farmers relying on irrigation, factory workers' unions, middle-class students, and even homeless street children. It was supported by the Socialist Party.
    • Actions: A successful four-day general strike paralysed the city.
  • Government Response & Escalation:
    • The government agreed to negotiate but then reneged.
    • Protests restarted in February; the police responded with brutal repression.
    • Another strike occurred in April; the government imposed martial law.
  • Outcome: The power of the people proved overwhelming.
    • Officials of the MNC fled the city.
    • The government was forced to cancel the contract with the MNC.
    • Water supply was restored to the municipality at the old, lower rates.
  • Significance: This case shows that popular struggles are not just about establishing or restoring democracy but also about shaping specific government policies. It highlights successful resistance against policies perceived as driven by external pressures (globalisation/international institutions).

4. Mobilisation and Organisation: How Struggles Happen

  • Successful struggles usually involve organised efforts.
  • Two main types of organisations involved:
    • Political Parties: Compete directly for political power through elections.
    • Pressure Groups & Movements: Attempt to influence government policies without aiming to directly share or control power.

5. Pressure Groups

  • Organisations that attempt to influence government policies. They are formed when people with common occupations, interests, aspirations, or opinions come together to achieve a common objective.
  • Types:
    • Sectional Interest Groups:
      • Aim to promote the interests of a particular section of society (e.g., workers, employees, businesspersons, industrialists, followers of a religion, caste group).
      • Examples: Trade unions (AITUC, INTUC), business associations (FICCI, CII), professional bodies (Bar Council of India, Indian Medical Association).
      • Their main concern is the betterment and well-being of their members, not society in general.
    • Public Interest Groups (Promotional Groups):
      • Aim to promote collective rather than selective good.
      • They represent some common or general interest that needs defending.
      • Members may not directly benefit from the cause they represent.
      • Examples: Groups fighting bonded labour, environmental protection groups, human rights organisations.
      • BAMCEF (Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation): An example of an organisation campaigning against caste discrimination, largely made up of government employees, addressing problems faced by its members but also focusing on broader social justice.

6. Movement Groups

  • Tend to have a looser organisation compared to interest groups. Decision-making is often informal and flexible.
  • Depend much more on spontaneous mass participation.
  • Types:
    • Issue-Specific Movements: Seek to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame (e.g., the Nepalese movement for democracy, Narmada Bachao Andolan initially focused on stopping the dam).
    • Generic/Long-Term Movements: Seek to achieve a broad goal over the long term, often involving multiple organisations and issues (e.g., Environmental Movement, Women's Movement). These movements have diverse leadership and often independent specific organisations working under a broad umbrella. (e.g., National Alliance for Peoples’ Movements - NAPM).

7. How Pressure Groups and Movements Influence Politics

  • They try to gain public support and sympathy through:
    • Information campaigns, organising meetings, filing petitions.
    • Using the media to draw attention.
  • They often organise protest activities:
    • Strikes, disrupting government programmes, bandhs, demonstrations, rallies.
  • Business groups often employ professional lobbyists or sponsor expensive advertisements.
  • Some members of pressure groups/movements participate in official bodies and committees offering advice.
  • Relationship with Political Parties:
    • Indirect Influence: Taking positions on issues, influencing party manifestos, supporting specific candidates/parties.
    • Direct Links:
      • Some pressure groups are formed or led by politicians/political parties (e.g., student unions like ABVP, NSUI; trade unions affiliated with parties). They act as extended arms of parties.
      • Sometimes movements transform into political parties (e.g., Assam Gana Parishad from the Assam Movement against 'foreigners'; DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu originated from social reform movements).
    • Often, the relationship is not direct; they take opposing stances but engage in dialogue and negotiation.

8. Is their Influence Healthy in a Democracy?

  • Arguments For (Positive Aspects):
    • Deepen democracy by voicing interests and concerns of ordinary citizens.
    • Provide checks on government power, preventing undue influence by a small group of wealthy/powerful people.
    • Broaden participation beyond elections.
    • Bring diverse viewpoints and expertise into the policy-making process.
  • Arguments Against (Negative Aspects):
    • Can promote narrow sectional interests over broader public good.
    • Groups with more resources (money, connections) might wield disproportionate influence.
    • Can lead to instability through protests and disruptions.
    • Lack direct accountability to the people, unlike elected representatives.
  • Overall Assessment: In general, the influence of pressure groups and movements is considered healthy for democracy as long as there is a balance. No single group should dominate. The government needs to heed competing groups, ensuring a rough balance of power and accommodation of diverse interests. They are a vital part of a functioning democracy.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

  1. The popular movement in Nepal in April 2006 aimed primarily to:
    a) Overthrow the Prime Minister
    b) Restore the powers of the King
    c) Restore democracy by limiting the King's powers and restoring Parliament
    d) Establish military rule

  2. Who were the main organised forces behind the 2006 Nepal movement?
    a) The King's army and the police
    b) The Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Maoists
    c) International NGOs and the World Bank
    d) Business associations and industrialists

  3. Bolivia's "Water War" was a popular struggle against:
    a) Water scarcity due to drought
    b) Privatisation of municipal water supply leading to high prices
    c) Construction of a large dam displacing people
    d) Pollution of water resources by industries

  4. FEDECOR, the organisation that led the protests in Cochabamba, Bolivia, primarily consisted of:
    a) Only political party members
    b) Only international activists
    c) A coalition of local professionals, farmers, workers, students, etc.
    d) Government employees opposing privatisation

  5. Which of the following is an example of a Sectional Interest Group?
    a) Narmada Bachao Andolan
    b) A Human Rights Organisation
    c) Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
    d) Greenpeace

  6. Public Interest Groups or Promotional Groups primarily aim to:
    a) Promote the interests of their own members only
    b) Contest elections to gain power
    c) Promote collective good or help groups other than their own members
    d) Overthrow the government through protests

  7. BAMCEF (Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation) is an example of:
    a) A purely sectional interest group focused only on employee benefits
    b) An organisation largely of government employees fighting caste discrimination, addressing both member issues and broader social justice
    c) A political party contesting elections
    d) An issue-specific movement group

  8. Which of the following is NOT a typical method used by pressure groups and movements to exert influence?
    a) Organising protests and strikes
    b) Lobbying government officials
    c) Directly appointing ministers in the government
    d) Using media and information campaigns

  9. The relationship between pressure groups/movements and political parties can involve:
    a) Movements transforming into political parties (e.g., AGP)
    b) Political parties forming or leading pressure groups (e.g., student unions)
    c) Groups influencing party policies without direct affiliation
    d) All of the above

  10. The influence of pressure groups and movements on democracy is generally considered healthy when:
    a) Only one powerful group dictates all policies
    b) They destabilise the government frequently
    c) No single group dominates, and diverse interests are represented and balanced
    d) They focus only on the interests of the wealthy and powerful

Answer Key for MCQs:

  1. c
  2. b
  3. b
  4. c
  5. c
  6. c
  7. b
  8. c
  9. d
  10. c

Make sure you understand the differences between sectional and public interest groups, and how movements differ from these. Also, remember the key examples of Nepal and Bolivia – they illustrate the power and necessity of popular struggles in democratic societies. Revise these points well for your exams. Good luck!

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