Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Bonded favours: On the electoral bond scheme, sordid revelations

Bonded favours: On the electoral bond scheme, sordid revelations

Disclosures confirm fears of sceptics about electoral bonds

Sordid (घिनौना) revelations that keep pouring (flow, come in large numbers) from the disclosure (खुलासा) of details about the purchasers and recipients of electoral bonds confirm the early apprehension (आशंका) of sceptics (संशयात्मक, संदेहवादी) that the anonymous (गुमनाम) political funding scheme will have undesirable (अवांछनीय) consequences (परिणाम). Ranging from likely (संभावित) quid pro quo deals to flagrant proximity (निकटता) between companies being investigated by central agencies (केंद्रीय एजेंसियां) and the purchase of electoral bonds worth hundreds of crores by these firms, the scheme has played out exactly as its detractors (आलोचक) predicted. Fears that shell companies and loss-making entities may be used to buy the electoral bonds and donate them to parties seem to have come true (happen, occur, take place; be fulfilled, be realized, become a reality). The argument that waiver (अधित्याग) of the rule that political donations can be made by companies only up to (as much as; no more than; till, until) a certain percentage of their profits will render (make, cause to become; represent, depict, portray) the scheme illegal has been proved right. The Supreme Court of India did well to voice (express, articulate, communicate, convey, talk of, mention) these concerns, flagging (indicate, point out, identify; draw attention to something) the potential (संभावना) for wrongdoing (crime, illegal/unlawful act, misdeed, offence) and striking down the bonds scheme in its entirety as unconstitutional (असंवैधानिक). However, the delay in disposing (निपटान) of the multiple challenges to the scheme, without ever staying (stop, delay, or prevent something temporarily (a judicial proceeding/trial through the order of a court)) its operation over the years, has had its own cost (loss, damage, undesirable consequences, adverse effects, disadvantage). It is a sobering (serious/sensible, thoughtful; logical/realistic, pragmatic) thought for all those invested in democracy (a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through fairly & freely elected representatives) to note that the political and corporate classes have lived up to the public expectation (belief, hopefulness, anticipation, prediction) that they are ready to use the scheme for mutual benefit rather than (instead of) solve the problem of unclean (dirty, corrupt, wicked, evil, immoral) funds vitiating (destroy, impair, spoil, ruin) the election campaign (canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group).

Some details about who donated to which party are emerging now, thanks to (as a result of, owing to, due to, because of) a few parties having disclosed (reveal, make known, communicate, release, make public, publish) their names and given them to the Election Commission of India on the Court’s orders. However, it is disappointing that both the ruling BJP and the Congress did not disclose them even in sealed covers. It is possible that there will be more revelations in the coming days when unique numbers given to each bond are disclosed. The role of investigative agencies (India has a number of investigative agencies like The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), The National Investigation Agency (NIA), The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and others) has been politically controversial, especially under the present regime (government), but the strong correlation (connection, link, relationship, association, correspondence) between searches and arrests on one hand, and the dates of purchase of bonds on the other, shows the Centre in a bad light (in a method that makes someone or something to look bad; so as to give bad impression). It will be a dark day for democracy if it emerges that the agencies were used to arm-twist (pressurize, intimidate, threaten, browbeat, coerce) people into making political contributions. The BJP has, unsurprisingly (in a way that is expected), emerged the largest beneficiary (recipient, receiver), having received well above (much greater/larger; lot more) ₹6,000 crore and nearly half the contributions made through the bonds route. However, its attempt to describe contributions as comparatively low if seen against the fact that (used to refer to a specific situation under consideration/discussion) it has the largest number of Lok Sabha members is quite naive (childish, inexperienced, immature), or worse, self-incriminating (causing oneself to appear guilty; saying about oneself that he/she is guilty of a crime). Power and influence (power, authority, sway, control, domination, leverage, weightage, clout) do attract (absorb, capture, hold, gather) political funding, but misusing (abuse, exploit, misemploy, misapply) them either by muscular (strong, mighty; firm, determined, resolute) demonstration (exhibition, display, illustration, expression) or the promise (assurance, guarantee, agreement, contract) of reward (benefit, advantage, present/gift (given in return to someone)) will ultimately (finally, in the end, eventually) be subversive (discrediting, corrupting, unpatriotic, disloyal, undermining) of democracy.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.sordid (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घिनौना
English Meaning - dirty, unsavoury, disgusting, dishonest, shameful.

2.disclosure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खुलासा
English Meaning - revelation, surprising fact, declaration, report, announcement.

3.sceptic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संशयात्मक, संदेहवादी
English Meaning - cynic, doubter, questioner; critic.

4.apprehension (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आशंका
English Meaning - suspicion, doubt, disquiet, misgiving, shock, worry, trepidation.

