Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Delayed response: On govt.’s stern action against hate speech

Delayed response: On govt.’s stern action against hate speech

The Government could have avoided the hate speech issue if the BJP had acted early

The Government’s decision to take a stern (कठोर, सख्त, कड़ा) view of hate speech (द्वेषपूर्ण भाषण, अपमानजनक भाषण) targeting religious beliefs, to distance itself from (खुद से दूरी, खंडन करना, अस्वीकार करना) comments made by two spokespersons of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and to assert (declare, maintain, argue, state, claim (confidently & forcefully)) India’s traditional values of tolerance (सहनशीलता, उदारता) and respect for all religions is both welcome and reassuring (आश्वस्त, उत्साहजनक, आशाजनक) for those within the country increasingly concerned (सम्बंधित, चिंतित, परेशान, व्यथित) about the increase in such speech. The ruling BJP’s move to suspend (निलंबित, हटाना) the spokespersons for comments made on a television channel and Twitter, respectively, is also a significant departure (प्रस्थान, परिवर्तन, विचलन) from the past, and would represent an inflection point (a turning point) in the debate over growing (बढ़नेवाला, प्रगतिशील) communalisation (सांप्रदायीकरण), if it were not for two factors. The first, that the Government chose to react to the hate speech, targeting Islam and the Prophet Muhammed, more than a week after these were first broadcast (पप्रसारित करना, फैलाना, हवा देना). The second, that its reactions, and the BJP’s action appeared to follow statements made by foreign governments, beginning with Qatar, and then Kuwait, Iran, Pakistan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Jordan, the Maldives as well as (साथ ही, इसके अलावा, के ऊपर) by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the powerful six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf except Iraq, namely: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). However, the Government continues to ignore Indian organisations and groups that have expressed concerns about the statements made. It is possible that the Government chose to respond to Qatar with more alacrity (तत्परता, उत्साह) as the Vice-President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, was beginning a three-day visit to the country. It is also significant that the Government was moved to act with sensitivity (संवेदनशीलता, विचारशीलता, कूटनीति) in this case, unlike its reaction just a week ago to the United States government’s release of a report on religious freedom in India, where it slammed the U.S. for playing “vote bank politics (The term ‘vote-bank politics’ was first used in a research paper in 1955 by noted sociologist MN Srinivas to showcase the political influence exerted by a patron over a client. However, when Srinivas wrote that research paper titled ‘The Social System of a Mysore Village’, the term vote-bank politics was used in a very specific context. Today, it denotes voting on the basis of, among other things, caste, sect, language and religion)”. Some concern about a possible “street reaction” across West Asia, where more than eight million Indians live and work, may have also prompted (प्रेरित करना, उत्पन्न करना, उत्साह देना) the reaction, particularly after social media users shared the offending (affronting, contemptuous, offensive, outrageous, outraging) comments widely across the region.

Regardless of (irrespective of, without regard to, without reference to, disregarding; notwithstanding, no matter, despite, in spite of) the reasoning (reasons, rationale, arguments, premises; interpretation, explanation), the statement issued by the Embassies (An embassy is larger and more important than a consulate and is described as a permanent diplomatic mission, which is generally located in a country’s capital city. An embassy is responsible for representing the home country, for handling major diplomatic issues (such as negotiations), and for preserving the rights of its citizens abroad) in Doha and Kuwait, which said that the Government accords the highest respect to all religions “in line with (in alignment with; in accordance with) our civilisational (relating to civilisation (culture, customs, way of life)) heritage (tradition, history, background, culture, customs, past) and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity (existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference)” reflects (indicate, show, display, demonstrate, reveal, disclose, exhibit) some introspection (self-observation, self-analysis; contemplation) within the establishment (the powers that be, the authorities, the system, the government, the ruling class, the regime, bureaucracy, officialdom) and the ruling party, and the line that has been drawn must be adhered (abide by, stick to, comply with, stand by, act in accordance with, pay attention to, pay regard to, go along with, conform to) to across society. There is also a case for similar introspection to be made within the media, particularly news television channels that appear to have turned prime time viewing into a prize-fight (boxing match), encouraging the most radical (extremist, fanatical) voices (opinion, view, comment) to spar (quarrel, argue, have a fight, row, fight) verbally every evening and engage in blatantly (publicly, openly, blatantly, flagrantly, overtly, audaciously, unashamedly, shamelessly) extremist (fanatic, radical, fundamentalist, dogmatic) hate speech. While the right to free speech (the right to express one’s opinions publicly (without any restraint)) must be upheld (preserve, protect, maintain, confirm, endorse/approve, vindicate/validate), and nobody should be allowed to threaten violence, the Government would have avoided the entire controversy if it had acted according to the law, and immediately engaged with the issue before it snowballed (rise, increase, escalate (rapidly)) into an international incident (affair, matter).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.stern (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कठोर, सख्त, कड़ा
English Meaning - strict, severe, stringent, harsh, drastic, tough.

