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Class 10 Civics Chapter 5 Extra Questions and Answers Popular Struggles and Movements
Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Extra Questions and Answer Civics Chapter 5 Very Short Answers Type
Question 1.
Give one special feature that distinguishes a pressure group from a political party.
Answer:
One special feature that distinguishes a pressure group from a political party is that pressure groups do not seek to get into power, while political parties do.
Question 2.
With the help of an example each compare a single-issue movement and a long-term movement.
Answer:
- Single-issue movements are those which seek to achieve a single objective within a limited time period; for example, Narmada Bachao Andolan.
- Long term movements are those which seek to achieve a long goal in a very long term; for example, environmental movements.
Question 3.
Who dissolved the popularly elected parliament in February 2005 in Nepal?
Answer:
King Gyanendra, the new king of Nepal, dismissed the then Prime Minister and dissolved the popularly elected parliament in February 2005.
Question 4.
What was the main role of FEDECOR organisation in Bolivia?
Answer:
The main role of FEDECOR organisation involved claims over an elected government to protest against its policy of water privatisation.
Question 5.
What was the main aim of the popular movement of April 2006, in Nepal?
Answer:
The main aim of the popular movement of April 2006, in Nepal was to regain popular control over the government from the king in order to restore democracy in the country.
Question 6.
Who formed a Seven Party Alliance (SPA) in Nepal?
Answer:
All the major political parties in the parliament formed a Seven Party Alliance (SPA) in Nepal.
Question 7.
What was the main reason of Bolivia’s water war?
Answer:
The main reason of Bolivia’s water war was privatisation of water. The government in Bolivia sold the water rights to a private company which increased the price of water by four times. This added to the suffering of the poor people of the country. Finally, they started protests.
Question 8.
What was the first step that the SPA took after it restored parliament in Nepal?
Answer:
They passed laws taking away most of the powers of the king.
Question 9.
Who formed a new alliance in Bolivia in January 2000 and for what reason?
Answer:
In January 2000, a new alliance of labour, human rights and community leaders organised a four-day strike in Bolivia to protest against the privatisation of water.
Question 10.
How was the popular struggle in Nepal different from that of Bolivia? Give one point.
Answer:
The popular struggle in Nepal was about the foundations of the country’s policies, while the struggle in Bolivia was about one specific policy.
Question 11.
Which special feature distinguishes a movement from an interest group?
Answer:
Movements are usually issue-specific to achieve a single objective within a limited time period while interest groups seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society.
Question 12.
Why are sectional interest groups called so? What are their chief concern?
Answer:
Sectional interest groups are called so because they represent a section of society which includes workers, employees, business persons, industrialists, followers of a religion, caste group, etc. Their principal concern is the betterment and well-being of their members, not society in general.
Question 13.
What are promotional groups or public interest groups?
Answer:
Promotional groups or public interest groups promote collective rather than selective good. They aim to help groups other than their own members.
Question 14.
What is the full form of BAMCEF? What is its principal concern?
Answer:
BAMCEF – Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation. The principal concern of this organisation is with social justice and social equality for the entire society.
Question 15.
What is the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005?
Answer:
The RTI Act, 2005 is a landmark legislation passed by the Indian Parliament. Under this Act, citizens can seek information from government offices pertaining to different activities.
Question 16.
What is the main objective of National Alliance for People’s Movements (NAPM)?
Answer:
The National Alliance for People’s Movements (NAPM) is an organisation of organisations. It coordinates the activities of a large number of people’s movements in our country.
Question 17.
What was the outcome of Bolivia’s water war?
Answer:
The water contract with the MNC was cancelled and water supply was restored to the municipality at old rates.
Question 18.
What was common in both the struggles i.e. in Nepal and Bolivia?
Answer:
Both these struggles involved mass mobilisation and remained successful.
Question 19.
What was the objective of the Narmada Bachao Andolan in the beginning?
Answer:
In the beginning, its objective was to stop Sardar Sarovar dam being constructed on the Narmada river.
Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Extra Questions and Answer Civics Chapter 5 Short Answers Type
Question 1.
Describe the three major demands put forward by the Seven Party Alliance in Nepal.
Answer:
The three major demands put forward by the Seven Party Alliance in Nepal were-
- Restoration of Parliament
- Power to an all party government
- A new constituent assembly.
Question 2.
How are popular struggles integral to the working democracy? Explain with an example of Bolivia’s struggle against privatisation of water?
Answer:
Democracy is formed only after struggles take place. So obviously struggles are an integral part of a democracy. This statement is given in the context of Bolivia’s struggle against privatisation of water. Bolivia is a poor country in Latin America. The World Bank pressurised the government to give up its control of municipal water supply. Hence, the government sold the water rights to an MNC which increased the price of water by four times. This enraged the people.
They fought against the privatisation of water and finally made the officials of the MNC flee. The government then conceded to all their demands. The contract with the MNC was cancelled and water supply was restored to the municipality at old rates. This came to be known as Bolivia’s Water War. It reminds us that popular struggles are integral to the working of democracy.
Question 3.
What are pressure groups? How are they formed? Explain.
Answer:
Pressure groups are organisations that attempt to influence government policies. These organisations are formed when people with common occupation, interest, aspirations or opinions come together in order to achieve a common objective. Pressure groups are either formed or led by the leaders of political parties or act as extended arms of political parties. For example, most trade unions and students’ organisations in India are either established by, or affiliated to one or the other major political party.
Question 4.
Describe the popular struggle against privatisation of water in Bolivia.
Answer:
(i) Bolivia is a poor country in Latin America. In 2000, the democratically elected government, under the pressure from the World Bank, sold the water rights to an MNC. The company immediately increased the price of water by four times. This worsened the condition of already poor Bolivians. They found it difficult to pay the water bill. This led to a spontaneous popular struggle.
(ii) In January 2000, a new alliance of labour, human rights and community leaders organised a successful four day general strike in the city of Cochabamba. The government agreed to negotiate and the strike was called off. Yet nothing happened. The police restored to brutal repression when the agitation was started again in February.
(iii) Another strike followed in April and the government imposed martial law. But the power of the people forced the officials of the MNC to flee the city and made the government concede to all the demands of the protesters.
(iv) The contract with the MNC was cancelled and water supply was restored to the municipality at old rates. This came to be known as Bolivia’s Water War.
Question 5.
Explain with examples, how movements are different from interest groups.
Answer:
| Movement | Interest group |
| (i) Movements have a loose organisation. (ii) Their decision making is more informal and flexible. (iii) They depend on spontaneous mass participation. (iv) Example- Narmada Bachao Andolan. |
(i) Interest groups have a strong organisation. (ii) Their decision making is more formal and non-flexible. (iii) They have permanent members. (iv) Example- BAMCEF (Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation.) |
Question 6.
What are the differences between the pressure groups and political parties?
Answer:
| Pressure group | Political party |
| (i) It is an organisation formed when people with common occupation, interest, aspirations or opinions come together in order to achieve a common objective. | (i) It is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in government. They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the collective good. |
| (ii) Pressure groups do not directly control or share political power. | (ii) Political parties directly control or share political power. |
| (iii) Pressure groups are not accountable to the people. | (iii) Political parties are accountable to the people. |
| (iv) Pressure groups are informal, often secretive, conceited and conspiratorial and sometimes even unrecognised entities. | (iv) Political parties are the formal, open and recognised part of the political system competing for power. |
| (v) Pressure groups often take help of marches, demonstrations, strikes, fasts, etc. to achieve their goals. | (v) Political parties use only constitu-tional means to achieve their goals. |
| (vi) Pressure groups are confined to a few people. | (vi) Political parties involve larger number of people. |
Question 7.
What are sectional interest groups? Give two examples.
