• Popular struggles in Nepal and Bolivia

→ Movement for democracy in Nepal

→ Bolivia’s Water War

• Mobilisation and organisations

→ Who joined struggle in Nepal?

→ Who joined struggle in Bolivia?

• Differences between political parties and pressure groups

• Pressure groups/Interest Groups and movements

→ Sectional interest groups

→ Public Interest Groups

• Movement Groups

→ Issue Specific

→ Generic Movements

→ What is NAPM?

• How do Pressure groups and Movements influence politics in India?

• Relationship between Pressure/Movement Groups and Political Parties

• Influence of Pressure/Movement Groups on Indian Politics

→ Positive Influences

→ Negative Influence

• Nepal won democracy in 1990.

• King Birendra, who has accepted constitutional monarchy, was killed in a mysterious massacre of the royal family in 2001.

• King Gyanendra, the new king of Nepal, was not prepared to accept democratic rule.

• In February 2005, the king dismissed the then Prime Minister and dissolved the elected Parliament.

• The movement of 2006 started to regain democracy.

• All major political parties formed a Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and called for a ‘four day strike’ in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

• The protest turned into indefinite strike joined by Maoist ad other organisations also.

• They demanded restoration of parliament, power to an all-party government and a new constituent assembly.

• On 24 April 2006, the last day of the ultimatum, the king was forced to accept all the three demands.

• Girija Prasad Koirala became the new Prime Minister of the interim government as chosen by SPA.

• The Maoists and SPA agreed to have a new Constituent Assembly.

• This struggle came to be known as Nepal’s second movement for democracy.

• Bolivia is a poor country in Latin America.

• The World Bank forced the government to give up its control of municipal water supply and sold these rights for the city of Cochabamba to a multi-national company (MNC).

• After controlling water supply, the company increased the price by four times.

• This led to a spontaneous popular protest.

• In January 2000, a new alliance of labour, human rights and community leaders called FEDECOR organised a successful four-day general strike in the city.

• The government agreed to negotiate and the strike ended but nothing changed.

• The protest started again in February and police used brutal methods to control it.

• 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 government accept 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.

• SPA or the Seven Party Alliance in Nepal which included some big parties that had some members in the Parliament.

• The protest was joined by the Nepalese Communist Party (Maoist) which did not believe in parliamentary democracy.

• Other than political parties, all the major labour unions and their federations joined this movement.

• The organisation of the indigenous people, teachers, lawyers and human rights groups also extended support to the movement.

• The protest against water privatisation in Bolivia was led by an organisation called FEDECOR.

→ This organisation comprised local professionals, including engineers and environmentalists which were supported by a federation of farmers, the confederation of factory workers’ unions, middle class students from the the University of Cochabamba and the city’s growing population of homeless street children.

• Later, the movement was supported by the Socialist Party. In 2006, this party came to power in Bolivia.

• Pressure groups do not enjoy power directly, whereas the political parties do.

• Pressure groups usually represent a particular section or view of the society; on the other hand, political parties represent bigger social divisions.

• Pressure groups do not contest elections, whereas political parties contest elections and run the government.

• At a given point of time, a person can be a member of only one political party but a member of many pressure groups.

• Examples of pressure groups are Lawyers Association, Teachers ‘Association, Trade Unions, Students ‘Unions  and so on.

• Examples of political parties are BJP, INC, NCP etc.

• 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.

• Like an interest group, a movement also attempts to influence politics rather than directly take part in electoral competition.

• Examples are Narmada Bachao Andolan, Movement for Right to Information, Anti-liquor Movement, Women’s Movement, Environmental Movement.

• 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.