Chapter – 7

Rise of Popular Movements

In this post we have given the detailed notes of class 12 Political Science Chapter 7 (Rise of Popular Movements) in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in class 12 board exams.

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Mass Movement

When people together do a movement for a problem or a demand is called a mass movement. There can be many reasons for doing a mass movement, such as poverty, unemployment or non-fulfilment of any demand of the people.

There are two main types of mass movement.

• Party-based mass movement

  • Movements which are started with the cooperation of any political party are called party-based mass movements, In other words the movements in which political parties are involved, called party based movements. Such as the Naxalbari movement

• Mass movement independent of parties

  • Those movements in which no political party is involved are called independent movements from political parties. Such movements are carried out by voluntary organizations, common people or students. For example : Dalit Panthers, Chipko Movement

Chipko movement (Environmental movement)

• Chipko movement started in 1973 in Uttarakhand
• The common people sought permission from the forest department to cut the trees so that they could make tools for farming, but the forest department did not allow the cutting of the trees.
• A few days later, a sports equipment company was given permission by the government to cut trees at the same place.
• Because of this people started opposing the felling of trees.
• People used to stand by clinging to the trees so that the trees could not be cut therefore it was called the Chipko Movement.

Main leader –  Sunderlal Bahuguna

Demands

• The people living there should have control over the natural resources like water, forest, land.
• The government should provide the necessary things to the small-scale industries at low cost.
• Development should be done without harming the environment of the area.
• Women raised their voice against alcoholism.

Result

• The government banned the cutting of trees in the himalayan region for the next 15 years.

Dalit Panthers

• In 1972, educated Dalit youth in Maharashtra formed an organization called Dalit panthers.
• They opposed the discrimination against Dalits.
• Their method of protest was different from other movements.
• By raising his voice in literature and on big platforms, they made people aware of the atrocities being committed on Dalits.
• Dalit youths also strongly opposed the atrocities.

Demands

• Opposing discrimination on the basis of caste
• Opposing injustice being done in terms of resources
• Asking to follow the law of reservation properly
• Bad treatment of Dalit women should be stopped
• Spread of education among Dalits  

Result

• In 1989, a strict law was made against the atrocities on Dalits.
• BAMCEF (Backward and Minority Communities Employees’ Federation) was formed after Dalit panthers

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)

• Bharatiya Kisan Union was an organization of farmers of Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
• In January 1988, the farmers of BKU staged a sit-in in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
• The main reason for this protest was the high prices of electricity.
• Chief leader – Mahendra Singh Tikait

Demands

• Reduce electricity tariffs
• To increase the government price of sugarcane and wheat
• Arranging pension for farmers

Properties

• Caste was used to assemble people.
• Can put pressure on the government because of the high numbers
• Got most of the demands fulfilled by the government

Seeing the success of this organization, farmer organizations from many other regions of the country (Ryotkari in Karnataka and Shaitkari Sangathan in Maharashtra) also made similar demands.

Anti Arrack Movement

This movement started from Dubarganta village of Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, later women from more than 5000 villages participated in this movement.

Problem

• Most of the men in Andhra Pradesh had got addicted to consuming Arrack (alcohol).
• Because of this the economy of the rural areas was getting worse.
• The debt on the families was increasing.
• Men did not go to work.
• Domestic violence was increasing.
• Women were facing the most problems.

Start of Movement

• Adult education program was run in the villages of Andhra Pradesh, in which the women of the village are taught.
• The women coming to the class complained about Arrack.
• This is where this movement started

Demands

• Initially, the women demanded to stop the sale of arrack in the villages.
• Later women also started discussing other issues. Like:-
  • Domestic violence
  • Sexual harassment
  • Dowry system etc.

The state government did not want to stop the sale of arrack as it was a high revenue source

Result

• The sale of arrack was banned in many villages.

Narmada Bachao Andolan

• In the early 1980s, proposals were made to build dams on the Narmada and tributaries located in central India (the Narmada river passes through Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra).
• In this plan 300 small, 135 medium and 30 big dams were to be built.
• It also included two large dams.
  • Gujarat Sardar          –          Sarovar Dam
  • Madhya Pradesh      –          Narmada Sagar Dam

Problem

• About 240 villages were in danger of being submerged.
• Displacement problem arose
• Displacement leads to destruction of cultures
• End of the livelihood of those who were displaced.
• Damage to the environment

Government’s view

• Construction of dams is essential for the development of the area.
• Power generation capacity, availability of drinking water and irrigation facilities will be developed in Gujarat and neighbouring states.
• Agricultural yield will increase.
• Disasters like drought will be prevented.

• From this the whole problem started because both the sides were right in their place and it was not possible to justify any one side completely.
• Questions arose on the way of development in the country.

Demand

• Expenditure of ongoing development projects in the country should be investigated.
• The people living there should be consulted on the development projects being made for the area.
• To see the negative impact of projects on livelihood, environment and culture
• Rehabilitation should be given to displaced people.

Result

• The judiciary asked the government to go ahead with the dam work and provide rehabilitation facilities to the displaced people.

National Fishworkers Forum

• India has a large fishermen population due to its vast maritime range.
• India comes second in the world in terms of number of fishermen.

Problem

• The main problem started when the government allowed the use of machines for fishing.
• This move from the government had a direct impact on the lives of fishermen.
• The number of fish was fixed, but now by machines many fishes could be caught at the same time and this was bound to affect the fishermen’s trade.
• All the fishermen together and formed NFF (National Fishworkers Fourm) and tried to reach the government.

Result

• Appealed against the decision of the central government in 1997 and got success.
• In 2002, went on strike against giving fishing licenses to foreign companies.

Right to Information (RTI)

• In 1990, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan demanded to show records of famine relief work and wages paid to laborers
• This was done because these people felt that the wages paid for the construction of government buildings such as schools, small dams, community buildings had been rigged.
• Under the pressure of the movement, the Rajasthan government amended the Rajasthan Panchayati raj act and made a new law.
• According to the new law, the public got the right to get a copy of the document.
• The MKSS took the movement forward and formed the national committee for right to information.
• The right to information bill was introduced in the parliament in 2004
• In June 2005, it received the assent of the president and became a law.
• Right to information
  • According to this law, any person can demand such information from any department which according to that department can be made public and it is the duty of the department to give that information to that person.

Lessons of Mass Movements

• Removed the shortcomings of party politics
• Bring out such problems which the government does not notice.
• Everyone gets a chance to have their say.
• Democracy gets stronger.
• Mass movement is not a problem but helpful in democracy.
• Increases awareness among people.

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