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Three factors decide the outcome of politics of social divisions are given below :
(1) Single or multiple identities : Outcome depends on how people recognize their identities. If they have only one identity as catholic or protestant, it is difficult to adapt and resolve their differences as happened in Northern Ireland. They will think about their interests exclusively. On the other hand if people have multiple identities i.e., national identity as well as on the basis of language, their differences are easily resolved. As in Belgium ,they are as much Belgian as they are Dutch or German-speaking. This helps them to stay together. In India too, people are Indian as well as belonging to a particular state or a language group or religious community.
(2) Raising of demands of any community by the leaders : To accommodate them easily the demands are raised by the leaders within the framework of the constitution and not at the cost of another community. But if the demands are at the cost of other community, it may lead to violent struggle or division of the county. The examples are Sri Lanka and Yugoslavia.
(3 ) Policy and reaction of the government to demands of different groups : Social divisions become less threatening if the rulers are willing to share and accommodate the demands of the minority community. But if the demands are suppressed in the name of national unity it may result in dissolution. It has happened in Sri Lanka. So there should be no forced integration.
From above the following conclusions may be drawn :The assertion of social diversities in a country need not be seen as a source of danger.In democracy, political expression of social divisions is normal and can be discussed in healthy way. This allows various marginal social groups to express their injustice and get the government to attend them. Expressions of various kinds of social divisions in politics often results in reducing their intensity. This leads to strengthening of a democracy.
A social difference becomes a social division when some social difference overlaps with another differences. For example in the USA, the difference between Blacks and Whites has become a social division. The Blacks are poor,without home, and are discriminated. In the same way in India, Dalits are mostly poor, without land, and are discriminated. Such situations are responsible for social divisions because a kind of social difference becomes more important than the other and people have feeling of being different in their own communities.
Social divisions affect politics in the way given below:
Social divisions leading to violence and disintegration becomes political divisions. Democracy involves competition among different political parties. Their competition divides society on the basis of existing social divisions. In such situation social divisions become political divisions, thus leading to violence and the disintegration of the country. For example, in Northern Ireland, Roman Catholics (44 percent) demand that It should be unified with the Republic of Ireland, a catholic country. The Protestants (53 percent) and their party wants to stay with the UK which is predominantly protestant. This led to violence and conflict. It was only in 1998 that the UK government and the Nationalists (Catholics)signed a peace treaty and the armed struggle ended. However, in Yugoslavia, political competition among religious and ethnic lines led to it's disintegration into six independent countries. Effect of social divisions on elections: Social divisions are shown in politics. In a democracy ,political parties make promises to different communities and try to readress their grievances of the downside communities. Social divisions affect voting during elections. Candidates are selected on the basis of social divisions to gain maximum voters. A Muslim or Hindu both fights election in a Muslim or Hindu dominated constituency. Parties try to attract voters on the basis of social divisions. For example, the Bahujan Samaj Party seeks the votes of Dalits in India.
Overlapping social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. Cross-cutting social differences do not usually lead to conflicts.
(d) Democracy always leads to disintegration of society on the basis of social divisions. This statement is totally false.
(c) Yugoslavia because it was set up as a federation of Six republics after World War II and the conflicts occur due to unsolved issues.