What is 3.5% Rule? The rule which is considered a major reason for successful movements

New Delhi: The CJP protest which started at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of the Education Minister has now ended. After the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the organization has announced to withdraw its agitation. This demonstration has given rise to political and social debate across the country. In such a situation, the question arises that on what factors does the success of any mass movement depend?

Two important things about the movement

According to experts and researchers, two things are considered most important in the success of any movement, first, the movement should be peaceful and second, a large number of people should participate in it. It is believed that peaceful movements have a greater chance of being successful than violent movements.

Harvard University professors Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephen studied 323 movements that took place around the world between 1900 and 2006. According to his research and later published book Why Civil Resistance Works, the success rate of non-violent movements was almost double that of violent movements. The study found that peaceful movements receive widespread support from the general public, which increases pressure on governments and strengthens the possibility of change.

What is 3.5% rule

Another important concept ‘3.5% rule’ came to light in the research. According to this, if about 3.5 percent of the population of a country gets actively involved in any movement, then the possibility of major political or social change increases significantly. However, researchers have also clarified that this is not a sure formula for success.

According to Erica Chenoweth, the success of a movement does not depend only on the crowd. Strong leadership, clear strategy, better organization and continuous public support are equally important. There have also been many movements in which more than 3.5 percent people participated, but they could not achieve their goals.

When does the movement achieve success?

Experts believe that when a large number of people unite peacefully on an issue, its impact is not limited to the streets only. Due to this, the thinking of change also starts developing within the society, administration and system. This is the reason that behind the success of any movement, not only the demands, but its method, public participation and leadership also play an important role.