Hindi English Translation || Editorial || NewsClick non-case: On the strange case of a terrorism FIR without a terrorist act

NewsClick non-case: On the strange case of a terrorism FIR without a terrorist act

The case flags a disturbing (परेशान, चिंताजनक) trend: the present regime’s (प्रशासन) propensity (प्रवृत्ति, झुकाव) to misuse anti-terror laws and invoke (आह्वान करना) national security sentiment to undermine individual and media rights

The FIR registered by the Delhi Police against Prabir Purkayastha, the founder of NewsClick, and others is a vague (अस्पष्ट, अनिश्चित) amalgam (मिश्रण) of sweeping (blanket, general, imprecise, unqualified, indiscriminate, broad-based) accusations (आरोप) that do not actually disclose (खुलासा) any offence (अपराध), leave alone (stop disturbing something, stop interfering with something; to not to touch something; fail to look after, abandon) one of terrorism. Without citing (refer to, mention, point to, specify, invoke, allude to) any published content, the FIR alleges (charge, accuse, claim, contend, assert, affirm, argue, state, insist) offences that range from hatching a conspiracy (साजिश, षड्यंत्र) to undermine the country’s security to disrupting the 2019 parliamentary polls, from causing disaffection (असंतोष) against the government to disrupting essential services. It invokes provisions (प्रावधान) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) (an Indian law aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India) and penal (दण्डनीय) provisions relating to conspiracy and promoting enmity (शत्रुता) between different groups. Quite notably (particularly, especially, markedly, significantly), it does not mention any overt (obvious, noticeable, conspicuous, apparent, visible, blatant, glaring) act that may be described as unlawful activity or a terrorist act. There is a general description (explanation, interpretation, report, narrative, portrayal) that foreign funds were infused (to provide more money or resources into something; add, introduce, impart) illegally into India by forces (group, outfit, party) inimical (hostile, opposed, antagonistic, against) to the country with the objective (aim, purpose, intention) of causing disaffection against the government, disrupting the sovereignty (autonomy, independence, self-government, self-rule, self-legislation, self-determination, self-governance, freedom, liberty) and territorial integrity (unity, unification, wholeness, coherence, cohesion, togetherness, solidarity) of India, and threatening its unity and security. It refers to a ‘conspiracy’ based on purported (supposed, claimed, professed, alleged, reported, ostensible) email exchanges (conversation, talk, discussion) to show Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir as “not part of India”, and also moves (action, act, step, measure) to protract (lengthen, extend, continue, prolong, persist, linger, elongate) the farmers’ agitation ((political) upheaval, agitation, disturbance/disorder) of 2020-21 and thereby (as a result of that) disrupt supply of services and other essential supplies.

Overall, it is quite clear that the police are combining the remittances (payment, transfer of funds, (money) settlement) by American businessman Neville Roy Singham in NewsClickwith its journalistic content to build a case that “Chinese” funds are being used for propaganda (the (deliberate & systemic) spreading of information (facts, ideas, rumours or lies) to influence public opinion), fomenting (incite, provoke, agitate, instigate, cause) unlawful activities, and undermining the country’s security. The UAPA is also conducive (good for, helpful for, useful for) to such misuse as its widely (broadly, generally, extensively) defined terms can as easily help criminalise (make something (an activity) illegal) people for ‘thought crimes (any thought, especially that which is against the against the government or which is unorthodox, considered as a criminal offense)’ as for their acts. The resort (recourse, application, use, utilization) to UAPA is also a tactical aid (help, assistance, support) to prolong (lengthen, extend, protract, elongate, continue, drag out) the incarceration (custody, restraint, arrest, imprisonment) of dissenters (objector, protester, agitator, rebel) and the disfavoured (a person who is having the feeling of dislike or disapproval of somebody or something; the disliked), and send out (produce, give out, deliver) a chilling (frightening, terrifying, disturbing/horrifying) message to the wider media fraternity (group, body, union, federation, association). There is also the likely (possible, probable, potential) electoral spin-off (outcome, result, derivation, by-product) in its potential (possibilities, potentiality, prospects, promise) for the ruling BJP to milk (exploit, take advantage of, cash in on, use, utilize) the ‘Chinese conspiracy’ theory in the run-up (a period of time just before an important event) to the Lok Sabha polls. A related question is whether the alleged (reported, supposed, purported, ostensibly, apparent) creation of shell companies (a non-trading company used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres (operations)) by two telecom companies does not merit (justify, warrant, entitle, authorize) more than a casual mention in an unrelated FIR and warrant (vindicate, justify, necessitate, endorse, support, approve of) a separate probe into these conduits (something (an organisation/a person) acts as a channel (to transmit something else)) for funding terror. In mentioning that a lawyer was among those who helped create a legal network for these companies’ defence (protection, support, justification), the police seem to be considering criminalising legal services. The case flags a disturbing trend: the present regime’s propensity to misuse anti-terror laws and invoke national security sentiment to undermine individual and media rights.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.strange (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अजीब, अनोखा
English Meaning - unfamiliar, abnormal, atypical, peculiar, unusual, surprising, bizarre, weird.

2.disturbing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - परेशान, चिंताजनक
English Meaning - worrying, shocking, distressing.

3.regime (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशासन
English Meaning - government, administration.

4.propensity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवृत्ति, झुकाव
English Meaning - tendency, inclination, predisposition, readiness, disposition.

5.invoke (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आह्वान करना
English Meaning - cite, refer to, resort to, turn to, use, put into effect.

