POWER SHARING – GYAAN BOOST

POWER-SHARING–

Power-sharing MEANS the sharing or division of power.
IN POWER SHARING POWER can be SHARED between governments, various political parties, INSTITUTIONS, and various sections of society.

FORMS OF POWER-SHARING–

Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
Power can be shared among different levels OF GOVERNMENT– a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. Such STATE GOVERNMENT.
general government for the entire country is usually called the federal government.
Power may also be shared among different social groups, such as the religious and linguistic groups. ‘Community government’ in Belgium is a good example of this arrangement.
Power-sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups, and movements control or influence those in power.

PROBLEM OF BELGIUM-

Belgium is a small country in Europe.
Smaller in area than the state of Haryana.
It has borders with the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
It has a population of a little over one crore, about half the population of Haryana.
The ETHNIC composition of this small country is very complex.

the country’s total population

In the capital city Brussels,

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.

ACCOMMODATION IN BELGIUM-

The Belgian leaders took a different path TO SOUGHT OUT THIS PROBLEM.
They recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities.
they amended their constitution four times BETWEEN 1970 AND 1993,
This arrangement would enable everyone to live together within the same country.
ACCORDING TO THE Constitution the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government.
IN THIS WAY 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 the communities have equal representation.
The French-speaking people accepted equal representation in Brussels.
the Dutch-speaking community has accepted equal representation in the Central Government.
Apart from the Central and the State GovernmentS, there is a third kind of government KNOWN AS ThE ‘community government’.
COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT is elected by people belonging to DUTCH, FRENCH, AND GERMAN-SPEAKING communities.
This government has the power regarding cultural, educational, and language-related issues. NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE.

PROBLEM IN SRI LANKA–

Sri Lanka is an island nation, just a few kilometers AWAY FROM the southern coast of Tamil Nadu.
It has A POPULATION OF about 2 crore people, about the same as Haryana.
Like other South Asian COUNTRIES, Sri Lanka ALSO has a diverse population.
The major social groups IN SRI LANKA are-
the Sinhala speakers 74 %
the Tamil speakers 18 %.
Among Tamils, there are two subgroups.
Tamil natives of the country are called ‘Sri Lankan Tamils’ (13 %).
OTHERS, whose forefathers came from India as plantation workers during the colonial period, are called ‘Indian Tamils’.
Sri Lankan Tamils are concentrated in the north and east of the country.
Most of the Sinhala-speaking people are Buddhist,
while most of the Tamils are Hindus or Muslims.
There are about 7 % of Christians, who are both Tamil and Sinhala.

MAJORITARIANISM IN SRI LANKA–

Sri Lanka BECAME an independent country in 1948.
The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over the government by virtue of their majority.
the democratically elected government adopted a series of MAJORITARIAN measures to establish Sinhala supremacy.

MAJORITARIANISM STEPS IN SRI LANKA–

In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the only official language.
The governments followed preferential policies that favored Sinhala applicants for university and government jobs.
A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

EFFECTS ON INDIAN TAMILS-

All these government measures gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils.
They felt that none of the major political parties led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders were sensitive to their language and culture.
the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights.
THEY discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities and ignored their interests.
As a result, the relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities WORSHNED over time.

RESULT OF MAJORITARIANISM IN SRI LANKA-

The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggled for the recognition of Tamil as an official language,
THEY demand regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
their demand for more autonomy in provinces populated by the Tamils was repeatedly denied.
By the 1980s several political organisations 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 from both communities have been killed.
Many families were forced to leave the country as refugees and many more lost their livelihoods.

WHY POWER SHARING IS DESIRABLE–

prudential reasons-

power-sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups.
social conflict often leads to violence and political instability.
power-sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of 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.