Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Floods and foes: On Pakistan floods and Indian response

Floods and foes: On Pakistan floods and Indian response

India and Pakistan are best placed to help each other during natural disasters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message, in a tweet on Monday evening, expressing condolences (शोक, संवेदना, सहानुभूति) to the victims of the flooding in Pakistan, is a welcome gesture (इशारा करना), especially after weeks of silence over what has been one of the worst natural disasters in the neighbourhood in recent times. More than 1,100 people have died, and over 33 million people have been affected, as officials say one-third of the country is under water, and estimate about $10 billion in damage to homes, roads and infrastructure (आधारभूत संरचना, पूर्वावश्यकता). The floods have also affected standing crops, and as the waters recede (दूर जाना), fears of disease as well as food shortages are expected to rise. In addition, the worry that the devastating (तबाह करना, उजाड़ना) floods have been caused due to climate change is a worry for all of South Asia, one of the world’s regions most vulnerable (कमज़ोर) to global warming. On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres launched a global appeal for aid to Pakistan, that he said had been hit by a “monsoon on steroids”, indicating unnatural climate patterns. Countries such as the U.K., the U.S., China, the UAE, Qatar and Turkey have already dispatched aid to Pakistan, and many others have promised help, while the IMF announced a $1.1 billion bailout tranche (अंश, श्रृंखला) on Tuesday, as part of ongoing negotiations with the country that is already steeped in an economic crisis (संकट). Given that the crisis will only deepen at this point, Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail also said on Monday that he may propose lifting the trade ban imposed on India after the Jammu-Kashmir reorganisation in 2019, so as to import Indian vegetables and essential commodities. Thus far, Islamabad has only made exceptions for pharmaceutical imports from India during the COVID-19 pandemic, and India’s humanitarian (मानवीय) aid to Afghanistan.

Despite (इसके बावजूद) the poor state of India-Pakistan ties, both New Delhi and Islamabad must put aside their domestic considerations, and seize (पकड़ना, छीनना, रोक लगाना) the moment to help those stranded (फँसा हुआ, असहाय, धँसा हुआ) in the flooding as best they can. India cannot pride itself as being the “first responder” in the neighbourhood — as it has been for Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Afghanistan — if it fails to see the suffering right at its land boundary with Pakistan. It would be churlish (marked by a lack of civility or graciousness) and short-sighted of Pakistan to reject an opportunity to lift the trade ban with India that has only hurt its own interests, and to give up a source of affordable supplies at a time of such calamity (आपदा). And it would be both tragic and ridiculous if the enmity between the two countries would not allow them to work together at a time such as this, even as their governments allow their cricket teams to play each other for financial considerations. Significantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are due to travel to Uzbekistan in September for the SCO summit. While a more lasting dialogue, that has been suspended between the two countries for nearly a decade over the terrorism issue, is unlikely, the leaders must find the time to discuss ways to mitigate (कम करना) the catastrophe at hand.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Foes (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - शत्रु, विरोधी
English Meaning - A person or force that opposes or attacks

2.Condolence (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - शोक, संवेदना, सहानुभूति
English Meaning - The act of expressing sympathy to someone who is suffering sorrow or grief.

3.Gesture (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - इशारा करना
English Meaning - To make gestures.

4.Infrastructure (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - आधारभूत संरचना, पूर्वावश्यकता
English Meaning - The basic framework of a system.

5.Recede (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - दूर जाना
English Meaning - To move back or away.

6.Vulnerable (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कमज़ोर
English Meaning - Exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.

7.Devastate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - तबाह करना, उजाड़ना
English Meaning - Destroy or ruin.

8.Tranche (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंश, श्रृंखला
English Meaning - A division of a whole.

9.Crisis (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकट
English Meaning - A situation that has reached a critical phase.

10.Humanitarian (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मानवीय
English Meaning - Having concern for the welfare and happiness of people.

11.Despite (Preposition)

Hindi Meaning - इसके बावजूद
English Meaning - In spite of

12.Seize (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - पकड़ना, छीनना, रोक लगाना
English Meaning - To take hold of something.

13.Stranded (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - फँसा हुआ, असहाय, धँसा हुआ
English Meaning - Left without the means to move from somewhere.

14.Calamity (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - आपदा
English Meaning - Accident/ a disastrous event marked by great loss and lasting distress and suffering

15.Mitigate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - कम करना
English Meaning - Lighten/ To lessen in force or reduce in intensity.

16.Churlish (Noun)

English Meaning - marked by a lack of civility or graciousness.