Social Sciences: Class 10 (Part 4) — Chapter 1: Power-sharing

Chapter Overview

In a democracy, all power does not rest with any one organ of the government. An intelligent sharing of power among the legislature, executive, and judiciary is very important to the design of a democracy. This chapter explores the concept of power-sharing through the contrasting case studies of Belgium and Sri Lanka, illustrating how different systems handle demands for power-sharing and the consequences of their choices.

1.1 Belgium and Sri Lanka: Ethnic Profiles

Ethnic Composition of Belgium

Belgium is a small European country with a highly complex ethnic composition:

Flemish Region: $59\%$ of the population lives here and speaks the Dutch language.
Wallonia Region: $40\%$ of the population lives here and speaks the French language.
German Speakers: The remaining $1\%$ of Belgians speak German.
Capital City (Brussels): In Brussels, the ratio is reversed: $80\%$ speak French, while $20\%$ are Dutch-speaking.
Tensions: The minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful, which was resented by the Dutch-speaking majority who received economic and educational benefits much later. This led to acute tensions during the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in Brussels.

Ethnic: A social division based on shared culture. People belonging to the same ethnic group believe in their common descent because of similarities of physical type or of culture or both.

Ethnic Composition of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island nation with a diverse population of about two crore people:

Sinhala Speakers: $74\%$ of the population, mostly Buddhists.
Tamil Speakers: $18\%$ of the population, subdivided into:
- Sri Lankan Tamils: $13\%$, native to the north and east of the country.
- Indian Tamils: Forefathers came from India as plantation workers during the colonial period.
Religions: Most Tamils are Hindus or Muslims. About $7\%$ of the population are Christians, who are both Tamil and Sinhala.

1.2 Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1948. The democratically elected government adopted a series of majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy:

1956 Act: Recognized Sinhala as the sole official language, disregarding Tamil.
Preferential Policies: Favored Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
State Religion: A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

Consequences and Civil War

These measures led to a deep sense of alienation among Sri Lankan Tamils, who felt discriminated against in jobs, politics, and culture. This resulted in:

The launch of Tamil political parties and struggles for regional autonomy and the recognition of Tamil as an official language.
The demand for an independent state called Tamil Eelam in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka by the 1980s.
A devastating Civil War between the two communities, which caused thousands of deaths, forced families into exile, ruined livelihoods, and ended only in 2009.

Majoritarianism: A belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, 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.

1.3 Accommodation in Belgium

Belgian leaders took a path of accommodation, recognizing regional differences and cultural diversities. Between 1970 and 1993, they amended their constitution four times to create a unique power-sharing model:

Equal Representation in Central Government: The constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government. Special laws require the support of the majority of members from each linguistic group.
Devolution of Power: Many powers of the Central Government were given to State Governments of the two regions. State Governments are not subordinate to the Central Government.
Separate Government for Brussels: Brussels has a separate government where both communities have equal representation.
Community Government: A third tier of government, elected by people belonging to one language community (Dutch, French, and German), handles cultural, educational, and language-related issues.

This model successfully avoided civic strife and prevented a linguistic partition of the country. Consequently, Brussels was chosen as the headquarters of the European Union.

1.4 Why Power Sharing is Desirable

Two distinct sets of reasons support the necessity of power-sharing in a democracy:

Prudential Reasons: 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 ensures the stability of the political order. Tyranny of the majority is harmful to both the minority and the majority.
Moral Reasons: Power-sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, who have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed. A legitimate government is one where citizens acquire a stake in the system through participation.

Prudential: Based on prudence, or on careful calculation of gains and losses, rather than purely moral considerations.

1.5 Forms of Power-sharing

In modern democracies, power-sharing arrangements take several common forms:

1. Horizontal Distribution of Power

Power is shared among different organs of government: the legislature, executive, and judiciary. This is horizontal because it allows different organs placed at the same level to exercise different powers. This ensures a system of checks and balances, where each organ checks the others, preventing unlimited power.

2. Vertical Division of Power

Power is shared among governments at different levels: a general government for the entire country (Federal, Central, or Union Government) and governments at the provincial or regional level (State Governments). This principle also extends to local levels like municipalities and panchayats.

3. Power Sharing among Social Groups

Power may be shared among diverse religious and linguistic groups. Belgium's 'community government' and India's system of reserved constituencies in assemblies and parliament for socially weaker sections and women are prime examples of this arrangement.

4. Power Sharing among Political Parties, Pressure Groups, and Movements

In a democracy, citizens have the freedom to choose among various contenders for power. This leads to competition among different political parties, ensuring power does not remain in one hand. It often manifests as coalition governments formed by alliances of two or more parties, or through interest groups (traders, farmers, industrialists) participating in governmental committees and decision-making.