POWER

POWER SHARING
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What will we learn in this chapter?
▪1. Continuation of democracy (from last year)

▪2. Stories from Belgium and Srilanka
▪3.Power sharing in democracy
Belgium and Sri Lanka
BELGIUM
small European country - borders with

France, the Netherlands, Germany, and
Luxembourg, has a complex ethnic
composition. 59% of the population
speaks Dutch, 40% speaks French, and
1% speaks German.
The French-speaking minority,
despite their wealth and power,
was criticized by the
Dutch-speaking community, who
later benefitted from economic
development and education.
During the 1950s and 1960s, tensions
between Dutch and French-speaking
communities intensified in Brussels,
where Dutch-speaking majority and
minority capital led to a unique issue.
SRI LANKA
an island nation off Tamil Nadu, has a

diverse population of about two crore
people, with major social groups being
Sinhala-speakers (74%), and
Tamil-speakers (18%), with two
sub-groups.
▪Sri Lankan Tamils are 13% of the country's
Tamil natives, while the rest, originating
from India, are called Indian Tamils. Most
Sinhala-speaking people are Buddhists,
while Tamils are Hindus or Muslims.
▪ In Belgium, the Dutch community could exploit its majority to
control the French and German-speaking population, potentially
leading to a messy partition and control over Brussels, while in Sri
Lanka, the Sinhala community could impose its will.
Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
▪ Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, with Sinhala community leaders aiming
for majority dominance over government. Democratically elected government
adopted majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy.
▪ In 1956, Sinhala became the official language,
disregarding Tamil, and governments
implemented policies favoring Sinhala
applicants for university and government
positions, while fostering Buddhism.
▪ Government measures exacerbated Sri Lankan Tamils' feelings of alienation,
as they felt political parties and constitutions denied them equal rights,
discriminated against them in employment, and ignored their interests.
Over time, the relations
between the Sinhala and Tamil
communities have strained.
▪ Sri Lankan Tamils fought for Tamil language
recognition, regional autonomy, and education
equality, but were denied autonomy.
▪ By 1980s, political organizations demanded an

independent Tamil Eelam state.
The distrust between two communities led to widespread conflict and civil
war, resulting in thousands of deaths and forced migration.
Despite Sri Lanka's economic development, education, and health, the civil
war severely impacted social, cultural, and economic life, ending in 2009.
Accommodation in Belgium
▪ Belgian leaders acknowledged regional and

cultural differences, amending their
constitution four times between 1970 and
1993 to create an innovative, inclusive living
arrangement within the country.
Elements of the Belgian model:
▪ a)The constitution ensures equal Dutch and French-speaking ministers in the

central government, with some special laws requiring majority support from
each linguistic group.
▪ b)The Central Government has delegated significant powers to the State

Governments of the two regions of the country, ensuring that these
governments are not subordinate to the Central Government.
▪ c)Brussels has a separate government with equal representation for both
French and Dutch communities, as both have accepted equal representation
in the Central Government.
▪ d)A community government, elected by Dutch, French, and German-speaking

individuals, has power over cultural, educational, and language-related
issues, in addition to the Central and State Governments.
▪ The Belgian model, complex for locals,
has effectively prevented civic strife and
linguistic division, and was chosen as the
headquarters of the European Union
when many European countries united.
What do we learn from these two stories of Belgium and Sri Lanka?
Belgium's leaders respect diverse

communities' interests for unity,
leading to mutually acceptable power
sharing arrangements.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, shows
that a majority community's dominance
can undermine the country's unity if
they refuse to share power.
Both are
democracies.
Why power sharing is desirable?
▪ Power sharing reduces conflict between social

groups, ensuring political stability and
preventing violence.
▪ While it may seem attractive in the short run, it

undermines the nation's unity in the long run,
making it a beneficial approach.
▪ Power sharing is beneficial for democracies as it fosters democracy by
sharing power with those affected by its exercise, allowing citizens to be
consulted and have a stake in the system.
▪ Prudential and moral reasons emphasize power sharing for better outcomes,
while moral reasons value the act of power sharing as valuable.
Forms of power-sharing
▪ Power-sharing emerged in opposition to undivided political power, which

was believed to hinder quick decisions and enforcement.
▪ The emergence of democracy changed this, recognizing people as the source

of political power and allowing them to rule themselves through
self-government institutions.
A democratic government respects diverse societal groups and views,
ensuring political power is distributed among citizens
some of the most common arrangements:
Power is distributed among government organs like legislature, executive,

and judiciary, ensuring a horizontal distribution of power
This separation prevents unlimited power and checks each organ, resulting
in a balance among institutions. In a democracy, ministers and officials are
accountable to Parliament or State Assemblies.
Power can be divided among governments at different levels, including a

federal government for the entire country and provincial or regional
governments.
In countries like India, the federal division of power is followed, while in Sri
Lanka, it is called the vertical division of power.
This principle can be extended to lower levels

of government, such as municipalities and
panchayats.
Power can be shared among social groups, such as religious and linguistic
groups, through community government in Belgium and constitutional
arrangements.
Reserved constituencies in assemblies and parliament provide space for

diverse social groups, ensuring minority communities have a fair share in
power.
Power sharing arrangements in democracies involve competition among
political parties, pressure groups, and movements to control or influence
those in power.
Citizens have freedom to choose among contenders, and in the long run,
power is shared among different parties representing different ideologies and
social groups.
Interest groups, such as
traders, businessmen, and
industrialists, also have a share
in governmental power.
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POWER SHARING

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▪1. Continuation of democracy (from last year)

small European country - borders with

an island nation off Tamil Nadu, has a

▪ By 1980s, political organizations demanded an

▪ Belgian leaders acknowledged regional and

▪ a)The constitution ensures equal Dutch and French-speaking ministers in the

▪ b)The Central Government has delegated significant powers to the State

▪ d)A community government, elected by Dutch, French, and German-speaking

Belgium's leaders respect diverse

▪ Power sharing reduces conflict between social

▪ While it may seem attractive in the short run, it

▪ Power-sharing emerged in opposition to undivided political power, which

▪ The emergence of democracy changed this, recognizing people as the source

Power is distributed among government organs like legislature, executive,

Power can be divided among governments at different levels, including a

This principle can be extended to lower levels

Reserved constituencies in assemblies and parliament provide space for

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