Popular Struggles and Movements ( CH-5) POL. Science

Popular Struggles  and  Movements

 ( CH-5) POL. Science

class - 10th

Q1. What is a Movement ?

Ans. Movement attempts to influence politics rather than directly taking part in electoral competition. They depend on spontaneous mass participation.

Q2. When did extraordinary popular movement begin in Nepal ?

Ans. In April 2006, Nepal witnessed an extraordinary popular movement.

Q3. What was the aim of popular movement of Nepal ?

Ans. The popular movement aimed at restoring democracy.

Q4. Who was the constitutional Monarch of Nepal ?

Ans. King Birendra was the constitutional Monarch of Nepal.

Q5. Why did king Gyanendra replace King Birendra ?

Ans. King Birendra was killed in a mysterious massacre of the royal family in 2001, so king Gyanendra replaced him.

Q6. Why did the king Gyanendra dismiss the then Prime Minister and dissolve Parliament ?

Ans. He was not prepared to accept democractic rule. He took advantage of the weakness and  unpopularity of the democratically elected governemt.

Q7. What was the role of SPA  in Nepal Movement ?

Ans. All the major political parties in the parliament formed a Seven Party Alliance and called a four day strike in Kathmandu , to start the popular movement to revive democracy.

Q8. Who were  Maoists ? How did they influence the government of Nepal ?

Ans. Maoists are communists who believed in the ideology of Mao, the leader of the Chinese revolution.

2. They seek to overthrow the government  through an  armed revolution so as to establish the rule of the peasants and workers.

3. They supported the SPA during the movement for democracy in Nepal in 2004.

Q9. What were the three demands main demands of SPA and their outcomes in Nepal ?

Ans. The three demands of SPA were the following :

1.       They wanted to restore the Parliament.

2.       They demanded for a new  Constituent Assembly .

3.       They demanded power to an all-party government.

Outcomes of SPA’s demands was as follows :

1.       King  Gyanendra was forced to accept to all  the demands.

2.       The SPA  chose Girija  Prasad Koirala as the new Prime Minister of the interim government.

3.       The restored Parliament met and passed laws taking away most of the powers of the king.

Q10. Write a note on Bolivia’s war ?

Ans.  Bolivia is poor country in Latin America.The World Bank pressurised the government to give up its control of municipal water supply.

 The government sold these rights for the city of Cochabamba to a multi-national company (MNC). The company immediately increased the price of water by four times.

 Many people received monthly water bill of Rs 1000 in a country where average income is  round Rs 5000 a month. This led to a spontaneous popular protest.

In January 2000, a new alliance of labour, human rights and community leaders organised a successful four-day general strike in the city.

 The government agreed to negotiate and the strike was called off. Yet nothing happened.

 The police resorted to brutal repression when the agitation was started again in February.

Another strike followed in April and the government imposed martial law.

But the power of the people forced the officials of the MNC to flee the city and made the government concede to all the demands of  the protesters.

 The contract with the MNC was cancelled and water supply was restored to the municipality

at old rates. This came to be know as Bolivia’s water war.

Q11. Give Similarities and differences between the struggles of Nepal and Bolivia.

Ans. Similarities and differences between struggles of Nepal and Bolivia

                             Nepal                                                 Bolivia 

Similarities

1	Both the struggles are instances of political conflict that led to Popular struggles.	Both the struggles are instances of political conflict that led to Popular struggles.
2	In both cases the struggle involved mass mobilisation.	In both cases the struggle involved mass mobilisation.
3	In both instances involved critical role of political organisations	In both instances involved critical role of political organisations

Differences

1	The movement in Nepal was to establish democracy	The struggle in Bolivia involved claims on an elected, democratic government.
2	The struggle in Nepal was about the foundations of the country’s politics.	The popular struggle in Bolivia was about one specific policy
3	Both these struggles were successful but their impact was at different levels	Both these struggles were successful but their impact was at different levels

Q12. What conclusion we draw from the examples of popular struggles in Nepal and Bolivia with respect to democracy ?

                                    Or

How are popular struggles undertaken in a democracy ?

     Ans. 1.    Democracy evolves through popular struggles. It is possible that some significant decisions may take place through consensus. These moments come when the country is going through transition to democracy, expansion of democracy or deepening of democracy.

2.    Democratic conflict is resolved through mass mobilisation. Sometimes it is possible that the conflict is resolved by using the existing institutions like the parliament or the judiciary.

3.    These conflicts and mobilisations are based on public participation with the help of organised political parties and pressure groups.

    Q.13. What was FEDECOR ?

     Ans.   It was an organisation formed by an alliance of labour, human rights and community leaders who orgainsed a successful four day general strike in Bolivia against MNC.The movement was supported by Socialist Party. In 2006 this party came to power in Bolivia.

    Q14. Explain the two ways in which different kinds of organisations play their role in politics.

     Ans. 1.      One obvious way of influencing the decisions in a democracy is direct participation. This is done by creating political parties, contesting elections and forming governments.

2  .      There is another indirect way in which people can get governments to listen to their demands or their points of view by forming pressure groups (Non- Political organisations) and undertaking activities to promote their interests or their viewpoints.

    Q14. What are Pressure Groups ?

     Ans. Pressure groups are non-political organisations that attempt to influence government policies. These organisations are formed by people with common occupation, interest, aspirations or opinions in order to achieve a common objective.

    Q15.  Write a short note on the following :-

1)    Sectional interest groups

Interest groups which seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society are called sectional interest groups.

