Tag: civics

Like an interest group, a movement also attempts to influence politics rather than directly take part in electoral competition. But unlike the interest groups, movements have a loose organisation. Their decision making is more informal and flexible. They depend much more on spontaneous mass participation than an interest group.

Kittiko Hachiko Movement was a nonviolent protest in 1987 lend by the people in Karnataka where they plucked the eucalyptus plants and planted saplings of plants that were useful to the people. The reason was that- The Karnataka government had set up a company named Karnataka Pulpwood. About 30000 hectares of land was given to the company. Most of this land was used by the farmers for grazing their cattle on the field. But the company began to plant eucalyptus trees on this land which could be used for making paper pulp. This caused problems for the local farmers and they started this movement.

The Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognizes the rights of Adivasis to their homestead, cultivable and grazing land. This Act grants legal recognition to the rights of traditional forest dwelling communities, partially correcting the injustice caused by the forest laws. It also gives the opportunity to the public to conserve forests.

Article 17 of the Indian constitution says that the untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbiddable. The main goal of this article is to remove caste discrimination which is prevalent still in the country. Discrimination on grounds of caste is punishable by the court of law.

In order to indicate to the government that untouchability was still being practiced and in a hideous manner, Dalit group demanded a new law that would list the various sorts of violence against Dalits and prescribe stringent punishment for those who indulge in them.  For that The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Act, 1989 was passed by the Government of India to safeguard Dalits from humiliation. The law seeks to both punish as well as influence the way people think.

Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 has come to rescue of marginalized groups when they were treated badly by majority communities. The SC and ST (prevention of atrocities) Act was passed in the year 1989. This was enacted to prevent atrocities against scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Adivasis – the term literally means ‘original inhabitants’ – are communities who lived, and often continue to live, in close association with forests. Around 8 per cent of India’s population is Adivasi.

Adivasi societies are particularly prominent in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and some north-eastern states, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many smaller tribal groups are quite sensitive to ecological degradation caused by modernisation.

Scheduled Tribes are also known as Adivasis. These are the designated group of people who are disadvantaged indigenous people in India. Scheduled Tribes comprise about  8.6 percent of India’s population. 

Marginalized and discriminated groups organize and fight against the systemic structures and societal conditions that perpetuate injustice. While they may interact with governments or the rich, the core target of their struggle is the injustice itself.

Abolition of untouchability (Article 17) was mentioned under Fundamental Rights which are included in Part-III of Indian constitution. The article says that the untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbiddable. The main goal of this article is to remove caste discrimination which is prevalent still in the country. Discrimination on grounds of caste is punishable by the court of law.