Notes: Social Movements in Modern India | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

 Page 1


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
C5 - Social Movements in Modern India 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
Women’s movement. 
Backward classes & Dalit movement. 
Environmental movements. 
Ethnicity and Identity movements. 
 
A social movement essential involves sustained collective mobilization through either formal or 
informal organisation that is generally oriented towards bringing about change either partial or 
total in the existing system of relationship, values and norms. 
 
Social movements  
1. Integrate  
2. Highlight  
3. Safety valve | Mediator  
 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
 
1. Eric Wolf considers that peasants are population that are extensively involved in 
cultivation and make customary decisions regarding the process of cultivation 
2. Peasant movements 
1. When people living in village communities practicing small time subsistence 
agriculture cutting across caste; rebel against taxation policy, nature and form 
of land control, introduction of new technology, eviction of land etc. 
2. Such kinds of organized protest are identified as peasant movement. 
3. Therefore social mobilization centering on the question of distribution of land, 
land related taxes, problems of rural labour comes under the jurisdiction of 
farmer and peasants movements 
 
Teodre Shanin:  
Paradoxical social identity. Usually subordinate, marginalized. Culturally unsystematic, 
unreflective, little tradition. Subsistence Economy. Politically driven by out siders.  
Caste obstructs Farmer Movements. 
 
Page 2


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
C5 - Social Movements in Modern India 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
Women’s movement. 
Backward classes & Dalit movement. 
Environmental movements. 
Ethnicity and Identity movements. 
 
A social movement essential involves sustained collective mobilization through either formal or 
informal organisation that is generally oriented towards bringing about change either partial or 
total in the existing system of relationship, values and norms. 
 
Social movements  
1. Integrate  
2. Highlight  
3. Safety valve | Mediator  
 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
 
1. Eric Wolf considers that peasants are population that are extensively involved in 
cultivation and make customary decisions regarding the process of cultivation 
2. Peasant movements 
1. When people living in village communities practicing small time subsistence 
agriculture cutting across caste; rebel against taxation policy, nature and form 
of land control, introduction of new technology, eviction of land etc. 
2. Such kinds of organized protest are identified as peasant movement. 
3. Therefore social mobilization centering on the question of distribution of land, 
land related taxes, problems of rural labour comes under the jurisdiction of 
farmer and peasants movements 
 
Teodre Shanin:  
Paradoxical social identity. Usually subordinate, marginalized. Culturally unsystematic, 
unreflective, little tradition. Subsistence Economy. Politically driven by out siders.  
Caste obstructs Farmer Movements. 
 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
AR Desai ->  
Before Independence -: Peasant movement | After Independence -> Agrarian Movement.  
 
K.K. Sarkar:- Tebhaga, AP + Land grab, UP  
- Caste gave death to movements  
 
Barrington Moore -> Supports the view that caste obstructs Peasant movements.  
(People fight for own castes only). 
 
3. Peasant Movement in India can be broadly categorized into 3 schools of thought 
1. Peasant movement absent- (Barrington Moore and Hayke ) 
1. Peasant movement in India is absent and social change in India is 
different on that of feudal Europe and Socialist China. 
2. Believes that Peasant Movement would never be possible in India because 
Indian peasantry is not driven by objective class consciousness. 
3. The subjective consciousness driven by religion, caste and language divide 
the Indian peasantry ---> many peasants consider that terms and condition 
imposed by landlords acceptable. 
4. Therefore Indian agriculture prior to or after independence is neither feudal 
nor capitalist. 
5. Critics 
1. communal consciousness is elastic in nature 
2. Champaran Satyagraha e.g. 
- No objective class consciousness  
- Only subjective class consciousness Driven by Religion caste Language. 
- Landlords conditions acceptable 
 
2. Similar to Europe- (e.g;Marxist like Gail Omvedt, Hardiman, Ashok Rudra and 
others) 
1. Peasant Movement in India is more or less similar to Proletarian 
movement as in case of feudal Europe. 
2. different Peasant Movement in India prior to Indian independence 
emphasized on common economic agenda like abolition of intermediaries, 
improvement in infrastructural conditions for agricultural pursuits, rebellion 
Page 3


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
C5 - Social Movements in Modern India 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
Women’s movement. 
Backward classes & Dalit movement. 
Environmental movements. 
Ethnicity and Identity movements. 
 
A social movement essential involves sustained collective mobilization through either formal or 
informal organisation that is generally oriented towards bringing about change either partial or 
total in the existing system of relationship, values and norms. 
 
