Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A Patel at the helm: On change of guard in Gujarat

A Patel at the helm: On change of guard in Gujarat

The BJP is once again willing to accommodate (समायोजित करना, अनुकूलित करना, अभ्यस्त होना) dominant caste groups

Effecting (प्रभाव पड़ना, उत्पन्न करना) the fourth change of guard in a State this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced Vijay Rupani with Bhupendra Patel as Chief Minister in Gujarat on Sunday. Though the decision came out of the blue (अप्रत्याशित समय पर), intrigues (साजिश, योजना बनाना, षडयंत्र करना) that led to it had been gaining momentum (गति, चाल) for a while. To keep it all under the wraps, the government in Gujarat went so far as (to the extent that) arresting and sending to jail a journalist under sedition (incitement (to riot/rebellion), agitation, trouble making/provocation (against the established government/authority)) charges for reporting that a change of guard was on the cards. Patels or Patidars have been the backbone (रीढ़ की हड्डी, मुख्य आधार, आधारशिला) of the BJP in Gujarat, but the elevation (rise, growth, promotion, upgrading, advancement) of Narendra Modi as Chief Minister in 2001 unsettled (अस्थिर करना, परेशान करना, व्याकुल करना) the cozy relations between the community and the party. Anandiben Patel succeeded (सफल होना, प्रतिस्थापित करना, विस्थापित करना) Mr. Modi after he became Prime Minister, but she did not last in office for long. A partial ejection (expulsion, throwing out, removal, ousting) of Patels to accommodate a wider range of caste groups in its tent was the BJP approach under Mr. Modi and Amit Shah, and their national strategy (रणनीति) mirrored (प्रतिबिम्बित करना, पुनरुत्पादन करना, अनुकरण करना) this Gujarat experiment. The Patels in turn rebelled against the Modi-Shah axis (alliance, coalition, bloc, union) several times in the last two decades (दशक, दस साल की अवधि।). Mr. Rupani was less than impressive (प्रभावशाली, शानदार) in administrative (प्रशासनिक, नियामक, संगठनात्मक, नियंत्रण) tasks or management of the social coalition (a group having people from different social groups who are co-operating to achieve a particular goal). The COVID-19 pandemic exposed (reveal, uncover, lay bare, display, manifest, unveil) his failures starkly. With the Assembly elections looming (emerge, appear, become visible, take a threatening shape), the Patels getting more restive (restless, agitated; rebellious, insurgent; uncontrollable, unmanageable), and the Aam Aadmi Party trying to emerge as a more viable (reasonable, practical, logical, sensible, effective) opposition than the rudderless Congress, the BJP had to act. The Chief Minister-designate (used to describe someone who has been officially selected to do a particular job, but has not yet started doing it) is a first-time MLA who was elected from the constituency vacated by Ms. Patel. The change also underscores the high command (commander-in-chief, head, leader, boss) culture that is now entrenched in the BJP.

The return of a Patel at the helm (संचालन, प्रभारी, कमान में) indicates a reversal (change, turnaround, turnabout, about-face, U-turn, sea change) of the BJP strategy of building coalitions of diverse caste groups under a leader from a marginal caste. Mr. Modi projected himself as a backward class leader in 2014, and subsequent (following, ensuing, succeeding, successive) choices in leadership at various levels largely followed this trend. There have been exceptions (anomaly, deviation, departure, special case), such as Yogi Adityanath, a Rajput, who was elected Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh. Within the party and outside of it, dominant castes have been resenting (feel aggrieved about, feel bitter about, be annoyed about, dislike) this and the BJP has now begun to feel the pressure. When it had to replace veteran ((long-serving) expert, seasoned, mature, established/experienced (person in an area of activity)) warhorse B.S. Yediyurappa, a member of the dominant Lingayat community as Chief Minister in Karnataka, the BJP ensured that his successor (inheritor, next-in-line, descendant) was from the same community. The ongoing stand-off (deadlock, stalemate, impasse (in a dispute/conflict)) between the party and the Jat farmers in U.P. and Haryana is also indicative of the tension (strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease) between the BJP and a dominant social group. The party’s Chief Minister in Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, is facing the heat (unwelcome pressure). These communities are bargaining for a bigger share of power in the BJP’s Hindutva tent. The BJP is partially acting under pressure, but it may also be feeling more confident of the support of the marginal communities and poorer sections (a specific group within a larger body of people) to accommodate its traditional supporters.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.helm (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संचालन, प्रभारी, कमान में
English Meaning - in charge, in command, in authority, position.

2.accommodate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - समायोजित करना, अनुकूलित करना, अभ्यस्त होना
English Meaning - adjust, adapt, attune, get accustomed, come to terms with, come to accept.

3.effect (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रभाव पड़ना, उत्पन्न करना
English Meaning - bring about, cause to happen, cause to occur.

4.out of the blue (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अप्रत्याशित समय पर
English Meaning - used to describe any event that happens unexpectedly (and there is no warning or time to prepare); unexpectedly, suddenly.

