Pressure Groups and Their Role in Indian polity
ABSTRACT
Pressure groups seek favourable policy decisions and administrative dispositions. This is influenced not by the formal constitutional structure of governments as to the distribution of effective power within a governmental apparatus. Influential organisation or associations that seek to promote specific interest and exert pressure on the government or their goals are called Pressure groups. The Pressure group serves as a point of contact for the government’s citizens, it enables individuals to associate with one another and voice their interest and grievances which are essential rights in any democracy. Pressure groups are organised groups of people who seek to promote their specific interest and exert pressure on the government or the decision makers for the fulfilment of their interest.
Pressure groups are non-aligned groups and work as indirect but powerful groups to influence the decisions of the system. Pressure groups have limited and narrow focused areas and issues, a pressure group is a public body acting outside the domain of political parties constitute government and perform within the system. Pressure groups pressurise the executive and legislative to achieve their aims, whereas political parties attempt to bring coordination in the working of the executive and legislative bodies. It use both conventional and non-conventional methods to demonstrate their demands, whereas political parties only use constitutional means to execute their duties and functions.
KEYWORDS – Pressure groups, Administrative System, political parties, legislation, public policy, Civil society, Narrow domain, External to the Government, Protection of interest, Policy Implementation, Policy Formulations, Political Participation, Public Opinion, Electioneering, Lobbying, Propagandizing, Advocate Democracy, Encourage Legislators, Political Awareness, Promote political education, political organisations, Functional Representation.
INTRODUCTION
Pressure groups play a significant role in Indian polity, representing various interests and exerting influence on government policies and decisions. The history of pressure groups in India dates back to pre-independence times when organizations like the Indian National Congress and All India Muslim League mobilized masses for political goals. Post-independence, pressure groups diversified to include industry associations, trade unions, environmental groups, and more, each advocating for their respective agendas. These groups often use tactics like lobbying, protests, and advocacy to influence government actions, making them crucial actors in the Indian political landscape1. The members of such organized groups are united regarding some specific interests they tend to advance. For example, the workers of a factory are organized in what is called a trade union to promote their interests. A pressure group is an organized group of people that aims to influence public opinion or policies/actions of government. It includes churches and charities, businesses and trade associations, trade unions and professional associations, think tanks of various complexions etc. Purpose of a Pressure Group Although
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1.https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream
some pressure groups were set up for the specific purpose of influencing government, many pressure groups exist for other purposes and only engage in politics as a secondary or associated activity.
As pressure groups exert influence on government from outside, they do not therefore put candidates up for election. In that sense, they are part of civil society. These groups use various methods to achieve their aims including lobbying, research campaigns, media campaigns, policy briefs and polls. Pressure groups can therefore act as a channel of communication between the people and government. They influence policy-making and policy implementation in the government through legal or legitimate methods like lobbying, correspondence, publicity, propagandizing, petitioning, public debating, maintaining contacts with their legislators, etc.
FUNCTIONS, ROLE & IMPORTANCE OF PRESSURE GROUPS
Pluralists argue that pressure group politics is a very important stuff for democracy because these groups play different kind of roles and functions which helped in advancing the idea of pluralist democracy. In this regard, a pluralist, Robert Dahl believes that democracy is based on the notion of one person one vote with the emphasis on the role of the individual, is that in modern society there are so many individuals, each of them has carried one will which also would no weight as such. Therefore, in this situation, the only way that the individual can successfully articulate interests is in conjunction with others. The following role & functions of pressure groups as follows:
Interest Articulation: Pressure Groups bring the demands and needs of the people to the notice of the decision-makers. The process by which the claims of the people get crystallized and articulated is called interest articulation.
Pressure Groups and Administration: Pressure Groups are actively involved with the process of administration. Through lobbying with the bureaucracy, the pressure groups are usually in a position to influence the process of policy implementation.
