Tag: daily editorials

Coordinated attacks: On Pakistan and the Baloch conflict  

Pakistan cannot take a militaristic approach to the Baloch conflict 

Ever since the Taliban, hosted by Pakistan’s security forces, recaptured Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan, especially in its Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces neighbouring Afghanistan, has seen a surge in terrorist attacks. In 2023 alone, there were over 650 recorded attacks, with 23% occurring in Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and a hotbed of separatist insurgency. But even in this new normal, Monday was one of the bloodiest days for Balochistan and Pakistan. On the 18th death anniversary of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a Baloch nationalist leader killed by the Pakistani military in 2006, separatists carried out coordinated attacks across the province. The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the many deaths. According to security officials, the separatists damaged infrastructure and executed migrant labourers from Punjab. That the attacks occurred in different parts of Balochistan show the growing reach and capability of the insurgency. Bugti’s death anniversaries have seen violent incidents in the past, but Pakistan’s military and intelligence services were caught off guard on August 26.

Historically, Pakistan has taken a ruthless, militarist approach towards the Baloch problem. Balochistan, despite its wealth of natural resources, is the country’s most impoverished region. Pakistan has historically neglected the province. Punjab, on the other hand, grew to be influential in national politics and economically prosperous, leading to strong anti-Punjab tendencies within sections of the Baloch community. This, along with the poor living conditions, was exploited by the separatists to drum up support for their cause. They often attack the federal government “for extracting” resources without offering any help to the local economy. Baloch separatists have cited the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which goes through the province, as an example of this exploitation, and targeted Chinese interests. The Pakistani establishment has also failed to engage with the civil rights movements in Balochistan, such as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, which organised several sit-ins in Islamabad and Baloch cities this year to draw the attention of the federal authorities to widespread human rights abuses in the province. Such activists were often painted as “enemies of Pakistan”, which left the military with the only option of using force against the separatists. But state violence has only strengthened the separatists — as the latest attacks underscore. If Pakistan is serious about stability and security in its largest province, it should take measures to address the developmental concerns of the locals, stop the rights violations and engage with the peaceful civil rights voices to reset ties with the Balochis.

Word	Meaning	Symons	Antonym
Insurgency	“Insurgency” refers to a rebellion or uprising against a recognized authority or government, often involving armed conflict.	Revolt Rebellion Uprising Mutiny	Loyalty Compliance Obedience Support
Impoverished	“Impoverished” refers to a state of extreme poverty or lacking in essential resources.	Poor Destitute Needy Deprived	Wealthy Rich Comfortable  Affluent
Prosperous	“Prosperous” describes a state of success, wealth, or thriving well-being, often characterized by financial success, growth, and overall well-being.	Wealthy Successful Rich Well-off	Poor Struggling Needy Failing

No more delays: On holding the Census

Caste enumeration should not hold the Census from being undertaken quickly

In what can only be a case of muddying the waters, the Union government is reportedly mulling the expansion of data collection in the long-delayed Census to include caste enumeration. That caste may be one of the variables in the Census could be an outcome of the strident demand for a caste census by several political parties. But considering the incomplete and poorly constructed nature of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011, which resulted in data that were unwieldy, inaccurate, and hence unusable, the government must not hurry into utilising the office of the Registrar General and other agencies to tabulate caste. There must first be a definite time frame to conduct the Census on a war footing. If the delay is deliberate, in order to allow for delimitation to be conducted first in 2026, this will be harmful not just to public policy but also to relations with States. As of June 2024, out of 233 countries, India was one of 44 not to have conducted the Census this decade. The ostensible reason provided by the Union Home Ministry was delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but 143 other countries conducted the Census after March 2020, which marked the onset of the pandemic. India shares this dubious distinction of not having a Census with countries affected by conflict, economic crises or turmoil such as Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Sri Lanka and in sub-Saharan Africa.

