SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN INDIA
INTRODUCTION
A social movement is a mass movement and a collective attempt of people to bring about a change or to resist any change.
The concept central to any social movement is that people intervene in the
process of social change, rather than remaining mere spectators or passive
participants in the ebb and flow of life.
People seek to become proactive actors in altering
the course of history. In order to achieve their aim of making a difference to
the world they live in, they either initiate or become a part of collective
action. Individuals consciously act together with a sense of engagement in a
common enterprise.
Herbert Blumer said that Social movements can be
viewed as collective enterprises to establish a new order of life. They have
their inception in the condition of unrest, and derive their motive power on
one hand from dissatisfaction with the current form of life, and on the other
hand, from wishes and hopes for a new scheme or system of living.
THE
FIVE KEY FACTORS OF SOCIAL MOVEMENT ARE:
i. Any social movement involves a group or collectively,
comprising different units, segmented on the basis of personal, structural, or
ideological ties.
ii. The group includes individuals committed to the
cause, who use their pre-existing, significant social relationships to convince
others to join the movement.
iii. For any movement to become successful there
should be commitment to the movement. It also involves a separation, in a
significant way, from the established order. The efforts of others, or one’s
own experience bring forth a new set of values and induce changed patterns of
behavior in individuals.
iv. The result is the emergence of an ideology,
which codifies values and goals, and provides a conceptual framework by which
goals maybe interpreted. The ideology also motivates change, defines
opposition, and provides a basis for the unification of a segmented network of
groups.
v. Real or perceived opposition from a society at
large or from that segment of the established order, within which the movement
has arisen, is also an important aspect of any social movement. In fact, it is
this opposition that unifies the varying segments involved in a social
movement.
All social movements are collective actions, but all
collective actions need not necessarily be social movements. A social movement
may lead to, or transform itself into a revolution. A social movement may or
may not be a mobilization of people against the state or system of governance,
and may or may not involve violence.
Social movements generally mobilize members or
participants to seek redressal of a grievance, or to struggle for specific
goals and objectives. They often involve only a particular section of a
population and manifest themselves only in a part of society. Social movements
refer to a sustained and continuous collective action over a long period of
time. Social movements generally aim at and result in change.
SOME
OF THE FEATURES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
i. The sense of belonging and group consciousness is
very important for a social movement. Such consciousness can be brought about
through active participation of the group members.
ii. Social movements lead to the creation of an
entirely new social, economic, and political order.
iii. Most of the social movements tend to develop a
new set of ideas, which become obligatory for the members of the group to adopt
and follow.
iv. It is obvious that the social movements involve
collective action rather than individual action.
v. Social movements may be organized or unorganized.
vi. Social movements may be peaceful in nature or
they may also turn violent.
vii. The aim of a social movement is to bring about
or resist social change in the society.
viii. The life of the social movement is not
certain. This is because it may continue for a long period or it may die out
soon.
CAUSES
OF SOCIAL MOVEMENT:
According to Vidya Bhushan Sachdeva, social
movements do not just happen. It is social unrest which gives rise to a social
movement.
The social unrest may be caused by the following
factors:
i.
Cultural Drifts:
The society undergoes constant changes. The values
and behavior are changing all the time in civilized societies. In the course of
cultural drift, most people develop new ideas. To get these ideas operative in
the society they organize a movement.
The development of a democratic society, the
emancipation of women, the spread of mass education, the removal of
untouchability, the equality of opportunity for both the sexes, and the growth
of secularism are some examples of cultural drift.
ii.
Social Disorganization:
A changing society is, to some extent, disorganized because
changes in different parts of the society do not take place simultaneously. One
part changes more rapidly than the other, thereby producing numerous lags.
Industrialization has brought about urbanization which in turn has caused
numerous social problems.
Social disorganization brings confusion and
uncertainty, because the old traditions no longer form a dependable guide to
behavior, and individuals become rootless. They feel isolated from society. A
feeling develops that the community leaders are indifferent to their needs.
Individuals feel insecure, confused, and frustrated. Confusion and frustration
lead to social movements.
iii.
Social Injustice:
When a group of people feel that injustice was done
to them, they become frustrated and alienated. Such feeling of injustice
provides fertile soil for social movements. The feeling of social injustice is
not limited to the miserable poor. Any group, at any status level, may come to
feel itself the victim of social injustice.
The wealthy class may feel a sense of injustice when
faced with urban property ceiling law—or high taxes—intended to benefit the
poor. Social injustice is a subjective value judgment. A social system is
unjust when it is so perceived by its members. Thus, social movements occur whenever
such kind of social situation arises. In a stable and well-integrated society,
the chances for social movements are very rare.
