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Social Movements in India: A Comprehensive Overview

Chapter 8 discusses social movements in India, highlighting the Women's Movement and Tribal Movements, emphasizing the participation of women from various backgrounds and the struggles of tribal communities for identity and rights. It distinguishes between old social movements, which were class-based and politically organized, and new social movements that address broader issues like environmental concerns and quality of life. The chapter also explores specific movements like the Chipko movement, illustrating the intersection of ecological, economic, and identity issues.

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13 views3 pages

Social Movements in India: A Comprehensive Overview

Chapter 8 discusses social movements in India, highlighting the Women's Movement and Tribal Movements, emphasizing the participation of women from various backgrounds and the struggles of tribal communities for identity and rights. It distinguishes between old social movements, which were class-based and politically organized, and new social movements that address broader issues like environmental concerns and quality of life. The chapter also explores specific movements like the Chipko movement, illustrating the intersection of ecological, economic, and identity issues.

Uploaded by

snowjamsam
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 8 Social Movements

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED


[Link] short notes on:
Ans. (i) Women’s Movement: Early 20th Century saw the growth of women’s
organisations
such as ‘Women’s India Association (WLA) (1917)’ All India Women’s Conference
(AIWC) (1926), ‘National Council for Women in India (NEWI) (1925)’. While many of
them began with a limited focus, their scope extended overtime.
It is often assumed that only middle class educated women were involved in social
movements.
But part of the struggle is to remember the forgotten history of women’s participation.
Women participated alongwith men in struggles and revolt originated in tribal and rural
areas in colonial period. Thus, not only urban women but also rural and tribal women
participated in political agitations struggles, gradually empowering themselves. The mid
1970s saw the second phase of Indian women’s movement. There was growth of
autonomous women’s movement, i.e., < They were independent from political parties as
well as women’s organisations that had links with political parties.
Educated women took radical active politics. Simultaneously promoted an analysis of
women’s movement. New issues were now being focused upon such as violence
against women, application for schools forms had both father’s and mother’s name:
legal changes such as land rights, employment, rights against sexual harassment and
dowry. Mathura rape case (1978), Maya Tyagi rape case (1980) Both were custodial
rape.
Hence, it was also recognised that in women’s movements, there is bound to be
disparity because women belong to different classes and thus their needs and concerns
are bound to be different.
(ii) Tribal Movements: Most of the tribal movements have been largely located in the
so called “tribal belt” in middle India, such as the Santhals, Hos Oraons, Mundas in
Chota Nagpur and the Santhal Parganas.
The social movement of Jharkhand had a charismatic leader in Birsa Munda, an adivasi
who led a major uprising against the British.
His memory has still been kept alive has continued to be a source of inspiration for
generation.
An educated middle class among the tribals was created by the Western education
given by Christian missionaries. This education class developed the ethnic
consciousness – awareness of their identity culture and customs. A sense of
marginalisation brought together the tribal population of South Bihar. They identified
their common enemies – dikus—migrant traders, money lenders. The adivasis in senior
government jobs provided organisational intellectual leadership to the movement and
negotiated and labbied for the creation of their own state on the following issues—
acquisition of land for large irrigation projects; survey and settlement operations, which
were held up, camps closed, etc; collection of loans, rent and cooperative dues;
nationalisation of forest produce.
As far as the NE tribes were concerned, main issue taken up were – ascertain distinct
tribal identity of the region; demanding of the traditional autonomy of tribes;
misunderstanding & lack of communication in Indian mainstream society which needs to
be bridged;
•Rights of the tribes to maintain their own social cultural institutions along with a
connection with the rest of the India;
•Anger oFtribes because of the loss of their forest lands.
Thus, tribal movements are good examples of social movements, which incorporates
many issues – economic, cultural, ecological.
Earlier many tribal regions of NE, showed tendencies of separating from India but today
they have adopted a balanced approach of asking for autonomy with the framework of
Indian institution.

[Link] India, it is difficult to make a .clear distinction between the old and new social
movements. Discuss.
Ans. Old Social Movements
•Class based – united to fight for rights.
•Anti-colonial movements.
• Nationalist movement united people into national e.g., liberation struggle.
•Movement against colonialism.
•Nationalist movement mobilied against rule of foreign power and dominance of foreign
capital.
•Mainly concerned with struggles between haves and havenots. Key issue is
reorganisation of power relations, i.e. capturing power & transferring it from powerful to
powerless, e.g. Workers were mobilised towards capitalists; Women’s struggle against
male domination.
•Worked under guidance & organisational framework of political parties, eg. Indian
National Congress led the Indian National movement; Communist Party of China led the
Chinese Revolution.
•Role of political parties was central and poor people had no other effective means to
get their voices heard.
•Concerned about social inequality and unequal distribution of resources -important
elements.
New Social Movements
•Decades after Second World War- 1960s and early 1970s
•Take up not just narrow class issues but broad, universal themes, which involved a
broad social group irrespective of their class.
•Vietnam were forces led by US bloody conflict.
•Paris – Vibrant student’s movement joined worker’s parties in a series of strikes
protesting against the war.
•USA was experiencing a sure of social protests. Civil rights movement was led by
Martin Luther King.
•Black powers movement led by Malcolm X.
•Women’s movement, environmental movement.
•No longer focus on redistribution of power rather are more concerned with improving
the quality of life. eg. Right to education, clean environment.
•No longer confine themselves within political parties. Instead started joining civil society
movements and forming NGOs because they are supposed to be more efficient, less
corrupt and less autocratic
•Globalization – reshaping people’s lines, culture, media Firms – transnational. Legal
arrangements – international.
Therefore, many new social movements are international in scope.
•Essential elements – Identity politics, cultural anxieties and aspirations.

[Link] movements often also contain economic and identity issues.


