Popular Struggles & Movements: 10 Civics

Popular Struggles & Movements: Page [IV]

Question: “The struggle of Nepali people is a source of inspiration to democrats all over the world.” Explain.
OR
How did the struggle of the Nepali people become a source of inspiration for democrats all over the world? Explain.

Answer:

1. The story explain the role and power of people in restoring democracy.
2. The security force found themselves unable to take on more than a lakh people who gathered almost everyday to demand restoration of democracy, this shows the power of people.
3. Such kind of struggles were also launched by the people of other nations, for example people of Egypt came on to the streets against their ruler.
4. Event in India in the year 2013 lakhs of people assembled in Ram Lila Maidan Delhi against the corruption.

Question: ‘In a democracy, several different kinds of organisations work behind any big struggle’.

Answer:

1. In Nepal, call for indefinite strike was give by the SPA or the Seven Party Alliance in Nepal. This alliance included the seven big parties that had some members in the Parliament.
2. The protest was joined by the Nepalese Communist Party (Maoist) which did not believe in parliamentary democracy.
3. The struggle involved many organisations other than political parties. All the major labour unions and their federations joined this movement. Many other organisations like the organisation of the indigenous people, teachers, lawyers and human rights groups extended support to the movement.
4. The protest against water privatization in Bolivia was not led by any political party. It was led by an organisation called the FEDECOR. This organisation comprised the local professionals, including engineers and environment and environmentalists. They were supported by a federation of farmers who relied on irrigation, the confederation of factory workers’s unions middle-class students from the University of Cochabamba and the city’s growing population of homeless street children. The movement was supported by the Socialist Party. In 2006, this party came to the power in Bolvia.

Question: List any four features of a movement.

Answer:

1. A movement has a life cycle i.e., it emerges, achieves successes or failures and declines.
2. A movement attempts to influence politics rather than directly takes part in electoral competition.
3. Movements have a loose organisation.
4. Their decision making is more informal and flexible.
5. They depend much more on spontaneous mass participation than an interest group.

Question: Mention any four feature of promotional groups or public interest groups.

Answer:

1. They take up issues relating to common people.
2. The members of the organisation may not benefit from the issue.
3. They promote collective good.
4. They fight for social justice and social equality.

Question: Distinguish between issue-specific movements and long-term movements.

Answer:

1. Issue specific movement: They seek to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame e.g. The Nepalese movement was with a specific objective to reverse the king’s order’s. In India Narmada Andolan was with a specific issue to stop the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river.
2. Long-term movements: Long-term movements seek to achieve a broad goal in the very long term. The active life of long-term movements is very long. Environmental Movement is a long-term movement.

Question: Explain any three common features of the popular struggles in Nepal and Bolivia.
Or
Which three conclusions can be drawn out from the Movement of Nepal and the struggle of Bolivia?

Answer: Some important conclusions can be drawn out from the movement of Nepal and the struggle of Bolivia.
The struggle in Bolivia was against one specific policy and the struggle in Nepal was about the foundations of the country’s politics. Both these struggles were successful but their impact was at different levels.

Instead of the differences;they both share some common elements which are significant for the study of the past and future of democracies. We can draw a few conclusions from these struggles

1. Democracy evolves through popular struggles. Sometimes it is possible that an important decision may take place through consensus (general agreement) and it does not involve any controversy. But moments of democracy usually involve conflict between the groups who have exercised power and those who want a share in power. These moments come when the country is passing through a transition period, i.e. transition to democracy from monarchical system.
2. Democratic conflict is resolved through mass mobilization. Generally, conflict can be resolved by the Parliament or Judiciary. But when there is deep dispute, the resolution has to come from the people.
3. Democratic conflicts and mobilization are based on new political organisations. The spontaneous public participation becomes effective with the help of organised politics. Organised politics has many agencies like political parties, pressure groups and movement groups.

Question: Write a brief note on the Narmada Bachao Movement.

Answer: Narmada Bachao Andolan in India was a Issue specific movement. The specific issue of this movement was the displacement of the people by the creation of Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river.

Its objective was to stop the dam from being constructed. It gradually became a wider movement that Questioned all such big dams and the model of development that required such dams.

Question: What are movement groups? Explain with the help of examples.

Answer: The groups which try to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame or a broad goal in the very long-term are known as movement groups.

1. The Nepalese Movement for democracy arose with the specific objective of reversing the king’s orders that led to the suspension of democracy.
2. In India, the Narmada Bachao Andolan in India was a Issue specific movement. The specific issue of this movement was the displacement of the people by the creation of Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river.
   Its objective was to stop the dam from being constructed. It gradually became a wider movement that Questioned all such big dams and the model of development that required such dams.
3. The Environmental Movement and the Women’s Movement are classic examples of movement with long -term objectives. There is no one organisation that controls or guides such movements. Environmental movement is a label large number of organisations and issue-specific movements. All of these have a separate organisation, independent leadership and often different views on policy-related matters. Yet all of these share a broad objective and have a similar approach. That is why they are called movements.