Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Open season: On Meghalaya polls and changing loyalties of politicians

Open season: On Meghalaya polls and changing loyalties of politicians

Post-poll alliances (गठबंधन, संधि) are more important in Meghalaya than any pre-poll understanding

As a State used to coalition governments and the fluid loyalties (वफादारी, निष्ठा) of its politicians, Meghalaya has had at least a third of its 60 MLAs hopping parties during the five-year term of the outgoing Assembly (सभा, सम्मेलन, बैठक). Even in the run-up to (a period of time just before an important event) the elections scheduled for February 27, a National People’s Party (NPP) candidate flipped (पलटी) sides to become the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate, and a Congress candidate switched (बदलना, अदला-बदली करना) to the Trinamool Congress (TMC). In 2018, the Congress had won 21 seats, the NPP 20, the BJP 2, and regional parties and independents the rest. Meghalaya is the only State among the three in the northeast going to the polls now where the Congress has a fighting chance (a possibility of becoming successful if one puts a great effort). The party, once the main political force (ताकत, समूह) in Meghalaya, has no MLA though it was the single-largest party in 2018. The BJP is contesting all 60 seats in the hope of reaching a double-digit figure. The TMC, which became the State’s Opposition party overnight (रातोंरात, एक रात में) after 12 Congress MLAs switched over in November 2021, is fielding (nominate a candidate to stand in an election; put up) 55 candidates. The most influential (प्रभावशाली, मजबूत) regional entity (organization, establishment, body, unit), the United Democratic Party, is contesting 46 seats. The State’s politics is driven by the dynamics (basic/fundamental cause or force that triggers change within a system) of three matrilineal (determining descent “through the mother’s line” whereas patrilineal means “through the father’s line) tribes — the Khasi and Jaintia tribes that are ethnically (जातीय आधार पर, सांस्कृतिक रूप से) closer, and the Garo tribe which held the Chief Minister’s chair (कुर्सी) for 34 years since the formation (creation, initiation, inauguration, organization) of the State over 50 years ago.

The Garos have often sought a separate State, although the demand has been somewhat muted (restrain, soften, tone down, make less intense, soft-pedal) this time. The Khasi-Jaintia Hills encompass (शामिल करना, धरना, रखना) 36 of the State’s 60 seats, and the Garo Hills 24 seats. The ruling NPP and prime challenger, the TMC, are facing off (सामना करना, टकराना) in the Garo Hills, where the contest is the most intense. The issue of Bangladeshi immigrants (अप्रवासी, गैर-निवासी), a staple of Assam elections, entered Meghalaya this time with the NPP and the BJP trying to portray (चित्रण, दर्शाना, वर्णन) the TMC as a Bengali party sympathetic (सहानुभूतिपूर्ण, सहमत) to people from India’s neighbour (a country/state that is next to another country; (bordering) country). The TMC and its allies have been accusing the NPP of misrule (misgovernment, mismanagement, mishandling), and large-scale graft in power, health, education, PDS and other sectors besides (apart from) striking a “lopsided (unequal, off-balance, disproportionate, distorted)” deal with Assam to resolve border disputes. The allies have washed their hands of the record of the government that they have been part of, trying to shift the full blame onto the NPP. Allies say the NPP called the shots and never consulted them on any issue. Allies in the outgoing government are contesting against it, with each one trying to maximise their strength in the Assembly and keeping post-poll options open.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.loyalty (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वफादारी, निष्ठा
English Meaning - allegiance, faithfulness, obedience, adherence.

2.alliance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गठबंधन, संधि
English Meaning - association, union, partnership.

3.assembly (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सभा, सम्मेलन, बैठक
English Meaning - gathering, meeting, rally.

4.flip (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पलटी
English Meaning - to change or reverse something quickly/suddenly; turn over, upend, topple over, upturn.

5.switch (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बदलना, अदला-बदली करना
English Meaning - change, move, shift.

6.force (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ताकत, समूह
English Meaning - body, group, team.

7.overnight (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - रातोंरात, एक रात में
English Meaning - instantly, promptly, immediately, suddenly, quickly; swiftly, expeditiously.

8.influential (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रभावशाली, मजबूत
English Meaning - powerful, strong, dominant, authoritative.

9.ethnically (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - जातीय आधार पर, सांस्कृतिक रूप से
English Meaning - culturally, racially.

10.chair (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कुर्सी
English Meaning - the person in charge.

11.encompass (verb)

Hindi Meaning - शामिल करना, धरना, रखना
English Meaning - include, subsume, incorporate.

12.face off (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - सामना करना, टकराना
English Meaning - confront, meet, clash (in a competition).

13.immigrants (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अप्रवासी, गैर-निवासी
English Meaning - non-natives, foreigners, migrants.

14.portray (verb)

Hindi Meaning - चित्रण, दर्शाना, वर्णन
English Meaning - describe, depict, outline, characterize.

15.sympathetic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सहानुभूतिपूर्ण, सहमत
English Meaning - agreeable, friendly, companionable, supportive, encouraging.

16.open (adjective)

English Meaning - accessible, unrestricted.

17.understanding (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, deal, settlement

18.fluid (adjective)

English Meaning - subject to change; changeable, adjustable, modifiable, variable, unsettled, uncertain, undecided, unstable.

19.hop (verb)

English Meaning - jump, bounce, leap.

20.outgoing (adjective)

English Meaning - departing, retiring, leaving.

21.run-up to (noun)

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

22.fighting chance (noun)

English Meaning - a possibility of becoming successful if one puts a great effort.

23.field (verb)

English Meaning - nominate a candidate to stand in an election; put up.

24.entity (noun)

English Meaning - organization, establishment, body, unit.

25.driven past participle of drive (verb)

English Meaning - prompt, impel, urge, press, force, push.

26.dynamics (noun)

English Meaning - basic/fundamental cause or force that triggers change within a system.

27.matrilineal (adjective)

English Meaning - determining descent “through the mother’s line” whereas patrilineal means “through the father’s line”

28.hold (verb)

English Meaning - have, occupy, be in (a job or position).

29.formation (noun)

English Meaning - creation, initiation, inauguration, organization.

30.sought past tense of seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt; ask for, request, demand.

31.mute (verb)

English Meaning - restrain, soften, tone down, make less intense, soft-pedal.

32.staple (noun)

English Meaning - main item; important element.

33.neighbour (noun)

English Meaning - a country/state that is next to another country; (bordering) country.

34.ally (noun)

English Meaning - partner, supporter, confederate.

35.misrule (noun)

English Meaning - misgovernment, mismanagement, mishandling.

36.graft (noun)

English Meaning - corruption, bribery, dishonesty.

37.Public Distribution System (PDS) (noun)

English Meaning - The Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country facilitates the supply of food grains and distribution of essential commodities to a large number of poor people through a network of Fair Price Shops at a subsidized price on a recurring basis. With a network of more than 400,000 Fair Price Shops (FPS), the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India is perhaps the largest distribution machinery of its type in the world.

38.besides (preposition)

English Meaning - apart from.

39.strike (verb)

English Meaning - reach, achieve, or agree to.

40.lopsided (adjective)

English Meaning - unequal, off-balance, disproportionate, distorted.

41.wash one’s hands of (phrase)

English Meaning - disown, disclaim, reject (responsibility for); renounce, disavow, give up on, cast aside, abandon.

42.call the shots (phrase)

English Meaning - to be the person who commands/controls a situation or course of action; be in charge, be the boss, be in the driving seat.

43.leave/keep one’s options open (phrase)

English Meaning - to not commit oneself, rather than wait for sometime before making a final choice in order to allow for the possibility of having a different choice.