In a coastal district, two groups became active in the same decade. The first gathered around a respected teacher who urged its members to give up costly rituals and drinking, and to change the way they lived and thought in their own homes. The second was formed by citizens' forums and lawyers, who drafted petitions, met legislators and campaigned for a new law that would let ordinary people see government files. Both groups held public meetings in many towns over several years and drew support from people of different backgrounds.
Which kind of social movement does the first group in the passage best illustrate?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Redemptive movement
Option (1) Reformist movement — Incorrect. A reformist movement tries to change social and political arrangements step by step, for example through a new law. The first group asks for no law; it asks its members to change their own lives.
Option (2) Redemptive movement — Correct. A redemptive movement aims to change the personal consciousness and actions of its own members. The first group asks its members to give up costly rituals and drinking and to change how they live and think, much as Narayana Guru led the Ezhava community in Kerala.
Option (3) Revolutionary movement — Incorrect. A revolutionary movement tries to transform social relations radically, often by capturing state power, as the Naxalite movement does. The first group seeks no seizure of power; its focus is the inner life of its members.
Option (4) Counter movement — Incorrect. A counter movement arises to defend the status quo against a movement for change, as the Dharma Sabha did against the campaign to end sati. The first group opposes no other movement; it works on its members' own habits.
NCERT (2026-27): “Reformist, Redemptive, Revolutionary |