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| Bangladesh |
| Beyond a permanent minority |
| 2013-04-24 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Asatisfactory solution to the problem of minorities plays a very crucial role in the formation of successful mega-nations. The factors to be addressed are language, race, ethnicity, and religion. The composition of the mega-states can also vary. The Huns are predominant in China, representing 92% of the population. India and Indonesia consist of many ethnic groups. In India, for instance, 72% of the people are Indo-Aryans; Dravidians constitute 24% of the population and barely 28% are Hindustani. Indonesia consists of Javanese (39%), Sundanese (16%) and Malays (12%). Africa faces a major demographic problem with two-fifth of the population being minorities, whereas in Western democracies and Latin America the minorities represent only one-tenth of the population. The erstwhile Communist countries had no visible minority problem, but the myth of a Communist solution went kaboom!with the disintegration of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. The minority consciousness of race, religion or culture normally crystallises to a feeling of deprivation and exploitation and the belief that there is a permanent majority and a permanent minority. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... the discrimination of the minority is not always a fact of contemporary history; the apartheid regime in South Africa insulated and pampered the white minorities, raising their standard of living to the level of any First World country, while leaving the majority black population deprived. In an effort to address the problem of minorities, various alternatives -- autonomy, self-government or secession -- have been tried out in various phases of modern history. The experience of the aborigines in Australia and that of the Indians in North and South America indicates that the process of assimilation can lead to a serious backlash. Through genocide and forced assimilation, one ethnic group tries to gain control over another. There is now a trend towards reconciliation and integration. It is based on a policy that does not obliterate but accommodates plurality of cultures and ethnic and religious minority groups. The policies of affirmative action and reservations in the United States and India respectively are successful examples of a process of accommodation. External mediation has also been effective in Africa. Within the ambit of one-person, one-vote, institutional protection for minorities has been provided in Zim-bob-we and post-apartheid South Africa. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... by far the most practical solution to the problem is power-sharing. This ensures that every segment of society has a role in the process of taking decisions as also a rough parity in the share of public resources. Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... and Belgium are the prime examples of this model. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Hmmm, sounds like Obamalogic, didn't he claim there were 57 States? |
| Posted by: Thor Phereng8716 2013-04-24 20:10 |
| #2 In India, for instance, 72% of the people are Indo-Aryans; Dravidians constitute 24% of the population and barely 28% are Hindustani Let's see... 72 + 24 + 28 = 124% Hmmmmmmm. Kinda lost me there. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-04-24 11:44 |
| #1 I thought it's about Republican party. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-04-24 05:06 |