There remains little excuse to continually delay the decennial Census, an exercise that has been conducted without fail from 1881 to 2011. Yet, the deadline to freeze administrative boundaries of districts, tehsils, towns and municipal bodies — a prerequisite before the conduct of the Census — lapsed on June 30 this year. This deadline has been extended 10 times since 2019. Several public schemes such as the National Food Security Act, the National Social Assistance Programme and the delimitation of constituencies are dependent upon the Census being conducted. Besides, statistical surveys that go into setting policy such as those related to household and social consumption, the National Family Health Survey, the Periodic Labour Force Survey, and the Sample Registration System, among others, use the Census to set their sampling frames. With the 2011 Census data getting increasingly out-dated and phenomena such as migration across and within States, the urbanisation of Indian societies, and the suburbanisation of cities becoming increasingly prominent in recent years, the lack of a Census is telling. The reliance on a bevy of sample surveys to fill in the gap is only resulting in debates over methodology and conclusions based on cherry-picking according to one’s political choice. Clearly, the Union government must stop being derelict in its duties and should proceed with the Census quickly.

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Mulling	“Mulling” refers to the process of thinking deeply or carefully about something, often to make a decision or understand it better.	Considering Meditating Reflecting Pondering	Ignoring Rushing Overlooking  Disregarding
Enumeration	“Enumeration” refers to the action of listing or mentioning items one by one. It involves counting or detailing elements in a systematic manner.	Cataloging Itemization Counting Listing	Omission Summarization Abstracting Neglect
Delimitation	“Delimitation” refers to the process of defining or marking the boundaries or limits of something.	Boundaries Demarcation Specification Limitations	Generalization Expansion Indefiniteness Vagueness
Ostensible	Seeming or stated to be real or true, but not necessarily real or true.	Apparent Seeming Professed Surface	Actual Genuine True Substantive
Prerequisite	The term “prerequisite” refers to something that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or be done.	Requirement Condition Necessity Essential	Optional Nonessential Unnecessary Superfluous
Derelict	The term “derelict” refers abandoned especially by the owner or occupant	Neglected Abandoned Forsaken Rundown	Maintained Pristine Well-kept Tidy

Catalyst for change: On the Hema Committee report and Malayalam film industry

The Hema Committee report should help reform the film industry 

At different points of time, come events that have the potential to shape the future. Whether these catalysts fulfil that potential to the fullest extent or not is in the hands of the people in their vortex. The Justice K. Hema Committee report that studied the issues faced by women in cinema, could well be one such catalyst. The three-member committee was constituted in 2017, based on a petition submitted by the Kerala-based Women in Cinema Collective, and submitted its report two years later. It was released last week, several paragraphs redacted, and contains unsurprising and yet disturbing revelations about the state of affairs in the film industry — discrimination, exploitation and sexual harassment of women. The term ‘casting couch’, hatched in Hollywood, has become repugnantly accepted as a euphemism for sexual favours in exchange for a role in films. Justice Hema points out that making the exchange of sexual favours the passkey for entry into the field itself, and normalising it and conflating it with consensual sexual activity, makes the industry inherently exploitative. The report deals also with other inequities that disadvantage women in the industry, including the lack of essential facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, safe transportation, and accommodation at the shooting spot which are violative of the right to privacy; and discrimination in remuneration, and a lack of binding contractual agreements. These affect the range of women across the industry — actors, technicians, make-up artists, dancers, support staff, and particularly so, women lower in the pecking order.

The way ahead is not as murky as the hole that the film industry, here Malayalam, seems to find itself in. The government has decided to constitute a special investigation team to go into the accusations of harassment. While the government would do well to ignore the committee’s recommendation on doing away with internal complaints committees for each film project, it must act on suggestions that call for provision of essential facilities and for structural reforms within the film industry, including professionalising it. Nothing will change unless the state gets involved meaningfully in creating an equitable work space for men and women, in an industry dominated by people with great power and money, who have so far refuted the existence of such a power cartel or have remained silent. Each of the issues raised must be taken cognisance of, and acted upon. As with the #MeToo movement, Justice Hema’s report has the potential of being a catalyst to enable scores of women to speak up. It behoves the state to ensure that their complaints are not ignored, or worse still, used against them.