Social movements  
1. Integrate  
2. Highlight  
3. Safety valve | Mediator  
 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
 
1. Eric Wolf considers that peasants are population that are extensively involved in 
cultivation and make customary decisions regarding the process of cultivation 
2. Peasant movements 
1. When people living in village communities practicing small time subsistence 
agriculture cutting across caste; rebel against taxation policy, nature and form 
of land control, introduction of new technology, eviction of land etc. 
2. Such kinds of organized protest are identified as peasant movement. 
3. Therefore social mobilization centering on the question of distribution of land, 
land related taxes, problems of rural labour comes under the jurisdiction of 
farmer and peasants movements 
 
Teodre Shanin:  
Paradoxical social identity. Usually subordinate, marginalized. Culturally unsystematic, 
unreflective, little tradition. Subsistence Economy. Politically driven by out siders.  
Caste obstructs Farmer Movements. 
 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
AR Desai ->  
Before Independence -: Peasant movement | After Independence -> Agrarian Movement.  
 
K.K. Sarkar:- Tebhaga, AP + Land grab, UP  
- Caste gave death to movements  
 
Barrington Moore -> Supports the view that caste obstructs Peasant movements.  
(People fight for own castes only). 
 
3. Peasant Movement in India can be broadly categorized into 3 schools of thought 
1. Peasant movement absent- (Barrington Moore and Hayke ) 
1. Peasant movement in India is absent and social change in India is 
different on that of feudal Europe and Socialist China. 
2. Believes that Peasant Movement would never be possible in India because 
Indian peasantry is not driven by objective class consciousness. 
3. The subjective consciousness driven by religion, caste and language divide 
the Indian peasantry ---> many peasants consider that terms and condition 
imposed by landlords acceptable. 
4. Therefore Indian agriculture prior to or after independence is neither feudal 
nor capitalist. 
5. Critics 
1. communal consciousness is elastic in nature 
2. Champaran Satyagraha e.g. 
- No objective class consciousness  
- Only subjective class consciousness Driven by Religion caste Language. 
- Landlords conditions acceptable 
 
2. Similar to Europe- (e.g;Marxist like Gail Omvedt, Hardiman, Ashok Rudra and 
others) 
1. Peasant Movement in India is more or less similar to Proletarian 
movement as in case of feudal Europe. 
2. different Peasant Movement in India prior to Indian independence 
emphasized on common economic agenda like abolition of intermediaries, 
improvement in infrastructural conditions for agricultural pursuits, rebellion 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
against excessive taxation. Formation of village cooperative, abolition of 
forced labour, fixation of rent on the basis of produce and other related 
economic issues. They also argue that excessive exploitation leading to 
marginalization of millions of peasants, in India offer conductive platforms 
for the mobilization of peasantry in Indian society. Therefore Peasant 
mobilization in India carrying different names, organized by different 
leaders, appearing in different geographical regions unified the deprived 
sections of society. Hence it is a form of organized class movement. 
- Similar to feudal Europe  
- Common Economic agenda  against -> Intermediate, Bad agri Infra, Excessive Taxation  
- Movement organized 
 
3. Nationalist perspective- (Nationalist perspectives of Dhanagere, Ashok Gadgil). 
1. Indian peasantry is not an economic class. Therefore peasants are 
microscopic unit of macroscopic Indian society. Peasant 
Movement should be considered as a foundation to national 
movement than being a struggle for procuring right over land or produce 
2. They consider that nationalist movement in India started with agrarian 
question and ultimately contributed for making independence India This 
school of thought indicated that anti–colonial work started from villages and 
expanded to macrostructure of Indian social and political life. 
- Peasantry not an eco. Class  
- Micro. Unit of Macro Indian soc.  
- Foundation to INM (Not fight for land or Produce)   
- Anti – colonial work started in villages 
 
4. Transition from peasant to farmer movements 
1. Most of the Peasant Movement from 19th century to 1920 --> reflexive, issue 
based, temporal and community oriented movements which demanded 
concession than asking for structural change. 
2. These movements cannot be considered as class consciousness in Marxian sense 
of the term asnot driven by crystallized ideology asking for complete breakdown 
of economic structure. 
Page 4


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
C5 - Social Movements in Modern India 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
Women’s movement. 
Backward classes & Dalit movement. 
Environmental movements. 
Ethnicity and Identity movements. 
 
A social movement essential involves sustained collective mobilization through either formal or 
informal organisation that is generally oriented towards bringing about change either partial or 
total in the existing system of relationship, values and norms. 
 