2.hate speech (noun)

Hindi Meaning - द्वेषपूर्ण भाषण, अपमानजनक भाषण
English Meaning - abusive or disrespectful speech.

3.distance oneself from (verb)

Hindi Meaning - खुद से दूरी, खंडन करना, अस्वीकार करना
English Meaning - denounce, disown, reject.

4.tolerance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहनशीलता, उदारता
English Meaning - liberality, open-mindedness, lack of prejudice/bias, broad-mindedness, forbearance.

5.reassuring (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - आश्वस्त, उत्साहजनक, आशाजनक
English Meaning - encouraging, promising, hopeful, heartening.

6.concerned (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सम्बंधित, चिंतित, परेशान, व्यथित
English Meaning - worried, anxious, disturbed, distressed, upset.

7.suspend (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निलंबित, हटाना
English Meaning - remove, eliminate, expel, debar.

8.departure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्थान, परिवर्तन, विचलन
English Meaning - deviation, divergence, digression, shift, variation, change.

9.growing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बढ़नेवाला, प्रगतिशील
English Meaning - increasing.

10.communalisation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सांप्रदायीकरण
English Meaning - the act of making something communal.

11.broadcast (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पप्रसारित करना, फैलाना, हवा देना
English Meaning - spread, circulate, air, pass round, disseminate; publicize, publish, make public.

12.as well as (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - साथ ही, इसके अलावा, के ऊपर
English Meaning - in addition to, besides, on top of.

13.alacrity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तत्परता, उत्साह
English Meaning - eagerness, readiness, promptness, willingness, swiftness.

14.sensitivity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संवेदनशीलता, विचारशीलता, कूटनीति
English Meaning - consideration, thoughtfulness, diplomacy, delicacy, subtlety, finer feelings; awareness of the feelings of others.

15.prompt (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रेरित करना, उत्पन्न करना, उत्साह देना
English Meaning - cause, result in, bring about, give rise to.

16.assert (verb)

English Meaning - declare, maintain, argue, state, claim (confidently & forcefully).

17.move (noun)

English Meaning - step, action, act, measure.

18.inflection point (noun)

English Meaning - a turning point.

19.The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (noun)

English Meaning - The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.

20.Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (noun)

English Meaning - a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf except Iraq, namely: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

21.slam (verb)

English Meaning - criticize, find fault with, censure, denounce, condemn, attack, lambast, disapprove of, rail against.

22.vote bank politics (noun)

English Meaning - The term ‘vote-bank politics’ was first used in a research paper in 1955 by noted sociologist MN Srinivas to showcase the political influence exerted by a patron over a client. However, when Srinivas wrote that research paper titled ‘The Social System of a Mysore Village’, the term vote-bank politics was used in a very specific context. Today, it denotes voting on the basis of, among other things, caste, sect, language and religion.

23.offending (adjective)

English Meaning - affronting, contemptuous, offensive, outrageous, outraging.

24.regardless of (verb)

English Meaning - irrespective of, without regard to, without reference to, disregarding; notwithstanding, no matter, despite, in spite of.

25.reasoning (noun)

English Meaning - reasons, rationale, arguments, premises; interpretation, explanation.

26.embassy (noun)

English Meaning - An embassy is larger and more important than a consulate and is described as a permanent diplomatic mission, which is generally located in a country’s capital city. An embassy is responsible for representing the home country, for handling major diplomatic issues (such as negotiations), and for preserving the rights of its citizens abroad.

27.accord (verb)

English Meaning - give, grant, confer on, bestow on, vest in.

28.in line with (phrase)

English Meaning - in alignment with; in accordance with.

29.civilisational (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to civilisation (culture, customs, way of life).

30.heritage (noun)

English Meaning - tradition, history, background, culture, customs, past.

31.diversity (noun)

English Meaning - existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference.

32.reflect (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, show, display, demonstrate, reveal, disclose, exhibit.

33.introspection (noun)

English Meaning - self-observation, self-analysis; contemplation.

34.the establishment (noun)

English Meaning - the powers that be, the authorities, the system, the government, the ruling class, the regime, bureaucracy, officialdom.

35.draw the line (phrase)

English Meaning - have a limit for something; to put a limit on something.

36.adhere (verb)

English Meaning - abide by, stick to, comply with, stand by, act in accordance with, pay attention to, pay regard to, go along with, conform to.

37.prize-fight (noun)

English Meaning - boxing match.