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was a movement against alcoholism started by the women.(a) Social movements are hampering the functioning of India’s democracy.
(b) The main strength of social movements lies in their mass base across social sections.
(c) Social movements in India emerged because there were many issues that political parties did not address.
(b)Correct
(c)Correct.
(i) The forest department refused permission to the villagers to fell ash trees for agricultural tools.
(ii) The villagers protested against the practice of commercial logging that the government had permitted. The government had allotted the same patch of land to a sports manufacturer for commercial use.
(iii) There were larger issues of ecological and economic exploitation of the region. The villagers demanded that no forest-exploiting contracts should be given to outsiders and local communities should have effective control over natural resources like land, water and forests.
(iv) People demanded that the government should provide low cost materials to small industries and ensure development of the region without disturbing the ecological balance.
(v) There was issue of landless forest workers. The movement demanded guarantees of minimum wage.
(vi) The forest contractors doubled up as supplier of alcohol to men. Women were against this habit of alcoholism and held sustained agitations against it. They joined the movement and broadened the agenda of the movement to cover other social issues.
Impact of the movement : (i) The government issued a ban on felling of trees in the Himalayan regions for fifteen years, until the green cover was fully restored.
(ii) The Chipko Movement became a symbol of many such movements which emerged in different parts of the country during the 1970s and later.
(i) Higher government floor prices for sugarcane and wheat;
(ii) Abolition of restrictions on the inter-state movement of farm produce;
(iii) Guaranteed supply of electricity at reasonable rates;
(iv) Waiving of repayments due on loans to farmers;
(v) The provision of a government pension for farmers.
The BKU operated as a pressure group in politics with its strength of sheer numbers. The organisation did manage to get some of their economic demands accepted. The farmers’ movement became one of the most successful social movements of the eighties in this respect.
(i) Increased consumption of a locally brewed alcohol-arrack-by men. The habit of alcoholism had taken deep roots and was ruining the physical and mental health of village people.
(ii) It effected the rural economy. Indebtedness grew with increasing scales of consumption of alcohol and men remained absent from their jobs due to effects of alcoholism.
(iii) There was increase in crime because contractors of alcohol engaged in crime for securing their monopoly over the arrack trade.
(iv)It resulted in the collapse of the family economy and the women bore the brunt of violence from the males in the family, particularly by the husband. The issue of domestic violence was discussed openly.
(v)Attention was drawn towards the nexus between crime and politics around the business of arrack because the state government collected huge revenues by way of taxes and therefore was not willing to impose on ban on sale of arrack. This issue was addressed in the agitation against arrack.
(vi) Attention was drawn towards other issues such as the custom of dowry, sexual abuse at work and public places and inequality in personal and property laws.
These campaign contributed a great deal in increasing overall social awareness about women's questions. Focus of the women's movement gradually shifted from legal to open' social confrontation.
(i) In the process of construction of the dam 245 villages were expected to be submerged.
(ii) It required relocation and proper rehabilitation of about two and a half lakh people from these villages.
(iii) It questioned the nature of ongoing developmental projects, efficacy of the model of development that the country followed and about constituted public interest in a democracy.
(iv) It was opposed on the ground that the local people did not have any say in the decision making process.
(v) It was also argued that the interests of some people should not be sacrificed for the benefit of others.
(vi)It also demanded cost benefit analysis of the major developmental projects completed in the country so far.
(i) These non-party movements are neither sporadic in nature nor are these a problem. These movements came up to rectify some problems in the functioning of party-politics and should be seen as integral part of democratic politics. In the first twenty years after independence, poverty and inequalities persisted on a large scale. Many politically active groups lost faith in democratic institutions and electoral politics. They therefore chose to step outside of party politicsd and engage in mass mobilisation for registering their protests. Dalit Panthers tried to stop atrocities against Dalits because the political parties like the Republican Party of India which supported the Dalit could not be successful in electoral politics. g
(ii) Popular movements ensured effective representation of diverse groups and their demand. This reduced the possibility of deep social conflict and disaffection of these groups from democracy. For example, the BKU mobilised the farmers of the north, the anti-arrack movement in the south mobilised women in the southern State of Andhra Pradesh demanding a ban on the sale of alcohol in their neighbourhoods.
