Describe Belgium and its composition of population.
- small country in Europe.
- it has borders with France, Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.
- the population is a little over 1,00,00,000 that is half of Haryana.
- ethnic composition of this small country is very complex.
- Composition of population in the country. In the Flemish region there is 59% of Dutch speaking people. In wallonia region there are 40% of French speaking people.
- the composition of population in the capital. 80% of the population are French speaking people. 20% of the population are Dutch speaking people.
What problem was presented at the capital city of Belgium.
Brussels presented a special problem: - the Dutch speaking people constituted a majority in the country, but minority in the capital.
Define ethnic.
A social division based on shared culture. People belonging to the same ethnic group believes in their common descent because of similarities of physical types or of culture or both. They need not always have same religion or nationality.
Describe Sri Lanka and its composition of population.
- Sri Lanka is an island nation which is a few kilometres off the coast of Tamil Nadu.
- the population is nearly 2,00,00,000 which is same as Haryana.
- Sri Lanka has a diverse population.
- the composition of the population is: - Sinhala speakers which are of 74%, the Tamil speakers which are of 18%, Sri Lankan Tamils which are of 13% and Christians who are both Tamil and Sinhala which are in 7%.
- the Tamils are divided in his Tamil natives for the Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils who are the people who’s forefathers came from India as plantation workers during the colonial period.
- Sri Lankan Tamils are concentrated in north and east of the country.
- most of the Sinhala speaking people are Buddhists.
- in Sri Lanka, the Sinhala community enjoyed an even bigger majority and could impose its will on the entire country.
Describe majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
Major terrorism measures were established for Sinhala supremacy.
- In 1956, and act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language thus disregarding Tamil.
- The government followed preferential policies that favored Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
- A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
How did the Sri Lankan Tamils feel of being alienated.
- They 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 the government policies that denied them equal political rights, discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities and ignored their interests.
- By 1980 several political organizations were formed demanding an independent Tamil eelam in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
- The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned into civil war. The civil war has caused a terrible set back to the social, cultural and economic life of the country. It ended in 2009.
Define civil war.
A violent conflict between opposing groups within a country that becomes so intense that it appears like a war.
Describe the accommodation in Belgium
The Belgian leaders recognized the existence of regional differences and cultural diversity’s. Between 1970 and 1993 they amended their constitution four times so as to work out an arrangement that would enable everyone do live together in the same country.
Describe the Belgium model
- The constitution prescribes the number of Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government. Some special laws require the support of the majority members from each linguistic group. So no single community can make decisions unilaterally.
- Many powers of the central government had been given to the state governments of the two regions of the country will stop the state governments are not subordinate to the central government.
- Brussels has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation. The French speaking people accepted the equal representation in Brussels because the that speaking community has accepted equal representation in the central government.
- 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.
Importance of Belgium model
- They helped to avoid civic strike between the two major communities and possible division of the country on linguistic lines.
- When many countries of Europe came together to form the European Union, Brussels was chosen as its headquarters.
Compare the two countries Sri Lanka and Belgium
- both are democracies.
- 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. This realization resulted in mutually acceptable arguments for sharing power.
- in Sri Lanka, it shows I start if a majority community wants to force dominance over the others, and refuses to share power, it can undermine the unity of the country.
Why is power sharing desirable? Prudential reasons:-
- Prudential reasons stress 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 stability of political order.
- imposing the will of majority community over others on a long run undermines the unity of In the nation.
- tyranny of the majority is not just oppressive for the minority, it often brings ruin to the majority as well.
Why is power sharing desirable. Moral reasons
Moral reasons emphasize in the very act of power sharing as valuable.
- deeper reason by power sharing is good for democracy’s. Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy.
- a democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by the exercise and who have to live with the effects.
- people have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed.
- A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation acquired a stake in the system.
Describe a democratic government.
- one basic principle of democracy is that the people are the source of all political power.
- in a democracy, people ruled themselves through institutions of self government.
- in a good democratic government, due respect is given to diverse groups and views that exist in the society.
- everyone has a voice in shaping the public policy.
- in a democracy political power should be distributed among many citizens as possible.
Common arrangements in power sharing
- Power sharing among different organs of the government, such as legislature, executive and judiciary.
- Power can be shared among the governments at different levels: - a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level.
- Power maybe also shared among different social groups such as the religious and linguistic groups. For example the community government in Belgium.
- Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power.
Define federal government
A general government for the entire country is usually called federal government. In India, we refer to it as the central or union government.
Define state governments.
The governments at the provincial or regional level are called by different names in different countries. In India, we call them state government.
Define vertical division of power
Division of power involving higher and lower levels of government vertical division of power.
Define horizontal distribution of power
When power is shared among different organs of the government such as legislature, executive, judiciary it is called the horizontal distribution of power.
Describe the system of check and balance
- separation of power between different organs of the government ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power. Each organ checks the other. This results in the balance of power among various institutions.
- even though ministers and government officials exercised power, they are responsible to the parliament or state assemblies.
- similarly, although judges are appointed by the executive, they can check the functioning of executive or laws made by the legislatures.
Describe the federal division of power.
- there are different levels of government, the constitution clearly lays down the powers of different levels of government. This is what they did in Belgium but it refused in Sri Lanka. 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 municipal and panchayat.
Describe reserved constituencies
- constitutional and legal arrangements whereby socially and weaker sections and women are represented in the legislature 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.
