Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Malefactors and misgivings: On the Congress and the INDIA bloc

Malefactors and misgivings: On the Congress and the INDIA bloc

Congress reliance on (भरोसा, विश्वास) old Mandal politics has thrown up irritants for INDIA

It is now well understood that Indian politics is undergoing (गुजरना) a phase that is termed (describe as) the “Bharatiya Janata Party-dominated political party system”, with the ruling party, the BJP, having the ability to effectively compete across most States unlike others. The other large national party, the Congress, has a nation-wide presence but is handicapped (hamper, impede, hinder, impair, hamstring) by severe weaknesses in quite a few States, which it seeks (try, aim, attempt) to overcome through State-wise alliances (गठबंधन). These alliances benefit the regional parties that are also finding it increasingly (more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more) difficult to tackle the BJP on their own. The INDIA bloc (गुट) (Congress, regional parties and the Left) remains a selective (चयनात्मक) State-wise alliance that is determined by the need for unity against the BJP. This is particularly so in some States in western India (Maharashtra for example) and the Hindi heartland (the most important part of a field of activity; the central part of something) (Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) whose polities include long-time regional forces (group, party, outfit) besides (इसके अलावा) the Congress, and where the BJP had a close to 90% success rate in seat winning terms in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In Bihar, the INDIA bloc should fancy (कल्पना करना) a fighting performance — the RJD is the single largest party in the Assembly in seat and vote share terms and the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of the RJD, the Congress and the Left came very close to upending (समाप्त कर देना, ख़तम करना) the BJP-Janata Dal (United) ruling alliance in the 2020 Assembly elections. While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s never-ending (कभी ख़त्म न होने वाला) pursuit (activity, hobby, pastime; quest, search, chase) of alliance-switching (changing the alliance) has meant that the alliance will lose out (be defeated, be unsuccessful, suffer defeat, be bested by, fail) relatively (अपेक्षाकृत) on the support base (आधार) that the JD(U) enjoys among non-Yadav Other and Extremely Backward Classes, the RJD has shown the ability to remain resilient (लचीला) even as (at the (same) time that) the Congress and the Left add to (increase, augment, enhance, heighten, intensify) an ideologically (dogmatically, conventionally; in a method which relates to an ideology) coherent (सुसंगत) anti-BJP voice (opinion/view). The Congress has grown closer to the Mandal parties by emphasising (draw attention to, put stress on, underscore, highlight) the need for a caste census (an official survey, particularly of a population) while the Left remains a small but viable (workable, feasible, practicable, possible, reasonable) political entity (organization, unit, system, outfit) in Bihar because of its base among the poor.

As with other alliances in States such as Tamil Nadu, the ideological (relating to a system of ideas (ideology)) coherence (unity, unification, wholeness, integrity, cohesion, togetherness, solidarity) and the compatibility (like-mindedness, similarity, togetherness, agreement, affinity, closeness, harmony) of social bases have served as the glue (adhesive/ joining substance) for the INDIA bloc in Bihar but the nature of the constituent (integral) parties and their recent histories have thrown up irritants (something that causes irritation; source of irritation, source of vexation, source of annoyance) in seat sharing. The Congress’s welcoming (receive, embrace, say hello to) of controversial former Member of Parliament, Pappu Yadav, who has faced criminal cases, and his party into its fold (a group (with shared aims , interests and values)), ill-behoves (be not appropriate for, be not expected of, be not advisable for, be not sensible for, be not wise for) the party’s messaging against the criminalisation (the process of making something as a illegal/illegitimate one) of politics. The relative (corresponding, respective, comparable, correlative, parallel, reciprocal) decline of the Mandal parties and the rise of the BJP have made it imperative (vitally important, critical, essential, required, mandated, requisite, necessary, obligatory, binding, compulsory) for the former to reinvent (renew, revive, revamp, rejuvenate, redevelop, remodel) their positions to move beyond their reliance on strongmen (a leader who controls things by the application of threats, force, or violence) and narrow (narrow-minded, intolerant, illiberal, partisan, sectarian, discriminatory) identity politics (it is also called as identitarian politics, refers to political positions based on the interests and perspectives of social groups with which people identify. Identity politics is when people of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, or religion form alliances and organize politically to defend their group’s interests). While the Congress has done well to reorient (change the focus on) its focus on social justice (the equal access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society), bringing itself closer to the RJD, it should avoid the temptation (desire, lure, impulse, inclination, attraction) to emulate (replicate, imitate, simulate, mimic, copy, recreate, follow) these aspects of old Mandal politics that prioritised (make a point of, highlight, call attention to (something as very important)) casteist (relating to something which has an attachment to a caste system) identities as the basis for political mobilisation (the act of bringing forces/people/resources together for a particular cause).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.malefactor (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अपराधी, कुकर्मी
English Meaning - criminal, culprit, offender, wrongdoer, lawbreaker, convict.

2.misgivings (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अविश्वास, संदेह
English Meaning - mistrust, distrust, qualm, doubt, suspicion, lack of faith, worry, apprehension, scepticism.

3.bloc (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गुट
English Meaning - alliance, union, partnership, association.

4.reliance on (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भरोसा, विश्वास
English Meaning - confidence in, dependence, belief in.

