CBSE Class 10 Democratic Popular Struggles and Movements Worksheet

Democracy almost always involves conflict of interests and viewpoints. These differences are often expressed in organized ways. Those who are in power are required to balance these conflicting demands and pressures. We will learn how struggles around conflicting demands and pressures shape democracy. This leads to an analysis of the different ways and organizations through which ordinary citizen can play a role in democracy.

POPULAR STRUGGLES IN NEPAL AND BOLIVIA

Nepal

• Democracy was established in Nepal in 1990, with King Birendra as formal head of state.
• This transition was from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy.
• King Birendra was killed in a mysterious massacre of the royal family in 2001.
• The new King Gyanendra was not prepared to accept democratic rule and dissolved the parliament in 2005.
• The movement of April 2006 was aimed at regaining popular control over the government from the king.
• All the major political parties formed a Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and went on an indefinite strike in which maoist insurgents and various other organizations joined hands.
• On 24 April 2006, the king was forced to restore the parliament. The SPA chose Girija Prasad Koirala as the new Prime Minister of the interim government.The movement came to be known as the second movement for democracy.

Bolivia

Bolivia is a poor country in Latin America.

• The World Bank pressurized 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 around Rs 5000 a month. This led to a spontaneous popular protest.
• The protest was led by an organization called FEDECOR, which comprised of local professionals such as engineers and environmentalists.
• In January 2000, a new alliance of labor, human rights and community leaders organized a successful four-day general strike in the city. Though the government promised to negotiate but no action was taken.
• 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 protest 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 known as Bolivia’s Water War.

We can see that the movement in Nepal was to establish democracy, while the struggle in Bolivia involved claims on an elected, democratic government. The popular struggle in Bolivia was about one specific policy, while the struggle in Nepal was about the foundations of the country’s politics. Both these political conflicts led to popular struggles. In both the cases political organizations played an important role.

MOBILIZATION AND ORGANIZATIONS

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

(a) Pressure groups are organizations that try to influence government policies by spear heading popular movements.
(b) They do not aim to form or run the government.
(c) Pressure groups are formed by people of common occupation, interest, aspirations or opinions.
(d) Their decision making is more informal and flexible.
(e) Some examples of popular movements in India are: Narmada Bachao Andolan, Movement for Right to Information, Anti liquor Movement, Women’s Movement, Environmental Movement.

Sectional Interest Groups and Public Interest Groups

Sectional Interest Groups : Usually interest groups seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society. Trade unions, business associations and professional (lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc.) bodies are some examples of this type. They are sectional because they represent a section of society: workers, employees, businesspersons, industrialists, followers of a religion, caste group, etc. Their principal concern is the betterment and wellbeing of their members, not the society in general.

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-Army men Association, etc. are examples of public interest groups. Example – Backward and Minority Communities Employee Federation (BAMCEF)

Types of Movement groups

Issue Specific movement

• They try to achieve a single objective that too within a timeframe.
• Usually these are controlled and guided by a single organization.
• There is a clear leadership for the period of the movement.

General Long-term movements

• They have a long ranging broad goal.
• There may not be clear leadership and their active life is long.
• No single organization controls such movements.

Influence of Pressure groups on Politics

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

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

Lobbying : 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 that offer advice to the government. Some professional bodies; like ASSOCHAM and NASSCOM are examples of such groups.

Pressure groups and Political Parties

The interest groups and movement try to influence political parties. They usually have a particular political ideology and political position on major issues.

• A pressure group can be directly or indirectly linked to a political party.
• Most of the trade unions and students’ unions in India are directly affiliated to political parties.
• The activists of such pressure groups are usually also the activists or leaders of the party.
• Sometimes, political parties grow out of movements. Asom Gana Parishad is a good example. It originated from students’ movement in Assam which was against the ‘outsiders’ working in Assam.
• However, in most of the cases, the relationship between political parties and interest or movement groups is not so direct. They often have positions which are opposed to each other. However, they maintain dialogue and negotiation. Many issues raised by movement groups are often taken up by political parties. Many new leaders in the political parties come from interest or movement groups.

Influence of Pressure Groups

Negative Influences
(a) Many thinkers say that since a pressure group champions the cause of a small section of society; so it should be viewed with caution.
(b) Unlike political parties, a pressure group is not answerable to the people and hence they may not have a broader perspective in mind.
(c) There can be many examples of pressure groups which are sponsored by powerful business lobbyists or by some international agencies.
They should be treated with caution.

