Social Movements & Resistance

Overview

Evolution of Social Movements	Social movements in India have transitioned from pre-independence anti-colonial and socio-religious reform struggles (Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj) to post-independence class-based and identity-based mobilizations (peasant, tribal, Dalit movements), and finally to modern rights-based New Social Movements (environmental, feminist, LGBTQ+, digital campaigns) seeking democratic deepening.

1. Ghanshyam Shah's Movement Typology

Reformative Movements	Seek incremental changes in specific areas of existing social structure while keeping basic system intact (anti-dowry campaigns, women's education movements).
Redemptive Movements	Aim to bring about change in personal habits, inner beliefs, or lifestyles of individual members (religious revivalist movements, ISKCON).
Alternative Movements	Aim to replace entire existing social and political system with a new one through radical action (Naxalite agrarian revolution).
Transformative Movements	Focus on structural changes in existing social relations, aiming to redefine power and status (Dalit Panthers, Chipko movement).

2. Agrarian & Peasant Movements

Colonial Peasant Movements	Focused on survival, opposing high land revenues, money-lender exploitation, and landlord atrocities. Key examples include Indigo Revolt (1859), Tebhaga Movement (Bengal, 1946 demanding 2/3 harvest share), and Telangana Movement (1946-51 against feudal Nizam rule).
New Farmers' Movements (Post-1970s)	Led by rich/middle peasants who benefited from Green Revolution. Spearheaded by organizations like Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) under Mahendra Singh Tikait and Shetkari Sanghatana under Sharad Joshi. Focused on market-oriented issues: Minimum Support Price (MSP), fertilizer subsidies, power tariff waivers, and opposition to WTO/global trade rules.
Contemporary Agrarian Protests	Opposing land acquisition for corporate projects (Singur, Nandigram) and demanding repeal of three agricultural bills (2020-21 Farm Laws protests).

3. Dalit & Backward Class Movements

Self-Respect Movement	Launched by E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar) in Tamil Nadu. Criticized Brahminical hegemony, rejected religious scriptures, and advocated self-respect, rationalism, and annihilation of caste.
Ambedkarite Movement	Focused on legal-constitutional channels, political representation (reservations), and religious conversion to Buddhism (1956) as pathways out of caste hierarchy, under slogan "Educate, Agitate, Organize".
Dalit Panthers (1972)	Founded in Maharashtra by Namdeo Dhasal and Arjun Dangle, inspired by Black Panthers (USA). Represented a shift from moderate, reformist Dalit politics to radical, militant self-assertion, reacting against persistent caste violence and rural atrocities.

4. Environmental Movements & Eco-Feminism

Chipko Movement (1973)	Led by Sundarlal Bahuguna, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, and Gaura Devi in Uttarakhand. Villagers hugged trees to prevent commercial logging. Marked by high female participation, key example of Eco-feminism (linking ecological destruction to patriarchal exploitation of nature and women).
Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA)	Led by Medha Patkar and Baba Amte to protest displacement of indigenous/tribal populations by construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada River. Challenged dominant capital-intensive development model and prioritized rehabilitation rights.
Silent Valley Movement (1970s)	Led by Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) to save tropical rainforest of Silent Valley from submergence by a hydroelectric project on Kuntipuzha River. Led to project cancellation and designation as National Park.

5. New Social Movements (NSM) & Digital Activism

NSM Characteristics	Unlike old movements which were class-based (trade union, peasant movements), NSMs are non-class, identity-based, or issue-based (environmentalism, peace, LGBTQ+ rights, feminist rights). Cross traditional class boundaries and focus on quality of life, human rights, and autonomy.
Identity Multiplicity	Acknowledges that individuals hold multiple overlapping identities (gender, race, caste) that shape resistance.
Digital Activism	Use of digital tools and social media platforms for rapid mobilization, fundraising, and globalizing local grievances (#MeToo movement, #KisanEkta campaigns), bypassing traditional media gatekeepers.

UPSC High-Yield Recall

Chipko	Associated with term Eco-Feminism due to large-scale women's participation.
Periyar	Founded Self-Respect Movement (1925), publishing weekly journal Kudi Arasu.
Dalit Panthers	Inspired directly by Ambedkarite thought and Black Panther Party in United States.