Social movements are a major platform for those who feel their voices have not been heard or find their single voice lost in the cacophony of stubborn structures and systems. Through loosely knit alliances and individuals, social movements allow citizens to come together and organise on issues that political parties and state structures tend to either ignore or lose sight of. Such movements allow citizens to amplify their demands around issues, actions and policies which affect their lives.
South Asia offers good examples of social movement before and after independence. Some of the well-known examples of post-independence social movements include the Chipko movement in India in the early 1970s when a group of women opposed the cutting down of trees. Hundreds of thousands of people across India supported the women who protested against deforestation by hugging (Chipko) trees to stop them from being cut. There have also been social movements by Adivasis farmers and tribal populations in Narmada Valley in Bihar in India against a large hydroelectric dam project which, besides damaging the environment, threatened the displacement of millions of people. Known globally, the recent Black Lives Matter movement in the US shook both the US and Europe. Many attribute the impact of the movement to being felt in the US presidential elections in the same year.
In Pakistan, historically, the women’s movement is one of the best examples of continuous social movements, particularly during the Zia’s regime where Women’s Action Forum organised and advocated for the repeal of draconian laws under the Hudood ordinance. Since then there have been many movements, small and big.
Some social movements have both powerful supporters and opponents across the political divide. Aurat March, a widely known social movement for women’s rights and gender equity is one such example. Except for very obscurantist forces, Aurat March has drawn greater crowds from across the political divide with each passing year and created physical space for itself across various socio-economic groups and political parties.
Two movements which have recently surfaced in Sindh are against the encroachment of peoples ancestral land and the federalisation of islands, both focused in areas of Karachi. Although both still nascent, they have successfully amplified aggrieved people’s voices not only in their immediate surroundings but on a larger scale.
The movement against encroachment of land has triggered large protests in support of local people’s rights to their land in Goths of Karachi from being annexed. It spread like wildfire and hundreds of thousands of people, including supporters of almost all political parties and nationalist groups across Sindh supported the protest. The civil society in Karachi added their voice to the peoples’ protests. The level of spontaneity which pulled the crowds to hold protests this past June echoed in the entire province and beyond. This movement has created immense awareness for future social action.
The other issue brewing up is against the federalisation of two islands of Karachi being threatened for conversion into a mega housing project to the level of almost a mini city. Seeing the popular opposition to the project, the PPP government has withdrawn the NOC issued earlier for the project. Both the movements against the encroachment of local peoples land and common resources (islands) are very much alive and likely to draw even larger crowds in the future.
Social movements differ from mainstream political parties in that the latter aim at “grabbing” power through political processes, mainly elections, while social movements create a rallying point in favour or against social change, often at the local level. Unlike structured politics when citizens exercise their “power” through vote once every 4-5 years, which can be (rather is often) manipulated, especially under weak institutional structures, social movements enable ordinary citizens to participate in public politics making more inclusive processes. Political parties’ programmes, manifestos and agendas are much broader, often ignoring issue-based problems. Political parties are generally viewed as and dominated by the political elite while social movements go beyond class and party politics. Social movements don’t necessarily always succeed in achieving results but the mass mobilisation and awareness they create remain engrained in people’s consciousness. The hallmark of social movements is that they have demystified fear of state apparatus and instilled defiance and resistance among ordinary people.
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Although it’s a long academic discussion on the origin of social movements and what constitutes them, we can safely say that they emerged in the 18th century. Increasing freedom of expression and mass education provided impetus to social movements although they are not the sole determinants. Social movements also reflect the level of awareness of a society in which they take place; these can be both reformist and revolutionary.
Unlike pre- social media days when organising social movements was dependent on only physical contact, leaflets and other traditional sources of disseminating information, social media has given an added impetus to social movements. Social media has shifted the balance of power from traditional media, both print and electronic, and greatly enhanced the causes much faster and louder than ever before. With ever expanding technology, social media in fact breeds social movements and it is highly likely that social movements will get stronger and become the alternate platform for citizens to amplify their voice.