Social movements  
1. Integrate  
2. Highlight  
3. Safety valve | Mediator  
 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
 
1. Eric Wolf considers that peasants are population that are extensively involved in 
cultivation and make customary decisions regarding the process of cultivation 
2. Peasant movements 
1. When people living in village communities practicing small time subsistence 
agriculture cutting across caste; rebel against taxation policy, nature and form 
of land control, introduction of new technology, eviction of land etc. 
2. Such kinds of organized protest are identified as peasant movement. 
3. Therefore social mobilization centering on the question of distribution of land, 
land related taxes, problems of rural labour comes under the jurisdiction of 
farmer and peasants movements 
 
Teodre Shanin:  
Paradoxical social identity. Usually subordinate, marginalized. Culturally unsystematic, 
unreflective, little tradition. Subsistence Economy. Politically driven by out siders.  
Caste obstructs Farmer Movements. 
 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
AR Desai ->  
Before Independence -: Peasant movement | After Independence -> Agrarian Movement.  
 
K.K. Sarkar:- Tebhaga, AP + Land grab, UP  
- Caste gave death to movements  
 
Barrington Moore -> Supports the view that caste obstructs Peasant movements.  
(People fight for own castes only). 
 
3. Peasant Movement in India can be broadly categorized into 3 schools of thought 
1. Peasant movement absent- (Barrington Moore and Hayke ) 
1. Peasant movement in India is absent and social change in India is 
different on that of feudal Europe and Socialist China. 
2. Believes that Peasant Movement would never be possible in India because 
Indian peasantry is not driven by objective class consciousness. 
3. The subjective consciousness driven by religion, caste and language divide 
the Indian peasantry ---> many peasants consider that terms and condition 
imposed by landlords acceptable. 
4. Therefore Indian agriculture prior to or after independence is neither feudal 
nor capitalist. 
5. Critics 
1. communal consciousness is elastic in nature 
2. Champaran Satyagraha e.g. 
- No objective class consciousness  
- Only subjective class consciousness Driven by Religion caste Language. 
- Landlords conditions acceptable 
 
2. Similar to Europe- (e.g;Marxist like Gail Omvedt, Hardiman, Ashok Rudra and 
others) 
1. Peasant Movement in India is more or less similar to Proletarian 
movement as in case of feudal Europe. 
2. different Peasant Movement in India prior to Indian independence 
emphasized on common economic agenda like abolition of intermediaries, 
improvement in infrastructural conditions for agricultural pursuits, rebellion 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
against excessive taxation. Formation of village cooperative, abolition of 
forced labour, fixation of rent on the basis of produce and other related 
economic issues. They also argue that excessive exploitation leading to 
marginalization of millions of peasants, in India offer conductive platforms 
for the mobilization of peasantry in Indian society. Therefore Peasant 
mobilization in India carrying different names, organized by different 
leaders, appearing in different geographical regions unified the deprived 
sections of society. Hence it is a form of organized class movement. 
- Similar to feudal Europe  
- Common Economic agenda  against -> Intermediate, Bad agri Infra, Excessive Taxation  
- Movement organized 
 
3. Nationalist perspective- (Nationalist perspectives of Dhanagere, Ashok Gadgil). 
1. Indian peasantry is not an economic class. Therefore peasants are 
microscopic unit of macroscopic Indian society. Peasant 
Movement should be considered as a foundation to national 
movement than being a struggle for procuring right over land or produce 
2. They consider that nationalist movement in India started with agrarian 
question and ultimately contributed for making independence India This 
school of thought indicated that anti–colonial work started from villages and 
expanded to macrostructure of Indian social and political life. 
- Peasantry not an eco. Class  
- Micro. Unit of Macro Indian soc.  
- Foundation to INM (Not fight for land or Produce)   
- Anti – colonial work started in villages 
 
4. Transition from peasant to farmer movements 
1. Most of the Peasant Movement from 19th century to 1920 --> reflexive, issue 
based, temporal and community oriented movements which demanded 
concession than asking for structural change. 
2. These movements cannot be considered as class consciousness in Marxian sense 
of the term asnot driven by crystallized ideology asking for complete breakdown 
of economic structure. 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
3. However after 1920 integrative, articulate, issue based farmers movements 
demanded complete social change and alternation in control are Mode of 
production. 
4. A shift from subclass movement to class movement’. P.C. Joshi indicates that 
a shift from Peasant Movement to farmer movements speaks about change of 
feudalist India to capitalists India. 
From Peasant to Farmer Movements  
Before 1920   After 1920 
- Issue based    Integrating  
- Temporary    change structure  
- Community based   Alter control, MoP 
(less spread) 
 
