Back to: MBOSE Social Science Class 10

Pressure Group: A pressure group is an organisation which attempts to influence government policies through protests and demonstrations. Pressure groups are formed when people with similar opinions get together for similar objectives. They do not aim to directly control or share political power. Pressure groups do not look for the power of political office for themselves but do seek to influence the decisions made by those who do hold this political power. Examples of pressure groups are FEDECOR and BAMCEF.

Types of Pressure Groups

• Institutional Interest Groups: These groups are formally organised which consist of professionally employed persons. They are a part of government machinery and try to exert their influence.These groups include political parties, legislatures, armies, bureaucracies, etc. Whenever such an association raises protest it does so by constitutional means and in accordance with the rules and regulations.
  • Example: IAS Association, IPS Association, State civil services association, etc.
• Associational Interest Groups: These are organised specialised groups formed for interest articulation, but to pursue limited goals. These include trade unions, organisations of businessmen and industrialists and civic groups.
  • Some examples of Associational Interest Groups in India are Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indian Chamber of Commerce, Trade Unions such as AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress), Teachers Associations, Students Associations such as National Students Union of India (NSUI) etc.
• Anomic Interest Groups: By anomic pressure groups we mean more or less a spontaneous breakthrough into the political system from the society such as riots, demonstrations, assassinations and the like.
• Non-Associational Interest Groups: These are the kinship and lineage groups and ethnic, regional, status and class groups that articulate interests on the basis of individuals, family and religious heads. These groups have informal structure. These include caste groups, language groups, etc.

Difference between a pressure group and a political party

Pressure Group	Political Party
A pressure group is an organization formed when people with common occupation, interest, aspirations or opinions come together in order to achieve a common objectives	A political party is formed when a group of people come together to contest elections and hold power in the government.
Pressure group is an informal institution.	Political party is a formal institution.
Pressure groups do not directly control or share political power	Political parties directly control or share political power
The membership of pressure group is limited	The membership of political parties is very broad based.
Pressure groups are not accountable to the people.	Political parties have to face the people in elections and therefore, they are accountable to the people.

Pressure groups and movements exert influence on politics in a variety of ways.

• They try to gain public support and sympathy for their cause by carrying out information campaigns, organising meetings, filing petitions, etc. Most of these groups try to influence the media into giving more attention to these groups.
• The influence media by giving attention to these issues.
• Protests activities like strikes are done to  force the Government to take note of their demand.
• Business groups employ professional lobbyists or sponsor expensive advertisements.
• They participate in official bodies and committees that offer advice to the Government.
• Sometimes political parties grow out of movements. Eg DMK and AIADMK.

The relationship between political parties and pressure groups can take different forms.

• Pressure groups are often formed and led by politicians and political parties or act as extended arms of political parties. Most trade unions and student’s organisations in India are either established by or affiliated to one or the other major political party.
• Political parties sometimes grow out of movements. Parties like DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu can be traced to a long drawn social reform movement.
• Many times, the issues raised by pressure groups are taken up by political parties, leading to a change in the policies of the parties.
• On some occasion, the views and ideas of political parties and interests groups are opposite to each other. In such a situation, they may stand against each other on a particular issue.

Pressure Groups in India

• Business Groups – Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Federation of All India Foodgrain Dealers Association (FAIFDA), etc
• Trade Unions – All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)
• Professional Groups – Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bar Council of India (BCI), All India Federation of University and College Teachers (AIFUCT)
• Agrarian Groups- All India Kisan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union, etc
• Student’s Organisations- Akhila Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), All India Students Federation (AISF), National Students Union of India (NSUI)
• Religious Groups – Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jamaat-e-Islami, etc.
• Caste Groups – Harijan Sevak Sangh, Nadar Caste Association, etc
• Linguistic Groups – Tamil Sangh, Andhra Maha Sabha, etc
• Tribal Groups – National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), Tribal National Volunteers (TNU) in Tripura, United Mizo federal org, Tribal League of Assam, etc.
• Ideology based Groups – Narmada Bachao Andolan, Chipko Movement, Women’s Rights Organisation, India Against Corruption etc.
• Anomic Groups – Naxalite Groups, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), Dal Khalsa, etc.

The activities of pressure groups are useful in the functioning of a democratic government.

• Pressure groups and movements have deepened democracy.
• Public interest groups and movements perform a useful role of countering this undue influence and reminding the government of the need & concern of ordinary citizens.
• Even in sectional interest groups play a valuable role.
• If one group brings pressure on government to make policies on its favour, another will bring counter pressure not to make policies in the way the first group desires.
• Usually pressure groups seek to promote the interests of a particular section or group of society. Trade Unions, business associations and professional etc.
• They represent some common or general interest that needs to be defended.
• For example a group fighting against bonded labour fights not for itself but for those who are suffering under such bondage.

Shortcomings of Pressure Groups

• Narrow selfish interests: Unlike the pressure groups in the developed countries of the West, where these are invariably organised to safeguard economic, social, cultural interests, etc. in India these groups are organised around religious, regional and ethnic issues. Many a time factors of caste and religion eclipse the socioeconomic interests. The result is that instead of serving a useful purpose in the political administrative process, they are reduced to work for narrow selfish interests.
• Misuse of power: Instead of the pressure groups exerting influence on political process, they become tools and implements to subserve political interests.
• Instability: Most pressure groups do not have autonomous existence; they are unstable and lack commitment, their loyalties shift with political situations which threatens general welfare. They many a times resort to unconstitutional means like violence. Naxalite movement started in 1967 in West Bengal is one such example.
• Propagating extremism: Pressure groups can allow too much influence over the government from unelected extremist minority groups, which in turn could lead to unpopular consequences.