Pressure groups and democratic governance - An Indian perspective
- 2015
- p.411-422.
- Jul-Sep
Interests groups pursuing the causes they believe in and persuading the political parties, governments and legislatures during and between elections are an integral part of vibrant democratic process. The author draws and evaluates a sharp contrast between two fundamental approaches of pressure groups persuading larger causes of public interest. One being the usage of hartals, bandhs, rasta rokos, obstructionism and indefinite fasts as coercisive weapons in pressurising governments or legislatures to concede their demands and the second is quiet, systematic and consistent persuasion of elected governments and legislatures and non-obstructive forms of dissent to bring institutional reforms. While establishing that the increasing erosion of legitimacy of the political process has propelled the adoption of the first approach, which made India ungovernable and chaotic, the author sets out nine vital conditions to be fulfilled in order for a democracy to mature and various interest groups to play a constructive, positive role in deepening democracy and enhancing our liberties.
Interest groups - India Democratization - India Interest groups