(iii) The movements suggested new forms of active participation. In Nellore, the women forced closure of the wine shop. The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar and other activists adopted the method of Jalsamadhi as a protest. They organised a boat rally too. This broadened the idea of participation in Indian democracy.
(iv) Movements increase the awareness among the people. For example, the anti-arrack movement contributed a great deal in increasing overall social awareness about women’s problems. And ultimately demands were made for equal representation for women in politics.
(i) They raised the issue of the perpetual caste based inequalities and material injustices that the Dalits faced in spite of constitutional guarantees of equality and justice.
(ii) There prominent demands were the effective implementation of reservations and other such policies of social justice.
.....nearly all ‘new social movements have emerged as corrective to new maladies–environmental degradation, violation of the status of women, destruction of tribal cultures and the undermining of human rights-none of which are in and by themselves transformative of the social order. They are in that way quite different from revolutionary ideologies of the past. But their weakness lies in their being so heavily fragmented......................a large part of the space occupied by the new social movements seem to be suffering from ..various characteristics which Have prevented them from being relevant to the truly oppressed and the poor in the form of a solid unified movement of the people. They are too fragmented, reactive, ad hocish, providing no comprehensive framework of basic social change. Their being anti-this or that (anti-West, anti-capitalist, anti-development, etc.) does not make them any more coherent, any more relevant to oppressed and peripheralised communities. —Rajni Kothari
(a) What is the difference between new social movements and revolutionary ideologies ?
(b) What according to the author are the limitations of social movements ?
(c) If social movements address specific issues, would you say that they are ‘fragmented’ or that they are more focused ? Give reasons for your answer by giving examples.
(b) The limitations of social movements are as given below :
(i) They are too fragmented.
(ii) They are not relevant to the truly oppressed and the poor in the form of a solid unified movement of the people.
(iii) They are reactive, ad hocish and provide no comprehensive framework of basic social change.
(iv) They are anti-west, anti-capitalist, anti-development and so on and this does not make them coherent and relevant to oppressed and peripheralized communities.
(c) If social movements address specific issues, they are more focused because in such a situation they can pay full attention towards a particular issue. For example, Bharatiya Kisan Union fought for the rights of the farmers. It operated as a pressure group for them in the prosperous states of the country. It managed to get some of their economic demands accepted.
(ii) Failure of the Janata experiment and political instability.
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“_________ of Maharastra declared the farmers’ movement as a war of _______ (symbolising rural,_______ sector) against forces of India (_______ sector).
It recruited its members from communities that dominated regional electoral politics.
“A Comprehensive National Displacement Policy formed by the government in 2009 can be seen as an achievement of the BKU”.
(i) BKU
(ii) NBA
(iii) WTO
(iv) CPI(ML)
(ii) Narmada Bachao Aandolan
(iii) World Trade Organisation
(iv)Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
(ii) It became a symbol of many popular movements that emerged in different parts the country during the 1970s and later.
(i) What in seen in the picture ?
(ii) Why are women doing this ?
(ii) Women are doing this to prevent the trees from being cut down.
(ii)Denial of access to common source of drinking water.
(iii) Dalit women are dishonoured and abused.
(iv)They face collective atrocities over the minor and symbolic isues of caste pride.
(ii) Dalit writers protested against the brutalities of the caste system in their literary works.
(iii) It made Marathi literature more broad based and representative of different social sections and initiated contestations in the cultural realm.
(iv) After Emergency, Dalit Panthers was involved in electoral compromises.
| A. Chipko Movement | (i) West Bengal |
| B. Naxalite Movement | (ii) Maharashtra |
| C. Dalit Panthers | (iii) Western UP |
| D. Bharatiya Kisan Union | (iv) Uttarakhand |
A. Chipko Movement | (i) Uttarakhand |
B. Naxalite Movement | (ii) West Bengal |
C. Dalit Panthers | (iii) Maharashtra |
D. Bharatiya Kisan Union | (iv) Western UP |
(i) It would benefit huge areas of Gujarat and three adjoining states in terms of availability of drinking water and water for irrigation, generation of electricity and increase in agricultural production.