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Redacted	The term “redacted” refers to the process of editing or obscuring portions of a document or text to protect sensitive information or to comply with legal, security, or privacy requirements.	Censored Obscured Edited Concealed	Revealed Disclosed Published Unredacted
Revelations	The term “revelations” refers to the act of making something previously hidden or unknown known, often bringing to light important, surprising, or profound information.	Anticipated Foreseen Projected Viewed	Ignored Overlooked Neglected Dismissed
Pecking order	“Pecking order” describes the relative positions of individuals within a hierarchy, often indicating levels of status, power, or authority.	Hierarchy Ranking Stratification	Equality Flat Anarchy
Refuted	The term “refuted” means to prove that something is false or incorrect by presenting evidence or argument against it.	Disproved Countered Rejected Contradicted	Confirmed ValidatedSupported Proven

Not taking sides: On Prime Minister Modi’s Ukraine visit

Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine was more a balancing act than a peace effort 

Six weeks after his visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (August 23, 2024) was largely seen as an exercise in balancing India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war. Since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India has maintained a uniquely distant position from the war: abstaining from all resolutions at the United Nations that dealt with the conflict and were critical of Russia. India also ignored western sanctions, particularly on payments for oil imports and defence hardware from Russia, and did not accept Mr. Zelenskyy’s requests to include Ukraine in the G-20 summit last year or to send a high-level political participation to the Swiss peace summit in June this year. India’s disapproval of Russia’s actions was instead couched in the language of peace, all of cold comfort for Ukraine, which was seeking a clear alignment with its cause, and deeply critical of Mr. Modi’s Moscow visit. That Mr. Modi made the visit at all, the first by any Indian Prime Minister since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, is significant, and is being watched for signals of any major change in India’s policy on the war. During his short visit, the two leaders discussed the conflict, and later visited a memorial for children killed in the war. Unlike other international leaders visiting Kyiv since 2022, Mr. Modi did not meet with any war casualties or injured soldiers and civilians. The two sides signed agreements on cooperation in agriculture, culture, medical products and assistance for community development projects. The leaders did not, however, speak of progress on other outlooked issues, including a strategic partnership, or supplies of telecom and medical infrastructure, and construction equipment that Ukraine has requested.

The broader question around the visit was whether India would now play a larger role in resolving the conflict which includes an idea propounded by Kyiv for another summit in November. Mr. Modi has also become one of a handful of world leaders, from Indonesia, Türkiye, South Africa and Hungary, to have visited Kyiv and Moscow, and, hence, in a position to reach out to both with peace initiatives. As a leader of the Global South, India has a stake in ensuring that the impact of the war in Europe and sanctions do not continue to imperil the developing and under-developed nations. However, New Delhi has thus far not shown an interest in more than passing messages when required, sending officials to Doha and Bürgenstock when invited to attend peace dialogues, and encouraging the two parties to deal directly with each other. Unless that understanding of India’s interest changes, it would seem Mr. Modi’s visit followed form, but did not fundamentally move the needle on the global peace effort. Nor did the substance greatly outweigh the symbolism of the much-awaited visit.

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Couched	“Couched” can be used in a few different contexts, often relating to the way something is expressed or phrased	Framed Formulated Expressed Presented	Unclear Direct Blunt Explicit
Outlooked	Have anticipated or considered a situation from a particular perspective.	Anticipated Foreseen Projected Viewed	Ignored Overlooked Neglected Dismissed
Propounded	Put forward (an idea or theory) for consideration by others.	Proposed Presented Submitted Advocated	Repressed Withheld Rejected Opposed
Imperil	The verb “imperil” means to put something or someone in danger or at risk.	Endanger Jeopardize Threaten Compromise	Protect Safeguard Preserve Secure

A safety audit is essential to prevent industrial accidents

The blast at pharma company Escientia’s plant in the Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, is the worst industrial accident in the region in recent times. Seventeen workers have died and many have been injured. On the same day, about 10 workers suffered injuries in a fire accident at a chemical factory in the same SEZ. Last year, on June 30, a massive explosion rocked a pharma plant, at the same SEZ, leading to deaths and injuries. The Atchutapuram SEZ, among the State’s largest SEZs, is home to the factories of more than 100 companies. The rash of accidents revives memories of another deadly accident on May 7, 2020 — 12 people died after a styrene monomer vapour leak from a polymers unit at Venkatapuram village on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam. These accidents raise serious questions about the state of industrial safety in Andhra Pradesh, more specifically in the SEZ. State Home Minister V. Anitha has said that at Escientia, workers had tried to plug a solvent leak of the chemical/solvent MTBE (Methyl tert-butyl ether). Before the leak could be plugged, it fell on an electrical panel, leading to a fire and blast, she said. Meanwhile, the typical safety data sheet of MTBE — that operating personnel should have been familiar with — says that it is highly flammable and its vapour can also cause skin and eye irritation. In case of accidental release, it specifically cautions against the serious risk of fire and explosion and lays down the use of explosion-proof electrical/ventilating/lighting equipment.

