Speaking of Majority rule and minority rights, I came across this pretty good article. Its an older article, but still fits today's model and its a long article, but if you have time, it discusses the complexieties of minority rights etc.
Due to copyright restrictions, I can only provide a link: http://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/hardgrave/Hardgrave.html and a couple of interesting parts. I hope we can have some discussion on the article. --Ram _____ Here is a sample: "In the Northeast, the issue for the Assamese is not only jobs, but the preservation of the Assamese language and culture in the face of a demographic shift that threatens to make the Assamese a minority in their own state. ............." ............ "Liberal democracy stands or falls according to its ability to elicit a dual commitment to both majority rule and minority rights. The legitimacy of a majority at any given time depends on the maintenance of an open marketplace of ideas, free and periodic elections through which the majority can be challenged, and guarantees of basic human rights for all. But how and in what form are minority rights to be protected? ................... .........This tension, and the problems it causes, can be seen in India in the contexts of: (1) ethnolinguistic regionalism and separatism; (2) caste-based reservations; and (3) secularism and Hindu-Muslim communal relations.2" _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list [email protected] http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
