Class 10 sst NCERT NOTES AND SOLUTIONS Popular Struggle and Movement class 10

Popular Struggle and Movement class 10

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.
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 well being of their members, not 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-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 to 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 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.

Influence on 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.

Critical Analysis of Influence of Pressure Groups:

• Many arguments are forwarded against pressure groups. Many thinkers say that since a pressure group champions the cause of a small section of society; so it should be viewed with caution. Democracy is not about narrow interests of a particular section but a larger interest of the overall society. Unlike political parties, a pressure group is not answerable to the people and hence they may not have a broader perspective in mind. 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.
• Many people argue in favour of pressure groups. They say that putting pressure on the government is always positive for the deepening of democracy. The political parties often tend to forget the real concerns of people; in their pursuit of power. The role of pressure group is to awaken them from their slumber.
• It can be said that pressure groups play the balancing role among various political ideologies and usually highlight the real concerns of people.

Answer the following questions:

• In what ways do pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics?
  Answer: Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics in following ways:
• By gaining public support and sympathy for their cause
• By staging protest activities to pressurize the government
• By making lobbies
• Describe the forms of relationship between pressure groups and political parties?
  Answer: Generally, there is no direct relationship between pressure groups and political parties. They usually take positions which are opposite to each other. But dialogue and negotiations do exist between them. Many new leaders of the political parties come from a pressure group.
• Explain how the activities of pressure groups are useful in the functioning of a democratic government.
  Answer: The activities or pressure groups are useful in deepening the democracy. They help in raising the voice of ordinary citizens against powerful lobbyists from the business. Their actions and tactics may seem to be disruptive but they create a balance between the powerful ruling and business classes and the powerless common man.
• What is a pressure group? Give a few examples.
  Answer: Organizations which influence the policies of the government are pressure groups. A pressure group is different to a political party because it is not directly answerable to the people. Moreover, the pressure group does not control or stake a share in political power. Narmada Bachao Andolan, Trade Unions, Lawyers’ Association, etc. are examples of pressure groups
• What is the difference between a pressure group and a political party?
  Answer: A political party is directly answerable to the people, while a pressure group is not. A political party either controls power or stakes a claim in power, while a pressure group does not do so.
• Organisations that undertake activities to promote the interests of specific social sections such as workers, employees, teachers, and lawyers are called _____________________ groups.
  Answer: Sectional Interest Groups
• Match List I (organisations and struggles) with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
  Answer: