Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Convenient lies: On sharing of fake news through social media

Convenient lies: On sharing of fake news through social media

The BJP should not feed the fake news ecosystem (पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र) to score (अंक प्राप्त करना, गणना करना) political points

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments about SFI activists (कार्यकर्ता, प्रचारक), where he forgave (माफ़ करना, क्षमा करना) those who had vandalised (तोड़-फोड़ करना, क्षति पहुंचाना) his office in his Lok Sabha constituency, Wayanad in Kerala, were an act of sagacity (बुद्धिमत्ता, चतुराई) that is rare. In a disturbing (परेशान, निराशाजनक), but recurring (पुनरावर्ती, बारम्बार होनेवाला) sign (संकेत, सूचना) of the toxicity (विषाक्तता, घृणा) that pervades (व्याप्त होना, भरना, फैलाना) the country’s public space, his comments were presented by a TV channel as condoning (approve, sanction, justify, vindicate, endorse) the Islamist bigots (कट्टरवाद, हठधर्मिता, नस्लवादी) in Udaipur who ruthlessly (बेरहमी से, अमानवीय रूप से) killed a man they suspected (be of the opinion, suppose, conclude, expect, presume, consider, infer) of supporting blasphemy (the action or behaviour of someone which is not respectful of religious practice; irreligious, ungodly, unholy action/behaviour). The channel and the anchor (announcer, anchorman, anchorwoman, broadcaster, reporter) in question (विचाराधीन, प्रश्न में) issued an apology (क्षमा, स्पष्टीकरण), but only after the malicious (evil-intentioned, ill-natured, vengeful, defamatory, hostile) act blew up as an indefensible (unjustified, baseless, illogical/irrational) scandal (wrongdoing, impropriety, misconduct). BJP leader and former Union Minister — for Information and Broadcasting, no less (used to show the importance of someone or something) — Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and some other party leaders who shared the same doctored (falsified, tampered, tinkered, manipulated, rigged, altered) video on social media did not feel any compulsion to retract (withdraw, take back, go back on, backtrack on, do a U-turn on, disclaim, disavow) their endorsement (support, backing, approval, seal of approval, mandate) of the fake news. The doctored video clip, flagged (indicate, identify, point out) ‘out of context (circumstances, conditions, factors)’ by Twitter, remains on their timelines (schedule). Mr. Gandhi could be seen and heard as saying that it was children who did that, and while it was a mistake, the issue could be put to rest (to stop people from concerning/doubting about an issue by explaining/resolving it). The malicious misrepresentation (insinuation, defamation, insulting remark/statement) of these words by the news channel and the BJP leaders is an extremely irresponsible act in a country that is deeply polarised (separated into opposing two). The Congress wrote to BJP President J.P. Nadda to take action against these leaders for spreading fake news, and get the doctored video removed. The BJP has not responded.

The police in Chhattisgarh, a State that is under Congress rule, have registered an FIR on the fake news video and complaints have been filed in other States as well. A police team from the State was prevented by the police in Uttar Pradesh — a BJP-ruled State — from taking the accused TV anchor into custody, adding yet another layer to the controversy. The BJP claims to be a party with a strong leadership that is serious about internal discipline. If its leaders are not expected to talk out of line (not in accordance with something (e.g. constitutional propriety); improper, incorrect, inappropriate) from the official position of the party, the question that begs (ask for, appeal for, call for, seek, look for, press for) an answer is whether (used to show that something is true in either of two cases) Mr. Rathore is acting in accordance with (in alignment with, in line with, conforming to) it. If his position is not the BJP’s position, the party must immediately clarify that and consider action against Mr. Rathore and other leaders who are brazenly (blatantly, clearly, fragrantly, unashamedly, shamelessly) spreading misinformation that could ignite (provoke, kindle, trigger, instigate) more violence. The fact is that communally provocative (annoying, irritating, agitational, provoking, inflammatory) statements are an easy route to popularity in the BJP ecosystem, and the party is either helpless or has no capacity to contain the malaise (trouble, unease, depression/unhappiness). By scripting (plot, screenplay) an outright (complete, entire, total, categorical) lie, the channel and the anchor further exposed (uncover, reveal, show, display, exhibit, disclose, manifest, unveil, unmask) the deep crisis of journalism in the country; as the ruling party at the Centre, the BJP must distance itself from Mr. Rathore’s act.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.ecosystem (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र
English Meaning - complex situation/environment.

2.score (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अंक प्राप्त करना, गणना करना
English Meaning - get, gain, win, achieve, attain, make.

3.activist (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यकर्ता, प्रचारक
English Meaning - campaigner, promoter, radical, extremist.

4.forgive (verb)

Hindi Meaning - माफ़ करना, क्षमा करना
English Meaning - pardon, excuse, absolve.

