Class 12 Political Science Notes Chapter 7 (Rise of popular movements) – Political Science-II Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 7, 'Rise of Popular Movements'. This is a crucial chapter for understanding how democracy functions beyond the formal structure of elections and political parties, especially relevant for your government exam preparations. These movements highlight the dynamism and sometimes the tensions within Indian democracy.

Chapter 7: Rise of Popular Movements - Detailed Notes

1. Context and Meaning:

• Post-1970s Phenomenon: While movements existed earlier, the 1970s saw a surge in social movements that were often independent of political parties. This period witnessed growing dissatisfaction with formal political institutions and their perceived inability to address specific grievances.
• Nature: These movements represented the assertion of various social groups (women, students, Dalits, farmers, Adivasis, environmentalists) raising issues often overlooked by mainstream electoral politics. They employed unconventional and localised forms of mobilisation.
• Beyond Party Politics: Many of these movements deliberately maintained distance from political parties, criticising their opportunistic nature. They are often termed 'non-party political formations'. They aimed to bring about social or political change outside the direct control of established parties.

2. Key Popular Movements:

• A. Chipko Movement (Early 1970s, Uttarakhand - then part of UP):

  • Core Issue: Environmental degradation, specifically deforestation in the Himalayan region due to commercial logging contracts given by the state government. It also involved the question of local communities' rights over forest resources (jal, jangal, jameen - water, forest, land).
  • Method: Unique non-violent protest where villagers, especially women, hugged trees ('Chipko' means 'to embrace' or 'to hug') to prevent them from being felled by contractors.
  • Demands:
    • Ban on felling trees for commercial purposes.
    • Ecological balance and sustainable resource use.
    • Greater control for local communities over natural resources.
    • Initially focused on economic issues (denial of access to forest produce for locals while outsiders got contracts), later broadened to ecological concerns.
  • Key Features: Spontaneous local initiative, significant participation of women, Gandhian techniques of non-violence.
  • Impact: Led to a 15-year ban on green felling in the Himalayan forests by the central government (1980). Raised national and international awareness about ecological issues and sustainable development. Inspired similar movements elsewhere.

• B. Party-Based Movements:

  • It's important to note that not all movements were non-party. Trade unions (often linked to CPI, CPI(M), Congress, Socialist parties) and peasant movements continued to be organised along party lines, focusing on class-based issues like wages, working conditions, land reforms, etc. Examples include the Naxalite movement (though it took a violent turn) originating from peasant discontent.

• C. Dalit Panthers (Early 1970s, Maharashtra):

  • Context: Emerged from the frustration of Dalit youth facing continued caste-based atrocities, discrimination, and ineffective implementation of constitutional guarantees (reservations, protection against untouchability) despite independence.
  • Inspiration: Ideologies of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar; drew inspiration from the Black Panther movement in the USA for its assertive stance.
  • Issues: Fighting caste prejudice, violence against Dalits, demanding effective implementation of reservation policies, land reforms, social dignity, and justice.
  • Methods: Initially adopted a militant posture, used creative literature (poems, autobiographies) to protest and raise consciousness, organised mass actions and demonstrations.
  • Decline: Faced issues of leadership conflicts, ideological splits, and eventual fragmentation. Many activists later joined or formed other organisations like BAMCEF (Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation) or were co-opted by mainstream parties.
  • Legacy: Played a crucial role in raising Dalit consciousness, asserting Dalit identity, and contributing significantly to Dalit literature and political assertion in India.

• D. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Late 1980s onwards, Western UP & Haryana):

  • Context: Represented farmers, particularly the relatively prosperous cash-crop farmers who emerged after the Green Revolution.
  • Issues: Primarily economic demands focused on agrarian sector policies.
    • Higher government procurement prices for crops (sugarcane, wheat).
    • Abolition of restrictions on inter-state movement of farm produce.
    • Guaranteed water and electricity supply at fair rates.
    • Waiving off loans.
    • Pension for farmers.
  • Methods: Mobilised farmers on a massive scale using traditional caste panchayats (especially among Jats). Organised huge rallies, dharnas, and protests in district headquarters and even Delhi. Maintained distance from all political parties, seeing them as detrimental to farmers' interests. Used farmers' identity and rural solidarity as mobilisation tools.
  • Key Features: Focused on market-oriented farmers, strong leadership (Mahendra Singh Tikait), effective use of caste networks, pressure group politics rather than electoral politics.

• E. Anti-Arrack Movement (Early 1990s, Andhra Pradesh):

  • Context: Rural women agitated against rampant alcoholism (addiction to 'arrack' - cheap country liquor) which led to indebtedness, poor health, domestic violence, and neglect of families. There was a strong nexus between liquor contractors, politicians, and the administration, as arrack auctions generated significant revenue for the state.
  • Trigger: Discussions during the Adult Literacy Programme in Nellore district, where women shared stories of suffering caused by arrack consumption. Slogans like 'Ban Arrack' emerged.
  • Participants: Primarily poor rural women.
  • Methods: Spontaneous protests, women physically stopped jeeps carrying arrack sachets, raided arrack shops, pressured collectors, demanded a ban on arrack sales.
  • Impact: Forced the state government to impose restrictions and eventually a ban (though implementation varied). Highlighted issues of gender inequality, domestic violence, state policy impact on the poor, and the link between social issues and political action. It became part of the broader women's movement, raising demands for equal representation, tackling sexual violence, etc.

