pressure groups and formal informal associations and their role in the polity

7/25/2019 Pressure Groups and Formal Informal Associations and Their Role in the Polity

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Pressure groups and formal / informal associations and their role in the Polity for GS2

Pressure Groups

Originated in USA

Group of people who are organised actively for promoting and defending their commoninterests

Exert pressure on the government or the decision-makers for the fulfilment of their

interests.

Attempt to ring a change in pulic policy y exerting pressure on govt.

Acts as a liaison etween govt. and its memers

!oncerned with specific programmes and issues

"heir activities are confined to protection and promotion of interests of their memers y

influencing govt.

Difference between Interest groups and pressure groups

Interest Group Pressure Group

#ormally organi$ed strictly structured

%nterest-oriented &ressure-focused

'ay or may not influence the policies of govt. 'ust influence the policies of the government

Softer in outlook (arsher in attitude

'ore or less protective &rotective and promotive

Methods Used

). *egal and legitimate+

a. *oying

. !orrespondence

c. &ulicity

d. &ropagandising

e. &etitioning

f. &ulic deates

g. 'aintaining contacts with their legislatures

,. %llegitimate %llegal +a. Strikes

. iolent Activities

c. /riery

d. !orruption

Different Techniues in securing their purpose

). !lectioneering0

"ry to place pulic office persons who are favourale disposed towards the interests

they seek to promote

,. "obbying0"ry to persuade pulic officers to adopt and enforce policies 0 *oying


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1. Propagandising0

"ry to influence pulic opinion and gain an indirect influence over govt2 since govt in

democracy is sustantially affected y pulic opinion

Pressure Groups in India

Sr#

$o#Group Type Group $ame %ole

)/usiness

Groups

#%!!% 3#ederation of %ndian

!hamer of !ommerce

%ndustry4

!onstituents 0

). %ndian merchants chamer of /omay

,. %ndian merchants chamer of calcutta

1. South %ndian chamer of commerce of

'adras

%t represents ma5or industrial and trading interests

ASSO!(A' 3Associated

!hamer of commerce and

industry of %ndia4

!onstituents 0

). /engal chamer of commerce of !alcutta

,. !entral commercial organisation of 6elhi

%t represents foreign /ritish capital

#A%#6A 3#ederation of all %ndian

food grain dealers association4Sole representative of grain dealers

A%'O 3 All %ndia manufacturers

organisation47aise concerns of medium si$ed industry

, "rade Unions

A%"U! 3All %ndia trade union

congress4 0 !&%

). oice demands of industrial workers

,. Also known as laour groups

1. Associated either directly or indirectly with

political parties

%8"U! 3%ndian national trade

union !ongress4 0 !ongress

('S 3(ind 'a$door Saha4 0

Socialists

U"U! 3United trade union

congress4 0 !&'

(ind 'a$door parishad - /9&

1 Agrarian

Groups

/hartiya kisan union 38orth

%ndia4

7epresent farmers and agricultural laour class

All india :isan Saha 3Oldest

*argest4

7evolutionary peasants

!onvention 3organised y !&' in

); gave irth to naxalari

movement4

/hartiya kisan sangh 0 Gu5arat7 Sangham 3/y ! 8 8aidu in


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"amil 8adu4

Shetkhari Sanghatana 3/y Sharad

5oshi in '(4

(ind :isan &anchayat 3/y

Socialists4

All 0 %ndia kisan Sammelan 3/y

7a5 8arain4

United :isan Saha 3 /y !&'4

?&rofessional

Organisations

%'A - %ndian 'edical Association). 7aise concerns of doctors2 lawyers2

5ournalists and teachers

,. &ressurise govt y various methods includin

agitations for improvement of their service

conditions

/!% 0 /ar council of %ndia

%#@9 0 %ndian federation of

working 5ournalists

A%#U!" 0 All %ndia federation of

university and college teachers

Student

Organisations

A/& 0 Akhil /hartiya vidyarthi

parishad 3/y /9&4

). #ormed to represent student community

,. Affiliated y various political parties

A%S# - All %ndia students

federation 3 /y !&%4

8SU% 0 8ational Students union

of %ndia 3 /y !ongress4

&SU 0 &rogressive Students

Union 3/B !&'4

o "hey assist in the dispersal of political power> and

o "hey provide important counterweights to alance the concentration of power.

&ressure groups enale new concerns and issues to reach the political agenda2 therey

facilitating social progress and preventing social stagnation. #or example2 thewomenDs and environmentalist movements.


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&ressure groups increase social cohesion and political staility y providing a safety-

valveD outlet for individual and collective grievances and demands.

&ressure groups assist the surveillance of the government y exposing information it

would rather keep secret2 therey reinforcing and complementing work of oppositionthrough political parties.

&ressure groups therey improve the accountaility of decision makers to electorates.

Difference between political parties and pressure groups

Political Parties Pressure Groups

&ressure groups are not primarily political in nature. E.g.

