Why did Kothari argue that people during 1970's were not satisfied with the parliamentary democracy?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Elites captured institutions of state.
Option (1) Elites captured institutions of state. — Correct. Rajni Kothari explains the surge of social movements in the 1970s by people’s growing dissatisfaction with parliamentary democracy. He argues that the institutions of the state have been captured by elites, so electoral representation by parties is no longer an effective way for the poor to be heard, and they join social movements to put pressure on the state from outside.
NCERT (2025-26): “Distinguishing the new social movement from the old social movements … In the old social movements, the role of political parties was central. Political scientist Rajni Kothari attributes the surge of social movements in India in the 1970s to people’s growing dissatisfaction with parliamentary democracy. Kothari argues that the institutions of the state have been captured by elites. Due to this, electoral representation by political parties is no longer an effective way for the poor to get their voices heard. People left out by the formal political system join social movements or non-party political formations in order to put pressure on the state from outside.…” |