Trade unions and activists are calling for stringent punishment to lax managements. They also complain of abysmal safety standards. Their demand is for an immediate and thorough safety audit of all units at the SEZs and elsewhere in Andhra Pradesh. A key complaint is exemption from government inspection given to units in SEZs and Export Processing Zones in a 2016 order that brought into force the system of online inspections. This exemption will apparently apply to high-risk ones also, such as pharma and chemicals, in SEZs. Another is exemption from inspections given to medium-risk industries which can self-certify, based on third party audits, regarding compliance with safety norms. Such government moves are intended to facilitate ease-of-doing business as frequent inspections by government staff may only lead to bribes and harassment without necessarily improving safety. While the intent is a well worked out practice across the world, the series of accidents calls for a broader probe including in SEZs in Andhra Pradesh so that any loopholes present can be fixed. Swift delivery of justice by punishing non-compliance of norms and the award of punitive damages will be a deterrent against ignoring safety.

Meaning of words:

WORD	MEANINGS	SYNONYMS	ANTONYMS
Outskirts	“Outskirts” refers to the outer areas or edges of a city or town, typically away from the central or more developed parts.	·       Periphery      ·       Edge      ·       Fringe      ·      Border	·       Center        ·       Core        ·       Inner city        ·      Central area
Flammable	“Flammable” refers to something that can easily catch fire and burn.	·      Combustible      ·      Ignitable      ·      Burnable      ·      Inflammable	·   Non-flammable      ·    Fire-resistant      ·    Incombustible      ·    Flame-retardant
Stringent	Not allowing any exceptions or loosening of standards.	·      Strict      ·      Rigorous      ·      Severe      ·      Harsh	·      Lenient      ·      Relaxed      ·      Permissive      ·      Flexible
Abysmal	“Abysmal” describes something that is extremely bad or unpleasant, often to the point of being profound or bottomless in its negative quality.	·       Terrible      ·       Awful      ·       Dreadful      ·      Horrible	·       Excellent      ·       Wonderful      ·       Superb      ·      Outstanding
Punitive	“Punitive” refers to something that is intended to punish or impose a penalty, often in a legal or disciplinary context.	·       Penal      ·       Disciplinary      ·       Retributive      ·      Corrective	·       Rewarding      ·       Rehabilitative      ·       Forgiving      ·      Lenient

 

​ Double brake: On the contest in the Haryana Assembly elections

Struggling with anti-incumbency, the BJP faces a resurgent Congress in Haryana 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana is leaving no stone unturned to fight back a resurgent Congress, as the State is scheduled to have a single-phase Assembly election on October 1 for all 90 seats. The attempts of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) to retain its position as a third player, and of the Aam Aadmi Party to emerge as one, continue, though a sharp polarisation between the two national parties appears likely. The BJP has to tackle double anti-incumbency as it has been in power in both the State and the Centre for the last 10 years. Cognisant of the headwinds, the BJP replaced then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini, in March ahead of the general election. Mr. Saini has been trying to pacify various interest groups, by reversing many decisions of his predecessor and announcing new schemes. Sarpanches who are up in arms over the curtailing of their rights have got their expenditure limit increased for the gram panchayats from ₹5 lakh to ₹21 lakh. He has organised special camps, or ‘Samadhan Shivirs’, to address people’s grievances; and 1.20 lakh contractual employees have been ensured job security until the age of superannuation. The creamy layer annual income for Other Backward Classes, that was reduced to ₹6 lakh by Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar, has been restored to its level of ₹8 lakh. A 10% horizontal reservation for Agniveers in various State government posts, and an expanded minimum support price regime for crops have been promised.

Haryana’s fundamental social cleft between Jats and non-Jats had worked to the BJP’s advantage in the last two Assembly elections. But the multi-caste alliance behind the BJP had begun to weaken by the 2019 Assembly election, with the farmers’ agitation and the Agnipath scheme undermining it further in the last five years. Additionally, the party is caught in numerous rivalries within the tent. The party’s majority in the Assembly itself is questionable. The Congress hopes to cash in on all this and turn around its own fortunes. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is helming the Congress campaign, appears to have consolidated the party behind him. His focus is on unemployment and the crisis in the agricultural sector. The Congress still has the task of ensuring that its factional leaders remain united until the end. Communal polarisation, though at its lowest in the last 10 years, can still wreck the party’s plans. Despite a decline, the BJP managed to avoid a total rout in the Lok Sabha election. The Congress and the BJP shared the 10 Lok Sabha seats equally, while the Congress increased its vote share across the State. The outcome in Haryana will have implications for the Congress and the BJP at the national level.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Resurgent	Resurgent describes something that is experiencing a revival or comeback, particularly after a period of decline or inactivity.	Renewed Resurrected Revival Reemerging	Declining Fading Diminishing Stagnant
Predecessor	A predecessor is a person who held a position or role before someone else, or something that came before another in a sequence or development.	Forerunner Antecedent Forebear Precursor	Successor Follower Replacement Contender
Helming	Helming refers to the act of steering or directing, particularly in the context of managing or leading a project, organization, or ship.	Leading Directing Steering Guiding	Following Subordinating Neglecting Mismanaging
Implications	The effect that something will have on something else in the future.	Consequences  Effects Outcomes Results	Causes Relaxed Preconditions Solutions

​Regressive move: On minimising night duty for women

Reducing work hours of women is not the way to ensure their safety 

The last thing that a rape and murder need are platitudes, and a predictably tiresome one is being peddled after the brutal killing of a woman doctor on duty at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Hospital on August 9. One of the guidelines issued by the West Bengal government calls for minimising night duty for women. How will this dictum — “wherever possible, night duty may be avoided for women to the extent possible” — secure safety at the workplace? This regressive move will only end up removing women from the workforce, instead of ensuring a stop to violence. With the labour force participation rate for urban women in India, ages 15 and above, pegged at an abysmal 25.2% in April-June 2024, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey’s quarterly bulletin, the governments at the Centre and States must ensure that women, employed as health-care professionals, gig and factory workers, call centre staff, auto drivers, hotel duties and journalists, are able to work safely, anywhere, and at anytime. Reducing their time at work will only lead to women losing jobs and their financial independence. The other guidelines, as part of the programme called ‘Rattirer Shaathi (helpers of the night)’, include the call for separate rest rooms and toilets for women, creating safe zones with CCTVs, and a special mobile phone app — measures which should have been already in place.

The Supreme Court, taking suo motu cognisance of the Kolkata case, in its hearing on Tuesday announced a national task force to look into the safety of doctors and medical professionals. Gender violence should be a matter of serious concern in every sphere, not least the informal sector, where women are employed in large numbers. The sweeping changes brought into the system after the 2012 Delhi rape, such as harsher laws and stringent punishment, have not been enough. The National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) annual report of 2022, the latest one available, shows that 4.45 lakh cases of crimes against women were registered, which is equivalent to nearly 51 FIRs every hour. Protocols cannot be just on paper, the Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said. In 2017, when the Court was confirming the death penalty of four men, who were accused in the 2012 Delhi rape, Justice R. Banumathi had said that apart from effective implementation of laws, a change in the mindset of the society at large and creating awareness in the public on gender justice would go a long way to combat violence against women. Campaigns led by women after the R.G. Kar rape, to “reclaim the night” in Kolkata and other parts of the country, should serve as wake-up calls to governments, and society, to do it right by women.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Platitudes	An idea or expression that has been used by many people	Cliché Truism Overused expression Commonplace remark	Insight Novelty Profundity Depth
Pegged	To arrange or assign according to type	Position Attitude Viewpoint Posture	Indifference Neutrality Uncertainty Disinterest
Cognisance	“Cognisance” refers to awareness or knowledge of something. It can denote the state of being aware or the acknowledgment of a fact or situation.	Awareness Understanding Recognition Realization	Ignorance Neglect Overlook Unawareness
Stringent	Not allowing for any exceptions or loosening of standards	Strict Rigorous Severe Harsh	Lenient Relaxed Permissive Flexible

