Pressure Groups

A pressure group can be described as an organized group that does not put up candidates for election but seeks to influence government policy or legislation. They can also be described as ‘interest groups” or “vested groups“.

It includes churches and charities, businesses and trade associations, trade unions, and professional associations, think tanks of various complexions, etc.

Characteristics of Pressure Groups

1. Pressure groups may operate at local, regional, national or even international levels, depending upon the cause and notice.
2. All interest groups share a desire to affect government policy to benefit themselves or their causes.
3. They are usually non-profit and volunteer organizations
4. They seek to influence political or corporate decision-makers to achieve a declared objective.
5. Pressure groups are collections of individuals who hold a similar set of values and beliefs on the basis of ethnicity, religion, political philosophy, or a common goal.
6. Pressure groups often represent viewpoints of people who are dissatisfied with the current conditions in society.
7. These are a natural outgrowth of the communities of interest that exist in all societies.
8. They never form a government or contest elections but influence the decisions of the Government or public policy. They seek to create change by being elected to public office, while pressure groups attempt to influence political parties. Pressure groups may be better able to focus on specialized issues, whereas political parties tend to address a wide range of issues.
9. Pressure groups are widely recognized as an important part of the democratic process.

Types of Pressure Groups in India

A large number of pressure group exists in India but unfortunately, they are not developed as compared to Western Countries like England, France, and the USA. It can be classified into the following categories.

1. Business Groups

The Business group is one of the most important, influential, and organized pressure groups in India. Examples of business groups- the Confederation of Indian Industry (CM), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and Associated Chamber of Commerce (ASSOCHAM) – major constituents are the Bengal Chamber of Commerce Calcutta and Central commercial organization of Delhi.

2. Trade Unions

Trade unions cater to the demands of workers and laborers of the industries. Alternatively, they are also known as labor groups. In India, different trade unions represent different political parties. Examples are the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), All India Trade Union Congress (Communist Party of India).

3. Agrarian Groups

These groups represent the farmer community of India and work for their well-being. Example- Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Hind Kisan Panchayat (control of socialist).

4. Professional Association

Such associations, raise the concerns of working professionals in India ranging from lawyers and doctors to journalists and teachers. Examples include the Association of Engineers, Bar Council of India (BCI), and the Dental Council of India.

Tribal Organisation

Tribals in India are prominent in Central India and North East India and are also active in the Central Indian Tribal belt and in North East India. These organizations include the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, All-India Jharkhand, and Tribal Sangh of Assam.

1. Religious Groups

Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jamaat-e-Islami, etc.

2. Linguistic Groups

There are 22 scheduled languages in India. However, there have been many groups and movements working for the welfare of languages in India. For example- Hindi Sahitya Sammelan and Tamil Sangh etc.

3. Ideology Based Group

Ideology-based groups have been recently formed. Some examples of these groups include Environment Protection Groups like Narmada Bachao Andolan and Chipko movement, Democratic rights organizations, Gandhi Peace Foundation, Women's rights organizations, and Civil liberties associations.

4. Anomic Groups

Anomic pressure groups refer to those spontaneous groups that are formed with a collective response through riots, demonstrations, etc.

Major Pressure Groups in India

• Business Groups – FICCI, CM, ASSOCHAM, AIMO, FAIFDA etc. (institutional groups).
• Trade Unions – AITUC, INTUC, HMS, CITU, BMS etc.
• Agrarian Groups– All India Kisan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union etc.
• Student Organisations – ABVP, AISF, NSUI, etc.
• VHP, Bajrang Dal, Jamaat-e-lslami etc.
• Caste Groups – Harijan Sevak Sangh, Nadar Caste Association, etc.
• Linguistic Groups – Tamil Sangh, Andhra Maha Sabha, etc.
• Tribal Groups – NSCN, TNU, United Mizo federal org, Tribal League of Assam, etc.
• Professional Groups – IMA, BCI, IFWJ, AIFUCT etc.
• The capacity of a pressure group is determined by:
  • (a) Leadership
  • (b) Organisational abilities
  • (c) Mass media
  • (d) Economic power base
  • (e) Mobilisational techniques

