OPIUM-PRODUCER FARMERS AS AN INFLUENTIAL PRESSURE GROUP IN INDIAN POLITICS

Abstract

In society, there are numerous interests, and when these interests become organized, the number of interest groups increases significantly. When organized interest groups seek government assistance to achieve their objectives and aim to influence government decisions in their favor, they become pressure groups. These pressure groups then exert pressure on the government. The farming community, particularly opium farmers' organizations, is a key example of such pressure groups. Currently, opium is cultivated for medicinal purposes in three Indian states: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Opium cultivation is under central government control. Opium farmers' organizations use political influence to pressurize the government to adjust opium cultivation regulations in their favor.