Answer:
Sectional interest groups are organisations that seek to promote the interests of a particular sections or group of society. They represent a section of society which includes workers, employees, businessmen, industrialists, followers of a religion, caste group, etc. Their principal concern is the betterment and well-being of their members, not society in general. Examples – Trade unions, business associations, etc.
Question 8.
How can you say that Narmada Bachao Andolan was both issue-specific as well as general movement?
Answer:
(i) Narmada Bachao Andolan started with the specific issue of the people displaced by the creation of Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river. Its objective was to stop the dam from being constructed.
(ii) Gradually, it became a wider movement that questioned all such big dams and the model of development that required such dams.
(iii) Movements of this kind tend to have a clear leadership. But their active life is usually short.
Question 9.
Distinguish between single-issue movement and long-term movement.
Answer:
(i) Single-issue movement seeks to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame whereas long-term movement involves more than one issue. For example, The movement for democracy in Nepal was a single-issue movement whereas the environmental movement and the women’s movement are examples of long-term movements.
(ii) Single-issue movements have some sort of an organisation whereas long-term movements are not controlled or guided by a single organisation. These are broad movements that have a loose umbrella organisation as well.
Question 10.
Which organisation led Bolivia’s Water War? Give a brief assessment of it.
Answer:
The protest against water privatisation in Bolivia was led by an organisation called FEDECOR. This organisation comprised local professionals, including engineers and environmentalists. They were supported by a federation of farmers who relied on irrigation, the confederation of factory worker’s unions, middle class students from the university of Cochabamba and the city’s growing population of homeless street children.
Question 11.
What does the term BAMCEF signify? Mention its two objectives.
Answer:
BAMCEF stands for Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation. It is an organisation largely made up of government employees that campaigns against caste discrimination. It addresses the problems of its members who suffer discrimination. But its principal concern is with social justice and social equality for the entire society.
Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Extra Questions and Answer Civics Chapter 5 Long Answers Type
Question 1.
What can we conclude about democracy with reference to popular struggles and movements like Bolivian water war? Explain in detail.
Answer:
(i) Democracy evolves through popular struggles. It is possible that some significant decisions may take place through consensus and may not involve any conflict at all. But that would be an exception.
(ii) Defining moments of democracy usually involve conflict between those groups who have exercised power and those who aspire for a share in power.
(iii) These moments come when the country is going through transition to democracy, expansion of democracy or deepening of democracy.
(iv) Democratic conflict is resolved through mass mobilisation. Sometimes it is possible that the conflict is resolved by using the existing institutions like the Parliament or the judiciary.
(v) These conflicts and mobilisations are based on new political organisations where there is an element of spontaneity in all such historic moments. But the spontaneous public participation becomes effective with the help of organised politics.
Question 2.
How do pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics? Explain with examples
Answer:
Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics in a variety of ways—
(i) They try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activities by carrying out information campaigns, organising meetings, filing petitions, etc. Most of these groups try to influence the media into giving more attention to these issues.
(ii) They often organise protest activity like strikes or disrupting government programmes. Workers’ organisations, employees’ associations and most of the movement groups often resort to these tactics in order to force the government to take note of their demands.
(iii) Business groups often employ professional lobbyists or sponsor expensive advertisements. Some persons from pressure groups or movement groups may participate in official bodies and committees that offer advice to the government. So far interest groups are concerned, they seek to exert influence on political parties.
(iv) In some instances, the pressure groups are either formed or led by the leaders of political parties or act as extended arms of political parties. For example, most trade unions and students’ organisations in India are either established by, or affiliated to one or the other major political party. Most of the leaders of such pressure groups are usually activists and leaders of party.
(y) Sometimes political parties grow out of movements. For example, when the Assam movement led by students against the foreigners’ came to an end, it led to the formation of the Mom Gana Parishad.
Question 3.
Compare the popular struggles of Nepal and Bolivia.