5.vandalise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - तोड़-फोड़ करना, क्षति पहुंचाना
English Meaning - destroy, damage, spoil property (public/private) intentionally.

6.sagacity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बुद्धिमत्ता, चतुराई
English Meaning - wisdom, insight, understanding, intelligence, sharpness, thoughtfulness.

7.disturbing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - परेशान, निराशाजनक
English Meaning - worrying, discomfiting, unsettling, troubling, annoying.

8.recurring (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पुनरावर्ती, बारम्बार होनेवाला
English Meaning - happening or occurring frequently.

9.sign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकेत, सूचना
English Meaning - indication, signal, hint, intimation.

10.toxicity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विषाक्तता, घृणा
English Meaning - hatefulness, nastiness, venom; the quality of being very harmful/dangerous.

11.pervade (verb)

Hindi Meaning - व्याप्त होना, भरना, फैलाना
English Meaning - fill, spread through; be present throughout.

12.bigot (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कट्टरवाद, हठधर्मिता, नस्लवादी
English Meaning - dogmatist, racist, chauvinist, jingoist; partisan, sectarian, prejudiced person.

13.ruthlessly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - बेरहमी से, अमानवीय रूप से
English Meaning - cruelly, barbarically, heartlessly, brutally, inhumanly, unfeelingly.

14.in question (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - विचाराधीन, प्रश्न में
English Meaning - being discussed, under discussion, under consideration.

15.apology (noun)

Hindi Meaning - क्षमा, स्पष्टीकरण
English Meaning - expression of regret; one’s regrets, sorriness.

16.convenient (adjective)

English Meaning - favourable, beneficial, advantageous, opportune.

17.Student Federation of India (SFI) (noun)

English Meaning - The Students’ Federation of India (abbreviated as SFI) is an Indian left-wing student organisation, politically aligned to the ideology and political views of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

18.condone (verb)

English Meaning - approve, sanction, justify, vindicate, endorse.

19.suspect (verb)

English Meaning - be of the opinion, suppose, conclude, expect, presume, consider, infer.

20.blasphemy (noun)

English Meaning - the action or behaviour of someone which is not respectful of religious practice; irreligious, ungodly, unholy action/behaviour.

21.anchor (noun)

English Meaning - announcer, anchorman, anchorwoman, broadcaster, reporter.

22.malicious (adjective)

English Meaning - evil-intentioned, ill-natured, vengeful, defamatory, hostile.

23.blow up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - break out, erupt, flare up, boil over, occur/start suddenly, become public.

24.indefensible (adjective)

English Meaning - unjustified, baseless, illogical/irrational.

25.scandal (noun)

English Meaning - wrongdoing, impropriety, misconduct.

26.no less (phrase)

English Meaning - used to show the importance of someone or something.

27.doctored (adjective)

English Meaning - falsified, tampered, tinkered, manipulated, rigged, altered.

28.retract (verb)

English Meaning - withdraw, take back, go back on, backtrack on, do a U-turn on, disclaim, disavow.

29.endorsement (noun)

English Meaning - support, backing, approval, seal of approval, mandate.

30.flag (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, identify, point out.

31.context (noun)

English Meaning - circumstances, conditions, factors.

32.timeline (noun)

English Meaning - schedule.

33.put to rest (phrase)

English Meaning - to stop people from concerning/doubting about an issue by explaining/resolving it.

34.misrepresentation (noun)

English Meaning - insinuation, defamation, insulting remark/statement.

35.polarised (adjective)

English Meaning - separated into opposing two.

36.first information report (FIR) (noun)

English Meaning - a written document prepared by the police when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence.

37.take into custody (phrase)

English Meaning - arrest, catch, capture, apprehend.

38.out of line (phrase)

English Meaning - not in accordance with something (e.g. constitutional propriety); improper, incorrect, inappropriate.

39.beg (verb)

English Meaning - ask for, appeal for, call for, seek, look for, press for.

40.beg the question (phrase)

English Meaning - raise a point; invite question.

41.whether (conjunction)

English Meaning - used to show that something is true in either of two cases.

42.in accordance with (phrase)

English Meaning - in alignment with, in line with, conforming to.

43.brazenly (adverb)

English Meaning - blatantly, clearly, fragrantly, unashamedly, shamelessly.

44.ignite (verb)

English Meaning - provoke, kindle, trigger, instigate.

45.provocative (adjective)

English Meaning - annoying, irritating, agitational, provoking, inflammatory.

46.malaise (noun)

English Meaning - trouble, unease, depression/unhappiness.

47.script (verb)

English Meaning - plot, screenplay.

48.outright (adjective)

English Meaning - complete, entire, total, categorical.

49.expose (verb)

English Meaning - uncover, reveal, show, display, exhibit, disclose, manifest, unveil, unmask.

50.distance oneself from (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - denounce, disown, reject.