Rise of Popular Movements

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the significance of popular movements in shaping democratic processes.
2. Analyze the Chipko Movement and its broader ecological and social impacts.
3. Examine the differences between party-based and non-party-based movements.
4. Investigate the role of women in non-party movements, including the anti-arrack campaign.
5. Grasp the connections between developmental projects and displacement issues in India.

Chipko Movement and Environmental Awareness

The Chipko Movement in 1973 stands out as an example of environmental activism and resistance against commercial logging practices. The movement began in a few villages of Uttarakhand and expanded across the region, focusing on larger issues of ecological and economic exploitation.

The movement led to a change in how natural resources were viewed and managed. It highlighted the need for local communities to have control over their resources, like forests and water, rather than outsiders exploiting them for profit. This movement, despite being localized, was symbolic of other emerging movements during the 1970s and beyond.

Key Highlights of the Chipko Movement

1. Initial Cause: The refusal of the forest department to allow villagers to cut ash trees for agricultural tools while allotting the same patch to a sports manufacturer led to the villagers’ protest.
2. Spread and Demand: As the movement spread, it raised broader ecological concerns, demanding that locals have effective control over forests, land, and water.
3. Victory: The government issued a 15-year ban on felling trees in the Himalayas, symbolizing a significant victory for environmental conservation.
4. Women’s Role: Women played a key role, protesting against alcoholism and expanding the movement’s agenda to include social justice issues.
5. Larger Symbolism: Though it began with a single cause, the Chipko Movement became symbolic of various popular protests in the 1970s, influencing other ecological and social movements in India.

Note

The Chipko Movement’s success highlighted the importance of non-violent protest, linking ecological preservation with social justice, which set a precedent for future environmental activism.

Party-Based Movements

During India’s independence struggle, social and political movements were closely linked. Party-based movements evolved after independence, addressing socio-economic inequalities and worker exploitation.

Key Features of Party-Based Movements

1. Trade Unions: Most political parties created trade unions to mobilize workers in industrial cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. These unions fought for labor rights and minimum wages.
2. Peasant Movements: Farmers, especially in regions like Telangana, West Bengal, and Bihar, organized under the leadership of Communist parties. These movements, often linked to Naxalite movements, demanded land redistribution and economic justice.
3. Connection with Politics: While these movements did not formally participate in elections, they maintained close links with political parties, ensuring that workers’ and peasants’ demands were represented in party politics.

Emergence of Non-Party Movements

By the 1970s and 1980s, many groups became disillusioned with political parties. Non-party movements emerged as an alternative form of protest, focusing on specific issues outside party politics.

Key Features of Non-Party Movements

1. Disillusionment with Democracy: The failure of political experiments like the Janata government and the widening gap between economic growth and social inequality led to disillusionment with the traditional party system.
2. Marginalized Groups: Activists from various sectors, including students, organized marginalized sections such as Dalits and Adivasis, believing that party politics failed to represent their interests.
3. Voluntary Organizations: Many young activists started voluntary organizations, stepping outside the political party structure, hoping that direct citizen participation would address local issues more effectively.

Important Concept

The emergence of voluntary sector organizations marked a significant shift from traditional party politics, emphasizing grassroots-level action and local community involvement.

Dalit Panthers and Caste-Based Inequalities

The Dalit Panthers organization, established in 1972 in Maharashtra, focused on the systemic caste-based inequalities that Dalits faced, despite constitutional guarantees of equality. Inspired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision, the Dalit Panthers emphasized militant action to assert Dalit rights.

Key Activities of the Dalit Panthers

1. Fighting Atrocities: The Panthers led protests and actions against increasing atrocities on Dalits, resulting in the passage of comprehensive laws in 1989, ensuring stricter punishment for crimes against Dalits.
2. Wider Agenda: They aimed to build alliances with other oppressed sections like landless peasants and urban industrial workers, advocating for social justice across class and caste lines.
3. Cultural Impact: Dalit writers and poets used literature as a protest medium, providing a voice to the downtrodden and sparking debates in the broader literary and cultural arena.
4. Electoral Challenges: The Dalit Panthers’ involvement in politics faced challenges due to fragmentation and alliances with other political parties, leading to the decline of the movement by the 1990s.

