Question

How did Belgium and Sri Lanka deal with the question of power sharing? What were its consequences?

Answer 1

ANSWER:-

SEE BOTH COUNTRIES HAD TOTALLY SCENARIOS FOR POWER SHARING SO LET'S GO ONE BY ONE

FIRST FOR BELGIUM:-

IN BELGIUM FROM THE TOTAL POPULATION 59% WERE DUTCH SPEAKERS AND 40% WERE THE FRENCH SPEAKERS. WHEREAS IN THE CAPITAL BRUSSELS THE COMPOSITION WAS OPPOSITE AS 80%WERE THE DUTCH WHILE 20% WERE THE FRENCH SPEAKERS. HOWEVER THE LEADERS IN BELGIUM CAME UP WITH THE BEST MODELS OF POWER SHARING WHICH STATED THAT:-

• NUMBER OF FRENCH AND DUTCH SPEAKING SHOULD BE EQUAL IN THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
• POWERS OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO GIVEN TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT BUT STATE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT SUBORDINATE TO THE CENTRAL IDEA GOVERNMENT.
• THE FRENCH SPEAKING PEOPLE ACCEPTED THE EQUAL REPRESENTATION IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE DUTCH SPEAKING HAS ACCEPTED EQUAL REPRESENTATION IN THE CAPITAL BRUSSELS.
• THERE WAS ALSO THE THIRD KIND OF GOVERNMENT WHICH WAS KNOWN AS THE 'COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT '.

NOW FOR SRI LANKA:-

IN SRILANKA THE SINHALA WERE IN MAJORITY (74% ),TAMIL SPEAKERS (18 %).

THE STEPS TAKEN BY THE SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT FOR POWER SHARING ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

• THE ACT WAS PASSED IN 1956 ESTABLISHING SINHALA AS THE ONLY OFFICIAL RELIGION
• THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOWED THE PREFERENTIAL POLICIES THAT FAVORED SINHALA APPLICANTS FOR THE UNIVERSITY POSITIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT JOBS.
• ALSO NEW CONSTITUTION STIPULATED THAT THE STATE SHALL PROTECT AND FOSTER BUDDHISM.

CONSEQUENCES IN BELGIUM:-

THERE WAS NO CONFLICT BETWEEN THE SOCIAL GROUPS SINCE THE CONSTITUTION PROVIDED THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES.

CONSEQUENCES IN SRILAKA:-

THE DISTRUST BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES TURNED INTO THE WIDESPREAD CONFLICT AND SOON TURNED INTO A CIVIL WAR.

Answer 2

Answer: Both Belgium and SriLanka claim to be democratic countries - Both faced the problem of ethnicity - dealt with question of power sharing differently. -In Belgium - leaders realised that unity of country is possible only by respecting the feelings and interests of different communities and regions - resulted in mutual acceptable arrangements for sharing power. -Sri Lanka - shows us that if a majority community wants to force its dominance over others and refuses to share power - it can undermine the unity of the country. Belgium solved its ethnic problem - Sri Lanka still reeling under shadow of civil war.