Good, not ugly: On the 70th National Film Awards

Film awards regained some prestige by sticking with good cinema 

The National Film Awards appeared to be facing a credibility crisis in recent years following some questionable choices and glaring omissions. For instance, last year, the award for ‘Best Feature Film on National Integration’, for The Kashmir Files, encapsulated the general political thrust of the awards, where, during the screenings, cinema theatres became platforms for communal sloganeering. Thus, the 70th National Film Awards, declared earlier this week, came as a sort of surprise, somewhat redeeming the prestige associated with the highest cinematic honours. Malayalam film Aattam, directed by debutant Anand Ekarshi, became an interesting choice for the Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay and Best Editing winner, especially in the era of the #MeToo movement. Without ever slipping into preachiness, the film-maker uses the subtle chamber drama to analyse male behaviour after a woman raises an allegation of sexual abuse within a theatre group. The award also comes at a time when protests and debates are roiling the country after the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata. Kannada film Kantara, which won Best Popular Film, and also fetched its director Rishab Shetty the Best Actor Award, taps into folk traditions to raise contemporary environmental concerns. Bhoota Kola, a tribal ritualistic performance from coastal Karnataka, is the centrepiece, with Shetty’s frenzied interpretation in the climax going a long way towards the film’s success as well as getting him the national award.

One commonality between these films is the lack of a formula, especially the kind dictated by corporate studios. Aattam, in fact, originated from a theatre group, giving its working-class members a chance at cinema; they play themselves in the film. Nithya Menen’s Best Actress award is also an unconventional choice — as the effervescent Shobhana in Thiruchitrambalam, hers is not a typical award-bait role. Yet, within the film’s scheme, it was a stunning performance which raised its overall effect by several notches. The awards reinforce the recent trend of South Indian cinema surpassing Bollywood, which, despite its humongous budgets, has been finding it hard to match the consistent quality of content from regional industries. It is also heartening that the juries and the larger public have started discovering more meaningful content from the southern industries. The National Awards in the 70th edition seem to have fulfilled, to an extent, the purpose for which they were instituted: to celebrate good cinema.

Meaning of the word :

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Omissions	Omissions refers to instances where something is left out or not included, often unintentionally. It is derived from the verb “omit,” which means to leave out or exclude something.	Exclusions Neglects Oversights Exceptions	Inclusions Additions Completions Involvements
Encapsulated	Encapsulated means to express or show the most important facts about something	Contained Enclosed Wrapped Summarized	Opened Revealed Unprotected Expanded
Preachiness	The quality of seeming to want to give moral advice, even when this is not wanted or needed.	Moralizing Lecturing Didacticism Sermonizing	Objective Neutral Reserved Neutral
Humongous	Humongous is an informal adjective used to describe something that is extremely large or enormous.	Huge Gigantic Massive Enormous	Tiny Small Compact Microscopic

Two States: On elections to Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana

Elections to Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana are of great Import

Assembly elections for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), to be held from September 18 to October 1, will test India’s democratic institutions and, especially, the Election Commission of India (ECI), to the fullest extent. This will be the first election for J&K since it lost its statehood and Ladakh was carved out as a separate UT without an Assembly in 2019. After a a three-phase poll in J&K and a single-phase one in Haryana, the counting of votes will be on October 4. Curiously, the ECI has said that elections that are due in Maharashtra and Jharkhand will be announced later. In 2019, Haryana and Maharashtra went to the polls together. Security concerns and festivals have been cited as the reason for holding these elections in batches of two each. Falling within the first year of the 2024 general election, these four Assembly elections, and then the one in Delhi, will be notable for the political signals that will emanate. Of import will be the J&K exercise, as a new elected government can be the first step to a durable political process after J&K’s reorganisation five years ago. The enthusiasm that the electorate showed in the general election and the recurring incidents of violent insurgency are two aspects of the situation in Kashmir. Elections could open the possibility of the emergence of new political actors. An election process that is demonstrably fair and transparent is essential for a healthy democracy, and in Kashmir’s case, no less so.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) went in for a changing of the guard in Haryana ahead of the general election to dilute the discontent against the party and its governments at the Centre and the State. The Agnipath short service scheme that was introduced by the Centre is a topic of intense interest in a State where many young people look to the military for a career option. The Congress is hoping to benefit from the double anti-incumbency and a disarray in the non-Jat social coalition that propelled the BJP to the top in 2014. The impact of the Assembly elections will not be limited to the two States/UTs. The general election had loosened the BJP’s grip over the country’s politics and given the Opposition a fresh lease of life. Whether that trend holds or there is a reversal is to be seen. Politics within the BJP, among the National Democratic Alliance partners, between the BJP and the larger Sangh Parivar, and between the BJP and the Opposition, could all be influenced by these elections. The BJP and the Congress both know that the stakes are high, giving this round of elections an added edge.

