Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Coordinated attacks: On Pakistan and the Baloch conflict

​Coordinated attacks: On Pakistan and the Baloch conflict

Pakistan cannot take a militaristic (सैन्यवादी, युद्धप्रिय) approach to the Baloch conflict (संघर्ष, विवाद)

Ever since the Taliban, hosted by Pakistan’s security forces (सेनाएँ, बल, सैनिक), recaptured Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan, especially in its Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces neighbouring (पड़ोसी, आस-पास के) Afghanistan, has seen a surge in terrorist attacks. In 2023 alone, there were over 650 recorded attacks, with 23% occurring in Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest province by landmass (continent; a large area of land) and a hotbed (bastion, stronghold; fortress, fort) of separatist (अलगाववादी) insurgency (विद्रोह). But even in this new normal, Monday was one of the bloodiest days for Balochistan and Pakistan. On the 18th death anniversary of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a Baloch nationalist leader killed by the Pakistani military in 2006, separatists carried out coordinated attacks (समन्वित हमला) across the province. The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed (दावा करना, अधिकार जताना) responsibility for the many deaths. According to security officials (अधिकारी, पदाधिकारी), the separatists damaged infrastructure (बुनियादी ढांचा) and executed (put to death, kill, hang, behead) migrant (प्रवासी, स्थलांतरी) labourers from Punjab. That the attacks occurred in different parts of Balochistan show the growing (बढ़ता हुआ) reach (पहुंच, सीमा) and capability of the insurgency. Bugti’s death anniversaries have seen violent incidents in the past, but Pakistan’s military and intelligence (खुफिया जानकारी, बुद्धिमत्ता) services were caught off guard on August 26.

Historically, Pakistan has taken a ruthless (निर्दयी, क्रूर), militarist (relating to militarism) approach towards the Baloch problem. Balochistan, despite its wealth of natural resources, is the country’s most impoverished (poor, poverty-stricken, penurious, destitute, weakened, disadvantaged, underprivileged, deprived) region. Pakistan has historically neglected (abandon, leave alone, fail to look after, fail to care for, derelict, forsake) the province. Punjab, on the other hand (instead, alternatively, contrarily), grew to be influential (powerful, strong, dominant, authoritative, important, prominent) in national politics and economically prosperous (successful, prospering, thriving, booming, wealthy), leading to strong anti-Punjab tendencies (movement) within sections (a particular group within a larger body of people) of the Baloch community. This, along with the poor living conditions, was exploited (take advantage of, make use of, utilize, capitalize on, cash in on, draw on, milk) by the separatists to drum up (gather, get, obtain, attract, canvass) support for their cause (principle, ideal, belief, conviction, purpose, objective, aim, goal). They often attack the federal government “for extracting (take out, remove, draw out, squeeze out)” resources without offering any help to the local economy. Baloch separatists have cited (refer to, make reference to, mention, point to) the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (a strip/swathe of land linking two areas (particularly by a road)), which goes through the province, as an example of this exploitation (unfair treatment, ill treatment, abuse, suppression, oppression, repression, victimization, enslavement), and targeted Chinese interests (common concerns (in politics/business). The Pakistani establishment (a powerful group within a particular area of activity) has also failed to engage (participate in, take part in, take part in, join in, become involved in, involve (a talk/discussion)) with the civil rights (the rights of individuals to be protected against unfair treatment based on certain personal characteristics like race, gender, age, or disability) movements (campaign, crusade, drive, push) in Balochistan, such as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, which organised several sit-ins (a method of protest in which people gather in a (public) place and remain there protesting continuously until their demands are fulfilled) in Islamabad and Baloch cities this year to draw (attract, invite) the attention (notice, observation, heedfulness, consideration, regard) of the federal authorities (bureaucracy, officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the administration, the establishment, the system, corridors of power) to widespread human rights (human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status) abuses (ill treatment, exploitation, misuse, persecution, oppression) in the province. Such activists (a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause)) were often painted (portray, render, represent, depict) as “enemies of Pakistan”, which left the military with the only option of using force against the separatists. But state violence has only strengthened the separatists — as the latest attacks underscore (emphasize, underline, highlight, accentuate, point up, call attention to, focus attention on). If Pakistan is serious about stability and security in its largest province, it should take measures (action, step, move, procedure) to address (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) the developmental concerns of the locals, stop the rights violations (contravention, infringement, breach, breaking, lack of compliance with, non-observance, defiance) and engage with the peaceful civil rights voices (agency, agent, representative, intermediary, channel, medium (by which a point of view is expressed)) to reset ties (association, relationship, bond, connection) with the Balochis.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.coordinated attack (verb)

Hindi Meaning - समन्वित हमला
English Meaning - a series of attack coming from many sides all at once.

2.conflict (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संघर्ष, विवाद
English Meaning - dispute, quarrel, tussle, wrangle, strife, friction, antipathy, hostility, clash.

3.militaristic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सैन्यवादी, युद्धप्रिय
English Meaning - belligerent, aggressive, combative, hawkish, warmongering, warlike.

4.forces (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सेनाएँ, बल, सैनिक
English Meaning - armed forces, troops, soldiers.

5.neighbouring (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पड़ोसी, आस-पास के
English Meaning - adjacent, bordering, abutting, surrounding; nearby.

6.separatist (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अलगाववादी
English Meaning - dissident, dissenting, nontraditional, sectarian, renegade, schismatic.

7.insurgency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विद्रोह
English Meaning - uprising, revolt, rebellion.