Discuss.
Ans. The Chipko movement is a suitable example of an ecological or environmental
movements. It is an appropriate example of intermingled interests and ideologies.
Ramchandra Guha says in his book Unquiet Woods that villagers came together to
save the oak and rhododendron forests near their villages. The government forest
contractors came to fell the trees but the villagers, including large number of women,
came forward to hug the trees to check their being felled. The villagers relied on the
forest to get firewood, fodder and other daily requirements. It was a conflict between
livelihood needs of poor villagers and government’s desire to make revenue from selling
timber.
Chipko movement raised the issue of ecological sustainability. Felling down natural
forests was a form of environmental destruction which resulted in demonstrating floods
and landslides in the area. Therefore, concerns about economy, ecology and political
representation underlay the Chipko movement.
[Link] between Feasant and New Farmer’s Movements.
Ans. (i) Peasant movements have taken place from pre-colonial days. The movement
took place between 1858 and 1914 remained localised, disjointed and confined to
particular grievances. The well known movement are:
•Bengal Revolt of 1859 – 62 against the indigo plantation system.
•Deccan Riots of 1857 against money lenders.
•The Bardoli Satyagraha – 1928 was a non tax campaign started by Gandhi.
•Champaran Satyagraha 1917-18. It was directed against indigo plantations.
•Tebhaga movement (1946-47)
•Telangana movement (1946-51)
(ii) New farmer’s movement started in 1970s in Punjab and Tamil Nadu. Main
Characteristics:
•Movements were regionally organised.
•Movements were non-party.
•Movements involved farmers rather than peasants.
•Main ideology- Strongly anti-state and anti-urban
•Focus of demand – Price related issues.

Common questions

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The tribal movements in India have maintained their distinct cultural identity by advocating for issues central to their culture and livelihood, such as land acquisition, forest rights, and autonomy. The implementation of Western education among tribes, predominantly facilitated by Christian missionaries, cultivated an educated middle class that fostered ethnic consciousness and cultural awareness. This aided in addressing grievances like marginalization and loss of forest lands, while maintaining a dialogue for autonomy within the framework of Indian institutions .

Identity politics played a central role in the evolution of new social movements post-1960s by focusing on issues related to cultural identity, representation, and socio-political inclusion. Unlike old movements focused mainly on class struggles, new movements intertwined with identity politics sought to improve individuals' quality of life, address cultural anxieties, promote civil rights, and recognize diverse identities within societal structures, often organizing independently of traditional political parties and advocating for issues at a global level .

The education provided by Christian missionaries contributed to tribal movements by creating an educated middle class among the tribes that developed an ethnic consciousness and awareness of their identity, culture, and customs. This educated class played a crucial role in organizing, leading, and negotiating the demands of the tribal movements, such as the preservation of cultural identity, land rights, and autonomy within the Indian state .

Tribal movements face challenges in maintaining their social and cultural institutions due to the pressures of integration with broader Indian society, which include potential loss of cultural autonomy and identity. These challenges are compounded by economic factors like land displacement and resource exploitation, as well as societal pressures to conform to mainstream cultural norms. The need to balance autonomy with integration requires navigating complex relationships with state institutions while advocating for rights to cultural preservation and economic self-sufficiency .

The early 20th-century women's movements in India, represented by organizations like the Women's India Association and the All India Women's Conference, initially had a limited focus, predominantly involving middle-class, educated women. They gradually extended their scope to include wider political agitations and struggles in both urban and rural areas. In contrast, the women's movements of the mid-1970s marked a shift towards autonomy from political parties, focusing on more radical politics and issues such as violence against women, legal changes concerning land rights, and employment and rights against sexual harassment .

Peasant movements in India, dating from pre-colonial times, were typically localized, disjointed, and focused on specific grievances like resistance against indigo plantations and moneylenders. In comparison, new farmer's movements beginning in the 1970s were regionally organized and non-party. They involved farmers—rather than peasants—and adopted a more systemic opposition to state policies and urban-centric policies, focusing on price-related issues. This represents a shift from localized grievances to broader, more organized challenges to policy and systemic inequities .

New social movements have transcended traditional political party activism by increasingly aligning with civil society organizations and forming NGOs, which are perceived as more efficient, less corrupt, and less autocratic. These movements focus on broader socio-cultural issues rather than solely power redistribution, engage in global causes like environmental protection, and seek to impact policy through advocacy, rather than direct political engagement. This shift has allowed such movements to address universal themes irrespective of class and national boundaries .

The shift from a power redistribution focus to an improvement of quality of life altered the goals of new social movements by expanding their agenda beyond economic equity and political representation to include issues like education, environmental sustainability, civil rights, and cultural recognition. This change meant that movements were less about seizing control from the powerful to empower the powerless, and more about broadening access to opportunities and improving living standards for various marginalized or underrepresented groups in society .

The shift from 'old' to 'new' social movements post-World War II reflects a broader shift in societal concerns from issues of class and anti-colonial struggle to more universal themes such as civil rights, identity politics, and ecological sustainability. While old movements were heavily centered on power redistribution and were guided by political parties, new movements diversified focus towards quality of life improvements, transcending political party boundaries, and often organizing through civil society movements or NGOs. These changes indicate a shift towards addressing cultural anxieties, aspirations, and identity politics, showing an evolution in societal priorities .

The Chipko movement exemplifies the integration of ecological, economic, and political concerns by focusing on the preservation of forest resources against commercial felling. It highlighted the villagers' economic reliance on the forest for daily needs, which conflicted with government objectives of revenue from timber sales. Moreover, it underscored the role of ecological sustainability as deforestation led to environmental degradation like floods and landslides. Politically, it mobilized local communities, particularly women, to assert their rights and articulate local ecological concerns against external economic interests .

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