Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Congress conundrum: On announcement of poll schedule

Congress conundrum: On announcement of poll schedule

The organisational (संगठनात्मक) polls must stir (जगाना, प्रेरित करना, उत्तेजित करना) its workers to life if the party is to survive

Amid (के बीच) turmoil (उथल-पुथल, अशांति) and uncertainty (अनिश्चितता), the Congress has announced the schedule for the election of a new president. Senior leaders are revolting (विद्रोह, बगावत), the party’s incumbent (निर्भर, वर्तमान, विद्यमान) president Sonia Gandhi is battling ill health, and her son Rahul Gandhi is unwilling (reluctant, hesitant, disinclined, unenthusiastic, apprehensive, unconfident, unsure, unassertive, restrained) to take on the mantle (role, responsibility, position, task, job). The party will be electing a president on October 17, as per the schedule endorsed (समर्थन, सिफारिश करना, पुष्टि करना) by the Congress Working Committee. The Congress is also planning a march — nearly 3,500 kilometres across 12 States and two Union Territories over 150 days, billed (promote, advertise, announce something in a specific way) as the Bharat Jodo Yatra, or Unite India march — to be led by Mr. Gandhi whose future role in the party remains vague (अस्पष्ट, अनिश्चित, अचूक). The party has also called a rally (meeting, gathering, demonstration, (protest) march) in Delhi on September 4 against price rise. To be fair (निष्पक्ष तौर पर), the Gandhi family finds itself in a spot (एक जगह में, एक कठिन परिस्थिति में।) — it will be ridiculed (उपहास करना, अपमान करना) if one of them ends up (समाप्त करना) as president, and if none of them is at the helm (in charge, in command/control/authority; in the driving seat), new dynamics (गतिकी) with unpredictable consequences (परिणाम, प्रभाव, प्रतिघात) could be triggered (cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate) in the party. If the Gandhis are seen as backing (support, defend, favour, promote, endorse) a particular horse in the race, that will cast a shadow over the entire election process. All told (in total, with everything taken into account), the best course (route, way, direction, path) for the party and the family is to facilitate (make easy, make possible, clear the way for, open the door for; enable, assist, help) an election process that is as fair as possible, and use it as an opportunity to open an honest conversation on revamping (reorganize, refurbish, renew, overhaul, improve, upgrade) the party. The party is in decline, and the old strategy (plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests)) of waiting out (wait until something is over) the periods out of power will not work this time. It is at a crossroads (at a critical situation/stage where an important decision ought to be made) or a dead end, depending on what the Congress decides to do now.

Some pointers (indication, indicator, hint, sign, signal, suggestion) to what ails (trouble, bother, distress, afflict, beset, worry) the Congress can be found in the resignation letter written by Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was a key figure in the party for decades. The lack (absence, unavailability, non-existence) of grace (courtesy, decorum, politeness, respect, consideration, thought) and gratitude (thanks, appreciation, commendation, praise, credit) stands out (project, show up clearly; be distinct/visible) in the letter, but Mr. Azad’s career itself is proof of the validity of the charges (accusation, allegation, blame) that he makes against the party. With little popularity and no accountability (responsibility, liability, answerability), he remained a key decision maker in the party, became Union Minister for several terms, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir once, and a member of Rajya Sabha for five terms, totalling 30 years. Only 11 people have had such a long innings ((active) period) in the Rajya Sabha. When he says that the party is being run (manage, control, administer, be in charge/control of) by a coterie, he surely knows what he is talking about. In fact (actually, really, truly, indeed), rootless (unsettled, distrustful, self-centred, unsteady, indecisive, vagabond) managers who masqueraded (pretend, impersonate, disguise (oneself as)) as leaders ensured that mass leaders were humiliated (embarrass, humble, make ashamed, degrade, disgrace, discomfit) and driven out of the party. The list of such people who could not remain in the Congress is long — from Mamata Banerjee to Sharad Pawar to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The capture of the Congress party by a self-serving (self-centered, self-seeking, egocentric, self-interested) cabal (group, clique, sect) had begun long before Mr. Gandhi came on the scene. No other party allows people who are incapable of mobilising ((of resources) bring together for a specific cause) the masses and winning elections to flourish (thrive, develop, prosper (successfully)) like the Congress does. The organisational election must stir ordinary party workers and grassroot (the most basic/ordinary/fundamental level of an organisation) leaders to claim the party for themselves, and show power brokers (an influential/powerful person) their place.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.organisational (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संगठनात्मक
English Meaning - relating to an organisation.

2.stir (to) (verb)

Hindi Meaning - जगाना, प्रेरित करना, उत्तेजित करना
English Meaning - arouse, inspire, stimulate, excite, awaken (someone’s strong feeling).

3.amid (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के बीच
English Meaning - in the middle of, surrounded by; during.