8.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा करना, अधिकार जताना
English Meaning - say that one owns, lay claim to.

9.official (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिकारी, पदाधिकारी
English Meaning - officer, functionary, office-bearer, office-holder.

10.infrastructure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बुनियादी ढांचा
English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.

11.migrant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवासी, स्थलांतरी
English Meaning - a person who moves from one region to another - either within a country or across national borders in order to find work or better living conditions.

12.growing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बढ़ता हुआ
English Meaning - increasing.

13.reach (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पहुंच, सीमा
English Meaning - the extent something’s effect/influence.

14.intelligence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खुफिया जानकारी, बुद्धिमत्ता
English Meaning - (military/political) information, facts, details, particulars.

15.ruthless (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्दयी, क्रूर
English Meaning - harsh, cruel, severe, vicious, merciless, hard-hearted, brutal, barbaric, savage.

16.host (verb)

English Meaning - receive/entertain other people as guests.

17.surge (noun)

English Meaning - sudden increase or rise of something.

18.province (noun)

English Meaning - a part of a country that has its own government; territory, region, area, state,

19.landmass (noun)

English Meaning - continent; a large area of land.

20.hotbed (noun)

English Meaning - bastion, stronghold; fortress, fort.

21.the new normal (phrase)

English Meaning - an earlier unusual situation that becomes a standard now.

22.bloodiest superlative adjective of bloody (adjective)

English Meaning - vicious, cruel, savage, fierce, brutal.

23.separatist (noun/adjective)

English Meaning - extremist, radical, rebel, insurgent, dissident, protester, nonconformist, sectarian.

24.carry out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - conduct, perform, execute, bring about.

25.execute (verb)

English Meaning - put to death, kill, hang, behead.

26.catch someone off guard (phrase)

English Meaning - to do something that surprises someone, particularly when he/she is expecting it; take someone by surprise.

27.militarist (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to militarism.

28.militarism (noun)

English Meaning - the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values.

29.impoverished (adjective)

English Meaning - poor, poverty-stricken, penurious, destitute, weakened, disadvantaged, underprivileged, deprived.

30.neglect (verb)

English Meaning - abandon, leave alone, fail to look after, fail to care for, derelict, forsake.

31.on the other hand (phrase)

English Meaning - instead, alternatively, contrarily.

32.influential (adjective)

English Meaning - powerful, strong, dominant, authoritative, important, prominent.

33.prosperous (adjective)

English Meaning - successful, prospering, thriving, booming, wealthy.

34.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - cause, bring on, bring about, result in, produce, give rise to.

35.tendency (noun)

English Meaning - movement.

36.section (noun)

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

37.exploit (verb)

English Meaning - take advantage of, make use of, utilize, capitalize on, cash in on, draw on, milk.

38.drum up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - gather, get, obtain, attract, canvass.

39.cause (noun)

English Meaning - principle, ideal, belief, conviction, purpose, objective, aim, goal.

40.federalism/federal framework/system (noun)

English Meaning - a system of government in which establishments such as states or provinces share power with a national government.

41.extract (verb)

English Meaning - take out, remove, draw out, squeeze out.

42.cite (verb)

English Meaning - refer to, make reference to, mention, point to.

43.corridor (noun)

English Meaning - a strip/swathe of land linking two areas (particularly by a road).

44.Economic Corridor (noun)

English Meaning - Economic corridors connect economic agents along a defined geography and region. They are integrated networks of infrastructure within a geographical area designed to stimulate economic development. They may be developed within a country or between countries.

45.go through (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - pass through, pass over, go over.

46.exploitation (noun)

English Meaning - unfair treatment, ill treatment, abuse, suppression, oppression, repression, victimization, enslavement.

47.interest (noun)

English Meaning - common concerns (in politics/business).

48.the establishment (noun)

English Meaning - the government, the regime, the authorities, the administration, the powers that be.

49.establishment (noun)

English Meaning - a powerful group within a particular area of activity.

50.engage (with) (verb)

English Meaning - participate in, take part in, take part in, join in, become involved in, involve (a talk/discussion).

51.civil rights (noun)

English Meaning - the rights of individuals to be protected against unfair treatment based on certain personal characteristics like race, gender, age, or disability.

52.movement (noun)

English Meaning - campaign, crusade, drive, push.

53.sit-in (noun)

English Meaning - a method of protest in which people gather in a (public) place and remain there protesting continuously until their demands are fulfilled.

54.draw (noun)

English Meaning - attract, invite.

55.attention (noun)

English Meaning - notice, observation, heedfulness, consideration, regard.

56.draw attention to (phrase)

English Meaning - emphasize, highlight, accentuate, underline, underscore, give emphasis to, lay stress on, call attention to, focus on, zero in on

57.authorities (noun)

English Meaning - bureaucracy, officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the administration, the establishment, the system, corridors of power.

58.human rights (noun)

English Meaning - human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.

59.abuse (noun)

English Meaning - ill treatment, exploitation, misuse, persecution, oppression.

60.activist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause).

61.paint (verb)

English Meaning - portray, render, represent, depict.

62.underscore (verb)

English Meaning - emphasize, underline, highlight, accentuate, point up, call attention to, focus attention on.

63.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, move, procedure.

64.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

65.violation (noun)

English Meaning - contravention, infringement, breach, breaking, lack of compliance with, non-observance, defiance.

66.voice (noun)

English Meaning - agency, agent, representative, intermediary, channel, medium (by which a point of view is expressed).

67.ties (noun)

English Meaning - association, relationship, bond, connection.