Answer:
| Nepal’s movement | Bolivia’s movement |
| (i) The movement in Nepal was to establish democracy. (ii) The popular struggle in Nepal was about the foundations of the country’s politics. (iii) The movement in Nepal was led by a Seven Party Alliance formed by all the major political parties in the Parliament. (iv) The movement laid the foundation for the establishment of democracy in Nepal. |
(i) The struggle in Bolivia involved claims on an elected, democratic government. (ii) The struggle in Bolivia was about one specific policy. (iii) The protest against water privatisation in Bolivia was not led by any political party. It was led by an organisation called FEDECOR which comprised local professionals, including engineers and environmentalists. (iv) The movement forced the government to change its decision. |
Question 4.
How has the struggle of the Nepali people become a source of inspiration to democrats all over the world? Explain.
Answer:
(i) Democracy evolves through popular struggles. It is possible that some significant decisions may take place through consensus and may not involve any conflict at all. But that would be an exception.
(ii) Defining moments of democracy usually involve conflict between those groups who have exercised power and those who aspire for a share in power.
(iii) These moments come when the country is going through transition to democracy, expansion of democracy or deepening of democracy.
(iv) Democratic conflict is resolved through mass mobilisation. Sometimes it is possible that the conflict is resolved by using the existing institutions like the Parliament or the judiciary.
(v) These conflicts and mobilisations are based on new political organisations where there is an element of spontaneity in all such historic moments. But the spontaneous public participation becomes effective with the help of organised politics.
Question 5.
Describe the Second popular movement for democracy of Nepal.
Answer:
Nepal had won democracy for the first time in 1990. Although the king formally remained the head of the state, the real power was exercised by popularly elected representatives. King Birendra, who had accepted this transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy, was killed in 2001.
King Gyanendra, the new king of Nepal was not ready to accept democratic rule. He took advantage of the weakness and unpopularity of the democratically elected government. In February 2005, the king dismissed the then Prime Minister and dissolved the elected Parliament. Hence, a fresh movement started in April 2006 to regain popular control over the government from the king.
The three major demands put forward by the Seven Party Alliance in Nepal were-
- Restoration of Parliament
- Power to an all party government
- A new constituent assembly.
Question 6.
“Democracy evolves through popular struggles.” Support the statement.
Answer:
(i) Democracy evolves through popular struggles. It is possible that some significant decisions may take place through consensus and may not involve any conflict at all. But that would be an exception.
(ii) Defining moments of democracy usually involve conflict between those groups who have exercised power and those who aspire for a share in power.
(iii) These moments come when the country is going through transition to democracy, expansion of democracy or deepening of democracy.
(iv) Democratic conflict is resolved through mass mobilisation. Sometimes it is possible that the conflict is resolved by using the existing institutions like the Parliament or the judiciary.
(v) These conflicts and mobilisations are based on new political organisations where there is an element of spontaneity in all such historic moments. But the spontaneous public participation becomes effective with the help of organised politics.
Question 7.
“The struggle of the Nepali people is a source of inspiration to democrats all over the world.” Support the statement.
Answer:
(i) In Nepal, a popular movement was started in April 2006 with an aim to restore democracy there. The reason was that the new king of Nepal, King Gyanendra was not ready to accept democratic rule in any circumstances.
(ii) All the major political parties in the Parliament formed a Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and called for an indefinite strike. They got help from the Maoist insurgents and various other organisations. Ordinary people of Nepal also supported this movement in large numbers.
(iii) Seeing the gravity of the situation, the king agreed to accept some of the demands of the SPA leaders. But the leaders remained stuck to their three demands—restoration of Parliament, power to an all-party government and a new constituent assembly.
(iv) Finally, the king conceded all the above demands. The SPA chose Girija Prasad Koirala as the new Prime Minister of the interim government.
(v) The restored Parliament met and passed laws taking away most of the powers of the king.
The way in which democracy was ultimately restored in Nepal is really inspiring. People were determined and they finally achieved the goal which they were struggling for. This struggle came to be known as Nepal’s second movement for democracy.
Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Extra Questions and Answer Civics Chapter 5 Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Questions
Question 1.
How far are pressure groups good for democracy?
Answer:
It may initially appear that it is not healthy for groups that promote interest of one section to have influence in democracy. A democracy must look after the interests of all, not just one section. Also, it may seem that these groups wield power without responsibility.
Political parties have to face the people in elections, but these groups are not accountable to the people. Pressure groups and movements may not get their funds and support from the people. Sometimes, pressure groups with small public support but lots of money can hijack public discussion in favour of their narrow agenda.
But we cannot deny the fact that pressure groups and movements have deepened democracy. Putting pressure on the rulers is not an unhealthy activity in a democracy as long as every one gets this opportunity. Governments can often come under undue pressure from a small group of rich and powerful people.
Public interest groups and movements perform a useful role of countering this undue influence and reminding the government of the needs and concerns of ordinary citizens. Hence, we can say that pressure groups have brought about rough balance of power and accommodation of conflicting interests in democracy.
Question 2.
Differentiate Sectional Interest Groups from Public Interest Groups.
Answer:
| Sectional Interest Groups | Public Interest Groups |
| (i) These groups seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society.
(ii) They are sectional because they represent a section of society which includes workers, employees, businessmen, industrialists etc. (iii) Their principal concern is the betterment and well-being of their members. They have nothing to do with the society in general. (iv) For example, trade unions, business associations and professional bodies. |
(i) These groups undertake activities that benefit people in general.
(ii) They are public because they promote collective rather than selective good. They aim to help groups rather than their own members. (iii) Their principal concern is the betterment of the entire society. They don’t think for a particular section of the people. (iv) For example, FEDECOR in Bolivia and BAMCEF in India. |
Question 3.
Explain any three common features of the popular struggles in Nepal and Bolivia.
OR
Mention similarities between the struggles of Nepal and Bolivia.
OR
Mention three conclusions that can be drawn out from the popular struggles in Nepal and Bolivia.
Answer:
The stories of both the struggles share some elements which are relevant to the study of the past and future of democracies-
- Both these are instances of political conflict that led to popular struggles.
- In both cases the struggle involved mass mobilisation. Public demonstration of mass support settled the dispute.
- Both instances involved critical role of political organisations.
- Both the struggles were successful. Democracy was finally restored in Nepal and in Bolivia the democratically elected government conceded all the demands of the protesters. The contract with MNC was cancelled and water supply was restored to the municipality at old rates.
Popular Struggles and Movements Class 10 Extra Questions and Answer Civics Chapter 5 Value-based Questions (VBQs)
Question 1.
What inspiration do we get from Bolivia’s popular struggle? Explain any three values that we learn from it.
Answer:
The popular struggle in Bolivia was against the privatisation of water. Bolivia is a poor country. The people there could not afford to pay the hike in the monthly water bill. Hence, they fought against the democratically elected government which finally conceded to their demands. As a result, the contract with the MNC was cancelled and water supply was restored to the municipality at old rates.
The struggle was successful because people were united and their demand was genuine. They have the right to get water at subsidised rates. When the government failed to do so, it faced mass agitation. The three values that we learn from Bolivia’s Water War are-
- If our point is strong, we can raise voice even against the democratically elected government.
- We shall win if we are fighting for collective good.
- There is tremendous strength in ordinary citizens. It is difficult to suppress them.
Question 2.
Mention three democratic values.
OR
Mention three values associated with democracy.
Answer:
(i) The two words ‘liberty’ and ‘equality’ represent basic values of democratic political systems. Rule by absolute monarchs and emperors has often brought peace and order, but at the cost of personal freedom. Democratic values support the belief that an orderly society can exist in which freedom is preserved. But order and freedom must be balanced.
(ii) Citizens can demand that truth telling by their government be the rule, since trust in their government is an essential part of the bond between the government and governed.
(iii) Citizens are the source of all governmental power. This makes the government accountable to their people.