7SS supports the /9&2 it is2 y and large2 a cultural

organi$ation

"he political parties are asically political

&ressure groups do not seek direct power> they only

influence those who are in power for moulding decisions in

their favour

"he political parties seek power to form the

government

&ressure groups do not contest elections> they only support

political parties of their choice

&olitical parties nominate candidates2 contest

elections2 and participate in election campaign

&ressure groups do not necessarily have political ideologies&olitical parties are always wedded to their

ideologies

"he interests of the pressure groups are usually specific and

particular

&olitical parties have policies and programmewith national and international ramifications

&i'il Society (rgani)ations* + $ew ,orm of Mass Pressure Tactics in India

!ivil Society Organi$ations roadly refer to the active participation and engagement

of men and women in groups 0 associations2 organi$ations2 voluntary agencies on the

issues of common concern like environmental protection2 price rise2 prevention of

corruption2 etc.

!ivil Society Organi$ations 3!SOs4 are estalished y citi$ens of the country2 to

pursue certain interests.

"hese act as pressure groups on the government2 to promote implementation of

policies in their areas of concerns.

"hese are run y ordinary persons who feel strongly committed to certain issues.

'any ordinary persons come together informally or formally to share their feelings

aout different issues and prevailing social in5ustice.

!ivil Society is an interface etween the state and individual.

!ivil Society Organi$ations help to reach out to many people.

"hey provide a channel for people to express their grievances and also work

constructively for the change.


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"hey point out when the government is not fulfilling its promises to the nation.

"hey attract idealistic and committed young people2 even acting as a space for

teaching and learning good citi$enshipD.

Present Scenario

"he ,)st century witnessed the active involvement of people through civil society

organi$ations which could e seen in numer of protest movements across country.

&eople take up issues of gender discrimination2 child laour2 street children and so on2

and contriute through individual and collective action.

Such organi$ations put pressure on the government for changing policies on many

important issues such as corruption2 human rights2 livelihood of different people2

environmental protection2 women empowerment2 educational and health issues.

Such organi$ations are ale to moili$e pulic opinion ecause these issues are

relevant to many people in society. Some of the !ivil Society Organi$ations include

'a$door :isan Shakti Sangathan 3':SS2 7a5asthan42 &eopleDs Union for !ivil

*ierties 3&U!*42 8ational Alliance of &eopleDs 'ovements 38A&'42 8ational

Alliance of @omenDs Organi$ations 38A@O42 'edico #riends !ircle 3'#!42 and

many others.

Some important leaders of !ivil Society Organi$ations in recent times include Aruna7oy 3'a$door :isan Shakti Sangathan42 Ela /hatt 3Self-Employed @omenDs

Association42 'edha &atkar 38armada /achao Andolan4 and Anna (a$are 3%ndia

Against !orruption4.

%n the 8orth-Eastern State of 'anipur2 many groups including 9ust &eaceD2 Apuna

*up 3studentsD organi$ation4 and 'eira &aiis 3womenDs groups4 are trying to

influence the government to listen to peopleDs genuine grievances. "ogether2 these

groups are associated with %rom Sharmila2 a civil rights activist known as the %ron

*ady of 'anipurD who has een on a hunger strike since 8ovemer ,HHH. %rom

Sharmila wants that the government should repeal the Armed #orces Special &owers

Act 3A#S&A4 which is responsile for violence in her State and other parts of 8orth-

East %ndia2 and respect peopleDs democratic right to life

All these organi$ations involve a large numer of people who struggle to ring aout

changes in State policies.

'any of the organi$ations and groups elieve in following non-violent method


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Media as Pressure Group

&ress is a very powerful means of social change.

Act as pressure group for the interest of common people and reveals the all deeds of

the government.

'ass media in its full swing of working can openly critici$e the government and have

right to place their view on certain situation.

'ass media helps to generate a common platform which tries to focus on core issues

of the society and its need. 'edia role is as much important in influencing activities of the political parties as that

of other pressure group working to strive certain specific goals.

'edia acts as agent of change2 focusing on social development of society

&riticism of Pressure groups

&ressure group in %ndia are asically critici$ed on the following grounds-

). #ocus on parochial interest - &ressure group getting influence y their sectional and

local interest more as compared to their common interest.

,. *ack of effective memership - &ressure groups do not have well developed

infrastructure which can help them in regular way pursuing their interest.

1. 6ominance of single party system - %n %ndia for long time there have een single party

dominance and these powerful political party do not want to e ruled y any pressure

groups.

?. *ack of autonomous existence - 'ost of the pressure groups except usiness groups

does not have an independent autonomous existence of their own. 'ost of them

dominated y political parties2 which tries to divide each pressure group and have

strong hold over one group at least.

. arying life span - %n %ndia we have loose and disorgani$ed multiparty system hence

even pressure group appears ig and small with varying life span that appears and

disappears.


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=. %neffective for interest articulation - pressure group like trade union in %ndia lacked

trained and competent functionaries. "hey have not een effective agents of interest

articulation in %ndia.

C. Use of unconstitutional method - &ressure groups in %ndia tries to influence the

government mainly through various unconstitutional methods as strikes2 agitation2

demonstration2 lockouts etc.

;. Sometimes led to mass violence - &ressure group involves with protest and certain

radicali$ation of political life results into mass violence. #or example 8axalites

movement starting after fourth general election of );

pressure groups and formal informal associations and their role in the polity

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