It is understood that people living in such a
society are contented and satisfied. In a disorganized and continuously changing
society, social movements occur more frequently, as most people are
dissatisfied with the existing conditions. Lack of social justice also makes
people dissatisfied and paves the way for social movements. Modern society is
more afflicted with social movements than the earlier societies.
NINE
POWERFUL CITIZEN LED MOVEMENTS IN INDIA THAT CHANGED THE NATION
1.
Swadeshi
Movement – 1905: The movement which started during
India’s struggle for freedom focused on removing the British Empire from power
by becoming Swadesh i.e self sufficient. A lot of Indians came forward in
support of the movement and boycotted foreign goods. They burnt all the
imported clothes they had, boycotted British products and revived the
production of domestic commodities. It gave people the power to speak against
the authority and the courage to express their views.
2.
Satyagraha: Probably one of the most noted movements in Indian
history, Satyagraha brought thousands of people together in a peaceful way. The
non-violence movement started by Mahatma Gandhi to send the British back to
their country and leave India free of foreign rule did eventually taste
success.
3.
Save Silent Valley Movement – 1973: A social movement
aimed at the protection of Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the
Palakkad district of Kerala, started in 1973 brought many activists and people
together. The protest was focused on stopping the valley from being flooded by
a hydroelectric project. The controversy surrounding the valley still exists
and people are still waiting for the final result.
4.
Chipko Movement – 1973: Based on Gandhian principles, the
Chipko Movement or Chipko Andolan saw people protesting against deforestation
by hugging trees to stop them from being cut. Led by Chandni Prasad Bhatt and
Sunderlal Bahuguna, the protest started in the early 1970s when a group of
women opposed the cutting down of trees. Their actions spread like wildfire and
hundreds and thousands of people across India came out in support of the green
movement.
5.
Namantar Andolan – 1978: It was a Dalit movement to change
the name of Marathwada University in Aurangabad to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
University. This 16 year long movement was successful in 1994 when the
‘compromise’ name of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University was accepted.
The movement saw several protests which led to terrible consequences including
killings, molestation, burning of houses, etc of dalits.
6.
Jungle Bachao Andolan – 1980s: When the government
decided to replace the natural sal forest with highly valued teak, the tribals
of Bihar came out in strong numbers to protest against this decision. Having
started in Bihar, the movement spread to other states like Odisha and Jharkhand
too.
7.
Narmada Bachao Andolan – 1985: This protest, to
express the views against a large number of dams being contrasted near Narmada
river, brought a large number of adivasis, farmers, environmentalists, and
human rights activists together. The movement involved prominent celebrities
and people went on hunger strikes to show their support for the cause. The
decision is still pending, though the court initially ruled the decision in the
Andolan’s favor, thereby effecting an immediate stoppage of work at the dam and
directing the concerned states to first complete the rehabilitation and
replacement process. Later the court allowed the construction to proceed.
8.
Jan Lokpal Bill – Anti Corruption Movement by Anna Hazare – 2011:
When anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare began a hunger strike at Jantar
Mantar in New Delhi on April 5, 2011, the whole nation came together and stood
by him. The movement led to the resignation of Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar
from the group of ministers that had been charged with reviewing the draft Jan
Lokpal bill. The initiative brought together a huge number of people, making it
a one-of-its-kind event in decades. It was also one of those rare events that
demonstrated what is possible if the world’s largest democracy woke up to take
the reins in its hands. The movement was named among the “Top 10 News Stories
of 2011” by Time Magazine.
9.
Nirbhaya Movement – 2012: The 2012 Delhi Gang Rape saw one
of the most angry reactions from people who were very clear on expressing that
they have had enough. After the incident, thousands of people came out on
streets to protest in several parts of the country. The movement also created a
stir in social media where people changed their display picture to a black dot
and tens of thousands of people signed a petition protesting the incident.
Taking the movement into consideration, the government at the centre and
various states announced several steps to ensure the safety of women.
Conclusion:
Social Movements are the movements of the people to
protect their rights. Every society and culture needs to keep growing by
eradicating some unhelpful elements and imbibing progressive values and welfare
activities. Often the poor sections of the society are affected hugely in the
name of developmental projects. Therefore, many social movements are being
organised to curb the one-sided form of development. The aims and objectives of
the social movements are change, equity, social justice and protection of the
rights of the people.
ONLINE
MATERIALS:
Modal, Puja. Social
Movements in India: Meaning, Features and Other Details. Retrieved on May
14, 2019, from
9
Powerful Citizen Led Movements In India That Changed The Nation Forever!
Retrieved on May 14, 2019, from https://www.thebetterindia.com/18216/mahatma-gandhi-was-against-indian-railways-united-the-country/
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