Positive Influences
(a) Putting pressure on the government is always positive for the deepening of democracy.
(b) The political parties often tend to forget the real concerns of people; in their pursuit of power.The pressure groups awaken them from their slumber.
(c) They help to maintain the balance of power and avoid conflict of interests.

CBSE Class 10 Democratic Chapter 5 Popular Struggles and Movements Very Short Answer Questions

Question. Why did King Gyanendra replace King Birendra?
Answer. King Birendra was killed in a mysterious massacre of the royal family in 2001, so king Gyanendra replaced him.

Question. Who dissolved the popularly elected parliament in February 2005 in Nepal?
Answer. King Gyanendra.

Question. Why did King Gyanendra dismiss the then Prime Minister and dissolve Parliament?
Answer. He was not prepared to accept democratic rule.

Question. What does ‘SPA’ mean?
Answer. ‘Seven Party Alliance’.

Question. What was the role of SPA in Nepal Movement?
Answer. All the major political parties in the parliament forced a Seven Party Alliance and called for a four day strike in Kathmandu to start the popular movement to revive democracy.

Question. Who were Maoists?
Answer. Those communists who believed in the ideology of Mao, the great leader of the Chinese Revolution were called Maoists.

Question. Who was made the new Prime Minister of interim government of Nepal?
Answer. Girija Prasad Koirala.

Question. Who are Sectional Interest groups?
Answer. They seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society.

Question. For whose interest do the public welfare interest groups work ?
Answer. Public welfare groups work in favour of-All Sections of society.

Question. What does ‘BAMCEF’ mean?
Answer. Backward and Minority Community Employees Federation.

Question. What is the role of ‘BAMCEF’?
Answer. It is an organisation largely made up of government employees that campaigns against caste discrimination.

Question. State the main aim of Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation.
Answer. Its principal concern is social justice and social equality for the entire society.

CBSE Class 10 Democratic Chapter 5 Popular Struggles and Movements Short Answer Questions

Question. How are popular struggles undertaken in a democracy?
OR
Analyse the role of popular struggles in the development of democracy. 
Answer.  Democracy evolves through a popular struggle. It is possible that some significant decisions may take place through consensus and may not involve any conflict at all. Democracy usually involves conflicts between those groups who have exercised power and those who aspire for a share in power.
- 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 judiciary.
But when there is a deep dispute, very often these institutions themselves get involved in the dispute.
- These conflicts and mobilisations are based on new political organisations. But the spontaneous public participation becomes effective with the help of organised politics.
These include political parties, pressure groups and movement groups.

Question. What are movement groups? Give examples.
Answer. When an organisation starts a movement to achieve a specific goal or an issue, such organisation is called movement groups.
(i) Narmada Bachao Andolan: The movement started due to a specific issue of displacement of tribal people due to the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam on river Narmada. They wanted to stop this construction to get back to their homes.
(ii) Nepalese Movement: It was started by a Seven Party Alliance group to regain democracy in Nepal which had been taken over by the ruling King Gyanendra. Its specific objective was to regain democracy.

Question. What are sectional interest groups? Describe their functioning. 
Answer. Sectional interest groups:
The groups that seek to promote the interests of a particular section or a group of a society is called sectional interest groups.
Functioning:
(i) They perform a meaningful role in countering the undue influence of other groups.
(ii) They create awareness about the needs and concerns of their own society.
(iii) Their principal concern is the betterment and well-being of their members not society in general.

Question. What are public interest pressure groups? Describe their functioning. 
Answer. Public interest groups are those that promote collective rather than selective interests.
Their functions is as follows:
(i) It aims to help groups other than their own members.
(ii) They represent some common interests that needs to be defended.
(iii) The members of the organisation may not benefit from the cause that the organisation represents. For example, A group fighting against bonded labour fights not for itself but for those who are suffering under such bondage.
(iv) For example, BAMCEF

Question. Who led the protest against water privatization in Bolivia? Describe the ways of protest adopted by that organization. 
Answer. Protest against water privatization in Bolivia:
FEDECOR (comprised local professionals, including engineers and Environmentalists),human rights and community leaders Ways of their Protest:
(i) Organised a successful four-day general strike in the city.
(ii) Influenced the decision through direct participation in competitive politics.
(iii) Created parties and formed governments.
(iv) Formed pressure groups for the protest.

Question. What was the main reason of Bolivia’s popular movement? 
OR
Explain the main reason for ‘Bolivia Water War.’
Answer. (i) The government of Bolivia sold the rights of water supply to a multinational company.
(ii) The company increased the price of water by four times.