5.undergo (verb)

Hindi Meaning - गुजरना
English Meaning - go through, experience, engage in, be subjected to.

6.alliance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गठबंधन
English Meaning - coalition, partnership, union.

7.selective (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चयनात्मक
English Meaning - particular, choosy, careful.

8.besides (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - इसके अलावा
English Meaning - apart from, other than, barring, excluding.

9.fancy (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कल्पना करना
English Meaning - desire, wish; believe, be of the opinion/view.

10.upend (verb)

Hindi Meaning - समाप्त कर देना, ख़तम करना
English Meaning - overturn, overthrow, topple over, knock down, capsize, cancel; turn something upside down.

11.never-ending (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कभी ख़त्म न होने वाला
English Meaning - non-stop, continuing, unending, unceasing, perpetual.

12.relatively (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - अपेक्षाकृत
English Meaning - comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, in a certain degree, more or less.

13.base (noun)

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

14.resilient (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लचीला
English Meaning - strong, sturdy, stout/well built, durable.

15.coherent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सुसंगत
English Meaning - logical, reasonable, rational, well organized, systematic, clear, methodical.

16.Mandal politics/campaign (noun)

English Meaning - politics/campaign related to a rebellion against upper-caste dominance and it guided the political destiny of north India to a large extent in the past.

17.throw up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - produce something.

18.irritant (noun)

English Meaning - something that causes irritation; source of irritation, source of vexation, source of annoyance.

19.term (verb)

English Meaning - describe as.

20.handicap (verb)

English Meaning - hamper, impede, hinder, impair, hamstring.

21.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

22.increasingly (adverb)

English Meaning - more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more.

23.on one’s own (phrase)

English Meaning - alone, unaided, all by oneself.

24.heartland (noun)

English Meaning - the most important part of a field of activity; the central part of something.

25.force (noun)

English Meaning - group, party, outfit.

26.The Lower House (or) Lok Sabha (noun)

English Meaning - The Lok Sabha or the House of the People is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of India. (bicameral legislature/parliament means a legislature/parliament having two chambers/houses).

27.The Upper House (or) Rajya Sabha (noun)

English Meaning - The Rajya Sabha or the Council of States is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India.

28.pursuit (noun)

English Meaning - activity, hobby, pastime; quest, search, chase.

29.alliance-switching (adjective)

English Meaning - changing the alliance.

30.lose out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - be defeated, be unsuccessful, suffer defeat, be bested by, fail.

31.even as (phrase)

English Meaning - at the (same) time that.

32.add to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - increase, augment, enhance, heighten, intensify.

33.ideologically (adverb)

English Meaning - dogmatically, conventionally; in a method which relates to an ideology.

34.voice (noun)

English Meaning - opinion/view.

35.emphasise (verb)

English Meaning - draw attention to, put stress on, underscore, highlight.

36.census (noun)

English Meaning - an official survey, particularly of a population.

37.viable (adjective)

English Meaning - workable, feasible, practicable, possible, reasonable,

38.entity (noun)

English Meaning - organization, unit, system, outfit.

39.ideological (adjective)

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

40.coherence (noun)

English Meaning - unity, unification, wholeness, integrity, cohesion, togetherness, solidarity.

41.compatibility (noun)

English Meaning - like-mindedness, similarity, togetherness, agreement, affinity, closeness, harmony.

42.serve as (verb)

English Meaning - function as, act as.

43.glue (noun)

English Meaning - adhesive/ joining substance.

44.constituent (adjective)

English Meaning - integral.

45.welcome (verb)

English Meaning - receive, embrace, say hello to.

46.fold (noun)

English Meaning - a group (with shared aims , interests and values).

47.ill-behove (verb)

English Meaning - be not appropriate for, be not expected of, be not advisable for, be not sensible for, be not wise for.

48.criminalisation (noun)

English Meaning - the process of making something as a illegal/illegitimate one.

49.relative (adjective)

English Meaning - corresponding, respective, comparable, correlative, parallel, reciprocal.

50.imperative (adjective)

English Meaning - vitally important, critical, essential, required, mandated, requisite, necessary, obligatory, binding, compulsory.

51.reinvent (verb)

English Meaning - renew, revive, revamp, rejuvenate, redevelop, remodel.

52.strongman (noun)

English Meaning - a leader who controls things by the application of threats, force, or violence.

53.narrow (adjective)

English Meaning - narrow-minded, intolerant, illiberal, partisan, sectarian, discriminatory.

54.identity (noun)

English Meaning - a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic features or attributes; individuality, character, originality.

55.identity politics (plural noun)

English Meaning - it is also called as identitarian politics, refers to political positions based on the interests and perspectives of social groups with which people identify. Identity politics is when people of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, or religion form alliances and organize politically to defend their group’s interests.

56.reorient (verb)

English Meaning - change the focus on.

57.social justice (noun)

English Meaning - the equal access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.

58.temptation (noun)

English Meaning - desire, lure, impulse, inclination, attraction.

59.emulate (verb)

English Meaning - replicate, imitate, simulate, mimic, copy, recreate, follow.

60.prioritise (verb)

English Meaning - make a point of, highlight, call attention to (something as very important).

61.casteist (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to something which has an attachment to a caste system.

62.mobilisation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of bringing forces/people/resources together for a particular cause.