5.intrigue (noun)

Hindi Meaning - साजिश, योजना बनाना, षडयंत्र करना
English Meaning - (secret) planning, scheming, plotting.

6.lead to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - नेतृत्व करने के लिए, परिणाम में
English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on.

7.momentum (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गति, चाल
English Meaning - driving power, strength, impetus.

8.backbone (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रीढ़ की हड्डी, मुख्य आधार, आधारशिला
English Meaning - mainstay, cornerstone, foundation, chief support.

9.unsettle (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अस्थिर करना, परेशान करना, व्याकुल करना
English Meaning - disturb, upset, discomfit, disconcert.

10.succeed (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सफल होना, प्रतिस्थापित करना, विस्थापित करना
English Meaning - replace, displace, come after, follow.

11.strategy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रणनीति
English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

12.mirror (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबिम्बित करना, पुनरुत्पादन करना, अनुकरण करना
English Meaning - reflect, reproduce, imitate; follow.

13.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक, दस साल की अवधि।
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

14.impressive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रभावशाली, शानदार
English Meaning - magnificent, spectacular, splendid.

15.administrative (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशासनिक, नियामक, संगठनात्मक, नियंत्रण
English Meaning - regulatory, organizational, controlling, governmental.

16.gain momentum (phrase)

English Meaning - developing/happening more quickly.

17.for a while (phrase)

English Meaning - for some time.

18.keep something under wraps (phrase)

English Meaning - keep something secret.

19.so far as (phrase)

English Meaning - to the extent that.

20.sedition (noun)

English Meaning - incitement (to riot/rebellion), agitation, trouble making/provocation (against the established government/authority).

21.on the cards (phrase)

English Meaning - likely, possible, expected, in the offing.

22.change of guard (phrase)

English Meaning - It used to refer to a situation in which there is a (dramatic) change in which new people are replacing people (existing) in positions of importance.

23.at the helm (phrase)

English Meaning - in charge, in command/control/authority; in the driving seat.

24.elevation (noun)

English Meaning - rise, growth, promotion, upgrading, advancement. 

25.cozy (adjective)

English Meaning - (of a relationship) intimate, relaxed, friendly; comfortable.

26.last (verb)

English Meaning - continue, remain, persist, exist.

27.ejection (noun)

English Meaning - expulsion, throwing out, removal, ousting.

28.tent (noun)

English Meaning - camp, base.

29.rebel against (verb)

English Meaning - defy, disobey, flout, oppose, resist.

30.axis (noun)

English Meaning - alliance, coalition, bloc, union.

31.social coalition (noun)

English Meaning - a group having people from different social groups who are co-operating to achieve a particular goal.

32.pandemic (noun)

English Meaning - the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.

33.expose (verb)

English Meaning - reveal, uncover, lay bare, display, manifest, unveil.

34.starkly (adverb)

English Meaning - clearly, distinctly, strikingly.

35.loom (verb)

English Meaning - emerge, appear, become visible, take a threatening shape.

36.restive (adjective)

English Meaning - restless, agitated; rebellious, insurgent; uncontrollable, unmanageable.

37.viable (adjective)

English Meaning - reasonable, practical, logical, sensible, effective.

38.rudderless (adjective)

English Meaning - having no (clear) aim/principle; lacking in control, lacking in direction.

39.designate (adjective/suffix)

English Meaning - used to describe someone who has been officially selected to do a particular job, but has not yet started doing it.

40.underscore (verb)

English Meaning - underline, emphasize, highlight.

41.high command (noun)

English Meaning - commander-in-chief, head, leader, boss. 

42.entrench (verb)

English Meaning - ingrain, establish, embed.

43.reversal (noun)

English Meaning - change, turnaround, turnabout, about-face, U-turn, sea change.

44.diverse (adjective)

English Meaning - very different, varying, multiple.

45.project (verb)

English Meaning - present someone in a specific way.

46.subsequent (adjective)

English Meaning - following, ensuing, succeeding, successive.

47.exception (noun)

English Meaning - anomaly, deviation, departure, special case.

48.resent (verb)

English Meaning - feel aggrieved about, feel bitter about, be annoyed about, dislike.

49.veteran (noun as modifier)

English Meaning - (long-serving) expert, seasoned, mature, established/experienced (person in an area of activity).

50.warhorse (noun)

English Meaning - an experienced politician; veteran.

51.successor (noun)

English Meaning - inheritor, next-in-line, descendant.

52.ongoing (adjective)

English Meaning - current, existing, continuing.

53.stand-off (noun)

English Meaning - deadlock, stalemate, impasse (in a dispute/conflict).

54.indicative (adjective)

English Meaning - expressive, suggestive, evocative.

55.tension (noun)

English Meaning - strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease.

56.the heat (noun)

English Meaning - unwelcome pressure.

57.section (noun)

English Meaning - a specific group within a larger body of people.