Pressure groups and formal / informal associations and their role

Pressure groups and formal / informal associations and their role in the Polity for GS2
Pressure Groups

* Originated in USA

* Group of people who are organised actively for promoting and defending their common interests

* Exert pressure on the government or the decision-makers for the fulfilment of their interests.

* Attempt to bring a change in public policy by exerting pressure on govt.

* Acts as a liaison between govt. and its members

* Concerned with specific programmes and issues

* Their activities are confined to protection and promotion of interests of their members by influencing govt.
Difference between Interest groups and pressure groups

Interest Group Pressure Group

Formally organizedstrictly structured

Interest-orientedPressure-focused

May or may not influence the policies of govt.Must influence the policies of the government

Softer in outlookHarsher in attitude

More or less protectiveProtective and promotive


Methods Used

1. Legal and legitimate:

1. Lobbying

2. Correspondence

3. Publicity

4. Propagandising

5. Petitioning

6. Public debates

7. Maintaining contacts with their legislatures


1. Illegitimate & Illegal :

1. Strikes

2. Violent Activities

3. Bribery

4. Corruption
Different Techniques in securing their purpose

1. Electioneering
Try to place public office persons who are favourable disposed towards the interests they seek to promote

1. Lobbying
Try to persuade public officers to adopt and enforce policies Lobbying

1. Propagandising
Try to influence public opinion and gain an indirect influence over govt, since govt in democracy is substantially affected by public opinion


Pressure Groups in India

Sr. No.Group TypeGroup NameRole

1Business GroupsFICCI (Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry)Constituents
1. Indian merchants chamber of Bombay
2. Indian merchants chamber of calcutta
3. South Indian chamber of commerce of MadrasIt represents major industrial and trading interests

ASSOCHAM (Associated Chamber of commerce and industry of India)Constituents
1. Bengal chamber of commerce of Calcutta
2. Central commercial organisation of DelhiIt represents foreign British capital

FAIFDA (Federation of all Indian food grain dealers association)Sole representative of grain dealers

AIMO ( All India manufacturers organisation)Raise concerns of medium sized industry



2Trade UnionsAITUC (All India trade union congress) CPI
1. Voice demands of industrial workers
2. Also known as labour groups
3. Associated either directly or indirectly with political parties

INTUC (Indian national trade union Congress) Congress

HMS (Hind Mazdoor Sabha) Socialists

UTUC (United trade union congress) CPM

Hind Mazdoor parishad - BJP



3Agrarian GroupsBhartiya kisan union (North India)Represent farmers and agricultural labour class

All india Kisan Sabha (Oldest & Largest)

Revolutionary peasants Convention (organised by CPM in 1967; gave birth to naxalbari movement)

Bhartiya kisan sangh Gujarat

R V Sangham (By C N Naidu in Tamil Nadu)

Shetkhari Sanghatana (By Sharad joshi in MH)

Hind Kisan Panchayat (By Socialists)

All India kisan Sammelan (By Raj Narain)

United Kisan Sabha ( By CPM)

4Professional OrganisationsIMA - Indian Medical Association
1. Raise concerns of doctors, lawyers, journalists and teachers
2. Pressurise govt by various methods including agitations for improvement of their service conditions

BCI Bar council of India

IFWJ Indian federation of working journalists

AIFUCT All India federation of university and college teachers



5Student OrganisationsABVP Akhil Bhartiya vidyarthi parishad (By BJP)
1. Formed to represent student community
2. Affiliated by various political parties

AISF - All India students federation ( By CPI)

NSUI National Students union of India ( By Congress)

PSU Progressive Students Union (BY CPM)



6Religious OrganisationsRSS Rashtriya Swayam Sewak SanghThey represent narrow communal interests

VHP Vishwa Hindu Parishad

Jamaat e- Islam

Ittehad ul Mussalmeen

Anglo Indian Association

Shiromani Akali Dal



7Caste GroupsNadar Caste Association (TN)

Marwari Association

Harijan Sewak Sangh



8Tribal GroupsNSCN - National Socialist Council of Nagaland

TNU Tribal National Volunteers in Tripura

Peoples liberation army in Manipur

All India Jharkhand


Role of Pressure groups in Polity

* Political processes are conditioned by group actions and interactions.

* These groups - their solidarities and their conflict - make independent contributions in determining political outcomes.

* "Representation" is the key relationship between such groups and the making of authoritative decisions.

* They form distinctive subsystems within the polity.

* These representative organisations have a relative autonomy and an operative logic of their own that cannot be reduced either to the preferences of individuals or to the solidarities of the groups that compose them.

* Formal institutions of government - their procedures and substantive policies - can have a significant and enduring effect upon groups and organisations that represent them.

* They overcome the democratic deficit as most peoples political participation is to cast a vote every five years, this leading to people having little or no influence over decisions made between elections, and minority views not being represented

* Pressure groups increase participation and access to the political system, thereby enhancing the quality of democracy.

* They complement and supplement electoral democracy in two main ways:

* By providing an important mechanism by which citizens can influence government between elections; and

* By enabling opinions to be weighed as well as counted.

* Pressure groups improve the quality of government. Consultation with affected groups is the rational way to make decisions in a free society.

* It makes government more efficient by enhancing the quality of the decision making process - the information and advice provided by groups helps to improve the quality of government policy and legislation.

* Pressure groups are a product of freedom of association, which is a fundamental principle of liberal democracy.