Question. Give some examples of movements.
Answer. (i) Narmada Bachao Andolan
(ii) Movement for Right to Information
(iii) Anti-liquor Movement
(iv) Women’s Movement
(v) Environmental Movement

CBSE Class 10 Democratic Chapter 5 Popular Struggles and Movements Long Answer Questions 

Question. Differentiate between issue-specific movements and generic movements. Give an example of an issue-specific movement and explain.
Answer. Issue-specific Movements:
(i) They achieve a single objective within a limited timeframe.
(ii) There is clear leadership.
(iii) They have some sort of an organisation, i.e., organisational features of order, stability, leadership, etc. are visible in them.
(iv) Their active life is usually short, e.g., The Nepalese Movement for Democracy.
Generic Movements:
(i) They are more general movements that seek to achieve a broad goal in the long term.
(ii) They have independent leadership.
(iii) There is no single organisation that controls or guides such movements.
(iv) General movements are environmentalists’ movements or the women’s movements.
In India, Narmada Bachao Andolan is a good example of this kind of movement.
- The movement started with the specific issue of the tribal people displaced by the creation of Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River.
- Its objective was to stop the dam from being constructed.
- 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.

Question. What can we conclude about democracy with reference to popular struggles and movements like Bolivian water war? Explain in detail. 
OR
Explain with appropriate examples the relevance of ‘popular struggle’ of both Nepal and Bolivia for democracy.
Answer. Democracy evolves through popular struggles. It is possible that some significant decisions may take place through consensus and may not involve any conflict at all. But that would be an exception.
Defining movements of democracy usually involve conflict between those groups who have exercised power and those who aspire for a share in power.
These movements come when the country is going through transition to democracy, expansion of democracy or deepening of democracy.
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.
These conflicts and mobilisations are based on new political organisations where there is an element of spontaneity in all such historic movements.
But the spontaneous public participation becomes effective with the help of organised politics.

Question. Describe the popular struggle of Bolivia.
OR
What do you know about Bolivia’s water war?
Answer. Popular struggle of Bolivia
(i) People’s struggle against privatisation of water in Bolivia power that struggles are integral part of democracy.
(ii) The world Bank pressurised the government to give up its control of municipal water supply. The government sold these rights to a multinational company which increased the price of water by four times. Many people received monthly water bill of `1,000 in a country where average income is around `5,000 a month.
(iii) In January 2000, a new alliance of labour human rights and community leaders organised a successful four day strike.
(iv) The government agreed to negotiate and the strike was called off.
(v) The police resorted to brutal regression when the agitations started in February followed in April and the government imposed martial law.
(vi) But the power of people forced the officials of the MNC to flee the city and made the government concede to all the demand of the protestors.
(vii) The contract with MNC was cancelled and the water supply was restored with the municipality at old rates.
This popular struggle came to be known as ‘Bolivia’s Water War’.

Question. Examine the role of pressure groups and movements in deepening democracy.
Answer. Pressure groups and movements have deepened democracy.
(i) It reminds the government of the needs and concerns of ordinary citizens.
(ii) Put pressure on the rulers for the unhealthy activities.
(iii) It performs a useful role of countering undue influence of the rich and powerful people.
(iv) One single group cannot achieve dominance over society.
(v) The government gets to hear about what different sections of the population want.
(vi) This leads to a rough balance of power and accommodation of conflicting interests.

Question. Explain three most effective ways in which the pressure groups and movements influence the politics of a country.
Answer. Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics in a variety of ways:
(i) They try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activities by carrying out information campaigns, organising meetings filing petitions, etc. Most of these groups try to influence the media into giving more attention to their issues. For example, Anna Hazare’s protest on Jan Lok Pal Bill.
(ii) They often organise protest activities like strikes or disrupting government programme.Workers’ organisations Employees’ Association and most of the movement groups often resort to then tactics in order to force the government to take note of their demands.
(iii) Business groups often employ professional lobbysts or sponsor expensive advertisements.
Some persons from pressure groups may participate in official bodies and committees that offer advice to the government.

Question. Pressure groups are good for democracy. How?
Answer.
- Pressure groups have broadened democracy. Putting pressure on government is not an unhealthy activity in a democracy.
- Government may at times be influenced by rich people. It is at this time that pressure groups may play a useful role of converting these pressures and reminding the government of needs and aspirations of the people.
- Even sectional interest groups may play an important role. If one group’s pressure forces the government to make policies in their favour, the other group will keep a check on this.
The government gets to know what people want. It leads to a rough balance of power and accommodation of interests.