Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Communal cauldron: On a communal divide in West Bengal

​Communal cauldron: On a communal divide in West Bengal

Political parties are fanning riots in West Bengal ahead of polls

The three deaths in Murshidabad district during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act have exposed the deep political fault lines and the festering (बदतर होना, बिगड़ना) communal divide in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s repeated assurances that she would protect minority interests, and that the Act would not be implemented in the State, have done little to assuage (शांत करना) the Muslim community. The violence, which began on April 8, continues unabated (बिना रुके हुए, लगातार) despite prohibitory orders and the suspension of Internet services. Mob attacks on public property have been reported from the Jangipur subdivision of Murshidabad and other parts of the State, including Kolkata. West Bengal has been a simmering (उबाल, धीमी आँच पर पकाना) communal cauldron (A large metal pot; also used metaphorically for a situation of intense emotion or activity) for quite some time. Both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Opposition BJP have sought to exploit communal polarisation for political gain. While the TMC tacitly (मौन रूप से) encouraged Muslim protests against the Waqf amendments, the BJP backed communally charged Ram Navami processions across the State. Although the police have now warned of strict action against lawbreakers, their inaction before and during the current flare-up (अचानक उभरना) has been evident. The Calcutta High Court has since intervened, ordering the deployment of central armed police forces in Murshidabad.

The State remains on edge ahead of every major religious festival, and policing has grown weak and increasingly politicised. Even though Murshidabad witnessed similar violence in 2019 during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the administration has failed to prevent the current unrest. The violence is unfolding in one of the State’s most impoverished (गरीब बनाना, निर्धन करना) regions, where men migrate for work and women earn a living by rolling beedis. As tensions have escalated over the Ram Navami processions and the Waqf amendment, political parties have chosen to fan the flames (ज्वाला) rather than promote calm. This is part of a larger and troubling trend seen across the country. The Mamata Banerjee government must act swiftly and impartially to restore normalcy (सामान्य स्थिति). The rule of law must be firmly established, and the police must prevent violence. With Assembly elections due in a year, the BJP and the TMC appear intent on pandering (To cater to or profit from the weaknesses or desires of others) to communal sentiments for political gain. This must change. The focus must shift to governance and development. As the party in power, the TMC cannot absolve (दोषमुक्त करना) itself of responsibility by merely blaming the BJP.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Fester (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - बदतर होना, बिगड़ना
English Meaning - To become worse or more intense, especially through neglect.

2.Assuage (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - शांत करना
English Meaning - To make an unpleasant feeling less intense.

3.Unabated (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बिना रुके हुए, लगातार
English Meaning - Without any reduction in intensity or strength.

4.Simmer (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - उबाल, धीमी आँच पर पकाना
English Meaning - To cook slowly; also to keep emotions under control but just below the surface.

5.Tacitly (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - मौन रूप से
English Meaning - In a way that is understood or implied without being stated.

6.Flare-up (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अचानक उभरना
English Meaning - A sudden outbreak or increase of something, especially conflict or illness.

7.Impoverish (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - गरीब बनाना, निर्धन करना
English Meaning - To make poor or weak in quality.

8.Normalcy (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - सामान्य स्थिति
English Meaning - The state of being normal or typical.

9.Absolve (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - दोषमुक्त करना
English Meaning - To free someone from guilt, blame, or responsibility.

10.Flame (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - ज्वाला
English Meaning - A visible, hot, glowing body of gas.

11.Cauldron (Noun)

English Meaning - A large metal pot; also used metaphorically for a situation of intense emotion or activity.

12.Pander (Verb)

English Meaning - To cater to or profit from the weaknesses or desires of others.