Meaning
of Democracy :
The word
‘democracy’ comes from Greek word demos meaning ‘common
people’ and kratos meaning ‘rule,
strength’.
Types
of Democracy
There are
two types of
democracy: Direct Democracy And
Indirect
Democracy
Direct
Democracy:
A democracy
in which the power
to govern lies directly in the
hands of
the people rather than being exercised
through their representatives.
Also known as pure
democracy.
Example: Switzerland
Indirect
Democracy:
A
form of government
in
which people elect representatives to
rule in their
interest.
Also known as
representative democracy.
Example: Great
Britain
Features of Democracy:
Equality
Rule of the People
Safeguarding Human Rights
Autonomous
Judiciary
Apartheid—Meaning
he word Apartheid means separation.
· Apartheid
was a social system in South Africa in which black people and
people from other racial groups did not
have the same political and
economic rights as white people and were
forced to live separately from
white people.
· The
government wanted blacks and whites to be segregated in every sphere of
life.
· They
created laws and forced separation of the people
How
was the life during apartheid?
Life during the Apartheid
Period:
· The
African farmers were made to work as share-croppers or rent paying
tenants.
· They
were forced to work for wages or to give 90 days’ free labour in
exchange for the use of a piece of land
for a year.
· The
residential area of the blacks and white was kept apart. Blacks were
usually located in the outskirts of towns
and cities. The entry of the blacks was
restricted in the city.
· A
pass was given to those Africans to enter the city or town for employment
purposes.
· In
case, the Africans were not able to produce the pass, they would be
arrested and thrown out of the city.
· At
work, the whites were paid higher wage as compared to the African for
same type of work.
· Certain
skilled work on the mines was reserved for the whites.
Describe
the fight against apartheid under Mandela.
The fight against apartheid in 1960s
started becoming violent in nature and
turned into an armed struggle.
· Nelson
Mandela, who played an important role in the fight against apartheid,
was arrested on the charges of ‘recruiting
people for training in sabotage
and guerilla warfare for the purpose of
violent revolution’.
· During
the period when apartheid was followed in Africa, African children
studied in their own languages as well as
English.
· However,
the government made a decision that African children would now
study only in their own language. But
there were many African children who
could not understand.
· In
Soweto, the children decided to hold a march on June 16, 1976 to protest
against the decision. The police and army
went onto the streets to s top the
children.
· Children
became leaders in the struggle against apartheid. This marked the turning point
in bringing the end to Apartheid.
· Finally,
in 1994, bowing to the pressure from the international community, a new constitution
came into force and marked the end of the apartheid system
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