Popular Struggles and Movemets Class 10th Civics lesson 5

 

NOTES PREPARED BY 
KHURSHEED AHMED
TEACHER SCHOOL 
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 
JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Chaptee 5

Popular Struggles

and Movemets

Mobilisation and Organisations:

Political Parties: Some organizations directly participate in the democratic process. These organizations are called political parties. They contest elections and aim to form government.

Pressure Groups: Some organizations indirectly participate in the democratic process. These organizations are called interest groups or pressure groups.

Pressure Groups and Movements. 

Pressure groups do not aim to form or run the government When people of common occupation, interest aspirations or opinions come together, in order to achieve a common objective; they form pressure groups. These pressure groups carry on popular movements in order to meet their objectives. It is not necessary that all the pressure groups go on creating popular movements rather many of them work in closely knit groups.

Sectional Interest Groups: Usually interest groups seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society

Public Interest Groups: These second type of groups are called promotional groups or public interest groups. They promote collective rather than selective good. They aim to help groups other than their own members. Trade Unions, Students Union, Ex-Armymen Association, etc. are examples of public interest groups,

Pressure Groups' and Movements' Influence on Politics:

Public Sympathy: They try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activity. For this, they carry information campaigns, organise meetings, file petitions, etc. Many of them also try influence the media to get more attention,

Protest Activity: They often organise protest activity. Protest activities include like strikes or disrupting government programmes. Strikes and disruptions are utilized to pressurize the government to take note of their demand.

Lobbying: Business groups often employ professional Jobbyists or sponsor expensive advertisements. Some persons from pressure groups or movement groups may participate in official bodies and committees that offer advice to the government. Some professional bodies, like ASSOCHAM and NASSCOM are examples of such groups.

Q.1:What is a pressure group? Give a few examples.

Ans:- A pressure group is an organisation which attempts to influence government 

policies through protests and demonstrations. Pressure groups are formed when

people with similar opinions get together for similar objectives. Examples of pressure

groups are FEDECOR and BAMCEF.

Q.2: Describe the forms of relationship between pressure groups and political parties?

Ans:-The relationship between political parties and pressure groups can take different

forms.

(i) Pressure groups are often formed and led by politicians and political parties.

Most trade unions and students' organisations in India are either established by,

or affiliated to one or the other major political party.

(ii) Political parties sometimes grow out of movements. Parties like DMK and

AIADMK were formed this way.

(iii) Many a times, the issues raised by pressure or movement groups are taken up by

political parties, leading to a change in the policies of the parties.

Q.3. Explain how the activities of pressure groups are useful in the functioning of a democratic government.

Ans: Pressure groups are important in the functioning of a democratic government as they

provide an opportunity for marginalised people to voice their opinions. In some cases,

the government's opinion might be biased by a small group of rich and powerful

people. It is here that pressure groups step in and force the government to make

policies which will benefit certain other sections of society as well.

0.4:

Q.4.In what ways do pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics?

Ans: Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics in a variety of ways.

(1) They try to gain public support and sympathy for their cause by carrying out

information campaigns, organising meetings, filing petitions, etc.

(ii) By organising strikes and disruptions, they seek to make the government take

note of their demands.

(iii) They also influence decision-making by lobbying.

(iv) The issues raised by them often influence the policies of political parties.

Q.5 What is the difference between a pressure group and a political party?

Ans: The major difference between pressure groups and political parties is that unlike

political parties, pressure groups do not aim to directly control or share political power.

Q. 6: Organisations that undertake activities to promote the interests of specific social sections such as workers, employees, teachers, and lawyers are called groups.

Ans: sectional interest

Q.7: Which among the following is the special feature that distinguishes a pressure group from a political party?

(a) Parties take political stances, while pressure groups do not bother about political issues.
(b) Pressure groups are confined to a few people. while parties involve larger number of people. 
(c) Pressure groups do not seek to get into power, while political parties do.
(d) Pressure groups do not seek to mobilise people, while parties do.

Ans: (c) Pressure groups do not seek to get into power, while political parties do

Q8. Match List I (organisations and struggles) with List II and select the correct answer  using the codes given below the lists:

 Ans:-                                                                                    

1. Organisations that seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group

 

C. Sectional intrest group

2. Organisations that seek to promote common interest

D Public interest groups

3. Struggles launched for the resolution of a social problem with or without an organizational structure

A. Movement

C. Sectional interest

4. Organisations that mobilise people with a view to win  political power. 

B. Political party

Q9. Match List I with list II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

Ans:-

1.Pressure group-D. Fertilizer dealers' association

2. Long-term movement C. Women's Movement

3. Single issue movement A. Narmada Bachao Andolan

4. Political party -B. Asam Gana Parishad

Q10.Mewat is one of the most backward areas in Haryana. It used to be a part of will districts, Gurgaon and Faridabad. The people or Mewat felt that the area will get better attention if it were to become a separate district. But political parties were indifferent to this sentiment. The demand for a separate district was raised by Mewat Educational and Social Organisation and Mewat Saksharta Samiti in 1996. Later, Mewat Vikas Sabha was founded in 2000 and carried out a series of public awareness campaigns. This forced both the major parties, Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal, to announce their support for the new district before the assembly elections held in February 2005. The new district came into existence in July 2005. In this example what is the relationship that you observe among movement, political parties and the government? Can you think of an example that shows a relationship different from this one?

Ans: From the example of Mewat, we can infer that movements take up issues which have been ignored by political parties. Political parties may then be influenced by these demands when they frame their own manifestoes. Finally, the party which comes to power ends up implementing steps which fulfil these demands.
The six-year long Assam movement (1979-1985), led by the Al Assam Students Union (AASU), was aimed against the infiltration of foreigners from Bangladesh into Assam. At the end of this movement, the State Assembly was dissolved, the government was dismissed, and fresh elections were held. The Asom Gana Parishad, formed out of the AASU, contested and won the elections, forming the Government of Assam. In this example, we see a political party being formed out of a pressuregroup, which then goes on to form the government.

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