(ii) It will help in the effective flood and drought control in the region.
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(i) What the above picture shows?
(ii) What were the main features of the developmental project in the Narmada Valley?
(ii)The main features were: (a) The developmental project in the Narmada Valley consisted of 30 big dams, 135 medium sized and around 3,000 small dams to be constructed on the Narmada and its tributaries.
(b) Sardar Sarovar Project in Gujarat and the Narmada Sagar Project in Madhya Pradesh were multipurpose dams planned under the project.
(ii) A Comprehensive National Rehabilitation Policy has been formed by the government in 2003.
(i) The movements make people aware of their rights and the expectations in a democracy.
(ii) These movements have contributed to expansion of democracy. The struggle for the right to information is an example in this case.
(i) These movements focus on a single issue.
(ii) They represent the interest of one section of society only e.g., Dalit Panthers for Dalits only or BKU for rich farmers of Western UP and Haryana.
(iii) There is no broad alliance that is a necessity in a democracy to act as a pressure group.
(iv) Political parties do not take up the issues relating to marginal social groups.
(ii) Some party-based movements continued in the post-independence period, for example Trade Union movement in Mumbai, Kolkata and Kanpur. All major political parties have their own trade union for mobilising these sections of workers.
(iii) Peasants in Telangana organised agitations under the leadership of Communist parties. Marxist-Leninist worked organised agitations of agricultural labourers in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar on the issues of economic injustice and inequality.
(iv) These movements do not take part in elections formally and yet retain connections with political parties to ensure a better representation of the demands of diverse social sections in party politics.
Turning their backs to the sun, they journeyed through centuries.
Now, now we must refuse to be pilgrims of darkness.
That one, our father, carrying, carrying the darkness is now bent;
Now, now we must lift the burden from his back.
Our blood was spilled for this glorious city
And what we got was the right to eat stones
Now, now we must explode the building that kisses the sky!
After a thousand years we were blessed with sunflower giving fakir;
Now, now, we must like sunflowers turn our faces to the sun.
(i) Who wrote this poem originally in Marathi ?
(ii) What do you understand by ‘pilgrims of darkness’ ?
(iii) Who was the ‘Sunflower giving fakir’ that blessed the ‘pilgrims of darkness’ ?
(iv) What is expressed by the poems?
(ii) ‘The pilgrims of darkness’ were the Dalit communities who had experienced brutal caste injustices for a long time in our society.
(iii) The ‘sunflower giving fakir’ was Dr. B. R. Ambedkar who has been referred to as their liberator.
(iv) Such poems were expressions of anguish that the Dalit masses continued to face even after twenty years of independence.
(i) Appeals to judiciary;
(ii) Mobilisation of support at the international level;
(iii) Public rallies including boat rallies;
(iv)Revival of forms of satyagraha like Jalsamadhi i.e., protesting in rising waters.
Effects : (i) The movement could not garner much support among the mainstream political parties -including the opposition parties. It depicted a gradual process of disjunction between political parties and social movements in Indian politics.
(ii) By the end of the nineties, the NBA has become a larger alliance of people’s movement that is challenging the large scale developmental projects in different regions of the country.
(i) It helps us to understand better the nature of democratic politics. These movements are not sporadic in nature and do not create any problem. These movements have come up to rectify some problem in the functioning of party politics and are an integral part of our democratic politics.
(ii) These movements represent new social groups whose economic and social grievances were not redressed in the realm of electoral politics. Popular movements ensured effective representation of various diverse groups and their demands.
(iii) Popular movements help us in reducing the possibility of social conflict and dissatisfaction of various groups from democracy.
(iv) These movements suggested new forms of active participation and thus broadened the idea of participation in Indian democracy.
Describe any four demands made by the Bharatiya Kisan Union after 1980.