5. Post Independence movements- 
1. Gadgil --> Rising farmer Movement in India that can be attributed to capitalist 
adventure like green revolution and growth of co – operative in Indian 
agriculture. 
1. Green revolution has consolidated rich and middle classes. These classes 
have developed frontal organization to protest safeguard their interest. One 
such of is the rise of ‘Bharathiya kisan union’ as pressure group extracting 
varieties of benefits in favour of privileged section of Indian Peasantry. 
2. Kannan finds out most co – operative movements have offered privilege to 
the rich and middle peasants who have larger share of co operative holding 
and ultimately got benefitted i.e., justified by their frontal political 
organization 
Farmer Movements:  
- GR  
- Growth of co – op. in agri.  
 
1. In contemporary, India farmers are committing suicide in different parts of country as the 
targeted benefits for the farmers are pocketed by the rich peasantry 
1. Chakravarti calls this hegemonic domination is persistent in India is reacted by 
the landless masses in terms of popular mobilization like peoples union for civil 
rights. Peoples union for democratic rights and Maoist movement in different parts 
of country 
Suicides by Margined farmer .: benefits pocketed by rich Peasant (Hegemonic Domination) 
Page 5


 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
C5 - Social Movements in Modern India 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
Women’s movement. 
Backward classes & Dalit movement. 
Environmental movements. 
Ethnicity and Identity movements. 
 
A social movement essential involves sustained collective mobilization through either formal or 
informal organisation that is generally oriented towards bringing about change either partial or 
total in the existing system of relationship, values and norms. 
 
Social movements  
1. Integrate  
2. Highlight  
3. Safety valve | Mediator  
 
Peasants and farmers movements. 
 
1. Eric Wolf considers that peasants are population that are extensively involved in 
cultivation and make customary decisions regarding the process of cultivation 
2. Peasant movements 
1. When people living in village communities practicing small time subsistence 
agriculture cutting across caste; rebel against taxation policy, nature and form 
of land control, introduction of new technology, eviction of land etc. 
2. Such kinds of organized protest are identified as peasant movement. 
3. Therefore social mobilization centering on the question of distribution of land, 
land related taxes, problems of rural labour comes under the jurisdiction of 
farmer and peasants movements 
 
Teodre Shanin:  
Paradoxical social identity. Usually subordinate, marginalized. Culturally unsystematic, 
unreflective, little tradition. Subsistence Economy. Politically driven by out siders.  
Caste obstructs Farmer Movements. 
 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
AR Desai ->  
Before Independence -: Peasant movement | After Independence -> Agrarian Movement.  
 
K.K. Sarkar:- Tebhaga, AP + Land grab, UP  
- Caste gave death to movements  
 
Barrington Moore -> Supports the view that caste obstructs Peasant movements.  
(People fight for own castes only). 
 
3. Peasant Movement in India can be broadly categorized into 3 schools of thought 
1. Peasant movement absent- (Barrington Moore and Hayke ) 
1. Peasant movement in India is absent and social change in India is 
different on that of feudal Europe and Socialist China. 
2. Believes that Peasant Movement would never be possible in India because 
Indian peasantry is not driven by objective class consciousness. 
3. The subjective consciousness driven by religion, caste and language divide 
the Indian peasantry ---> many peasants consider that terms and condition 
imposed by landlords acceptable. 
4. Therefore Indian agriculture prior to or after independence is neither feudal 
nor capitalist. 
5. Critics 
1. communal consciousness is elastic in nature 
2. Champaran Satyagraha e.g. 
- No objective class consciousness  
- Only subjective class consciousness Driven by Religion caste Language. 
- Landlords conditions acceptable 
 
2. Similar to Europe- (e.g;Marxist like Gail Omvedt, Hardiman, Ashok Rudra and 
others) 
1. Peasant Movement in India is more or less similar to Proletarian 
movement as in case of feudal Europe. 
2. different Peasant Movement in India prior to Indian independence 
emphasized on common economic agenda like abolition of intermediaries, 
improvement in infrastructural conditions for agricultural pursuits, rebellion 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
against excessive taxation. Formation of village cooperative, abolition of 
forced labour, fixation of rent on the basis of produce and other related 
economic issues. They also argue that excessive exploitation leading to 
marginalization of millions of peasants, in India offer conductive platforms 
for the mobilization of peasantry in Indian society. Therefore Peasant 
mobilization in India carrying different names, organized by different 
leaders, appearing in different geographical regions unified the deprived 
sections of society. Hence it is a form of organized class movement. 
- Similar to feudal Europe  
- Common Economic agenda  against -> Intermediate, Bad agri Infra, Excessive Taxation  
- Movement organized 
 