4.turmoil (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उथल-पुथल, अशांति
English Meaning - disorder, turbulence, confusion, trouble, chaos.

5.uncertainty (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनिश्चितता
English Meaning - unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness/precariousness.

6.revolt (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विद्रोह, बगावत
English Meaning - rebel, show resistance, resist/oppose authority.

7.incumbent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्भर, वर्तमान, विद्यमान
English Meaning - (of an official) current, existing, present.

8.endorse (verb)

Hindi Meaning - समर्थन, सिफारिश करना, पुष्टि करना
English Meaning - recommend, confirm, authorize, uphold, advocate.

9.vague (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अस्पष्ट, अनिश्चित, अचूक
English Meaning - indefinite, inexact, unclear, uncertain.

10.to be fair (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - निष्पक्ष तौर पर
English Meaning - used for making your criticism less forceful.

11.in a spot (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - एक जगह में, एक कठिन परिस्थिति में।
English Meaning - in a difficult situation.

12.ridicule (verb)

Hindi Meaning - उपहास करना, अपमान करना
English Meaning - laugh at, insult, make fun of, deride, tease, taunt; treat with contempt, scorn.

13.end up (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - समाप्त करना
English Meaning - finish up, turn up, come/appear, find oneself (to a particular course of action in the end).

14.dynamics (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गतिकी
English Meaning - basic/fundamental cause or force that triggers change within a system.

15.consequence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिणाम, प्रभाव, प्रतिघात
English Meaning - result, outcome, effect, repercussion, reverberations, ramification.

16.conundrum (noun)

English Meaning - problem, difficulty, quandary/dilemma.

17.unwilling (adjective)

English Meaning - reluctant, hesitant, disinclined, unenthusiastic, apprehensive, unconfident, unsure, unassertive, restrained.

18.take on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - undertake a (difficult) task; accept a responsibility; adopt, assume, shoulder.

19.mantle (noun)

English Meaning - role, responsibility, position, task, job.

20.march (noun)

English Meaning - progression (organized as a protest).

21.bill (verb)

English Meaning - promote, advertise, announce something in a specific way.

22.rally (noun)

English Meaning - meeting, gathering, demonstration, (protest) march.

23.find oneself (phrase)

English Meaning - to realize and accept what you are really like and what you want to do in life; accept one’s situation.

24.at the helm (phrase)

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

25.helm (noun)

English Meaning - in charge, in command, in authority, position.

26.trigger (verb)

English Meaning - cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate.

27.back (verb)

English Meaning - support, defend, favour, promote, endorse.

28.have a horse in the race (phrase)

English Meaning - to be personally involved in something.

29.cast a shadow on/over (phrase)

English Meaning - to make people feel less happy, to make situation appear less good or hopeful; disappoint, let down, discourage, demoralize, wear down.

30.all told (phrase)

English Meaning - in total, with everything taken into account.

31.course (noun)

English Meaning - route, way, direction, path.

32.facilitate (verb)

English Meaning - make easy, make possible, clear the way for, open the door for; enable, assist, help.

33.revamp (verb)

English Meaning - reorganize, refurbish, renew, overhaul, improve, upgrade.

34.strategy (noun)

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

35.wait out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - wait until something is over.

36.at a crossroads (phrase)

English Meaning - at a critical situation/stage where an important decision ought to be made.

37.pointer (noun)

English Meaning - indication, indicator, hint, sign, signal, suggestion.

38.ail (verb)

English Meaning - trouble, bother, distress, afflict, beset, worry.

39.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

40.lack (noun)

English Meaning - absence, unavailability, non-existence.

41.grace (noun)

English Meaning - courtesy, decorum, politeness, respect, consideration, thought.

42.gratitude (noun)

English Meaning - thanks, appreciation, commendation, praise, credit.

43.stand out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - project, show up clearly; be distinct/visible.

44.charge (noun)

English Meaning - accusation, allegation, blame.

45.accountability (noun)

English Meaning - responsibility, liability, answerability.

46.innings (noun)

English Meaning - (active) period.

47.run (verb)

English Meaning - manage, control, administer, be in charge/control of.

48.coterie (noun)

English Meaning - a small group of people with shared interests and they generally don’t allow others to join them; sect, gang, inner circle, faction/camp.

49.rootless (adjective)

English Meaning - unsettled, distrustful, self-centred, unsteady, indecisive, vagabond.

50.in fact (phrase)

English Meaning - actually, really, truly, indeed.

51.masquerade (verb)

English Meaning - pretend, impersonate, disguise (oneself as).

52.humiliate (verb)

English Meaning - embarrass, humble, make ashamed, degrade, disgrace, discomfit.

53.drive out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - force someone to leave; dispel, disband, expel.

54.self-serving (adjective)

English Meaning - self-centered, self-seeking, egocentric, self-interested.