Four demands:
(i) The BKU demanded higher goverment floor prices for sugarcane and wheat
(ii) Abolition of restrictions on the inter-state movements of farm produce
(iii) Guaranteed supply of electricity at reasonable rates
(iv) Waiving of repayments due on loans to farmers and the provision of a goverment pension for farmers.
Read the given passage carefully and answer the following questions :
The Naxalite Movement has used force to snatch land from the rich landowners and give it to the poor and the landless. Its supporters advocated the use of violent means to achieve their political goals. In spite of the use of preventive detention and other strong measures adopted by the West Bengal Government…, the Naxalite Movement did not come to an end. In later years, it spread to many other parts of the country.
(i) Why did the Naxalite prefer to use violence ?
(ii) Assess the positive role of the Naxalite Movement in spite of using violence.
(iii) Suggest any two measures to contain this movement.
(i) Naxalites preferred to use violence because they argued that democracy in India was a sham and decided to adopt a strategy of proctated guerrilla warfare in order to lead to a revolution.
(ii) The Naxalite movement has used force to snatch land from the rich land -owners and give it to the poor and the landless.
(iii) (a) Government should provide the basic rights to the people of very backward areas inhabited Adivasis.
(b)Forced labour, expropriation of resources by outsiders and exploitation by moneylenders should be stopped.
What was the main demand of Chipko Movement?
The demands:
(i) It demanded that no forest-exploitation contracts should be given to outsiders and local communities should have effective control over natural resources.
(ii) It wanted the government to provide the low cost materials to small industries and ensure development of the region without disturbing the ecological balance.
Who was the chairperson of Mandal Commission? State any one recommendation made by him/her.
The chairperson was Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal. He recommended reserving 27 percent of seats in educational institutions and government.
List any two merits and two demerits of the Green Revolution.
Merits:
(i) The green revolution delivered agricultural growth with a rise in wheat production.
(ii) It raised the availability of food in the country.
Demerits:
(i) Some regions like Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh became agriculturally prosperous, while others remained backward.
(ii) It resulted in the rise of what is called the middle peasant sections.
In the given political map of India, four places have been marked as A, B, C, and D. Identify them with the help of information given below and write their correct names in the answer book, along with their serial numbers and the alphabets concerned.
(i) The State associated with Narmada Bachao Aandolan.
(ii) The State which merged with the Indian Union in 1975.
(iii) The State related to 'Operation Blue Star'.
(iv) The State whose one of the important leader was Lal Denga.
(i) Gujarat - C
(ii) Sikkim - A
(iii) Punjab - D
(iv) Mizoram - B
Name the popular movement which demanded that no forest exploiting contract should be given to any outsider?
The popular movement which demanded that no forest exploiting contract should be given to any outsider was ‘Chipko Movement’.
Mention any two issues of concern related to developmental projects such as Sardar Sarovar project.
Two issues of concern:
(i) Submergence of 245 villages due to the construction of dams.
(ii) Relocation and proper rehabilitation of the project-affected people.
Highlight any two recommendations of the Mandal Commission.
Recommendations of the Mandal Commission:
(i)Land reforms to improve the conditions of the OBCs.
(ii)Reservation for OBCs in the Government jobs and the educational institution.
Where and when was the organization ‘Dalit Panthers’ formed? Describe any three of its activities.
Dalit Panthers, a militant organization was formed in Maharashtra in 1972.
Activities of Dalit Panthers:
(i) Dalit writers protested against the brutalities of the caste system in their numerous autobiographies and other literary works.
(ii) These works portraying the life experiences made literature more broad based and representative of different social sections and initiated contestations in cultural realm.
(iii) In the post-Emergency period, Dalit Panthers got involved in electoral compromises; it also underwent many splits.
What was the Anti-Arrack Movement?
A spontaneous mobilisation of women demanding a ban on the sale of alcohol.
What were the fears of tribal population of Orissa and environmentalist about setting up industries in the tribal districts?
The fears were:
(i) The tribal population fears that the setting up of industries would mean displacement from their home and livelihood.
(ii) The environmentalists fear that mining and industry would pollute the environment.