5.anonymous (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गुमनाम
English Meaning - nameless, incognito, unknown/unspecified.

6.undesirable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अवांछनीय
English Meaning - difficult, painful, disagreeable, unpleasant.

7.consequence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिणाम
English Meaning - outcome, end result, implication, ramification, repercussion.

8.likely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - संभावित
English Meaning - perhaps, probably, maybe, conceivably.

9.proximity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निकटता
English Meaning - nearness or closeness.

10.central agencies (plural noun)

Hindi Meaning - केंद्रीय एजेंसियां
English Meaning - the central agencies are organizations in the executive branch that co-ordinate the activities of, and provide guidance to the operating ministries and agencies; e.g. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Income Tax Department (IT) and etc.

11.detractor (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आलोचक
English Meaning - critic, fault-finder, attacker, censurer.

12.waiver (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधित्याग
English Meaning - deferral, rejection, renunciation (with no stipulations/restrictions).

13.potential (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संभावना
English Meaning - possibilities, potentiality, prospects, chances.

14.unconstitutional (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असंवैधानिक
English Meaning - undemocratic, autocratic, dictatorial, totalitarian.

15.dispose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निपटान
English Meaning - throw away, get rid of, do way with, discard, destroy.

16.bonded (adjective)

English Meaning - linked, connected (through an electoral bond).

17.favour (noun)

English Meaning - favouritism, unfair preference, preferential treatment, partiality; approval, support.

18.electoral bond (noun)

English Meaning - an electoral bond is designed to be a bearer instrument like a Promissory Note — in effect, it will be similar to a bank note that is payable to the bearer on demand and free of interest. It can be purchased by any citizen of India or a body incorporated in India. it allows limitless, secret donations to political parties, including (and especially) by corporations.

19.revelation (noun)

English Meaning - disclosure, surprising fact, declaration, report, announcement.

20.pour (verb)

English Meaning - flow, come in large numbers.

21.quid pro quo (phrase)

English Meaning - “something for something”; support in exchange for something.

22.flagrant (adjective)

English Meaning - shockingly noticeable, evident, glaring, blatant, obvious, conspicuous, transparent, palpable, disgraceful.

23.play out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - happen, occur, take place, come about, transpire, ensue.

24.shell company (noun)

English Meaning - a non-trading company used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres (operations).

25.entity (noun)

English Meaning - organization, outfit, unit, operation.

26.come true (phrase)

English Meaning - happen, occur, take place; be fulfilled, be realized, become a reality.

27.up to (phrase)

English Meaning - as much as; no more than; till, until.

28.render (verb)

English Meaning - make, cause to become; represent, depict, portray.

29.voice (verb)

English Meaning - express, articulate, communicate, convey, talk of, mention.

30.flag (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, point out, identify; draw attention to something.

31.wrongdoing (noun)

English Meaning - crime, illegal/unlawful act, misdeed, offence.

32.strike down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - abolish, annul, nullify (a law or regulation).

33.in its fullest/entirety (phrase)

English Meaning - totally, fully, completely, entirely.

34.stay (verb)

English Meaning - stop, delay, or prevent something temporarily (a judicial proceeding/trial through the order of a court).

35.cost (noun)

English Meaning - loss, damage, undesirable consequences, adverse effects, disadvantage.

36.sobering (adjective)

English Meaning - serious/sensible, thoughtful; logical/realistic, pragmatic.

37.invest in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to believe strongly in something; support, back, promote.

38.democracy (noun)

English Meaning - a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through fairly & freely elected representatives.

39.live up to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - satisfy, fulfil, achieve, meet.

40.expectation (noun)

English Meaning - belief, hopefulness, anticipation, prediction.

41.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

42.unclean (adjective)

English Meaning - dirty, corrupt, wicked, evil, immoral.

43.vitiate (verb)

English Meaning - destroy, impair, spoil, ruin.

44.campaign (noun)

English Meaning - canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.

45.thanks to (phrase)

English Meaning - as a result of, owing to, due to, because of.

46.disclose (verb)

English Meaning - reveal, make known, communicate, release, make public, publish.

47.investigative agencies (noun)

English Meaning - India has a number of investigative agencies like The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), The National Investigation Agency (NIA), The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and others.

48.regime (noun)

English Meaning - government.

49.correlation (noun)

English Meaning - connection, link, relationship, association, correspondence.

50.show someone in a bad light (phrase)

English Meaning - to make someone appear to be a bad one.

51.in a bad light (phrase)

English Meaning - in a method that makes someone or something to look bad; so as to give bad impression.

52.arm-twist (verb)

English Meaning - pressurize, intimidate, threaten, browbeat, coerce.

53.unsurprisingly (adverb)

English Meaning - in a way that is expected.