Role in Judicial Administration: Pressure Groups try to use the judicial system for securing and safeguarding their interests. Interest groups often seek access to the court for redressal of their grievances against the government as well as for getting declared a particular decision or policy as unconstitutional.
They try to gain public support and sympathy for their goals and their activity by carrying out information campaigns, organising meetings, file petitions, etc. Most of these groups try to influence the media into giving attention to these issues. Pressure groups help to educate people, compile data and provide specific information to policy makers, thus they work as an informal source of information. Active constructive participation of numerous groups in polity helps to reconcile general interest with individual group interests2.
Representation:
Pressure groups provide a mouthpiece for groups and interests that are not adequately represented through the electoral process or by political parties. This occurs, in part, because groups are concerned with the specific rather than the general groups articulate the views or interests of particular groups and focus on specific causes. It has even been argued that pressure groups provide an alternative to the formal representative process through what has been called functional representation.
2. https://www.nios.ac.in/media/documents/SecSocSciCour/English/Lesson-21.pdf
CLASSIFICATION OF PRESSURE GROUPS
In India, in a pluralistic society within the democratic framework number of pressure groups are performing in different sectors. They can be classified into five categories:
Professional pressure groups (FICCI, CII, Trade unions, Farmers unions, student unions, etc.) Socio-cultural pressure groups (RSS, VHP, Jamat-e-Islami, Harijan Sevak Sangh, Tamil Sangh, etc.) Institutional pressure groups (Police welfare association, War widow association, etc.) Anomic pressure groups (Naxals, etc.) Ad hoc pressure groups (formed during disasters in various parts of the country, etc.) Apart from these, some ideology-based pressure groups are performing in India, like Narmada Bachao Andolan, Chipko Movement, Women’s Rights Organisation, etc. These all pressure groups, like in other countries, are expected to function as a bridge and source of communication between the mass and political systems. They are expected to sensitise people toward various social and economic issues
RECENT ISSUES WITH PRESSURE GROUPS IN INDIA DEMOCRACY
Politicisation and crony capitalism due to political funding Resorting to unconstitutional means and violence on different occasions Non – organised structure and lack of governance Unaccounted foreign funding has destabilizing effect on economy Vote bank politics Lack of accountability and transparency Narrow perspective and lobbying which leads to increase in inequality Propagating extremism. Pressure groups in India, by and large, have no political commitment. They are weak and do not openly extend their support to the political party other than the one which is in power. They hesitate to displease authorities and the government. It is hoped that these groups will always be non-violent and follow secular policies. These groups try to strengthen only such parties, which they feel are likely to come to power, if already not in authority. For them their own interests are supreme and paramount and when they feel that these clash with those of the others, in order to preserve their interests, they go to the other extreme end. Pressure groups in India have not been very successful because of several reasons. The main reason for this is that they have failed to organise themselves as a second body. They have no well-developed infrastructure which can help in regularly and vigorously pursuing their interests. Single party dominant system at the centre is also considerably responsible for their slow growth. Political parties do not wish that any serious challenge be thrown to their authority even by powerful pressure groups. Not only this, but even pressure groups have tried to develop under the patronage of political parties. The funds are provided to them in a bid to go near them and directions are received from political bosses. Even political parties try to divide each pressure group and to have a strong hold over one such group at least.
Then by and large they follow negative methods for getting their work done. As is well known such a method is negative rather than being the positive one. Then another cause of their slow growth is that in India individual legislators have not been found very effective by the pressure groups. Each such group realises that because of party discipline and with the operation of the Anti-Defection Act, each legislator must vote on party lines3. Thus, contacts should be developed with the party and not with any individual legislator. The pressure groups also realise that in India bureaucracy is very strong and can help them a lot. But somehow so far these groups, by and large, have failed to corrupt bureaucracy. There is also no unity in pressure groups. In fact, there is no group which is not a house bitterly divided into several factions and sub-groups, one speaking openly against the other. In several cases there is also a lack of good leaders. In several cases pressure group leaders try to become political leaders. Their political ambitions frustrate the basic character of the pressure group. Most of the pressure groups like trade unions, student organisations, etc., are not financially very sound and without finances these cannot function effectively.
