Indian Politics in Comparative Perspective

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Social Movements in India

There are various definitions of the term, ‘social movement’. The term, ‘movement’ has been used with different connotations by social activists, political leaders and academicians in their writings. Some scholars use the term, ‘movement’ interchangeably with organization or union. Some use it to mean a historical trend or tendency such as renaissance, ‘analytical movement’, ‘empirical movement’, etc. it is fashionable for political leaders and social reformers to call their activities, which are essentially confirmed to lobbying or advocacy, as ‘movements’ even though their activities are restricted to forming organizations with less than a dozen members. Some claim to launch movements by issuing press statements ...