3. Nationalist perspective- (Nationalist perspectives of Dhanagere, Ashok Gadgil). 
1. Indian peasantry is not an economic class. Therefore peasants are 
microscopic unit of macroscopic Indian society. Peasant 
Movement should be considered as a foundation to national 
movement than being a struggle for procuring right over land or produce 
2. They consider that nationalist movement in India started with agrarian 
question and ultimately contributed for making independence India This 
school of thought indicated that anti–colonial work started from villages and 
expanded to macrostructure of Indian social and political life. 
- Peasantry not an eco. Class  
- Micro. Unit of Macro Indian soc.  
- Foundation to INM (Not fight for land or Produce)   
- Anti – colonial work started in villages 
 
4. Transition from peasant to farmer movements 
1. Most of the Peasant Movement from 19th century to 1920 --> reflexive, issue 
based, temporal and community oriented movements which demanded 
concession than asking for structural change. 
2. These movements cannot be considered as class consciousness in Marxian sense 
of the term asnot driven by crystallized ideology asking for complete breakdown 
of economic structure. 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
3. However after 1920 integrative, articulate, issue based farmers movements 
demanded complete social change and alternation in control are Mode of 
production. 
4. A shift from subclass movement to class movement’. P.C. Joshi indicates that 
a shift from Peasant Movement to farmer movements speaks about change of 
feudalist India to capitalists India. 
From Peasant to Farmer Movements  
Before 1920   After 1920 
- Issue based    Integrating  
- Temporary    change structure  
- Community based   Alter control, MoP 
(less spread) 
 
5. Post Independence movements- 
1. Gadgil --> Rising farmer Movement in India that can be attributed to capitalist 
adventure like green revolution and growth of co – operative in Indian 
agriculture. 
1. Green revolution has consolidated rich and middle classes. These classes 
have developed frontal organization to protest safeguard their interest. One 
such of is the rise of ‘Bharathiya kisan union’ as pressure group extracting 
varieties of benefits in favour of privileged section of Indian Peasantry. 
2. Kannan finds out most co – operative movements have offered privilege to 
the rich and middle peasants who have larger share of co operative holding 
and ultimately got benefitted i.e., justified by their frontal political 
organization 
Farmer Movements:  
- GR  
- Growth of co – op. in agri.  
 
1. In contemporary, India farmers are committing suicide in different parts of country as the 
targeted benefits for the farmers are pocketed by the rich peasantry 
1. Chakravarti calls this hegemonic domination is persistent in India is reacted by 
the landless masses in terms of popular mobilization like peoples union for civil 
rights. Peoples union for democratic rights and Maoist movement in different parts 
of country 
Suicides by Margined farmer .: benefits pocketed by rich Peasant (Hegemonic Domination) 
 
www.YouTube.com/SleepyClasses 
Sleepy Classes 
Women’s movement. 
 
Gender Equality: 4 dimensions (by oxford university)  
1) Redressing Disadvantage  
2) Countering stigma & violence  
3) Transforming Institution (social)  
4) Facilitating Political Participation  
Neera Desai : WM is sustained, collective action for achieving quality.  
 
Women’s Movement 
Pre Independence:  
Led by males  
Lacked participation of women 
But were meant for women -> RRMR, ICV, Malabari  
(exceptions – Pandita Ramaba; Sarojini Naidu) 
 
1920’s ->  
• Women’s India Association  
• Emergence of Gandhi & Non–violence 
• All India women’s conference  
• Increased participation of women in outside activities related to freedom struggle  
 
After Independence ->  
• Constitution ensured protective discrimination  
• But far below expectation.  
• Led to movements in 1960s  
• Various conference in UN related to women’s empowerment 
• Started people’s movement along with activities of the state 
 
Gail Omvedt:  
2 ideologies -  
1) Women’s equality movement -> Equaltiy in P, E, S  
2) Women’s Liberation movement - wants change of structure -> Challenges P, E, S  
 
1960’s -> Intellectual liberation movement  
3 heads (Economic)  
1) Developmental movements -> Eco. + Education status (SEWA, Lijjat Papad, coir 
movement worker)  
2) Ecological women movement  
Eco-Feminism – Women Problems related with ecological degradation (Chipko, Vesa-
Virar) 
3) Issue based (mainly launched by NGOs, civil society)