Example

Trade unions, business associations, lawyers, doctors and teachers associations.

2)    Promotional or Public interest groups

The organisations which are not representing the interest of one section of society but representing common or general interests of the public. The members of these organisations may not get benefit.

Example

The Bolivian organization-FEDECOR and BAMCEF (Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation) are examples of that kind of organisations.

3)    Movements or movement groups

Movements or movement groups are non- political organisations which attempt to influencepolitics indirectly. Movements have a loose organisation. Their decision making is more informal and flexible. They depend much more on spontaneous mass participation.

Example

Narmada Bachao Andolan, Movement for Right to Information, Anti-liquor Movement,

Women’s Movement and Environmental Movement.

4)      BAMCEF

It  is ( Backward and Minority Community Employees Federation) an organisation largely made up of government employees that campaigns against caste discrimination. Its principal concern is social justice and social equality for the entire society.

5)    Narmada bachao andolan

Ans.   Narmada Bachao Andolan is a good example of movement. The movement started with

the specific issue of the people displaced by the creation of Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river. Its objective was to stop the dam from being constructed.

   6)    NAPM  

National Alliance for Peoples’ Movements (NAPM) is an organisation of  organisations. Various movement groups struggling on specific issues are constituents of this loose organisation which coordinates the activities of a large number of peoples’ movements

in our country.

Q16. Distinguish between  Short term and Long term Movements.

                                    Or

Distinguish between Issue – specific movements and Genric movements. Give an example of an issue specific movement and explain.

      Ans. 1.      Issue-specific movements( Single issue movements)

Issue-specific movements that seek to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame.

Example

In Nepal, Nepalese movement for democracy arose with the specific objective of reversing the king’s orders that led to suspension of democracy.

 In India, Narmada Bachao Andolan is a good example of this kind of movement. The movement started with the specific issue of the people displaced by the creation of Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada River. Gradually it became a wider movement that questioned all such big dams and the model of development that required such dams.Movements of this kind tend to have a clear leadership and some organisation.But their active life is usually short.

2   .      Multi issue movements ( Generic- movement )

Movements that are seeking to achieve many objectives or issues in a long term period

  Example

 Women’s Movement and Environmental Movement.

 Q 17.  How do Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics(Government)?

1    .      They try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activities by carrying out   information campaigns, organising meetings, filing petitions, influence media etc.

2     .      They often organise protest activity like strikes, hunger strikes or disrupting government   programmes in order to force the government to take note of their demands.

3   .      Business groups often employ professional lobbyists or sponsor expensive advertisements. Some   persons from pressure groups or movement groups may participate in official bodies and committees.

4    . Workers’ organisations, employees’ associations and most of the movement groups often resort to these actics in order to force the government to take note of their demands.

5  .  Some persons from pressure groups or movement groups may participate in official bodies

and committees that offer advice to the government.

Q18. Discuss the relationship between political party and pressure groups.

Ans. The relationship between political parties and pressure groups can take different forms, some direct and others very indirect:

1   .      In some instances, the pressure groups are either formed or led by the leaders of political parties or act as extended arms of political parties. For example, Youth congress for INC and RSS for BJP

2    .      Sometimes political parties grow out of movements. For example, when the Assam movement led by students against the ‘foreigners’ came to an end, it led to the formation of the Asom Gana Parishad.

3   .       In most cases the relationship between parties and interest or movement groups is hostile. They often take opposite positions.

    Q19. Examine the positive and negative aspects of the influence of pressure groups and movements in politics.

Positive	Negative
It may initially appear that it is not healthy for groups that promote interest of one section to have influence in democracy. A democracy must look after the interests of all, not just one section	Governments can often come under undue pressure from a small group of rich and powerful people.
Public interest groups and movements perform a useful role of countering this undue influence and reminding the government of the needs and concerns of ordinary citizens.	Sometimes, pressure groups with small public support but lots of money can hijack public discussion in favour of their narrow agenda
The government gets to hear about what different sections of the population want. This leads to a rough balance of power and accommodation of conflicting interests.	If one group brings pressure on government to make policies in its favour, another willbring counter pressure not to make policies in the way the first group desires

   

    Q20. Explain with example that in a democracy several kinds of organisations work behind a big struggle.

    Ans. 1. The call for indefinite strike was given by the SPA or the seven party Alliance in Nepal.

2  . This alliance included some big parties that had some members in the  Parliament.

3  .  But The SPA was not the only organisation behind this mass upsurge.

4  . The protest was joined by the Nepalese Communist Party ( Maoist ) which did not believe in  parliamentary democracy.

5   . The struggle involved many organisations other than political parties. All the major labour   unions and their federations joined this movement.

     Q21. How are pressure groups different from interest groups?

     Ans. Like an interest group a movement also attempts to influences politics rather than directly   take part in electoral competition. But unlike the interest groups , movements have loose   organisations. Their decisions making is more imformal and flexible. They depend much more on spontaneous mass participation than an interest group.

     Q22. Examine the role played by sectional interest groups in politics.

                  Or

      How do sectional interest groups help to maintain balance of powers and accomadations of conflicting interest in politics / democracy / government ?

Ans. Even the sectional interest groups play a valuable role.

1.Different groups function actively, no one single group can achieve dominance over

society.

 2. If  one group brings pressure on government to make policies in its favour, another will bring counter pressure not to make policies in the way the first group desires.

3. The government gets to hear about what different sections of the population want. This leads to a rough balance of power and accommodation of  conflicting interests.