NCERT Solution Class 10th Social Science Civics Chapter – 5 Popular Struggles and Movements Notes

Green Belt Movement – The Green Belt Movement was the tree plantation movement in Kenya.

Issue specific movements – seek to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame.

Generic movements – seek to achieve a broad goal in the long term.​

Pressure groups – do not aim to directly control or share political power.

Political parties – directly control and share political power.​

Sectional interest groups – seek to promote the interest of a particular section.

Public interest groups – promotes collective rather than selective good.​

• The Green Belt Movement was the tree plantation movement in Kenya.
• ​30 million trees had been planted across Kenya.
• The leader of this movement was Wangari Maathai.
• The government officials and politicians did not show any response towards this movement.​

•  ​Organized a successful four-day general strike in the city.
• ​ Influenced the decision through direct participation in competitive politics. ​
• ​ Created parties and formed governments.
• ​ Formed pressure groups for the protest.

The autocratic decision of King Gyanendra in February 2005 resulted in protest by the political parties and people of Nepal. Political parties having diverse ideology joined together and defied the curfew. The leaders rejected the half ​​hearted concessions by the king, ultimately the king was compelled to concede all the three demands made by the protesters. Hence, this struggle of Nepalis known as the Second Movement for Democracy became source of inspiration to democrats all over the world.

​Popular struggles are a part of working democracy. ​

 Struggles are essential to save democracy. For example, Nepal’s struggle for restoration of democracy and Bolivia’s Water War.

 It is only in democracy that different individual groups can express their feelings. ​

The people do not agree with policies of the government, they can oppose it with all their might and constant popular struggle to achieve their goal.

 Democracy evolves through popular struggle.

Both these are instances of political conflict that led to popular struggles.

In both cases, the struggle involves mass mobilizations and public demonstration of mass support clinched the dispute. ​

Both instances involved the critical role of political organization.

​• By forming organization.
• ​By undertaking activities. ​
• By deciding to act together without forming organization.​

​​Their demands are 
• Restoration of Parliament. ​
• Power to all-party government.
• A new Constituent Assembly.​

​ Direct ways – Participation in competitive politics. This is done by creating parties, contesting election and forming governments.

 Indirect ways- They could do so by forming an organization and undertaking activities to promote citizens interest or view point through interest groups or pressure groups.

• Trade Unions
• Business associations
• Professional bodies–lawyers, doctors, teachers etc.

• They perform a meaningful role in countering the undue influence of other groups.
• They create awareness about the needs and concerns of their own society.
• Their principal concern is the betterment and well-being of their members not society in general.

Public interest groups are those that promote collective rather than selective interests.
Functions
• It aims to help groups other than their own members.
• They represent some common interest that needs to be defended.
• The members of the organization may not benefit from the cause that the organization represents. e.g., a group fighting against bonded labour  fights not for itself but for those who are suffering under such bondage.

Pressure groups – are organizations that attempt to influence government policies. These organizations are formed when people with common occupation, interest, aspirations or opinions come together in order to achieve a common objective.​

(1) Social/Identity Group-have a special identity

• Community based-Ram Krishna Mission. ​​
• Sectional-Vishva Hindu Parishad.

• Business group-FICCI
• Trade Union-INTUC, CITU ​​
• Farmers and peasants.

Features of Sectional Interest Groups

• ​Interest groups seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society.
• Trade unions, business associations, professional etc. are the examples.
• ​ They are sectional because they represent a section of society. ​
• Their principal concern is the betterment and well-being of their members, not society in  general.

Interest groups or pressure groups are organizations that attempt to influence government policies. They do not aim to directly share political power. These are formed when people with common occupation, interest, aspirations or opinions come together for common objective.

Features of promotional groups are
• They promote collective rather than selective good.
• They aim to help groups other than their own members.

The main objective of movement groups is to influence politics without directly taking part in electoral competitions and achieving the desired goals.

Most of the movement groups are issue-specific movements that seek to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame. Others are more general or generic movements that seek to achieve a broad goal.

The struggle in Nepal was called a movement for democracy or the Narmada Bachao Andolan is an example of one such movement group.

These movements try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activities by carrying out information campaigns, organizing meetings, filing petitions, etc.