Power Sharing is a key chapter in Class 10 Political Science that explains how power is divided in a democratic system. It highlights the importance of balancing power among different organs and levels of government. Through real-life case studies like Belgium and Sri Lanka, students learn the need for equal participation. These crisp and easy-to-understand notes will help you grasp the chapter quickly. Ideal for last-minute revision before exams!
Belgium
·
Belgium is a
small country in Europe, smaller in area than the state of Haryana. It
has a population of a little over one crore, about half the population
of Haryana.
·
It has borders
with France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.
Ethnic Composition of Belgium
·
59 per cent
lives in the Flemish region and speaks Dutch language.
·
40 per cent
people live in the Wallonia region and speak French.
·
Remaining one
per cent of the Belgians speak German.
·
IMPORTANT FACT:
Brussels presented a special problem: the Dutch-speaking people constituted
a majority in the country, but a minority in the capital. But how?
Ø In the capital city Brussels, 80 per cent
people speak French while 20 percent are Dutch-speaking.
Reasons for the tension between the two communities
·
The minority
French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful. This was
resented(gussa) 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.
How they solved the conflict or the
problem(accommodation in Belgium)?[Frequently asked in the exams]
Between 1970 and 1993,
they amended(changes) their constitution four times so as to work out an
arrangement that would enable everyone to live together within the same
country.(asked in MCQs)
Following were the amendments made in the
constitution
·
No. of Dutch and
French speaking ministers should be equal in the Central government.
·
No single
community can make decisions unilaterally.
·
The State
Governments are no longer 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 because the Dutch-speaking community has accepted
equal representation in the accepted equal representation in the Central
Government.
·
A third tier of
government i.e. "community government" was elected by the people
belonging to one language community – Dutch, French and German-speaking**.
**This government has the power regarding cultural,
educational and language-related issues.
Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka is an island nation located south
of Tamil Nadu, India.
- It has a population of about
2 crore, similar to Haryana, India.
The
country has a diverse population with two major linguistic groups:
- Sinhala-speakers (74%)
- Tamil-speakers (18%)
Tamils
are divided into two sub-groups:
- Sri Lankan Tamils (13%) – Natives of Sri Lanka.
- Indian Tamils – Descendants of Indian
plantation workers from the colonial period.
Sri Lankan Tamils are mostly concentrated in the north and east. (Asked in MCQs)
Religious distribution:
- Sinhala-speakers – Mostly Buddhists.
- Tamils – Mostly Hindus or Muslims.
- Christians (7%) – Include both Sinhala and
Tamil communities.
Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
Key points to remember
Sri Lanka emerged as an
independent country in 1948.
The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to
secure dominance over government by virtue of their majority. As a result, the
democratically elected government adopted a series of majoritarian measures to
establish Sinhala supremacy.
In 1956, an Act was
passed which tried to assert the supremacy of Sinhala speaking community over
the Tamil speakers. The act included the following measures
·
This act
recognised Sinhala as the official language, thus disregarding Tamil.
·
The governments
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.
Effects of such measures on Tamil Speakers
·
These measures
gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils. They
felt that all political parties led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders were not
sensitive to their language and culture.
·
They felt that
the constitution and government policies ignored them equal
political rights, discriminated against them in getting jobs and
other opportunities and their interests. As a result, the relations between
the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
Response of Tamil speakers
The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as an official language, for regional autonomy*** and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
Regional autonomy ka matlab hai ki kisi
rajya ya kshetra ko apne decision lene ka adhikaar mile, bina kendra sarkar ki
har baat par nirbhar rahe. Isse local governance strong hoti hai aur logon ki
zarooratein behtar tareeke se puri hoti hain.
But their demand for
more autonomy to provinces populated by the Tamils was repeatedly denied.
By 1980s, several
political organisations were formed demanding an independent Tamil Eelam
(state) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. (Asked in MCQs)
Result
The distrust between
the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned into a
civil war. As a result thousands of people of both the communities have been
killed. The civil war has caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and
economic life of the country. It ended in 2009.
Why Power
Sharing is desirable?
Two different sets of reasons can be given in favour of power
sharing. One is prudential reason and another one is moral reason
Prudential
Reason: It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between
social groups and ensures stability in the country.
prudential
basically means wise, practical, sensible, especially when you're thinking
long-term
Moral
Reason: Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. In a
democracy citizens have the right to participate in the decision making and
power sharing is increasing their participation.
How the notion of Power Sharing emerged?
Many students overlook this section, but please
don't make that mistake.
Notion ka matlab hota hai ek soch ya idea jo logon ke dimaag mein baitha hota
hai
The idea of
power-sharing has emerged in opposition to the notions of undivided political
power. The idea of power-sharing challenges the old belief that all political
power should rest with one person or group. In a democracy, power comes from
the people, and they govern themselves through institutions.
