A popular movement denotes “a collective action to bring about change in any direction and by any means , including forcible action’’. Popular movements arose because the government neglected people’s demands related to land, gender or cultural and ethnic issues.

People were disillusioned with economic growth. The number of job seekers in the country was increasing. Women’s poor status. Problems of small peasants . Issues

involved in the Dalitand tribal movements.

It took its name from the word ‘chipko’ or hugging of trees in villages of uttarakhand to prevent their being felled . It was an environmental movement.It also sought to bring local forest resources under the control of local communities. In 1980 the government banned the felling of trees in the Himalayan forest for 15 years.

The chipko movement

Remunerative prices for wheat and sugarcane.

Lowering of electricity rates and reduction in the

canal water charges.

The fisherman struggled to save their livelihood. The fishworkers formed a National body called National Fish Workers Forum, which demanded a ban on issuing of licences to foreign companies who trawled the sea waters .

The women in a village in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh related the sufferings they faced at the hand of their husbands who wasted money on alcohol. Women’s protest against the Arrak (alcohol) dealers .The agitation had an adverse effect on the income of the liquor vendors. It affects the economy of the state also.

Anti- Arrak or Anti- Alchol movement

The movement brought to our attention issues related to women’s activism was

the passage of 73rd and 74th constitutional Amendment Acts, which provided that at

least one-third of the seats in all local bodies must be reserved for women. But

they still have poor representation in parliament and state legislatures.

• The work of the Sardar Sarovar project was commented in1978. the dams were meant to provide water to the states of Gujarat, Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In 1985 there began the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’. Their main opposition was that rehabilitation plans for people who had been displaced could not be completed. The movement aroused an environmental debate. The question was:“should we opt for another model of development”?On 8 may 2006 the supreme court refused to halt work on raising the height of the Sardar sarovar project from 110 mts to 121 mts. This was totally a non-violent movement, led by the social activists including Medha Patker and Arundhati rai.

• In 1996 the MKSS {Mazdoor Kisaan Shakti Sanghatan} formed a National Council for people’s Right to Information in New Delhi. In Maharashtra Anna Hazare led a movement to secure access to information under the control of public authorities. The Right to Information Act,2005 is a path breaking law to empower the people, especially the weaker sections of society.