Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Grim turn: On targeted killings in Kashmir

Grim turn: On targeted killings in Kashmir

The removal of its special status has seen the beginning of fresh challenges in Kashmir

Nine civilians (सामान्य नागरिक, असैनिक) have been killed in targeted killings by militants (उग्रवादी, कट्टरपंथी, चरमपंथी) in the past 22 days in Kashmir, including a Kashmiri Pandit employee, a Hindu schoolteacher from Jammu and a bank manager from Rajasthan. This has triggered (cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate, prompt, set off, spark off) a wave of protests in the Valley (घाटी) from the minority communities. Protesting since May 12 when Rahul Bhat, a Pandit employee, was killed in his office, over 4,000 Pandit employees recruited under a special package are on the verge of (के कगार पर) another migration (प्रवास) as in the 1990s. Their leaders say they are contemplating (foresee, imagine, expect to; consider, think about, give thought to, ponder over, reflect about, reflect on) mass exodus (mass departure, evacuation, leaving/exit) and resignations unless relocated outside the Valley. The abominable (घिनौना, बहुत बुरा, गरीब) terrorist violence and the predicament (problematic situation, difficulty, quandary) of the Pandits and Hindus denote a grim (गंभीर, विकट, भयानक, कठोर) reversal (उलट) of all the gains towards peace and reconciliation (सुलह) in the last decade (दशक, दस साल का समय) or so. The Valley had welcomed a subtle (सूक्ष्म, नाजुक, अस्पष्ट, अनिश्चित) and slow return of Kashmiri Pandits, a segment (खंड, भाग) of those who left in the face of (के चेहरे में, इसके बावजूद) a surge (sudden increase or rise of something) in violence and targeted killings in the 1990s. Their return was encouraged by the comprehensive (विस्तृत, सर्व-समावेशी, व्यापक-आधारित) policy of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who in 2008 worked on a strategy (रणनीति, कार्य योजना): a political outreach to stakeholders (a person with an interest in something) of Kashmir’s political spectrum (a wide range of positions, opinions, etc. between two extreme points; wide range, gamut, ambit) for creating a conducive (favourable, beneficial, valuable, advantageous, opportune, propitious, encouraging, promising, convenient) atmosphere (condition, circumstance, environment) and, at the same time, extending (offer, give, grant, bestow; continue, carry on, expand, broaden) permanent financial support to Pandits willing (readiness, preparedness, disposition, inclination, wish, desire) to return.

The Prime Minister’s Package for Return and Rehabilitation of Kashmir migrants not only offered jobs to Pandit youths but also doled out (allocate, allot, apportion, assign, distribute, dispense, hand out, give out, mete out, disburse) an initial financial assistance of ₹7.5 lakh per family, which was later increased to ₹20-₹25 lakh — in three instalments for those who settled in the Valley. It is not a mere coincidence (co-occurrence, coexistence, conjunction, simultaneity) that a turn for the worse coincided with the Centre’s new push to alter Kashmir’s relations with India, starting with the termination of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood (the condition of being an independent state) and special constitutional status in 2019. On December 31, 2020, a Hindu goldsmith was killed; a series of targeted killings of members of the minorities, including Kashmiri Pandits, started from October 6, 2021 when Makhan Lal Bindroo who ran the famous Bindroo Medicate was killed in his shop in Srinagar. Guest workers in the Valley from other parts of the country have also been felled (kill, gun down). Policies implemented (execute, apply, put into action, put into effect, put into practice, carry out, perform, administer) by the Centre regarding (concerning, with regard to, with respect to) land and government jobs are perceived (view, regard, consider) in Jammu and Kashmir as disadvantageous (unfavourable, adverse, inauspicious, unpropitious, unfortunate, unlucky, bad) to locals, increasing the sense of alienation (isolation, detachment, estrangement/separation) that is being exploited by separatists (dissident, nonconformist, sectarian) and Pakistan-backed (support, endorse, favour, promote, fund) terrorists. The Centre must take measures (step, action, act, move) to ensure the security of Hindus, and migrant workers in the Valley, at any cost (no matter how much effort or money needed) as an immediate response. It must also think afresh (new, again, over again, once again, once more, in a new way) its Kashmir policy and create space for political dialogue (discussions, parleying, deliberation, talks). It seems the dilution (reduction in value/power/force of something) of Article 370 was not the end of the problem but the beginning of fresh challenges in Kashmir, which need careful handling rather than just muscular (vigorous, robust, strong, powerful, active, aggressive) triumphalism (boastfulness, self-assertion, self-satisfaction, excessive pride, extreme self-confidence, chutzpah, chest-thumping, chest-beating; an attitude or a belief that a particular doctrine, religion, culture, social system is superior to and should triumph all over others).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.grim (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गंभीर, विकट, भयानक, कठोर
English Meaning - distressing, upsetting, worrying, unpleasant, dismal/awful.

2.civilian (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सामान्य नागरिक, असैनिक
English Meaning - non-military person, ordinary citizen.

3.militant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उग्रवादी, कट्टरपंथी, चरमपंथी
English Meaning - fanatic, extremist, radical, sectarian/partisan.

4.Valley (noun)

Hindi Meaning - घाटी
English Meaning - a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it. Valley is a metonym of Jammu & Kashmir in this context (Metonym is used as an alternative for something else with which it is closely related/associated).

5.on the verge of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के कगार पर
English Meaning - on the brink of, on the edge of, at a crucial or critical point.

6.migration (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवास
English Meaning - the movement of people within the borders of the same country or across international borders in order to find work or better living conditions.

7.abominable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घिनौना, बहुत बुरा, गरीब
English Meaning - very bad, poor, terrible.

8.reversal (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उलट
English Meaning - turnaround, turnabout, about-face, U-turn, shift.

9.reconciliation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुलह
English Meaning - restoration of friendly relations, restoration of harmony, agreement, compromise, understanding, peace, an end to hostilities.

10.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक, दस साल का समय
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

11.subtle (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सूक्ष्म, नाजुक, अस्पष्ट, अनिश्चित
English Meaning - delicate, indistinct, indefinite; understated, low-key.

12.segment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खंड, भाग
English Meaning - division, part, portion, section.

13.in the face of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के चेहरे में, इसके बावजूद
English Meaning - despite, notwithstanding, regardless of; when confronted with.

14.comprehensive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विस्तृत, सर्व-समावेशी, व्यापक-आधारित
English Meaning - all-inclusive, broad-based; all-embracing, complete, thorough.

15.strategy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रणनीति, कार्य योजना
English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

16.turn (noun)

English Meaning - act; change of course, divergence.

17.trigger (verb)

English Meaning - cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate, prompt, set off, spark off.

18.wave (verb)

English Meaning - a sudden occurrence of something; a sudden increase in something.

19.contemplate (verb)

English Meaning - foresee, imagine, expect to; consider, think about, give thought to, ponder over, reflect about, reflect on.

20.exodus (noun)

English Meaning - mass departure, evacuation, leaving/exit.

21.predicament (noun)

English Meaning - problematic situation, difficulty, quandary.

22.surge (noun)

English Meaning - sudden increase or rise of something.

23.outreach (noun)

English Meaning - the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement.

24.stakeholder (noun)

English Meaning - a person with an interest in something.

25.spectrum (noun)

English Meaning - a wide range of positions, opinions, etc. between two extreme points; wide range, gamut, ambit.

26.conducive (adjective)

English Meaning - favourable, beneficial, valuable, advantageous, opportune, propitious, encouraging, promising, convenient.

27.atmosphere (noun)

English Meaning - condition, circumstance, environment.

28.extend (verb)

English Meaning - offer, give, grant, bestow; continue, carry on, expand, broaden.

29.willing (noun)

English Meaning - readiness, preparedness, disposition, inclination, wish, desire.

30.PM’s Package for Return and Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants (noun)

English Meaning - The Government has devised policies for Return and Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants, under the Prime Minister’s Packages in 2008 and 2015 for Return and Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants to Kashmir Valley.

31.dole out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - allocate, allot, apportion, assign, distribute, dispense, hand out, give out, mete out, disburse.

32.coincidence (noun)

English Meaning - co-occurrence, coexistence, conjunction, simultaneity.

33.statehood (noun)

English Meaning - the condition of being an independent state.

34.Article 370 of the Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - It had “temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir” which gave special powers to the state. The article allowed the state a certain amount of autonomy- its own constitution, a separate flag and freedom to make laws. Foreign affairs, defence and communications remained the preserve (domain) of the central government. It also allowed Jammu and Kashmir to make its own rules relating to permanent residency, ownership of property and fundamental rights. It did also bar Indians from outside the state from purchasing property or settling there.

35.run (verb)

English Meaning - operate, manage.

36.fell (verb)

English Meaning - kill, gun down.

37.implement (verb)

English Meaning - execute, apply, put into action, put into effect, put into practice, carry out, perform, administer.

38.regarding (preposition)

English Meaning - concerning, with regard to, with respect to.

39.perceive (verb)

English Meaning - view, regard, consider.

40.disadvantageous (adjective)

English Meaning - unfavourable, adverse, inauspicious, unpropitious, unfortunate, unlucky, bad.

41.alienation (noun)

English Meaning - isolation, detachment, estrangement/separation.

42.exploit (verb)

English Meaning - take advantage of, make use of, utilize.

43.separatist (noun/adjective)

English Meaning - dissident, nonconformist, sectarian.

44.back (verb)

English Meaning - support, endorse, favour, promote, fund.

45.measure (noun)

English Meaning - step, action, act, move.

46.at any cost (phrase)

English Meaning - no matter how much effort or money needed.

47.afresh (adverb)

English Meaning - new, again, over again, once again, once more, in a new way.

48.dialogue (noun)

English Meaning - discussions, parleying, deliberation, talks.

49.dilution (noun)

English Meaning - reduction in value/power/force of something.

50.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

51.muscular (adjective)

English Meaning - vigorous, robust, strong, powerful, active, aggressive.

52.triumphalism (noun)

English Meaning - boastfulness, self-assertion, self-satisfaction, excessive pride, extreme self-confidence, chutzpah, chest-thumping, chest-beating; an attitude or a belief that a particular doctrine, religion, culture, social system is superior to and should triumph all over others.