Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Meaningless formality: On Governors, their actions

Meaningless formality: On Governors, their actions

The conduct (आचरण, व्यवहार) of Governors has undermined (कमज़ोर करना) their constitutional role

The actions of Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi and his Kerala counterpart (समकक्ष) Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar during their customary (परंपरागत, रिवाज के अनुसार) Legislative Assembly (विधानसभा) addresses on January 20 came as no surprise to those who have followed the conduct of Governors in non BJP-ruled States. In Chennai, Mr. Ravi declined to read the speech, which, his office said, had “unsubstantiated (अप्रमाणित, बिना प्रमाण के) claims (दावा) and misleading statements” to justify his walk out (leave suddenly; depart). In the past three years, the Governor has either digressed (deviate, diverge, depart, drift, go off) from the prepared speech or refused to read it out before walking out. In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan corrected the policy address (औपचारिक भाषण, नीति वक्तव्य) made by the Governor, who, according to Mr. Vijayan, had skipped portions, as cleared (मंज़ूरी देना, स्वीकृति देना) by the Cabinet, and made additions. As long-serving (expert, seasoned, matured, established/experienced (person in an area of activity)) Governors, Mr. Ravi and Mr. Arlekar should be aware that it is a time-honoured (well established, long-established, long-standing, deep-rooted, enduring, constant, persistent, continuing (for a long time)) constitutional convention (संवैधानिक परंपरा) for a Governor to read out the exact text of the speech or special address which informs the State of the policies of an elected government. There has never been an incident of the British monarch (सम्राट, शासक) departing (प्रस्थान करना, रवाना होना) from the official speech; and the Indian system is based on the Westminster (a place/town (borough) in London which contains the Houses of Parliament and many government offices)) model of parliamentary democracy (संसदीय लोकतंत्र). Yet, they have chosen to violate the convention even though they have no option but to function as “mouthpieces (a media outlet that expresses the opinions or policies of a specific (political/religious) entity, such as a government, party, or organization)”, to quote former President R. Venkataraman, of the State governments. Mr. Ravi’s penchant (रुझान, झुकाव) is to court (pursue, see, be involved with; curry favour with) controversies but Mr. Arlekar did not repeat what he did last year, when he stuck to the script, striking an officially punctilious (careful, diligent, attentive, painstaking, meticulous, thorough) tone.

Apparently (seemingly, outwardly, allegedly, supposedly, ostensibly, at first glance) tired of Mr. Ravi’s repeated violations (breach, contravention, infringement, breaking, non-observance) of the convention, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has favoured (support, back, recommend, subscribe to, stand up for) a constitutional amendment to do away with (scrap, abolish, get rid of, quash, discard, eliminate, remove) the practice of commencing the first Assembly session of the year with the Governor’s address. Articles 87 and 176 of the Constitution require the President and Governors to make special addresses to Parliament and State legislatures (law-making body or governing body; parliament, congress, council, assembly), in the new year. About 35 years ago, President Venkataraman had repeatedly recommended to Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Chandra Shekhar that the practice be deleted through an amendment as he called it a “British anachronism” and a “meaningless formality”. This suggestion should be viewed in line with (in alignment with; in accordance with; conforming to) the thinking of the regime (government, system) at the Centre, which seems to have taken upon itself the task of repealing (invalidate, reverse, cancel, nullify, revoke) “outdated colonial laws”. The language (wording, expression, mode of expression) of the two Articles was borrowed (take, abstract, lift, use as one’s own) from the rules of the House of Commons. Nothing would be lost if the Articles are scrapped (remove, discard, eliminate, get rid of, do away with), as the President and the Governors still retain their right to address the legislature (the House; a deliberative body of persons, usually elective, who are empowered to make, change, or repeal the laws of a country or state. India follows a bicameral (two chambers/parts) system at both the centre and state level) under Articles 86 and 175. Importantly, Governors should not assume powers and functions that are not envisaged (conceive, imagine, envision, think, perceive, apprehend) under the Constitution (body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter) and should set an example of respecting the letter and spirit ((to obey) both literal interpretation/wording and the intent/purpose of the law) of the Constitution.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.conduct (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आचरण, व्यवहार
English Meaning - behaviour.

2.undermine (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कमज़ोर करना
English Meaning - weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.

3.counterpart (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समकक्ष
English Meaning - a person or thing that corresponds to or has the same function as another in a different place or situation; equivalent, match, peer.

4.customary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - परंपरागत, रिवाज के अनुसार
English Meaning - traditional, standard, conventional, usual.

5.legislative assembly (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधानसभा
English Meaning - Also known as Vidhan Sabha; it is the lower house in the states and union territories of India that have a bicameral legislature. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people through assembly elections. The term of the Legislative Assembly is five years unless dissolved earlier. A member of a Legislative Assembly is referred to as an MLA.

6.address (noun)

Hindi Meaning - औपचारिक भाषण, नीति वक्तव्य
English Meaning - speech, lecture, talk, discourse.