• F. Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) (Late 1980s onwards):

  • Context: Protest against the construction of large dams under the Narmada Valley Development Project, particularly the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) in Gujarat.
  • Issues:
    • Massive displacement of people (estimated over 245 villages), primarily Adivasis, farmers, and forest dwellers, without adequate rehabilitation.
    • Environmental costs: Submergence of forests and agricultural land, impact on downstream ecology.
    • Questioning the 'development model': Challenged the rationale behind large dams, arguing that the social and environmental costs outweighed the projected benefits (irrigation, electricity). Demanded a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis.
  • Demands: Initially focused on proper resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) for Project Affected People (PAPs). Later, shifted to demanding a halt to the dam construction itself.
  • Methods: Mobilised affected people, organised rallies, dharnas, hunger strikes (Medha Patkar), used legal channels (appeals to the Supreme Court), sought international support, engaged in public debate.
  • Debate: Pitted proponents of 'development' (seeing dams as crucial for progress) against activists highlighting human rights, environmental sustainability, and the rights of marginalised communities. Raised fundamental questions about decision-making processes for large projects.
  • Outcome: A long, protracted struggle. Court interventions led to directives on rehabilitation but allowed dam construction to proceed (with height restrictions at times). The movement succeeded in making rehabilitation a major issue and forcing a national debate on the social and environmental costs of development projects.

3. Lessons from Popular Movements:

• Deepening Democracy: These movements expanded the scope of democracy by bringing new issues (environment, gender, caste discrimination, displacement) and marginalised groups into the political arena. They showed that democracy is not just about voting.
• Critique of Existing Politics: They highlighted the limitations and failures of mainstream political parties and institutions in addressing people's grievances.
• Awareness and Mobilisation: Successfully raised public awareness on critical issues and demonstrated effective methods of non-party political mobilisation.
• Challenges: Often faced criticism for being 'anti-development', causing disruptions, lacking clear alternatives, or being fragmented. Their long-term impact on policy varied.
• Relationship with Parties: The relationship remained complex. While often critical, movements sometimes influenced party agendas, activists joined parties, or movements themselves transformed (like parts of the Dalit movement influencing parties like BSP).

4. Conclusion:

Popular movements are an integral part of India's democratic fabric. They act as vital channels for articulating diverse interests and grievances, often challenging the status quo and pushing for a more inclusive and responsive democracy. Understanding them is key to grasping the complexities of Indian politics beyond the electoral framework.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. The Chipko Movement, started in the early 1970s, primarily originated in which present-day state of India?
   (a) Himachal Pradesh
   (b) Uttarakhand
   (c) Arunachal Pradesh
   (d) Sikkim

2. The Dalit Panthers organization, formed in 1972, emerged mainly in which state?
   (a) Uttar Pradesh
   (b) Bihar
   (c) Maharashtra
   (d) Tamil Nadu

3. Which of the following issues was the central focus of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) movement led by Mahendra Singh Tikait?
   (a) Environmental protection
   (b) Abolition of caste system
   (c) Agrarian economic policies (like crop prices, subsidies)
   (d) Implementation of forest rights

4. The Anti-Arrack movement in Andhra Pradesh in the early 1990s was predominantly led by:
   (a) Students
   (b) Industrial workers
   (c) Rural women
   (d) Dalit youth

5. The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) primarily opposed:
   (a) Deforestation in the Himalayas
   (b) Construction of large dams on the Narmada river
   (c) Caste discrimination against Dalits
   (d) Privatization of state-owned industries

6. A key characteristic of many popular movements that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s was their:
   (a) Strong affiliation with the ruling party
   (b) Focus solely on electoral politics
   (c) Nature as 'non-party political formations'
   (d) Exclusive reliance on violent methods

7. The unique method of protest associated with the Chipko movement was:
   (a) Organizing large rallies in cities
   (b) Filing cases in the Supreme Court
   (c) Embracing trees to prevent felling
   (d) Boycotting government services

8. The Dalit Panthers drew inspiration for their assertive stance partly from:
   (a) The Gandhian philosophy of non-violence
   (b) The Naxalbari uprising
   (c) The Black Panther movement in the USA
   (d) The Bhoodan movement

9. Which movement significantly highlighted the debate between 'development projects' and their 'social and environmental costs'?
   (a) Chipko Movement
   (b) Dalit Panthers
   (c) Bharatiya Kisan Union
   (d) Narmada Bachao Andolan

10. What was a significant outcome or lesson learned from the rise of popular movements in India?
    (a) They proved that political parties are irrelevant.
    (b) They demonstrated that only violent protests yield results.
    (c) They deepened democracy by bringing diverse issues and groups into the political process.
    (d) They led to the complete resolution of all social and economic problems.

Answer Key for MCQs:

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

Make sure you revise these movements, focusing on their core issues, methods, regions, and significance. Good luck with your preparation!