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Question - 1
Explain the ethnic/linguistic background of Belgium and Sri Lanka.
Answer:Belgium:-
Of the country's total population, 59 percent live in the Flemish region and speak the Dutch language.
Another 40% of people live in the Wallonia region and speak French.
In the capital city Brussels, 80% of people speak French while 20% are Dutch-speaking.
Sri Lanka:-
The major social groups are the Sinhala speakers (74%) and the Tamil-speaker(18%).
Among Tamils there are two sub-groups. Tamil natives of the country are called 'Sri Lankan Tamils'(13%).
The rest, whose forefathers came from India as plantation workers during the colonial period, are called 'Indian Tamils'.
Most of the Sinhala-speaking people are Buddhists, while most of the Tamils are Hindus or Muslims.
There are about 7% of Christians, are both Tamil and Sinhala.
Question - 2
Why were there conflicts in Belgium during the mid-20th century?
Answer:The minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful.
This was resented by the Dutch-speaking community who got the benefit of economic development and education much later.
This led to tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities during the 1950s and 1960s.
The tension between the two communities was more acute in Brussels. Brussels presented a special problem" The Dutch-speaking people constituted a majority in the country, but a minority in the capital.
Question - 3
How was Majoritarianism practised in Sri Lanka? What was the result?
Answer:In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil.
The governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
Sri Lankan Tamils felt that none of the major political parties led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders was sensitive to their language and culture.
They felt that the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights, discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities, and ignored their interests. As a result, the relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
Result:
The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as an official language, for regional autonomy, and for equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
But their demand for more autonomy to provinces populated by the Tamils was repeatedly denied.
By the 1980s several political organizations were formed demanding an independent Tamil Eelam (state) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned into a CIVIL WAR. As a result, thousands of people in both communities have been killed. Many families were forced to leave the country as refugees and many more lost their livelihoods.
Question - 4
Analyse the elements of Belgium's model of government of Accommodation of power.
Answer:Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government. Some special laws require the support of the majority of members from each linguistic group. Thus, no single community can make decisions unilaterally.
Many powers of the central government have been given to state governments of the two regions of the country. The state governments are not subordinate to the Central Government.
Brussels has a separate government in which both communities have equal representation.
Apart from the Central and the State Governments, there is a third kind of government. This ‘community government’ is elected by people belonging to one language community – Dutch, French, and German-speaking – no matter where they live. This government has the power regarding cultural, educational, and language-related issues.
Question - 5
Why power sharing is desirable?
Answer:Prudential Reasons:-
Power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of the political order.
Imposing the will of the majority community over others may look like an attractive option in the short run, but in the long run, it undermines the unity of the nation.
Tyranny of the majority is not just oppressive for the minority; it often brings ruin to the majority as well.
Moral Reasons:-
Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy.
A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects. People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed.
A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system.
Question - 6
What are the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies of the world?
Answer:(A) Horizontal Power Sharing, the system of checks & balances:
Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
This horizontal distribution of power allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers.
Such separation ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power.
Each organ checks the others. This results in a balance of power among various institutions.
In a democracy, even though ministers and government officials exercise power, they are responsible to the Parliament or State Assemblies.
Similarly, although judges are appointed by the executive, they can check the functioning of the executive or laws made by the legislatures. This arrangement is called a system of checks and balances.
(B) Vertical Power Sharing:
Power can be shared among governments at different levels – a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level.
Such a general government for the entire country is usually called a federal government. In India, we refer to it as the Central or Union Government.
The governments at the provincial or regional level are called by different names in different countries. In India, we call them State Governments.
This is called the federal division of power. The same principle can be extended to levels of government lower than the State government, such as the municipality and panchayat.
Division of powers involving higher and lower levels of government vertical division of power.
(C) Power Sharing among different social groups:
Power may also be shared among different social groups such as religious and linguistic groups, Ex:- ‘Community government’ in Belgium.
In some countries there are constitutional and legal arrangements whereby socially weaker sections and women are represented in the legislatures and administration.
This type of arrangement is meant to give space in the government and administration to diverse social groups who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.
This method is used to give minority communities a fair share in power.
(D) Power Sharing among political parties, Pressure Groups, and Movements:
Power-sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups, and movements control or influence those in power.
In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups.
Sometimes this kind of sharing can be direct when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections.
If their alliance is elected, they form a coalition government and thus share power.
In a democracy, we find interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers, and industrial workers. They also will have a share in governmental power, either through participation in governmental committees or by bringing influence to the decision-making process.
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