List any four activities conducted by Bharatiya Kisan Union to pressurize the state for accepting its demands.
The activities were:
(i) Rallies
(ii) Demonstrations
(iii) Sits-ins
(iv) Jail bharo agitations
Which groups are mobilized by popular movements? What are the method used by this movements?
The groups mobilised by popular movements are poor, socially and economically disadvantaged sections of the society from marginal social groups.
The method used by this movements are strikes, sit-ins and rallies.
What was the main objective of Dalit Panthers?
The objective was to destroy the caste system.
It is not enough to have representative form of democracy. It is necessary to participate in popular movements to make democracy a success. ‘Do you agree with this View? Why?
Yes, I agree. The reasons are-
(i) They represent new social groups whose economic and social grievances were not redressed in the realm of electoral politics.
(ii) These movements raise issues related to some underlying social conflicts.
(iii) Popular movements ensured effective representation of diverse groups and their demands.
(iv) The frequency and the methods used by the movements suggest that the routine functioning of democracy did have enough space for the voices of these social groups.
What is meant by Chipko Movement? When did it start and where? What is the Significance of this movement in the conservation of the environment?
OR
‘Towards the end of the 1980s, five major changes took place in Indian political system.’ In the light of this statement, examine any three changes.
Chipko movement was a protest movement which used a novel tactic of hugging the trees to prevent them from being cut down.
It started in early 1973 in Uttarakhand.
The movement achieved a victory when the goverment issued a ban on felling of trees in the Himalayan regions for fifteen years, until the green cover was fully restored.
OR
The major changes took place in Indian political system are:
(i) Rise of Mandal Issue-The Mandal Issue started with the National Front Government’s decision to implement the recommendation of Mandal Commission that jobs in the Central government should be reserved for OBCs.This led to violent anti Mandal protests in different parts of the county.
(ii) New Economic Policy-This is known as the initiation of the structural adjustment programmes. Started by Rajiv Gandhi, these changes first become visible in 1991 and radically changed the direction that the Indian economy had pursued since independence.
(iii) Demolition of Babri Masjid or Ayodhya dispute-Ayodhya dispute started with the demolition of the disputed structure of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in December 1992. This event symbolised and triggered various changes in politics of the country and intensified debate about the nature of Indian nationalism and secularism.
Assess any two positive aspects of the Chipko Movement.
Positive Aspects of Chipko Movement:
(i) Issues of ecological and economic exploitation were raised and the movement took up economic issues of landless forest workers and asked for guarantees of minimum wages.
(ii) The movement achieved a victory when the government issued a ban on felling of trees in the Himalayan regions for fifteen years until the green cover was fully restored.
Suppose you are an important leader of the Farmers‟ agitation. The government authorities ask you to present any three demands on behalf of the farmers. On priority basis, which three demands will you make? Support your demands with appropriate arguments.
(This depends on perceptions of the leader.)
These demands can be:
(i) Free electricity for agriculture
(ii) Minimum Support Price for the agricultural produce should be enhanced.
(iii) Agricultural insurance for all the farmers.
(iv) No ban on movement of agricultural products from one state to other states.
OR
This can be both yes and no. If yes:
(i) People have given absolute majority to a national party B.J.P.
(ii) People were fed up with the previous experience of coalition governments led by scam ridden Congress.
(iii) Regional parties like NC, B.S.P, DMK have been punished by voters by not giving a single seat.
If no:
(i) Regional parties still have relevance and they are ruling in different states.
(ii) The present government still depends and needs the support of different regional parties to get the bills passed in the Parliament.
(iii) At present, the Congress party is trying to unite the opposition parties and regional parties against the ruling party with the purpose to regain power.
Which one of the two is more essential – construction of mega dams or an environmental movement that opposes it and why ?
Construction of dams is essential for development in various spheres.
Describe any six factors which made the farmers’ movement run by Bharatiya Kisan Union as the most successful popular movement.
OR
Which three lessons do we learn from regional aspirations and their accommodation as an integral part of democratic politics ? Describe.
