MODEL ANSWERS:
1. “Before landing in India in 1915, Gandhi had already refined his techniques of resistance and Satyagraha” In the context of the above statement, discuss the importance of his South African Experience?
Introduction
When Gandhi called for a nationwide Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act in March 1919, it was not the first attempt at leading an all-India struggle. In order to understand his method of Satyagraha, it is necessary to understand his South African experience, in 1893, when as a twenty-four old barrister, he began the struggle of Indians against racial discrimination in South Africa.
Body
Gandhiji’s political activities from 1894 to 1906 may be classified as the ‘Moderate’ phase of the struggle of the South African Indians.
During this phase, he concentrated on petitioning and sending memorials to the South African legislatures, the Colonial Secretary in London and the British Parliament.
He believed that if all the facts of the case were presented to the Imperial Government, the British sense of justice and fair play would be aroused and the Imperial Government would intervene on behalf of Indians who were, after all, British subjects.
His attempt was to unite the different sections of Indians, and to give their demands wide publicity.
This he tried to do through the setting up of the Natal Indian Congress and by starting a paper called Indian Opinion.
However, by 1906, Gandhiji, having fully tried the ‘Moderate’ methods of struggle, he was convinced that these would not lead anywhere.
He abandoned his moderate method and moved towards Satyagraha as a method.
It was first used when the Government enacted legislation making it compulsory for Indians to take out certificates of registration which held their finger prints. It was essential to carry these on person at all times. Gandhi used the method of Non-cooperation.
He moved towards civil disobedience when a new legislation was going to restrict Indian immigration.
Gandhiji set up Tolstoy Farm in 1908 which became the model he would use for Sabarmati Ashram.
When the South African Supreme Court invalidated all marriages not conducted according to Christian rites, Gandhi used both Non-cooperation and civil-disobedience method.
Eventually due to his Satyagraha, through a series of negotiations involving Gandhiji, the Viceroy, Lord Hardinge, C.F. Andrews and General Smuts, an agreement was reached by the Government of South Africa.
Conclusion
As demonstrated in the South African struggles, Gandhi had already refined his methods and when he became the pillar of the Indian national movement, he knew what methods were needed and more crucially had already abandoned his moderate method.
2. “Despite not being legally recognized, the Pressure groups in India have always played a significant role in public policy making.” In the light of this statement, elaborate how various business associations in India contribute to the making of public policies.
Introduction
A pressure group can be best defined as a group of people who have organised themselves proactively in order to promote and defend their common interest. They are not the same as political parties since they won’t take part in electoral politics and their activities are mainly confined to ensure the protection and promotion of the interests of their members, rather than the society as large.
The pressure groups utilize a large number of methods in order to influence the policymaking and policy implementation in the government, including publicity, lobbying, propaganda, petitioning, correspondence, public debating, and so forth.
Main Body
Business associations are membership based organisations which engage themselves in supporting and promoting the business interests of their members in the present and future. Most businesses witness a great impact of changing public policies and thus, they take great pains in ensuring that they are well informed about the upcoming public policies proposals at all levels of the government and also, try to influence such policies in a manner which is favourable to them. There are multiple examples of such organizations working in India, including FICCI (Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), ASSOCHAM (Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India), FAIFDA (Federation of All India Food Grain Dealers Association), etc.
Their contributions to public policies:
Such pressure groups engage with the policy makers at all levels by communicating to the government the grievances of the industries, specifically their members. This, in turn, influences the policy makers of the government. Thus, these groups act as the representatives and flag bearers of the entire industry, representing their interests to the government. Such pressure groups also work as a platform for various players to come together and build consensus on important issues. For this purpose, they take multiple initiatives such as conducting workshops, seminars and business meetings with large participation.
Apart from putting forward their views, these associations also play a key role in policy formulations by providing useful and credible research on existing and newer developments in multiple areas including emerging technology, industrial operations, infrastructure, etc, thus saving on the government’s time and money. They also bring to the government’s notice the best practices, as they exist around the world in their sphere of business.
Conclusion
In a representative democracy such as India, these business groups also have an indirect political role since they influence politics by various other methods. These may include political funding, ensuring support from the voters, etc. The bigger and organised the group is, the influence it can exert in the political process, and thereby extend the same influence in the sphere of public policy making.
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