5.5. Accommodation of social diversity

Do democracies lead to peaceful and harmonious life among citizens? It will be a fair expectation that democracy should produce a harmonious social life. We have seen in the earlier chapters how democracies accommodate various social divisions. We saw in the first chapter how Belgium has successfully negotiated differences among ethnic populations. Democracies usually develop a procedure to conduct their competition. This reduces the possibility of these tensions becoming explosive or violent.

Democracy is expected to foster peace and harmony among its citizens. This expectation arises from how democracies can manage social divisions effectively. For example, in Belgium, different ethnic groups have successfully negotiated their differences through democratic processes. When there are established procedures for addressing conflicts, they are less likely to escalate into violence. This shows that a well-functioning democracy can create an environment where diverse groups can coexist peacefully.

Think of a school setting where students from various backgrounds and cultures come together. If there are rules and systems in place to encourage respect and understanding among all students, conflicts are less likely to arise. Similarly, in a democratic society, having mechanisms for dialogue and negotiation helps to maintain harmony among diverse groups.

No society can fully and permanently resolve conflicts among different groups. But we can certainly learn to respect these differences and we can also evolve mechanisms to negotiate the differences. Democracy is best suited to produce this outcome. Non-democratic regimes often turn a blind eye to or suppress internal social differences.

While conflicts among groups cannot be completely eliminated, democracy provides a framework for recognizing and respecting these differences. It encourages dialogue and negotiation rather than suppression. In non-democratic systems, authorities might ignore or oppress the needs of minority groups, leading to greater tensions. A democratic society, on the other hand, promotes understanding and respect through open conversations.

Imagine a sports team comprised of players with varying skill levels and playing styles. A good coach will form strategies that utilize each player's unique strengths and facilitate communication among the team members. This is akin to how democracies can leverage diverse social identities to foster cooperation and harmony.

But the example of Sri Lanka reminds us that a democracy must fulfil two conditions in order to achieve this outcome:

• It is necessary to understand that democracy is not simply rule by majority opinion. The majority always needs to work with the minority so that governments function to represent the general view.
• It is also necessary that rule by majority does not become rule by majority community in terms of religion or race or linguistic group, etc.

For a democracy to effectively accommodate social diversity, it is critical to balance the interests of the majority and minority. Simply having a majority does not mean the needs of the minority are ignored. In fact, a healthy democracy thrives on cooperation. Additionally, governance should not become about favoring one group's religion, race, or language at the expense of others; instead, it should strive to represent all citizens fairly regardless of their backgrounds.

Consider a potluck dinner where everyone brings a dish to share. If one group decides only to eat their own food without sharing or considering others' dishes, it can lead to unhappiness. But if everyone contributes and respects each other's choices, everyone enjoys the meal. This illustrates how democracies should function, where inclusion and representation benefit all.

Rule by majority means that in case of every decision or in case of every election, different persons and groups may and can form a majority. Democracy remains democracy only as long as every citizen has a chance of being in majority at some point of time. If someone is barred from being in majority on the basis of birth, then the democratic rule ceases to be accommodative for that person or group.

Democracy allows for changing majorities. In every decision-making process, different groups can arise as majorities, so no single group is permanently dominant. It is vital that everyone has the potential to be part of a majority, fostering inclusivity. If, however, a person is permanently disenfranchised due to their birth status (like caste or ethnicity), the democracy fails to meet its accommodative role, leading to unrest and dissatisfaction.

Think of a community club where decisions are made by votes. If only a specific group can vote because of their status while others are excluded, that group could create an environment of resentment. However, when all members are given voting rights, they can all participate and contribute to the club's direction, which is a hallmark of a functional democracy.

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