Question

Compare the different ways to which the Belgians and Srilankans have dealt with the problem of cultural diversity.

Answer 1

Answer:

Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies, yet they have dealt with the problem of cultural diversity very differently.

Belgium:

   ⇒Leaders realised that for the unity of the countiy, it is important to respect the feelings and interests of different communities. The constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French speaking people shall be equal in the Central Government.

   ⇒Both Dutch and French communities, share power on an equal basis at the centre. Along with the State Government, both communities have a third kind of government called ‘community government’ which decides on cultural, education and language related issues.

   ⇒Between 1970 and 1993, the constitution was amended four times to enable all linguistic groups to live together within the same country.

Sri Lanka:

   ⇒In Sri Lanka, there are two major communities, the Sinhalese speaking (74%) and Tamil speaking (18%). The majority community, the Sinhalese have forced their dominance over Tamils, refusing to share power.

   ⇒Both communities have lived in tension as the Sinhalese have denied political, educational religious, employment and economic rights to the Tamils leading to the Civil War.

   ⇒In 1956, the Government passed an Act to recognise Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil.

Answer 2

Answer:

The Belgian leaders recognised the existence of regional and cultural diversities.

(a) They amended their constitution four times so as to work out an innovative arrangement that would enable everyone to live together in peace and harmony, i.e., there was sharing of power between the Dutch and the French both in the central government; state government and community government. They followed a policy of accommodation.

(b) This helped to avoid civic strife and division of the country on linguistic lines.

(c) On the other hand, the Sinhalese who were in majority in Sri Lanka as compared to the Tamils followed a policy of majoritarianism and adopted a series of measures to establish Sinhala supremacy by passing an Act of 1956.

These measures alienated the Tamils leading to civic strife between the two communities