The Anti-Arrack Movement: A Women-Led Protest

The Anti-Arrack Movement in Andhra Pradesh, which started in the early 1990s, was a spontaneous women-led protest against alcoholism. This movement connected social justice with grassroots activism, proving instrumental in addressing larger gender and social issues.

Key Aspects of the Anti-Arrack Movement

1. Origin: The movement began when women participating in an adult literacy program discussed the growing alcoholism among men, which led to economic hardship and domestic violence.
2. Expansion: The movement spread across 5,000 villages, with women forcing the closure of arrack shops and protesting government taxation policies that supported alcohol sales.
3. Nexus of Crime and Politics: The movement exposed the links between the alcohol trade, crime, and local politics, forcing the government to delay arrack auctions multiple times.
4. Social Issues: The movement provided a platform to address domestic violence, economic exploitation, and women’s role in rural governance.

Farmers’ Movements: The Rise of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) emerged in the 1980s to address the grievances of farmers in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The Green Revolution had benefited many farmers in these regions, but by the mid-1980s, the liberalization of the Indian economy threatened their livelihoods.

Key Activities of the BKU

1. Economic Demands: The BKU demanded higher floor prices for sugarcane and wheat, lower electricity rates, and the abolition of restrictions on the movement of agricultural produce between states.
2. Mass Mobilizations: The BKU organized large protests, including jail bharo agitations, attracting thousands of farmers. These protests pressured the government to address their demands.
3. Caste Linkages: The movement successfully used caste networks to mobilize support, even though it stayed away from formal political parties.
4. Partial Success: The BKU managed to secure some of its economic demands, making it one of the most successful farmers’ movements of the 1980s.

Narmada Bachao Andolan and the Issue of Displacement

The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) emerged as a resistance movement against the construction of large dams, particularly the Sardar Sarovar Project in the Narmada valley. The project, which promised development, also meant the displacement of thousands of villagers.

Key Aspects of the NBA

1. Opposition to Dams: The NBA opposed the construction of large dams, arguing that the social costs, including displacement and ecological destruction, outweighed the benefits.
2. Focus on Rehabilitation: Initially, the movement demanded the just rehabilitation of those displaced by the dam. However, over time, it shifted to a more radical position, calling for the complete halt of the dam’s construction.
3. Larger Debate on Development: The NBA raised important questions about the nature of development and who benefits from it. The movement demanded that local communities have a say in resource management decisions.
4. Legal and International Appeals: The NBA employed a variety of democratic strategies, including appealing to the Supreme Court and seeking international support, though the movement eventually faced setbacks in achieving its broader goals.

Note

The Narmada Bachao Andolan contributed significantly to the debate on development and displacement in India, even though it failed to stop the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Right to Information Movement

The Right to Information (RTI) movement, led by the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) in Rajasthan in the early 1990s, was a crucial movement that resulted in significant legal reforms, allowing citizens to access government records.

Key Elements of the RTI Movement

1. Initial Demands: Villagers demanded transparency in public works and the right to access bills, vouchers, and muster rolls to verify if government funds were misappropriated.
2. Public Hearings: The MKSS held public hearings where the administration was called to account for discrepancies in public funds.
3. Legal Reforms: The movement succeeded in passing amendments to the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act and ultimately led to the passing of the Right to Information Act in 2005, a significant milestone for citizen empowerment.

Conclusion:

The Impact of Popular Movements

Popular movements, both party-based and non-party-based, have played a critical role in shaping India’s democratic and social landscape. While party-based movements have historically addressed broader socio-economic issues, non-party movements have emerged as grassroots protests tackling specific local grievances. The inclusion of marginalized groups, the role of women in movements like the anti-arrack protests, and the continuous struggle for ecological balance and human rights show the diverse spectrum of popular movements in India.

MCQ
What was the primary focus of the Narmada Bachao Andolan?
(a) Employment generation
(b) Opposition to large dams
(c) Support for farmers’ rights
(d) Industrialization
Answer: (b) Opposition to large dams