Practice Questions

Evaluate Mahatma Gandhi's choice of salt as a symbol of resistance during the freedom struggle.

List two classical peasant movements that occurred around the time of Indian Independence.

Contrast the defining features of a social movement with a spontaneous, disorganized protest.

Propose one reason why the All-India Women's Conference (AIWC) shifted its focus from being exclusively about 'women's welfare' to including 'national freedom'.

Analyze the key differences between reformist and revolutionary social movements, providing one example of each from the source text.

Name the first trade union established in India and the year it was formed.

Justify why Indian nationalists refer to the 1857 uprising as 'the first war of Independence' rather than a 'mutiny' as the British colonial rulers did.

Who was Birsa Munda and what was his significance for the Jharkhand movement?

Name two early 20th-century women's organizations in India mentioned in the chapter.

What is a counter movement? Provide an example from the text.

Analyze the defining characteristics of the 'new farmers' movements' that began in the 1970s in India.

Examine the role of political parties in the evolution of the trade union movement in India, referencing the AITUC and INTUC.

Define what a social movement is according to the features listed in the text.

Analyze why the Dalit movement is described as a struggle for recognition and self-dignity, beyond just economic exploitation.

Explain the difference between a social movement and social change.

Recall the main demands of the People's Charter during the Chartist movement in England.

Identify the key issues that formed the basis of the Chipko Movement.

Summarize the primary struggle of the Dalit movements as described in the text.

Describe the characteristics of the new farmers' movements that began in the 1970s.

Recall the meaning of the term 'dikus' in the context of the Jharkhand movement.

Analyze how Mahatma Gandhi applied the strategy of satyagraha to transform everyday items into symbols of resistance during the freedom struggle.

Examine the role of counter-movements in response to 19th-century social reform efforts in India, using two examples from the text.

Contrast the primary concerns and organizational structures of 'old' social movements with those of 'new' social movements.

Contrast the focus of early 20th-century women's organizations with the issues taken up during the renewal of the women's movement in the mid-1970s.

Analyze the main distinction between peasant movements like the Tebhaga struggle and the new farmers' movements of the 1970s.

Evaluate the effectiveness of counter-movements in resisting social change, using the example of the Dharma Sabha's opposition to the campaign against sati.

Propose a strategy for a modern social movement in India to effectively integrate traditional protest methods with contemporary digital tools for mobilization.

Propose two key demands that a contemporary workers' movement might advocate for, considering the impacts of globalization and outsourcing.

Critique the argument that the women's movement in post-1947 India experienced a 'lull' until its renewal in the 1970s.

Evaluate the role of literate adivasi intellectuals in the formation of a unified Jharkhandi identity and the movement for a separate state.

Justify the classification of the Naxalite movement as a 'revolutionary' social movement based on its stated objectives.

Formulate an argument explaining why Dalit movements are fundamentally a struggle for recognition and self-dignity, extending beyond economic or political oppression.

Compare the sociological perspectives of Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx on social movements and collective action.

Justify the use of the term 'Dalit' by neo-Buddhist activists as a form of political and social assertion.

Examine the key factors that contributed to the formation of a unified Jharkhandi identity during the movement for a separate state.

Compare the primary objectives of the Chartism movement in 19th century Britain with the demands of early Indian nationalists regarding political representation.

Analyze the impact of the colonial state's policies on the political mobilization of caste in India.

Critique the view of social movements as forces of 'disorder' from the perspective of E. P. Thompson's concept of a 'moral economy'.

Critique the classification of social movements into 'old' and 'new' categories, evaluating its applicability to the Indian context where issues of economic inequality and identity politics are often interlinked.

Examine how the Chipko Movement demonstrates an intersection of economic, ecological, and political concerns.

Describe the three types of social movements: redemptive, reformist, and revolutionary, providing one example for each.

Design a campaign for a 'new farmers' movement' that addresses both economic grievances and broader 'quality-of-life' issues.

Formulate a plan for a hypothetical social movement aimed at addressing urban environmental pollution, incorporating the multi-faceted approach of the Chipko movement.

Explain the main differences between 'old' and 'new' social movements.

Explain why the renewal of the women's movement in the mid-1970s is sometimes called the 'second phase'.