6.vague (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अस्पष्ट, अनिश्चित
English Meaning - imprecise, inexact, unclear, uncertain, unsure, undecided, confused, bewildered.

7.amalgam (verb)
 
Hindi Meaning - मिश्रण
English Meaning - combination, merger, union, composition, mixture.

8.accusation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप
English Meaning - allegation, charge, indictment.

9.disclose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - खुलासा
English Meaning - reveal, unfold, tell, communicate, release, publish, communicate, make public.

10.offence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अपराध
English Meaning - crime, illegal/unlawful act, wrongdoing.

11.conspiracy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - साजिश, षड्यंत्र
English Meaning - unlawful plan, intrigue, collaboration/deception.

12.disaffection (noun)

Hindi Meaning - असंतोष
English Meaning - dissatisfaction, discontent, disgruntlement, hostility, frustration.

13.provision (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रावधान
English Meaning - clause, condition, stipulation, requirement, term.

14.penal (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - दण्डनीय
English Meaning - punishable by law; corrective, disciplinary.

15.enmity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शत्रुता
English Meaning - antipathy, antagonism, hostility, resentment, aversion.

16.first information report (FIR) (noun)

English Meaning - a written document prepared by the police when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence.

17.flag (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, point out, identify; draw attention to something.

18.sentiment (noun)

English Meaning - feeling, emotion, point of view.

19.undermine (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.

20.sweeping (adjective)

English Meaning - blanket, general, imprecise, unqualified, indiscriminate, broad-based.

21.leave alone (phrase)

English Meaning - stop disturbing something, stop interfering with something; to not to touch something; fail to look after, abandon.

22.cite (verb)

English Meaning - refer to, mention, point to, specify, invoke, allude to.

23.allege (verb)

English Meaning - charge, accuse, claim, contend, assert, affirm, argue, state, insist.

24.Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) (noun)

English Meaning - an Indian law aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India.

25.notably (adverb)

English Meaning - particularly, especially, markedly, significantly.

26.overt (adverb)

English Meaning - obvious, noticeable, conspicuous, apparent, visible, blatant, glaring.

27.description (noun)

English Meaning - explanation, interpretation, report, narrative, portrayal.

28.infuse (verb)

English Meaning - to provide more money or resources into something; add, introduce, impart.

29.forces (noun)

English Meaning - group, outfit, party.

30.inimical (adjective)

English Meaning - hostile, opposed, antagonistic, against.

31.objective (noun)

English Meaning - aim, purpose, intention.

32.sovereignty (noun)

English Meaning - autonomy, independence, self-government, self-rule, self-legislation, self-determination, self-governance, freedom, liberty.

33.integrity (noun)

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

34.purported (adjective)

English Meaning - supposed, claimed, professed, alleged, reported, ostensible.

35.exchange (noun)

English Meaning - conversation, talk, discussion.

36.move (noun)

English Meaning - action, act, step, measure.

37.protract (verb)

English Meaning - lengthen, extend, continue, prolong, persist, linger, elongate.

38.agitation (noun)

English Meaning - (political) upheaval, agitation, disturbance/disorder.

39.thereby (adverb)

English Meaning - as a result of that.

40.remittance (noun)

English Meaning - payment, transfer of funds, (money) settlement.

41.propaganda (noun)

English Meaning - the (deliberate & systemic) spreading of information (facts, ideas, rumours or lies) to influence public opinion.

42.foment (verb)

English Meaning - incite, provoke, agitate, instigate, cause.

43.seditious (adjective)

English Meaning - inciting, agitating, fomenting, troublemaking, provocative, inflammatory, agitational.

44.conducive (adjective)

English Meaning - good for, helpful for, useful for.

45.widely (adverb)

English Meaning - broadly, generally, extensively.

46.criminalise (verb)

English Meaning - make something (an activity) illegal.

47.thought crime (noun)

English Meaning - any thought, especially that which is against the against the government or which is unorthodox, considered as a criminal offense.

48.resort (noun)

English Meaning - recourse, application, use, utilization.

49.aid (noun)

English Meaning - help, assistance, support.

50.prolong (verb)

English Meaning - lengthen, extend, protract, elongate, continue, drag out.

51.incarceration (noun)

English Meaning - custody, restraint, arrest, imprisonment .

52.dissenter (noun)

English Meaning - objector, protester, agitator, rebel.

53.the disfavoured (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is having the feeling of dislike or disapproval of somebody or something; the disliked.

54.send out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - produce, give out, deliver.

55.chilling (adjective)

English Meaning - frightening, terrifying, disturbing/horrifying.

56.fraternity (noun)

English Meaning - group, body, union, federation, association.

57.likely (adjective)

English Meaning - possible, probable, potential.

58.spin-off (noun)

English Meaning - outcome, result, derivation, by-product.

59.potential (noun)

English Meaning - possibilities, potentiality, prospects, promise.

60.milk (verb)

English Meaning - exploit, take advantage of, cash in on, use, utilize.

61.run-up (noun)

English Meaning - a period of time just before an important event.

62.alleged (adverb)

English Meaning - reported, supposed, purported, ostensibly, apparent.

63.shell company (noun)

English Meaning - a non-trading company used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres (operations).

64.merit (verb)

English Meaning - justify, warrant, entitle, authorize.

65.warrant (verb)

English Meaning - vindicate, justify, necessitate, endorse, support, approve of.

66.conduit (noun)

English Meaning - something (an organisation/a person) acts as a channel (to transmit something else).

67.defence (noun)

English Meaning - protection, support, justification.