Functions of Pressure Groups

• Representation: Pressure groups provide a mouthpiece for groups and interests that are not adequately represented through the electoral process or by political parties.
• Political participation: Pressure groups have become an increasingly important agent of political participation. Of UK citizens, 40-50 percent belong to at least one voluntary association. Interest groups may attempt to influence elections in order to get people who support their issues elected. Techniques including giving money to candidates, endorsing candidates, etc., are performed.
• Lobbying government: It includes contacting members of parliament, ministers, and bureaucrats to disseminate information about the positive or adverse effects of proposed legislation. Ex: FICCI lobbies the Government to bring tax reforms that suit industry.
• Educating public: Interest groups work hard to educate the public at large, government officials, their own members, and potential interest group members. They use sources like communication mediums which include TV advertisements, sponsored newspaper articles, social media, etc.
• Mobilizing the public: The interest groups not only create public opinion but sometimes draw the general masses into agitational and protest politics. If they want to set up an industry in a particular area, they create the necessary climate and make the people of the area demand the industry.
• Policy formulation and implementation: In particular, pressure groups are a vital source of information and advice to governments. Many groups are therefore regularly consulted in the process of policy formulation, with government policy increasingly being developed through policy networks. An example of such a group is the Observer Research Foundation, which works on policy issues primarily related to foreign affairs.

Methods of Exerting Influence Pressure groups employ a variety of strategic methods and techniques to exert influence on government decisions. Here's a concise overview of these approaches:   1. Lobbying with Ministers and Civil Servants: Pressure groups engage in informed discussions and negotiations with government officials and bureaucrats. They provide expertise and present their case to sway policy decisions in their favor. 2. Influencing Public Opinion through Propaganda: Utilizing media and communication channels, pressure groups disseminate information to shape public perceptions and create awareness about their cause, ultimately putting pressure on the government to align with popular sentiment. 3. Petitioning Authorities: Pressure groups draft formal petitions addressed to government authorities. These petitions outline their concerns, demands, and suggestions, serving as a structured way to express grievances and seek redressal. 4. Using Judicial Platforms: Some pressure groups resort to legal avenues, such as filing lawsuits or supporting cases that align with their interests. The judiciary becomes a pivotal arena for advancing their agenda through legal battles. 5. Direct Action (Protests, Rallies, Demonstrations, etc.): Taking to the streets, pressure groups organize and participate in public demonstrations, protests, and rallies. These visible actions attract attention and put pressure on government officials to respond to their demands promptly. These methods collectively form a toolkit that pressure groups employ strategically to influence government decisions, ensuring that their voices are heard and their interests considered in the policymaking process.

Limitation

• Unlike the pressure groups in the developed countries of the West, where these are invariably organized to safeguard economic, social, cultural interests, etc., in India these groups are organized around religious, regional and ethnic issues.
• Many a time factors of caste and religion eclipse socioeconomic interests. The result is they are reduced to work for narrow selfish interests. Moreover, many of the groups have a very short life because of the lack of resources. This explains the reason for the mushroom growth of pressure groups as well as their withering away as it becomes difficult to sustain the interest of the persons, initially attracted to form these pressure groups.
• In a country like India the tendency to politicize every issue, whether it has social, economic, or cultural import, restricts the scope, working, and effectiveness of pressure groups. Instead of the pressure groups exerting influence on the political process, they become tools and implements to subserve political interests. As a matter of fact, the factors that inhibit the development of sound civic consciousness, also hinder the emergence of healthy and functional pressure groups as a legitimate means of projecting legitimate socioeconomic and cultural interests of the citizen.

Concerns related to Pressure groups in India:

• Narrow selfish interests: Unlike the pressure groups in the developed countries of the West, where these are invariably organized to safeguard economic, social, and cultural interests, etc. in India these groups are organized around religious, regional, and ethnic issues.
• Misuse of power: Instead of the pressure groups exerting influence on the 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 and their loyalties shift with political situations that threaten general welfare. Ex: The Naxalite movement started in 1967 in West Bengal.
• 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.
• Political interest: Instead of the pressure groups exerting influence on the political process, they become tools and implements to serve the political interest.
• Lack of accountability: Regardless of which groups are most powerful, pressure group influence is exerted in a way that is not subject to scrutiny and public accountability. Pressure groups usually exert influence behind closed doors.
• The leadership of these groups tends to lack democratic organization. Therefore, they may not actually present a true picture of public opinion but instead may demonstrate the desires of the leader who articulates the group's policy interests to the government.