3. https://www.drishtiias.com/pdf/1605592142-pressure-group.pdf
It is common knowledge that Indian democracy is undergoing a fundamental transformation. This has been marked by several changes including systemic ones in the nature of electoral competition, a multi-fold increase in the size of the middle class, penetration of social media, and the withering away of old hierarchies, amongst others. The social and geographical expansion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014, has altered the political landscape resulting in further marginalisation of the Congress, the decimation of the Left Front, and the decline in the strength of state-level parties. The BJP has made significant gains across the board, which has lessened the differences between various voting blocs curated in the past along with other social cleavages. Similarly, state-level specificities that dominated the discourse in the previous two decades, now have somewhat diminished status in electoral analyses, especially to understand the contours of national politics4.
ROLE OF JUDICIARY
In a democracy, the Constitution reigns supreme, with the Judiciary serving as its guardian. Democracy allows people to participate in decision-making through elected representatives or direct involvement. The separation of powers divides governance into three branches: the Legislature makes laws, representing public interests; the Executive enforces laws, led by a President or Prime Minister; and the Judiciary interprets and applies laws, ensuring constitutional compliance and safeguarding rights. This separation prevents the concentration of power. In parliamentary systems like India, the Executive and Legislature are interdependent. The Judiciary acts as a vital check, upholding the Rule of Law and protecting against power abuses, ensuring a balanced democratic system The Judiciary has the power to review any law or executive action that it considers violating the provisions of the Constitution. This power is exercised through the process of judicial review, which is the power of the Judiciary to declare a law or executive action unconstitutional. This power of judicial review has been instrumental in shaping the Constitution of India and ensuring that the provisions of the Constitution are implemented effectively. Judicial review is adopted by the Constitution of India from the Constitution of the USA. In India, judicial review is broad in scope and deals with a variety of issues. Electoral Bonds were a mode of funding for political parties in India from their introduction in 2017 till they were struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on 15 February 2024.The Supreme Court has the power of Judicial Review in various ways, including when there is a conflict between the Centre and States, or when there is a violation of the jurisdiction exercised by the Legislature and Executive. Most importantly, the Supreme Court is the guardian of Fundamental Rights. It protects the fundamental rights of Indian citizens, through issuing various writs provided under Article 32. Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in India empowers citizens to address issues affecting the public at large, not just individually. The judiciary has actively used PILs to champion environmental protection, sustainable development, and wildlife preservation. It has been instrumental in upholding individual liberties, including the right to privacy, freedom of speech, and combating discrimination. Landmark judgments have also advanced education, women’s rights, and decriminalized homosexuality, leading to significant social change.
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4.https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/big-picture-understanding-interest-groups-political-line/article66581470.ece
CONCLUSION
Pressure groups are now considered as a helpful and indispensable element of the democratic process. The society has become highly complex and individuals cannot pursue their interests on their own. They need the support of other fellow beings in order to gain greater bargaining power. This gives rise to pressure groups based on common interests. For a long time, these groups remained unnoticed. Initially they were considered as harmful for the democratic process, but now their role in the political process has become very important. Democratic politics has to be politics through consultation and negotiation and some amount of bargaining is also involved as well. Thus, it is very essential for the government to consult these organised groups at the time of policy formulation and implementation. Pressure groups play a vital role in shaping Indian democracy by advocating for diverse interests and holding institutions accountable. Moving forward, fostering transparency, promoting constructive dialogue, and ensuring inclusive representation can enhance the effectiveness and legitimacy of pressure groups activities in India5.
—————————————–5.http://insightsonindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pressure-groups.pdf
Written by Hariraghava jp
