Here’s the notes of Class 6 NCERT Political Science – Chapter 4: Key Elements of a Democratic Government

Apartheid rule in South Africa

• Apartheid means separation on the basis of race.
• South African people were divided into white, black, Indian and coloured races.
• According to the law, these races were not allowed to mingle with each other, to live near each other or even to use common facilities.

Struggle

• A group of student were protesting against learning the Afrikaans language (Foreign language)
• Students were forced to learn Afrikaans language (foreign language) but they wanted to learn their own language, Zulu.
• African police beat up the protestors mercilessly and shot at the crowd,
• One of their bullets killed Hector Pieterson on 16 June 1976.
• This led to the nationwide movement

Democracy in South Africa

• Nelson Mandella, the most well-known leader fought the apartheid system for several years.
• Finally, they succeeded and in 1994 South Africa became a democratic country in which people of all races were races were considered equal.

 Key Concepts

• Democracy means rule by the people.
• In a democracy, people participate, resolve conflicts, and have equality and justice.

Participation

People participate in the democratic process in various ways:

• Voting in elections to choose leaders
• Taking interest in government activities
• Protests and rallies
• Expressing opinions through media, campaigns, etc.

Regular elections help people remove or re-elect leaders based on their performance.

Resolution of Conflict

Conflicts can arise due to:

• Religion
• Region
• Language
• Caste
• Other differences

The government:

• Uses law and peacekeeping methods to solve conflicts.
• Promotes dialogue and understanding between communities.

Example: Conflicts over religious processions or festivals can be handled by the police and local leaders.

Equality and Justice

• All citizens are equal before the law.
• No discrimination based on caste, religion, gender, or wealth.
• Reservations help uplift disadvantaged groups.
• Government makes laws to promote justice (e.g., equal wages for men and women).

Importance of Justice

• Sometimes, treating everyone equally is not enough.
• Special help is given to those who were treated unfairly in the past to ensure justice.