Power sharing is a democratic principle that distributes power across different levels to
avoid its concentration in one hand.
It is very important for the proper functioning of democracy.
Belgium
Belgium is a small country in Europe. It has borders with France, the Netherlands, Germany
and Luxembourg.
□ Ethnic composition of Belgium:
• 59% of the population lives in the Flemish region (North Belgium) and speaks Dutch.
• 40% lives in the Wallonia region (South Belgium) and speaks French.
• 1% of Belgians speak German.
• In Brussels, the capital city, 80% of people speak French while 20% speak Dutch.
□ Tension between the French and Dutch communities:
• French community was relatively richer and powerful than the Dutch community.
• Dutch community was in majority in the country but a minority in the capital region.
□ Accommodation in Belgium
The Belgian leaders recognised the existence of regional differences & cultural diversities.
They amended their constitution four times to ensure that different communities live
together peacefully within the same country.
• Equal number of ministers from Dutch and French groups in the central government.
• Special laws must be approved by both communities, and no single community can
take decisions unilaterally.
• Power is shared between the central and state governments. The states are not under
the central government.
• Brussels has a separate government with equal representation of both groups.
• A community government is formed by people of the same language (Dutch, French or
German) to manage cultural, educational and language-related issues.
This model helped to prevent conflict between the two major communities.
➞ The headquarters of the European Union are located in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian ocean.
□ Ethnic composition in Sri lanka:
• 74% of the people are Sinhala speakers and most of them are Buddhists.
• 18% of the people are Tamil speakers and most of them are Hindu or Muslim.
• Tamil speakers are divided into two sub-groups:
→ Sri Lankan Tamils (13%), who are natives of the country, and Indian Tamils (5%), whose
forefathers came from India as plantation workers during the colonial period.
• There are 7% Christians, who are both Sinhala and Tamil.
, □ Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
The Sinhala leaders adopted majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy,
according to which the majority community should rule the country and the interests of
minorities were ignored.
• In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the official language of Sri Lanka.
• The government favoured the Sinhala community in government jobs and university
admissions.
• The Constitution was amended to protect and promote Buddhism.
□ Impact on Tamils:
• It increased the feeling of alienation among the Tamil community.
• They felt that the government and major political parties did not respect their language
and culture.
• They felt that the government and Constitution did not give them equal rights, and were
treated unfairly in jobs and opportunities.
□ Struggles of Tamils and its Result:
• Sri Lankan Tamils started political parties and movements to demand Tamil as an
official language and equal opportunities in education and jobs.
• Their demand for regional autonomy was repeatedly denied.
• By 1980, some Tamils demanded a separate state called Tamil Eelam in the northern
and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
• The distrust between the two communities led to a Civil War, in which 1000s of people
were killed and many lost their livelihoods.
➞ The civil war caused serious damage to the social, economic and cultural life of the
country.
□ Reasons for Power sharing
I. Prudential reason:
Power Sharing is important because it reduces conflicts between social groups and
ensures political stability.
II. Moral reason:
Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy, and people have the right to be involved in
how they are governed.
Forms of Power Sharing
1. Horizontal form of Power sharing:
• Power is shared among different organs of government at the same level — legislature,
executive and judiciary.
• The legislature makes laws, the executive implements them, and the judiciary resolves
disputes, and they check each other to maintain a balance of power among institutions.
• This system is also known as the system of checks and balances.
avoid its concentration in one hand.
It is very important for the proper functioning of democracy.
Belgium
Belgium is a small country in Europe. It has borders with France, the Netherlands, Germany
and Luxembourg.
□ Ethnic composition of Belgium:
• 59% of the population lives in the Flemish region (North Belgium) and speaks Dutch.
• 40% lives in the Wallonia region (South Belgium) and speaks French.
• 1% of Belgians speak German.
• In Brussels, the capital city, 80% of people speak French while 20% speak Dutch.
□ Tension between the French and Dutch communities:
• French community was relatively richer and powerful than the Dutch community.
• Dutch community was in majority in the country but a minority in the capital region.
□ Accommodation in Belgium
The Belgian leaders recognised the existence of regional differences & cultural diversities.
They amended their constitution four times to ensure that different communities live
together peacefully within the same country.
• Equal number of ministers from Dutch and French groups in the central government.
• Special laws must be approved by both communities, and no single community can
take decisions unilaterally.
• Power is shared between the central and state governments. The states are not under
the central government.
• Brussels has a separate government with equal representation of both groups.
• A community government is formed by people of the same language (Dutch, French or
German) to manage cultural, educational and language-related issues.
This model helped to prevent conflict between the two major communities.
➞ The headquarters of the European Union are located in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian ocean.
□ Ethnic composition in Sri lanka:
• 74% of the people are Sinhala speakers and most of them are Buddhists.
• 18% of the people are Tamil speakers and most of them are Hindu or Muslim.
• Tamil speakers are divided into two sub-groups:
→ Sri Lankan Tamils (13%), who are natives of the country, and Indian Tamils (5%), whose
forefathers came from India as plantation workers during the colonial period.
• There are 7% Christians, who are both Sinhala and Tamil.
, □ Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
The Sinhala leaders adopted majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy,
according to which the majority community should rule the country and the interests of
minorities were ignored.
• In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the official language of Sri Lanka.
• The government favoured the Sinhala community in government jobs and university
admissions.
• The Constitution was amended to protect and promote Buddhism.
□ Impact on Tamils:
• It increased the feeling of alienation among the Tamil community.
• They felt that the government and major political parties did not respect their language
and culture.
• They felt that the government and Constitution did not give them equal rights, and were
treated unfairly in jobs and opportunities.
□ Struggles of Tamils and its Result:
• Sri Lankan Tamils started political parties and movements to demand Tamil as an
official language and equal opportunities in education and jobs.
• Their demand for regional autonomy was repeatedly denied.
• By 1980, some Tamils demanded a separate state called Tamil Eelam in the northern
and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
• The distrust between the two communities led to a Civil War, in which 1000s of people
were killed and many lost their livelihoods.
➞ The civil war caused serious damage to the social, economic and cultural life of the
country.
□ Reasons for Power sharing
I. Prudential reason:
Power Sharing is important because it reduces conflicts between social groups and
ensures political stability.
II. Moral reason:
Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy, and people have the right to be involved in
how they are governed.
Forms of Power Sharing
1. Horizontal form of Power sharing:
• Power is shared among different organs of government at the same level — legislature,
executive and judiciary.
• The legislature makes laws, the executive implements them, and the judiciary resolves
disputes, and they check each other to maintain a balance of power among institutions.
• This system is also known as the system of checks and balances.
