Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Notes Chapter 5 Civics (original) (raw)
Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025
**Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Notes explores the concept of popular struggles and movements and their role in shaping democracy. It discusses how pressure groups and movements influence politics in an indirect way by raising public awareness, mobilizing public opinion, and putting pressure on the government to take action. **Political Science Class 10 Civics Chapter 5 Notes cover the different types of pressure groups and movements, their objectives, and the strategies they employ to achieve their goals. It also discusses the impact of popular struggles and movements on the functioning of democracy and the challenges they face.
Overall, **Civics Chapter 5 Class 10 Notes provides an understanding of the importance of popular struggles and movements in strengthening democracy and promoting social change. The Popular Struggles and Movements notes cover all the necessary topics that are extremely important for the board examination 2023-24. It can save you time and will positively affect your result.
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Popular Struggles and Movements
**Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Notes Chapter 5 Civics
Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Notes cover the following topics, each of which is explained in detail with all relevant information based on the latest NCERT Curriculum:
Popular Struggles in Nepal and Bolivia
In the first chapter of Class 9 Political Science, we studied the story of the triumph of democracy in Poland. This reminds us of how the people played a role in making Poland, a democracy. Now we will see two more stories of the exercise of power in a democracy.
**Movement for Democracy in Nepal
In April 2006, Nepal saw the rise of a popular movement, which focused on regaining popular control over the government from the king. A **Seven Party Alliance (SPA) consisting of all the political parties in the Parliament was established & a four-day strike was declared in Kathmandu. The following demands were raised:
- Restoration of parliament
- Power to an all-party government
- New constituent assembly
The king was forced to accept all three demands on 24 April 2006. With the kingship being abolished **in 2008, Nepal became a federal democratic republic. In 2015, Nepal adopted a new constitution. Across the world, the Nepali people's struggle is a source of inspiration to democrats.
Democratic Politics Bolivia’s Water War
Bolivia is a poor Latin American country. Some important background to Bolivia is as follows:
- The government was coerced by the World Bank to give up its control of the municipal water supply.
- These rights of Cochabamba, a city in Bolivia were sold to a multi-national company (MNC).
- Then, the water price was immediately increased by four times by the company.
This led to the emergence of a popular protest. - FEDECOR _(‘Feracion Departamental Cochabambina de Regantes’) - a new alliance of labour, human rights & community leaders in January 2000, held a four-day strike in the city which was successful.
- The government despite agreeing to negotiate, however, did not bring any changes after the strike ended.
- In February 2000, again protests were held, in which brutal methods were used by the police to control it.
- Followed by another strike in April 2000, and martial law was imposed by the government.
- But the people did not give up & eventually the company had to flee the city & all demands were finally accepted by the government. This movement came to be known as 'Bolivia's Water War'.
Through the above-mentioned stories of Nepal & Bolivia, we see the importance of struggles that lead to the efficient working of a democracy.
Democracy & Popular Struggles
Both the stories of Nepal & Bolivia were quite different from each other. The movement in Nepal aimed at establishing democracy, while the struggle in Bolivia involved claims of an elected, democratic government. These struggles had an effect at various levels. In spite of these differences, in both instances, we see the critical role played by political organizations.
Below mentioned points, demonstrate how democracy has evolved all over the world:
- **Evolution of democracy through popular struggles.
- Resolving a democratic conflict through **mass mobilization. There are instances, where conflict is resolved by using the existing institutions like the parliament or the judiciary.
- The conflicts & mobilizations are based on **new political organizations, which consist of political parties, pressure groups & movement groups.
**Read More: Popular Struggles in Nepal and Bolivia
**Mobilisation and Organisations
In a democracy, various organizations work behind a big struggle.
**Role of these organizations
**Direct participation in competitive politics is done by forming parties, contesting elections & establishing governments. However, every citizen does not participate directly, only through voting.
Some indirect ways are also present in which people get the governments to listen to their demands or their views. This can be done by forming an organization & undertaking activities that promote the interests of people's viewpoints. Such groups which are formed are called **“interest groups or pressure groups”.
**Read More: Organizational Mobilization
**Pressure Groups and Movements
People have a common occupation, and share the same interests, aspirations, or opinions when come together to achieve a common goal & form organizations, it is known as **Pressure Groups. These organizations aim to influence government policies.
A **Movement, on the other hand, aims to influence politics rather than directly taking part in electoral competition. Just like a small organization a movement is dependent on the spontaneous mass participation of people. Example: Narmada Bachao Andolan, Women's Movement, Anti-liquor Movement.
Examples are Narmada Bachao Andolan, Movement for Right to Information, the Anti-Liquor movement, the environmental movement, and so forth.
Sectional Interest Groups and Public Interest Groups:
| Sectional Interest Groups | Public Interest Group |
|---|---|
| The Sectional Interest groups promote the interests of a particular group of society. | The aim of the Public Interest Group is to help groupsother than their own members. |
| They represent only a section of the society like tradeunions, business associations, and professionals likelawyers, doctors, teachers, etc. | They are also known as promotional groups. |
| The main principle concern is the betterment as well asthe well-being of their members, not society in general. | They aim at helping groups other than their own members. |
| Members of the organization may not benefit from thecause that the organization tends to represent.Example: Bolivian organization, FEDECOR. | In some instances, the members of a public interest groupmay undertake activity that benefits them as well as others.Example: BAMCEF. |
**Also, at one given point a person can be a member of only one political party but a member of several pressure groups.
How do Pressure Groups and Movements influence politics?
Pressure groups exert pressure on politics in the following ways:
- By trying to gain public support & sympathy for their goals & activities through meetings, information campaigns & filing petitions, etc.
- Organizing protest activities like strikes or disruption of government programs.
- In certain cases, people being a part of a pressure group or a movement group also participate in official bodies & committees that advise the government.
**Relationship between political parties & pressure groups
Let's have a look at some of the direct & indirect ways in which it can be seen:-
- At times, thepressure groups are formed or led by leaders of political parties or they simply act as an extended arm of a political party. Example:- Most trade unions & student organizations in India are either formed by or linked to some political parties.
- Also, it has been seen that at times, movements lead to the formation of a political party.
Example:- The _Asom Gana Parishad came into being, after the Assam movement in which the students were against the ‘foreigners’. - The relationship between parties & interest or movement groups is not always so direct. In such cases, dialogue & negotiation takes place as it is seen that many of the new leaders of a political party may be from some interest or movement group.
Is Pressure Groups and Movements influence healthy?
- **Strengthening of democracy by pressure groups & movements.
- Governments can at times come under undue pressure from a small group of the rich & the powerful. Public interest groups & Movements essay a vital role in countering this undue influence & **keeping a check on the government by reminding them of the needs & concerns of ordinary citizens.
- **Sectional interest groups also play an essential role where various groups work actively, and no single group can achieve dominance over society. In this way, the government gets to hear about the wants of the different sections.