7.unsubstantiated (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अप्रमाणित, बिना प्रमाण के
English Meaning - groundless, ill-founded, unproven, baseless.

8.claim (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दावा
English Meaning - assertion, affirmation, statement.

9.clear (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मंज़ूरी देना, स्वीकृति देना
English Meaning - endorse, give approval to.

10.convention (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संवैधानिक परंपरा
English Meaning - tradition, practice, custom, formality; standard, norm, regulation.

11.monarch (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सम्राट, शासक
English Meaning - emperor, ruler, king.

12.depart (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्थान करना, रवाना होना
English Meaning - leave, go away, run away, flee, exit.

13.parliamentary democracy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संसदीय लोकतंत्र
English Meaning - a system of government in which citizens elect representatives to a legislative parliament to make the necessary laws and decisions for the country.

14.penchant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रुझान, झुकाव
English Meaning - interest, liking, disposition, inclination, partiality, preference, affection.

15.strike a tone (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - लहजा अपनाना, भाव प्रकट करना
English Meaning - to describe the manner or attitude conveyed through someone’s speech or writing.

16.Assembly (noun)

English Meaning - the legislature of State government in the Indian system of government with elected representatives by the voters of an electoral districts (constituencies); law-making body or governing body.

17.walk out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - leave suddenly; depart.

18.digress (verb)

English Meaning - deviate, diverge, depart, drift, go off.

19.long-serving (adjective)

English Meaning - expert, seasoned, matured, established/experienced (person in an area of activity).

20.time-honoured (adjective)

English Meaning - well established, long-established, long-standing, deep-rooted, enduring, constant, persistent, continuing (for a long time).

21.Westminster (noun)

English Meaning - a place/town (borough) in London which contains the Houses of Parliament and many government offices).

22.mouthpiece (noun)

English Meaning - a media outlet that expresses the opinions or policies of a specific (political/religious) entity, such as a government, party, or organization.

23.court (verb)

English Meaning - pursue, see, be involved with; curry favour with.

24.stick to (verb)

English Meaning - follow, obey, adhere, conform to.

25.punctilious (adjective)

English Meaning - careful, diligent, attentive, painstaking, meticulous, thorough.

26.tone (noun)

English Meaning - style.

27.apparently (adverb)

English Meaning - seemingly, outwardly, allegedly, supposedly, ostensibly, at first glance.

28.violation (noun)

English Meaning - breach, contravention, infringement, breaking, non-observance.

29.favour (verb)

English Meaning - support, back, recommend, subscribe to, stand up for.

30.do away with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - scrap, abolish, get rid of, quash, discard, eliminate, remove.

31.Article 87 of the Indian Constitution (noun)

English Meaning - It provides for the President’s special address to Parliament at the first session after each general election and at the first session of every year.

32.Article176 of the Indian Constitution (noun)

English Meaning - It provides for the Governor’s special address to the State Legislature at the first session after each general election and at the first session of every year.

33.legislature (noun)

English Meaning - law-making body or governing body; parliament, congress, council, assembly.

34.the legislature (noun)

English Meaning - the House; a deliberative body of persons, usually elective, who are empowered to make, change, or repeal the laws of a country or state. India follows a bicameral (two chambers/parts) system at both the centre and state level.

35.anachronism (noun)

English Meaning - an old-fashioned thing that does not belong to the present time; an irrelevant or inappropriate thing exists in the wrong time period.

36.in line with (phrase)

English Meaning - in alignment with; in accordance with; conforming to

37.regime (noun)

English Meaning - government, system.

38.take it upon oneself (phrase)

English Meaning - to take the responsibility for.

39.repeal (verb)

English Meaning - invalidate, reverse, cancel, nullify, revoke.

40.outdated (adjective)

English Meaning - archaic, antique, ancient, out of date, outmoded, old-fashioned.

41.language (noun)

English Meaning - wording, expression, mode of expression.

42.borrow (verb)

English Meaning - take, abstract, lift, use as one’s own.

43.House of Commons (noun)

English Meaning - the lower house of the Parliament (of the United Kingdom) (“the House of Lords” is the upper house).

44.scrap (verb)

English Meaning - remove, discard, eliminate, get rid of, do away with.

45.Article 86 of the Indian Constitution (noun)

English Meaning - it empowers the President of India to address either House of Parliament or both Houses together and to send messages to them regarding pending bills or other matters.

46.Article 175 of the Indian Constitution (noun)

English Meaning - it empowers the Governor to address the State Legislature and to send messages to either House or both Houses of the Legislature regarding bills or other matters.

47.envisage (verb)

English Meaning - conceive, imagine, envision, think, perceive, apprehend.

48.constitution (noun)

English Meaning - body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter.

49.The Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - India, also known as Bharat, is a Union of States. It is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950.

50.letter and spirit (phrase)

English Meaning - (to obey) both literal interpretation/wording and the intent/purpose of the law.