SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Gov 1255: Politics of IndiaProf Prerna Singh

Social Movements

• Environmental Movements

• Women’s Movements

• Sexual Minority Politics (Guest lecture by Marcus Elridge)

Environmental Movements

• Forest Resources

• Water Resources

Conflict over Forest Resources

• Chipko (Hug the Trees) Movement in the Central Himalayas in 1973

Chipko Movement

Conflict over Forests

• Chipko (Hug the Trees) Movement• Representative of wide spectrum of forest-based

conflicts• Traced to establishment of the Indian forest

department in 1864. This was a watershed:– Political– Social– Ecological

Conflict over Forests

• Intensified in post-Independence years because of new ecological dimension – dwindling forests

• Popular movements focus on 2 issues:– Return of control of forests to community. State

must withdraw.– Contrast between the subsistence orientation of

villagers and the commercial orientation of the state.

Conflict over WaterBig Dams

Nehru’s “temples of modern India”

Three Critiques of Big Dams: Economic critique: States invariably overvalue benefits &

undervalue costsEcological critique: High incidence of water logging &

wholesale submergence of large tropical forests and precious wildlife & fishlife

Social critique: Displacement of millions of poor villagers from their ancestral homelands without adequate consultation or compensation

Narmada Bachao Andolan/Save the Narmada Campaign

Leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan:

Medha Patkar

Critiques of the Narmada Dams by the NBA

• that the project has been conceived without adequate participation from the people who are going to be affected;

• that many dams are not viable solutions to many of the problems (power, drinking water, flood control, irrigation) they set out to solve, and that there needs to be a greater emphasis on the search for alternative solutions from all concerned (Government, NGOs, people);

• that the construction and planning of many dams has disrupted (and will potentially disrupt) the lives of millions of people without just and adequate compensation

Environmental Movements

• Forest- Chipko Movement• Water - Narmada Bachao Andolan

Gandhian Social Movements

Demonstrations & Satyagrahs

Peaceful Response to Police Repression

Fasts

Jal Samadhi/ Water Burial

Women’s Movements• No single movement• On diverse issues

• Traditional focus: – Women’s education– Widow remarriage

• New focus– Alcoholism– Physical Abuse by Husbands– Inflation – Environment (Chipko)– Dalit issues

Women’s Movements

• Early Women’s Movements:– Movement against Dowry

Movement against Dowry

Women’s Movements

• Early Women’s Movements:– Campaign against Dowry– Campaign against Rape

Women’s Movements

• Early Women’s Movements:– Campaign against Dowry– Campaign against Rape

• Features of Early Women’s Movements:– Popular support – Legislative successes

Women’s Movements

• Later Women’s Movements:– Critiques from sections of traditionalist society• Success of early women’s movements• Rise of religious fundamentalism

– Pro-sati movements– “Real woman” vs. Feminists