* Freely operating pressure groups are essential to the effective functioning of liberal democracy in three main ways:

* They serve as vital intermediary institutions between government and society;

* They assist in the dispersal of political power; and

* They provide important counterweights to balance the concentration of power.

* Pressure groups enable new concerns and issues to reach the political agenda, thereby facilitating social progress and preventing social stagnation. For example, the womens and environmentalist movements.

* Pressure groups increase social cohesion and political stability by providing a safety-valve outlet for individual and collective grievances and demands.

* Pressure groups assist the surveillance of the government by exposing information it would rather keep secret, thereby reinforcing and complementing work of opposition through political parties.

* Pressure groups thereby improve the accountability of decision makers to electorates.

Difference between political parties and pressure groups

Political PartiesPressure Groups

Pressure groups are not primarily political in nature. E.g. RSS supports the BJP, it is, by and large, a cultural organizationThe political parties are basically political

Pressure groups do not seek direct power; they only influence those who are in power for moulding decisions in their favourThe political parties seek power to form the government

Pressure groups do not contest elections; they only support political parties of their choicePolitical parties nominate candidates, contest elections, and participate in election campaigns.

Pressure groups do not necessarily have political ideologiesPolitical parties are always wedded to their ideologies

The interests of the pressure groups are usually specific and particularPolitical parties have policies and programmes with national and international ramifications



Civil Society Organizations: A New Form of Mass Pressure Tactics in India


* Civil Society Organizations broadly refer to the active participation and engagement of men and women in groups associations, organizations, voluntary agencies on the issues of common concern like environmental protection, price rise, prevention of corruption, etc.

* Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are established by citizens of the country, to pursue certain interests.

* These act as pressure groups on the government, to promote implementation of policies in their areas of concerns.

* These are run by ordinary persons who feel strongly committed to certain issues.

* Many ordinary persons come together informally or formally to share their feelings about different issues and prevailing social injustice.

* Civil Society is an interface between the state and individual.

* Civil Society Organizations help to reach out to many people.

* They provide a channel for people to express their grievances and also work constructively for the change.

* They point out when the government is not fulfilling its promises to the nation.

* They attract idealistic and committed young people, even acting as a space for teaching and learning good citizenship.



Present Scenario


* The 21st century witnessed the active involvement of people through civil society organizations which could be seen in number of protest movements across country.

* People take up issues of gender discrimination, child labour, street children and so on, and contribute through individual and collective action.

* Such organizations put pressure on the government for changing policies on many important issues such as corruption, human rights, livelihood of different people, environmental protection, women empowerment, educational and health issues.

* Such organizations are able to mobilize public opinion because these issues are relevant to many people in society. Some of the Civil Society Organizations include Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS, Rajasthan), Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM), National Alliance of Womens Organizations (NAWO), Medico Friends Circle (MFC), and many others.

* Some important leaders of Civil Society Organizations in recent times include Aruna Roy (Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan), Ela Bhatt (Self-Employed Womens Association), Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan) and Anna Hazare (India Against Corruption).

* In the North-Eastern State of Manipur, many groups including Just Peace, Apunba Lup (students organization) and Meira Paibis (womens groups) are trying to influence the government to listen to peoples genuine grievances. Together, these groups are associated with Irom Sharmila, a civil rights activist known as the Iron Lady of Manipur who has been on a hunger strike since November 2000. Irom Sharmila wants that the government should repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which is responsible for violence in her State and other parts of North-East India, and respect peoples democratic right to life

* All these organizations involve a large number of people who struggle to bring about changes in State policies.

* Many of the organizations and groups believe in following non-violent method










Media as Pressure Group

* Press is a very powerful means of social change.

* Act as pressure group for the interest of common people and reveals the all deeds of the government.

* Mass media in its full swing of working can openly criticize the government and have right to place their view on certain situation.

* Mass media helps to generate a common platform which tries to focus on core issues of the society and its need.

* Media role is as much important in influencing activities of the political parties as that of other pressure group working to strive certain specific goals.

* Media acts as agent of change, focusing on social development of society

Criticism of Pressure groups
Pressure group in India are basically criticized on the following grounds-

1. Focus on parochial interest - Pressure group getting influence by their sectional and local interest more as compared to their common interest.

2. Lack of effective membership - Pressure groups do not have well developed infrastructure which can help them in regular way pursuing their interest.

3. Dominance of single party system - In India for long time there have been single party dominance and these powerful political party do not want to be ruled by any pressure groups.

4. Lack of autonomous existence - Most of the pressure groups except business groups does not have an independent autonomous existence of their own. Most of them dominated by political parties, which tries to divide each pressure group and have strong hold over one group at least.

5. Varying life span - In India we have loose and disorganized multiparty system hence even pressure group appears big and small with varying life span that appears and disappears.

6. Unstable - Pressure group lacks stability and commitment which results in shift in their loyalties according to changing political situation.

7. Ineffective for interest articulation - pressure group like trade union in India lacked trained and competent functionaries. They have not been effective agents of interest articulation in India.

8. Use of unconstitutional method - Pressure groups in India tries to influence the government mainly through various unconstitutional methods as strikes, agitation, demonstration, lockouts etc.

9. Sometimes led to mass violence - Pressure group involves with protest and certain radicalization of political life results into mass violence. For example Naxalites movement starting after fourth general election of 1967 in west Bengal.

10. Threat to democratic set up - The tendency of pressure group to resort to coercion to secure the solution of a socio-political problem in streets could be regarded as a serious threat to democratic set up.

Pushpender Singh (Goodwill entry)