CH-1 POWER SHARING (NOTES)

Q1. Describe the ethnic composition of Belgium.

Ans. The ethnic composition of Belgium is very complex:

a) Of the country’s total population, 59 per cent lives in the Flemish region and speaks
Dutch language.
b) Another 40 per cent people live in the Wallonia region and speak French. Remaining one
per cent of the Belgians speak German.
c) In the capital city Brussels, 80 per cent people speak French while 20 per cent are Dutch
speaking.

Q2. Why the capital city of Brussels in Belgium did present a special problem?

Ans.

a) Of the country’s total population, 59 per cent speaks Dutch language and 40 per cent
people speak French. But in the capital city Brussels, 80 per cent people speak French
while 20 per cent are Dutch speaking.
b) 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.
c) 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.
d) Thus, Brussels presented a special problem: the Dutch-speaking people constituted a
majority in the country, but a minority in the capital.

Q3. Describe the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka.

Ans. Like other nations in the South Asia region, Sri Lanka has a diverse population:
a) The major social groups are the Sinhala-speakers (74 per cent) and the Tamil-speakers
(18 per cent).
b) Among Tamils there are two subgroups. Tamil natives of the country are called ‘Sri
Lankan Tamils’ (13 per cent). The rest, whose forefathers came from India as plantation
workers during colonial period, are called ‘Indian Tamils’.
c) Most of the Sinhala speaking people are Buddhists, while most of the Tamils are Hindus
or Muslims. There are about 7 per cent Christians, who are both Tamil and Sinhala.
Q4. Describe the Majoritarian measures implemented by Sri Lanka after its independence.

Ans. Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1948. As a result, the democratically
elected government adopted a series of Majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy:

a) In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus
disregarding Tamil.
b) The governments followed preferential policies that favored Sinhala applicants for
university positions and government jobs.
c) A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

Q5. What were the consequences of the Majoritarian measures adopted by Sri Lanka on the
minority Tamil population?
Ans. The Majoritarian measures gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan
Tamils:

a) The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as an
official language, for regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing
education and jobs.
b) By 1980s several political organizations were formed demanding an independent Tamil
Eelam (state) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
c) The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned
into a Civil War. As a result thousands of people of both the communities have been
killed.
d) Many families were forced to leave the country as refugees and many more lost their
livelihoods.
e) Sri Lanka’s excellent record of economic development, education and health. But the
civil war has caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and economic life of the
country.

Q6. Elaborate upon the steps taken by the Belgian leaders to accommodate the ethnic
diversity. OR
Describe the main elements of the Belgian model of Accommodation.
Ans. The arrangement worked out by Belgium is different from any other country and is very
innovative. Here are some of the elements of the Belgian model:

a) Constitution prescribes that the Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the
central government. Thus, no single community can make decisions unilaterally.
b) 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.
c) Brussels has a separate government in which both the communities have equal
representation. The French speaking people accepted equal representation in Brussels
because the Dutch-speaking community has accepted equal representation in the Central
 Government.
d) Apart from the Central and the State Government, 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.
e) These arrangements have worked well so far. They helped to avoid civic strife between
the two major communities and a possible division of the country on linguistic lines.

Q7. Compare the power-sharing arrangements and outcomes of the Belgian and Sri Lankan
model.

Ans. Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies, yet, they dealt with the question of power
sharing differently.

a) Belgium:
 In Belgium, the leaders have realized that the unity of the country is possible only by
respecting the feelings and interests of different communities and regions, and hence
they adopted the Accommodation Model.
 Such a realization resulted in mutually acceptable arrangements for sharing power.
b) Sri Lanka:
 Sri Lanka shows a contrasting example by adopting Majoritarianism.
 It shows us that if a majority community wants to force its dominance over others and
refuses to share power, it can undermine the unity of the country.

Q8. Why is Power Sharing desirable?

Ans. Two different sets of reasons can be given in favor of power sharing, i.e., Moral and
Prudential –
a) Moral Reasons:
It emphasizes the very act of power sharing as valuable-
 Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing
power with those affected by its exercise.
 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.
b) Prudential Reasons:
It stresses that power sharing will bring out better outcomes-
 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 political order.
Q9. Elaborate upon the various forms of Power Sharing under modern democracies.

Ans. One basic principle of democracy is that people are the source of all political power.
Therefore, it follows that in a democracy political power should be distributed among as many
citizens as possible. In modern democracies, power sharing arrangements can take many forms:

a) Among different organs of government:

 Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature,
executive and judiciary. This is known as horizontal distribution of power because it
allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different
powers.
 Such a 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.
 This arrangement is called a system of checks and balances.

b) Among governments at different levels:

 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 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.
 The constitution clearly lays down the powers of different levels of government. This is
called federal division of power or vertical division of power.

c) Among different Social Groups:

 Power sharing among different social groups such as religious, linguistic groups,
minorities, women, Adivasis.
 This is meant to give space in the administration and a fair share in power to diverse
social groups who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.
 Examples: the system of ‘reserved constituencies’ in assemblies and the parliament of
our country, ‘Community government’ in Belgium.

d) 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.
 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.
 Interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and
industrial workers will also have a share in governmental power, either through
participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision making
process.