Power sharing Civics- X Chapter-1 ० Story of Belgium # Location : Europe (neighbouring countries-France, Netherland, Germany and Luxembour...
Power sharing
Civics- X
Chapter-1
० Story of Belgium
# Location : Europe (neighbouring countries-France, Netherland, Germany and Luxembourg).
#populatin over one crore (half of Haryana), #size smaller than Haryana.
० Complex ethnic composition:
59% percent population live in the Flemish region and speak Dutch, 40% live in Wallonia region and speak French, rest 1% speak German.
* In the capital, Brussels, 80% people speak French while 20% are Dutch speaking.
# French speaking community was relatively rich and Powerful which make dutch speaker angry. So, economic gap created tension in Belgium.
० Accommodation in Belgium:
Between 1970s and 1993, the constitution of Belgium was amended four times.
• Number of Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in central government.
• No single community can make decisions unilaterally.
• The state government are not subordinate to the central government ( many powers of Central Government have been given to state).
• Government in Brussels has separate government in which both the communities have equal representation.
• Apart from the central and state government there is a third kind of government that is community government. It is elected by people belonging to one language community no matter where they live. They have the power regarding cultural, educational and language related issue.
० Result:
• Belgium model had worked well and avoided conflict between the two groups.
• Country remains United.
• Brussels was chosen as the headquarter of the European Union.
० Story of Sri Lanka
# Location: South east Asia surrounded by Indian Ocean, neighbour of India.
# Population about 2 crore just as Haryana.
० Ethnic composition:
• Sinhala speaker - 74% (most are Buddhist),
• Tamil speaker - 18% (Hindu Muslim) {Sri Lankan Tamils 13%, Indian Tamil 5% }
* total 7% Christian speaks both Sinhala and Tamil.
० Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka:
• Sri Lanka became independent country in 1948.
• Democratically elected government adopted Sinhala Supremacy.
• Government followed preferential policies (1956 an act passed to recognise Sinhala as only official language).
• Favoured Sinhala applicants for university and jobs.
• New constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and Foster Buddhism.
० Result:
• The Sri Lankan Tamil launched parties and struggle for the recognition of Tamil as official language for Regional autonomy and equality of opportunity.
• By the 1980s, several political organisations like LTTE (Libration Tigers of Tamil Eelam) were formed demanding an independent Tamil Eelam (state) in Northern and Eastern part of the Sri Lanka.
• The distrust turned into conflict and finally civil war. (Created huge loss of properties and killing of thousands of people.)
० Reasons for power sharing:
1.Prudential reason-
• Helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups.
• good way to ensure the stability of political order.
2.Moral reason-
• spirit of democracy.
• people have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed.
० Types of power sharing:
• Horizontal distribution of power - power is shared among different organs of government (legislature, executive and judiciary) placed at the same level, exercise different powers
It ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power. Each organ checks the other and make balance of power(check and balance system).
• Vertical division of power (Federal division ) - power can be shared among government at different levels, i.e, Central, state and local.
• Social group: Power is shared among different social groups ( religious linguistic) . There are reserve and legal arrangement whereby socially weaker section and women are represented in the legislature and administration.
• Political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power. People have choice. Electoral competition insures power not in 1 hand.
Power shared among different parties represent different ideology.
In coalition government power are shared.
• Interest group traders business man industrialist share power through participation in government committee and bringing influence on decision making process.
० Case of Lebanon
People from various communities lived in Lebanon's Capital city, Beirut, and fought a bitter civil war amongst themselves. At the end of the civil war leaders came together and agreed to some basic rules for power sharing among different communities. By this rules it was agreed that:
• the president would be from Maronite sect of Catholic Christians.
• the Prime minister from the Sunni Muslim community
• Deputy Prime Minister would be from an orthodox Christian sect
• speaker would be a Shi'a Muslim
As per the pact the Christians agreed not to seek French protection and Muslim agreed not to seek unification with the neighbouring state of Syria.
* Ethnic: A social division based on shared culture.
* Majoritarianism: A belief that the majority community should be able to rule our country in which ever way it won't by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority.
* Civil war: A violent conflict between opposing groups within a country that becomes so intense that it appears like a war.
* Prudential: Based on prudence, or on careful calculation of gains and losses.
* Community government: An elected body by people belonging to one language, one culture or any common property no matter where they live.
* Coalition government: It is a government formed by an Alliance of two or more political parties usually when no single party enjoys absolute majority.
Click here to download the PDF
I hope this will help you.
Don't hesitate to ask (comment) any question or give any suggestion.
No comments