Popular Struggles and Movements.................Part III

Q9."In a democracy several different kinds of organisations work behind any big struggle and influence the decision." Explain.

1. In a democracy several different kinds of organisations work behind any big struggle.These organisations play their role in two ways.  
2. By influencing the decisions in a democracy through direct participation in competitive politics. This is done by creating parties, contesting elections and forming governments. 
3. But every citizen does not participate directly as they may not have the desire, the need or the skills to take part in direct political activity other than voting.
4. Therefore people can also participate indirectly and make  governments to listen to their demands or their point of view by forming an organisation or by undertaking activities to promote their interest or their viewpoint. 
5. These are called interest groups or pressure groups.
6. Sometimes people can also decide to act together without forming organisations.

Q10. What are the Pressure groups?

1. Pressure groups are organisations that attempt to influence government policies. 
2. But unlike political parties,pressure groups do not aim to directly control or share political power.
3. These organisations are formed when people with common occupation, interest,aspirations or opinions come together in order to achieve a common objective.

Q11. What is a Movement?

1. A movement attempts to influence politics rather than directly participating in electoral competition. 
2. Movements have a loose organisation and their decision making is more informal and flexible.
3. They depend much more on spontaneous mass participation than an interest group. 
4. Most of the movements are issue specific movements that seek to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame.
5. Others are more general or generic movements that seek to achieve a broad goal in the very long term. For example:-Women’s Movement, Environmental Movement.
6. The struggle in Nepal was called issue specific movement for democracy and Narmada Bachao Andolan in India is also a issue specific  movement.
7. Other examples:- Movement for Right to Information, Anti-liquor Movement.
   

Q12. What are sectional interest groups?

1. Interest groups that seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society.  
2. Their principal concern is the betterment and well being of their members, not society in general. 
3. They are sectional because they represent a section of society:- such as workers, employees, business persons, industrialists, followers of a religion, caste group, etc.
4. For example:-Trade unions, business associations and professionals like lawyers,doctors, teachers, etc.

Q13. What are Public interest groups?

1. The public interest groups promote collective rather than selective good. 
2. They aim to help groups other than their own members. 
3. For example, a group fighting against bonded labour fights not for itself but for those who are suffering under such bondage. 
4. Sometimes the members of a public interest group may undertake activity that benefits them as well as others too.  
5. For example, BAMCEF :-"Backward and Minorities Community Employees Federation" is an organisation largely made up of government employees that campaigns against caste discrimination. 
6. It addresses the problems of its members who suffer discrimination. But its principal concern is with social justice and social equality for the entire society.

Q14. How do Pressure groups and movements exert  influence on politics?
Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics in different ways:

1. They try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activity by carrying out information campaigns, organising meetings, file petitions, etc. 
2. They try to influence the media by giving more attention to the issues
3. They organise protest activities like strikes or disrupt government programmes. Workers’ organisations,employees’ associations and most of the movement groups practise these tactics in order to force the government to take note of their demand.
4. Business groups  employ professional lobbyists or sponsor expensive advertisements. 
5. Some persons from pressure groups or movement groups may participate in official bodies and committees that offer advice to the government.
6. Sometimes the pressure groups are either formed or led by the leaders of political parties or act as extended arms of political parties. For example, most trade unions and students’ organisations in India are either established by or affiliated to one or the other major political party. 
7. Most of the leaders of such pressure groups are usually activists and leaders of party.
8. 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. 
9. The roots of parties like the DMK and the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu can be traced to a long drawn social reform movement during the 1930 and 1940s.
10. Many times the relationship between parties and interest or movement groups is not  direct and are opposed to each other. But they are in dialogue and negotiation. 
11. Movement groups have raised new issues that have been taken up by political parties. 
12. Most of the new leadership of political parties comes from interest or movement groups.

 Q15. " Pressure groups and movements exert  influence on politics"? Is their influence healthy?

Positive effects On Politics:- 

1. Pressure groups and movements have deepened democracy. 
2. Putting pressure on the rulers is not an unhealthy activity in a democracy as long as everyone gets this opportunity.
   Governments can often come under undue pressure from a small group of rich and powerful people. 
3. Public interest groups and movement sperform a useful role of countering this undue influence and reminding the government of the needs and concerns of ordinary citizens.
4. Even the sectional interest groups play a valuable role. Where different groups function actively, no one single group can achieve dominance over society. 
5. 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. 
6. The government gets to hear about what different sections of the population want. This leads to  balance of power and
   accommodation of conflicting interests.

Negative effects on Politics:-

1. In a democracy it is must to  look after the interest of all, not just one section. 
2. Therefore it may seem that these groups wield power without responsibility. 
3. Political parties face the people in elections, but these groups are not accountable to the people. 
4. Pressure groups and movements may not get their funds and support from the people. 
5. Sometimes, pressure groups with small public support and lots of money can highjack public discussion in favour of their narrow agenda.