The factors:
i. Kisan Andolan led by BKU was one of the most disciplined agitation.
ii. BKU used traditional Caste Panchayats to bring them together on economic issues.
iii. BKU use clan networks for generating funds and resources.
iv. The demands raised by BKU were very dear to farmers and were readily accepted by the farmers.
v. BKU kept itself a political and worked as a pressure group.
vi. BKU used the pressure tactics and showed the strength and power of the farmers.
OR
Regional aspirations are very important part of democratic politics and expression of regional issues is a normal phenomenon.
i. Democratic negotiations are the best way to resolve the regional issues. Regional matters can be resolved by power sharing within constitutional framework.
ii. Regional balance and economic development decrease the feeling of regional discrimination. Therefore the problem of backwardness of regions should be addressed at a priority.
iii. Constitutional provisions already incorporated in resolving regional issues. As the sixth schedule of the constitution allows different tribes complete autonomy of preserving their practices and customary laws. Federalism should be given respect in true sense.
Why should popular moments not be discouraged?
It ensured a better representation of the demands of diverse social sections in party politics.
How far do movements and protests in a country strengthen democracy?
(i) These movements raise issues related to some underlying social conflicts.
(ii) Popular movements ensured effective representation of diverse groups and their demands.
(iii) Popular movements suggest new forms of active participation and broaden the idea of participation in democracy.
(iv) The movements make people aware of their rights and the expections that they can have from democratic instutions.
Give any three suitable arguments in favour of “India being a staunch supporter of the decolonization process and in firm opposition to racialism”.
(i) Under the leadership of Nehru India convened the Asian Relation Conference in
March 1947. India was a staunch supporter of the decolonization process and firmly opposed racism especially apartheid in South Africa.
(ii) India made earnest efforts for the early realization of an international conference in 1949 to support its freedom struggle.
(iii)The Afro – Asian Conference held in the Indonesian city of Bandung in 1955, commonly known as Bandung Conference, marked the zenith of India’s engagement with newly independent Asian and African nations. The Bandung Conference later led to the establishment of the NAM.
Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Movements are not only about collective assertions or only about rallies
and protests. They involve a gradual process of coming together or people with similar problemssimilar demands and similar expectations that they can have from democratic institutions. Social movements in India have been involved in these educative tasks for a long time and have thus contributed to expansion of democracy rather than causing disruptions.
(i) Mention any one right granted to the people of India as a result of any movement.
(ii) How far do you agree that social movements have contributed to the expansion democracy rather than causing disruptions?
(iii) What is relationship between the movements and the democratize
institutions?
(i) Right of Information or Right to Rehabilitalisation.
(ii) Social movements bring together people with similar demands and
expectations. They make them aware of their rights, hence contribute to
democracy.
(iii) Every democratic institutions has certain functions to perform. It is through the movements that the aspirations of the people come to the forefront and are given priority. Hence there is a deep relationship between movements and democratic institutions.
How did the farmers associated with Bharatiya Kisan Union differ from the
most other farmers in India?
(i) Farmers related to BKU grew cash crops for the market while other farmers in India engaged in subsistence agriculture.
(ii) They were from prosperous community and belonged to the same region, but other farmers were not so.
What is Human Rights Watch? Describe its main contribution to the field of Human Rights.
Human Rights Watch is an international NGO involved in research and
advocacy on human rights.
Its contributions :-
(i) It draws the global media’s attention to human rights abuses.
(ii) It helped in building international coalitions.
(iii) It made efforts to stop the use of child soldiers.
(iv) It established the International Criminal court .
Who were Dalit Panthers? Describe their main activities.
Dalit Panthers were a militant organization of the Dalit Youth which was formed in Maharashtra in 1972.
Main Activities of Dalit Panthers.
(i) Their activities always centered around fighting against atrocities on
Dalits.
(ii) Their main agenda was to destroy the caste-system.
(iii) To build an All India Organization of all the oppressed section.
(iv) It provided a platform for the Dalit educated youth to use their
creativity as a protest activity.
(v) Dalit writers protested against the brutalities of the caste system.
(vi) Dalit Panthers got involved in electoral compromises to strengthen
their position.
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