Word	Meaning	Symons	Antonym
Emanate	“Emanate” means to come out or flow from a source.	Radiate Exude Issue Emit	Absorb Recede Contain Inhibit
Discontent	“Discontent“ the state of being unhappy with something.	Dissatisfaction Unhappiness Displeasure Restlessness	Contentment Satisfaction Happiness Pleasure
Incumbency	“Incumbency” the period during which someone has a particular official position:	Tenure Officeholding Responsibility Reign	Vacancy Absence Resignation Departure
Propelled	“Propelled” means to drive or push something forward or onward with force. It can also mean to stimulate or motivate someone or something to move or progress.	Driven Pushed Thrust Motored	Hindered Retarded Stopped Repressed

Freedom notes: On the Independence Day speech and beyond

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first Independence Day speech in his third term in office — the eleventh since 2014 — sought to signal continuity and authority, particularly in the context of the fact that he is now leading a coalition government. He called for a uniform civil code, terming it a secular measure agnostic of religious faiths, ‘one nation, one election,’ and increased safety of women against the backdrop of the sexual assault and murder of an on-duty doctor in Kolkata recently. Mr. Modi said there were attempts to destabilise the economy of the country, echoing the BJP’s view on a recent report by U.S.-based short seller Hindenburg Research that has accused the head of stock market regulator SEBI of conflict of interest. Mr. Modi criticised the continuing trend of dynastic politics and suggested that one lakh first generation young leaders should enter electoral politics at various levels, and also expressed hope for peace being restored in Bangladesh. Reviewing his two terms in power, he claimed that India has made great strides in manufacturing, and in fighting corruption, and vowed to stay the course regardless of obstacles. The desirability of a uniform civil code, or more youngsters in politics or fighting corruption is not in question. But unfortunately, all these remain contentious issues, largely due to the government’s partisan approach.

That Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was seated in a back row of the audience at Red Fort where Mr. Modi delivered his customary address is instructive. The government’s explanation for this breach of precedent, that the seats in the front rows were given to members of this year’s Olympic team, is hardly a reasonable one. The government needs to be less unilateral and more consultative if it is truly committed to advancing a unified national agenda in the seventy-eighth year of India. A uniform civil code in a country as diverse as India requires consensus building, and ending the opportunistic use of the issue to attack the Muslim community. The government cannot fight corruption by investigating only Opposition leaders and overlooking serious charges against functionaries such as the SEBI chief. Criticism of the government is not a conspiracy to destabilise the nation, and labelling it as such is appealing only to a diminishing number of people. Independence Day should be a good occasion as any other to remember that the nation is not the government, and certainly not synonymous with the party in power. The freedom is for keeping the government of the day accountable to the people through a political process.

Word	Meaning	Symons	Antonym
Coalition	A coalition is a group of individuals, organizations, or countries that come together to achieve a common goal or purpose.	Alliance Partnership Union Bloc	Division Separation Disunity Fragmentation
Agnostic	The term “agnostic” generally refers to a person who is unsure about the existence of deities or the supernatural.	Skeptical Doubtful Uncertain Questionin	Theistic Certain Confident Believer
Destabilise	In a political sense, destabilising a government or regime involves actions that disrupt its stability, potentially leading to chaos or a loss of control.	Disrupt Undermine Weaken Shake	Stabilise Secure Strengthen Maintain
Opportunistic	“Opportunistic” refers to someone who takes advantage of opportunities, often in a way that is self-serving or pragmatic.	Strategic Calculating Pragmatic Advantageous	Altruistic Principled Unselfish Ethical