Consider the following statements about power sharing arrangements in Belgium and Sri Lanka.
A. In Belgium, the Dutch-speaking majority people tried to impose their domination on the minority French-speaking community.
B. In Sri Lanka, the policies of the government sought to ensure the dominance of the Sinhala-speaking majority.
C. The Tamils in Sri Lanka demanded a federal arrangement of power sharing to protect their culture, language and equality of opportunity in education and jobs.
D. The transformation of Belgium from unitary government to a federal one prevented a possible division of the country on linguistic lines.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) A, B, C and D (b) A, B and D (c) C and D (d) B, C and D
Answer:
The correct answer is (d) B, C, and D.
✅ B. In Sri Lanka, the government policies favored the Sinhala-speaking majority, leading to discrimination against Tamil minorities.
✅ C. The Tamils in Sri Lanka demanded a federal system to protect their rights, culture, and equal opportunities.
✅ D. Belgium became a federal state, ensuring power-sharing among linguistic groups and preventing division.
❌ A is incorrect because Belgium followed a power-sharing model to ensure harmony between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities.