Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Long week in Karnataka: On the campaign trail, the BJP, the Congress and the JD(S)

Long week in Karnataka: On the campaign trail, the BJP, the Congress and the JD(S)

Communal politics and welfare measures dominate the campaign (अभियान)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), the three main contenders in Karnataka, have released their manifestos (घोषणापत्र) and campaigning is climbing to a crescendo (peak, pinnacle, height, highest point, top). The State will vote to elect a new Assembly on May 10 and the results will be announced three days later. The three parties have promised a slew (a large number of, lot, range) of welfare (कल्याण, सामाजिक सुरक्षा) measures (उपाय, क्रिया). The Congress and the BJP are also trying to amplify (increase, raise, intensify, escalate, heighten) their ideological (विचारधारा) markers (चिह्नक). For the BJP, the election is not merely (केवल, बिल्कुल) about fighting for a second consecutive term in power but is also about winning an absolute majority (पूर्ण बहुमत) of its own for the first time, and even reshaping the politics of the southern State. It has promised largesse (उदारता, अनुदान) including three free cooking gas cylinders a year, and half a litre of local dairy brand ‘Nandini’ milk every day to select beneficiaries (लाभार्थी, प्राप्तकर्ता). By specifically mentioning ‘Nandini’, the BJP is trying to counter (विरोध करना, जवाब देना) allegations (आरोप, अभियोग) of supporting Gujarat-based Amul’s plan for market expansion in Karnataka at the cost of (की कीमत पर) ‘Nandini’. But the edge (the point immediately before something important happens; trump card) of its campaign is the promise of implementation of a National Register of Citizens (It is a register that includes demographic information about all those individuals who qualify as citizens of India as per the Citizenship Act, 1955), a controversial initiative which was originally confined to Assam, and a Uniform Civil Code (समान नागरिक संहिता) for all religious communities. Both are hot button (an important topic or issue or subject) topics that could sharpen communal divides (विभाजित करना). With the tone being set, the party is likely to raise the decibel (a level of loudness) level on its core ideological positioning in the remaining days of campaigning.

The Congress’s welfare promises include 200 units of free electricity for all households (family, house) and free travel for women in public transport across the State. The party has taken a relatively (comparatively, to a certain extent, somewhat) more strident (strict, stern, firm, strong, severe) position against Hindutva when compared to its campaigns in some recent State elections. But it is also walking a tightrope to not discomfort (embarrass, make uneasy, upset) religious Hindus. It has spoken out strongly about the security and welfare of Muslims who are facing hostile (aggressive, unsympathetic, inimical, unsympathetic, confrontational) state policy (a set of the basic principles, norms, and activities for the implementation of state (or government) power) under the BJP. The Congress has promised to restore the four per cent reservation (a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics) for Muslims which was discontinued by the BJP State government just before the announcement of the election. The JD(S) too has promised to restore the reservation. In addition, the Congress’s promises include the revision of several laws made by the BJP government and a reversal (overriding, overruling, repeal, cancellation) of changes to the school curriculum (syllabus, course of studies, subjects. (curricula is the plural form of the curriculum)) to boost the Hindutva narrative (a representation of a particular situation; portrayal, account, description, statement). Both the BJP and the Congress appear to agree on targeting the JD(S) which is fighting hard to preserve (protect, defend, maintain, taken care of) its base (a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party) among the Vokkaliga community in south Karnataka. With many members of the family of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the fray (competition, contest), the JD(S) is defending itself against allegations of nepotism (favouritism, preferential treatment, patronage/partiality). But with the intense campaign, one week is a long time in politics.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान
English Meaning - canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.

2.welfare (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कल्याण, सामाजिक सुरक्षा
English Meaning - social security, government/state benefit, public assistance.

3.measure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपाय, क्रिया
English Meaning - action, step, move, procedure.

4.manifesto (noun)

Hindi Meaning - घोषणापत्र
English Meaning - (policy) statement, declaration, pronouncement (issued by a political party before a General Election).

5.ideological (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विचारधारा
English Meaning - relating to a system of ideas (ideology).

6.marker (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चिह्नक
English Meaning - a distinctive feature or characteristic or quality.

7.merely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - केवल, बिल्कुल
English Meaning - only, just.

8.absolute majority (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्ण बहुमत
English Meaning - a condition in which a party is winning more than half of the seats/members in an election.

9.largesse (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उदारता, अनुदान
English Meaning - handouts, presents, gifts, grants, aid, sops.

10.beneficiary (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लाभार्थी, प्राप्तकर्ता
English Meaning - recipient, receiver.

11.counter (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विरोध करना, जवाब देना
English Meaning - respond to, answer, tackle, oppose, resist.

12.allegation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप, अभियोग
English Meaning - accusation, charge, indictment.

13.at the cost of (Phrase)

Hindi Meaning - की कीमत पर
English Meaning - at the expense of, at the loss of; sacrifice.

14.divide (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विभाजित करना
English Meaning - difference, disagreement (between people).

15.Uniform Civil Code (UCC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समान नागरिक संहिता
English Meaning - Uniform Civil Code or UCC is to provide one law for all the religious communities governing the issues of marriage, adoption, inheritance, divorce etc. Article 44 of the Indian constitution says, “The state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.” Article 44 is one of the Directive Principles of State Policy, described in Part IV of the Constitution.

16.edge (noun)

English Meaning - the point immediately before something important happens; trump card.

17.crescendo (noun)

English Meaning - peak, pinnacle, height, highest point, top.

18.slew (noun)

English Meaning - a large number of, lot, range.

19.amplify (verb)

English Meaning - increase, raise, intensify, escalate, heighten.

20.trail (noun)

English Meaning - path, course, track, route.

21.National Register of Citizens (NRC) (noun)

English Meaning - It is a register that includes demographic information about all those individuals who qualify as citizens of India as per the Citizenship Act, 1955.

22.hot button (noun)

English Meaning - an important topic or issue or subject.

23.set the tone (phrase)

English Meaning - to establish the mood/feeling of something.

24.decibel (noun)

English Meaning - a level of loudness.

25.household (noun)

English Meaning - family, house.

26.relatively (adverb)

English Meaning - comparatively, to a certain extent, somewhat.

27.strident (adjective)

English Meaning - strict, stern, firm, strong, severe.

28.walk/balance on a tightrope (phrase)

English Meaning - to deal with a difficult situation in which a very small error could have very bad outcomes.

29.discomfort (verb)

English Meaning - embarrass, make uneasy, upset.

30.speak out (or up) (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - speak publicly, speak openly, speak boldly, speak one’s mind.

31.hostile (adjective)

English Meaning - aggressive, unsympathetic, inimical, unsympathetic, confrontational.

32.state policy (noun)

English Meaning - a set of the basic principles, norms, and activities for the implementation of state (or government) power.

33.reservation (noun)

English Meaning - a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics.

34.reversal (noun)

English Meaning - overriding, overruling, repeal, cancellation.

35.curriculum (noun)

English Meaning - syllabus, course of studies, subjects. (curricula is the plural form of the curriculum).

36.narrative (noun)

English Meaning - a representation of a particular situation; portrayal, account, description, statement.

37.preserve (verb)

English Meaning - protect, defend, maintain, taken care of.

38.base (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party.

39.fray (noun)

English Meaning - competition, contest.

40.nepotism (noun)

English Meaning - favouritism, preferential treatment, patronage/partiality.