Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Eastern hedge: On the need for India to stay closely engaged with ASEAN members

Eastern hedge: On the need for India to stay closely engaged with ASEAN members

India needs to build closer ties with ASEAN for economic and strategic reasons

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s whistle-stop summit sojourn to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta earlier this week was primarily aimed at deepening India’s engagement with the economically significant grouping of 10 Southeast Asian nations. Coming on the eve of India’s hosting of the G-20 summit in New Delhi as the current holder of the bloc’s presidency, Mr. Modi’s presence at the annual ASEAN-India summit was an opportunity to cement traditional (पारंपरिक) ties with the neighbouring Asian economies at a time of heightened global trade uncertainty (अनिश्चितता). As the trade facilitation (सुविधा, सरलीकरण) body UNCTAD noted in its June 21 ‘Global Trade Update’, the ‘outlook for global trade in the second half of 2023 is pessimistic (निराशावादी) as negative factors’ including downgraded world economic forecasts, persistent inflation, financial vulnerabilities and geopolitical tensions dominate. Against this backdrop, the joint leaders’ statement on ‘Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises’ at the ASEAN-India summit underscores the shared vulnerability the region perceives in the face of the ongoing heightened global food insecurity, which has been exacerbated (बिगाड़ना, ख़राब करना) by the war in Ukraine, climate change and national policy responses to inflationary pressures. India’s recent curbs (प्रतिबंध करना, नियंत्रित करना) on export of rice have triggered some alarm, with the prices of the regional staple reportedly nearing a 15-year high. The onset of an El Niño, which is historically associated with disruptive (हानिकारक, विघटनकारी) weather events, queers the ground further, and ASEAN leaders are justifiably wary.

Mr. Modi’s pitch, laying stress on the need for a rules-based post-COVID-19 world order and a free and open Indo-Pacific, was clearly directed at members among the Asian bloc who are increasingly disquieted by China’s recent muscle flexing and claims over the South China Sea. The Prime Minister’s not-so-veiled message to the ASEAN members is that India is a more reliable long-term strategic and economic partner, which has no territorial ambitions that could discomfit (परेशान करना, असहमत करना) them. India also sought to position itself as a voice to amplify the concerns of the Global South, stressing that it would be mutually beneficial for all. For India, grappling (To engage in a close fight or struggle, often involving physical or mental effort) as it is with an underwhelming free trade agreement (FTA) with the 10-nation grouping, trade ties with the eastern economies have grown in volume but asymmetrically, with imports far outpacing the country’s exports. The widening trade deficit and the perception that Chinese goods are taking advantage of lower tariffs under the FTA to find their way into the Indian market, have among other factors precipitated a review of the pact that is likely to be completed in 2025. In the meantime, India needs to stay closely engaged with the ASEAN members both as a trade hedge (A fence or boundary formed by a dense row of shrubs or low trees) against the slowdown in its main western markets and to highlight its significance as an all-weather ally (साथी, मित्र).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Engaged (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लगे हुए
English Meaning - Busy with or involved in a particular activity or task.

2.Traditional (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पारंपरिक
English Meaning - Relating to or based on customs, beliefs, and practices that have been passed down through generations.

3.Uncertainty (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनिश्चितता
English Meaning - The state of being unsure or not having complete knowledge about something.

4.Facilitation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुविधा, सरलीकरण
English Meaning - The act of making something easier or more accessible, often through assistance or support.

5.Pessimistic (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निराशावादी
English Meaning - Having a negative outlook or expecting the worst in situations.

6.Exacerbate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - बिगाड़ना, ख़राब करना
English Meaning - Made a problem, situation, or feeling worse or more intense.

7.Curb (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबंध करना, नियंत्रित करना
English Meaning - To restrain, control, or limit something.

8.Disruptive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - हानिकारक, विघटनकारी
English Meaning - Causing disturbance or interruption, often in a disruptive or negative manner.

9.Discomfit (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - परेशान करना, असहमत करना
English Meaning - To make someone feel uneasy, embarrassed, or defeated.

10.Ally (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - साथी, मित्र
English Meaning - A person or group that is united with another for a common purpose or benefit.

11.Grapple (Verb)

English Meaning - To engage in a close fight or struggle, often involving physical or mental effort.

12.Hedge (Noun)

English Meaning - A fence or boundary formed by a dense row of shrubs or low trees.