Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Power roller-coaster: On Maoists and UML sharing power in Nepal

Power roller-coaster: On Maoists and UML sharing power in Nepal

The Maoists and the UML are back to sharing power despite not winning the mandate (जनादेश, आदेश) for it

There seems to be no limit to the opportunism (अवसरवाद, व्यावहारिकता, यथार्थवाद) in Nepal’s top polity (राजनीति). Newly minted Prime Minister Pushpa Kumar Dahal’s Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre) was part of a six-party alliance (गठबंधन, साझेदारी) led by the Nepali Congress that collectively (सामूहिक रूप से, समूह के रूप में) finished just above the absolute majority (पूर्ण बहुमत) mark (निशान, बिंदु) in the parliamentary elections held in November. The CPN(M-C) won just 11.13% of the votes, getting 32 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives (प्रतिनिधि सभा). The party’s poor performance was hardly (शायद ही, मुश्किल से) any disincentive (निरुत्साहित, निवारक, हतोत्साह) for Mr. Dahal to claim (दावा करना, जोर देना) the post of prime minister from his party’s senior partner, the NC. After being denied this, legitimately (वैध तरीके से, निष्पक्ष रूप से), in his blatant hunger (भूख) for power, he immediately took the expedient (उपाय, सहारा) route of aligning with (join up with, give support to, form an alliance with, combine with) the leading Opposition party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) led by Khadga Prasad Oli, securing (सुरक्षित करना, प्राप्त करना) the Prime Minister’s post, for a period of half of the term (period, time, spell, stint) of the new government. The new coalition (association, union, partnership) led by the UML and the Maoists (a follower of Maoism (it originated in China as a form of communist theory derived from the teachings of Chinese political leader Mao Zedong)) includes the newcomer Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and five smaller parties. The RSP promised a break in the political wheeling-dealing (engage in a secret plan dishonestly/unethically/fraudulently) that has characterised (identify, depict, describe) Nepali politics but the fact that (used to refer to a specific situation under consideration/discussion) it jumped at the first chance to join an opportunist (a person who is selfish, self-centred, self-seeking, egocentric) alliance — its leader Rabi Lamichhane is now Deputy Prime Minister and a Home Minister in the government — would have belied (contradict, be at odds with, call into question, disprove, falsify) the hopes of its adherents (supporter, upholder, defender, champion, advocate).

The renewal of the alliance between the two “leftist (relating to left-wing political views)” parties — barely (hardly, only just, almost not) years after the falling out between the UML faction (group, side, camp) led by Mr. Oli and the Maoists led to a change of government with the NC aligning with the Maoists and a smaller UML faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal besides (apart from) other parties — suggests that the loaves of power, rather than (instead of) ideology (beliefs, opinions, ideals, principles) or principle, are what are more tempting (attractive, appealing, inviting, alluring, enticing) for Mr. Oli and Mr. Dahal. The “Left” alliance had after all broken up due to (because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of) legitimate (valid, reasonable, reliable) grievances (complaint, protestation, protest, criticism, problem, objection) with Mr. Oli’s authoritarian (oppressive, dictatorial, totalitarian) attitude and his manoeuvres (activity, plan/operation, stratagem, tactic (carefully planned)) to hold (conduct) on to power. For Mr. Dahal to repeat his habit of performing political volte-faces and to join hands with (work together with) Mr. Oli despite a clear mandate for the pre-election coalition that he was a part of, suggests yet another period of opportunistic (selfish, self-centred, self-seeking, egocentric, inward-looking) political wrangling (long dispute, argument, quarrel) that would hamper (obstruct, impede, hinder, block, interrupt, stop) governance in Nepal. Mr. Oli has managed to make the best out of (to use (something) in an advantageous way) an unfavourable (unpromising, bleak, disadvantageous) situation for his party by securing nominations (candidacy, candidature; selection, choice, recommendation, naming, proposal) to the post of President and Speaker from his party, reportedly (allegedly, supposedly, purportedly, ostensibly, apparently) as part of the arrangement (agreement, deal, settlement, understanding) with Mr. Dahal, besides gaining plum (excellent, best, very good, great) ministerial posts to help with the usual politics of patronage (support, backing, protection). But by subverting (weaken, undermine, sabotage, damage) mandates for short-term (temporary, interim, transitional) gains, the Maoists and the UML are only perpetuating (cause to continue something indefinitely, particularly a bad situation, an attitude/idea/belief, etc.; keep going, keep in existence, extend/prolong) instability (uncertainty, unpredictability, precariousness) and lowering the trust of the people in the democratic system in a country that endured (survive, experience, go through, persist) two upheavals (disruption, turmoil, disorder, chaos, mayhem) to become a constitutional (relating to the Constitution; legal, lawful, legitimate) republic (a group of people involved in a particular activity with certain equality; “The Republic” is a form of government in which a state (country) is ruled by elected representatives of the people (citizen body))..

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.mandate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जनादेश, आदेश
English Meaning - approval, acceptance, endorsement, authority (given by a constituency to someone acting as its representative).

2.opportunism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अवसरवाद, व्यावहारिकता, यथार्थवाद
English Meaning - expediency, exploitation, taking advantage, pragmatism, realism.

3.polity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राजनीति
English Meaning - a politically organized society.

4.alliance (noun)

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

5.collectively (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - सामूहिक रूप से, समूह के रूप में
English Meaning - as a whole/group.

6.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.

7.mark (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निशान, बिंदु
English Meaning - level, point, stage.

8.House of Representatives (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिनिधि सभा
English Meaning - The House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha) is the one of the houses of the Federal Parliament of Nepal, with the other house being the National Assembly (Rastriya Sabha).

9.hardly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - शायद ही, मुश्किल से
English Meaning - barely, almost not.

10.disincentive (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निरुत्साहित, निवारक, हतोत्साह
English Meaning - deterrent, discouragement, counterincentive.

11.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा करना, जोर देना
English Meaning - assert, lay claim to, say that one owns, assert ownership of, formally request, demand.

12.legitimately (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - वैध तरीके से, निष्पक्ष रूप से
English Meaning - legally, fairly, truly.

13.hunger (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भूख
English Meaning - desire, crave, appetite

14.expedient (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपाय, सहारा
English Meaning - tactical/strategic; advantageous, beneficial.

15.secure (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुरक्षित करना, प्राप्त करना
English Meaning - obtain, acquire, gain.

16.roller-coaster (noun)

English Meaning - a situation or experience that involves up and down (or highs and lows) very quickly and suddenly; (abrupt and extreme) change.

17.Maoist (noun)

English Meaning - a follower of Maoism (it originated in China as a form of communist theory derived from the teachings of Chinese political leader Mao Zedong).

18.Unified Marxist–Leninist (UML) (noun)

English Meaning - The Communist Party of Nepal.

19.mint (verb)

English Meaning - create, devise, produce, frame.

20.minted (adjective)

English Meaning - produced, created, made.

21.blatant (adjective)

English Meaning - evident, flagrant/glaring, obvious, shameless.

22.absolute (noun)

English Meaning - decisive, conclusive, definite; full, total, unconditional, categorical.

23.hold (verb)

English Meaning - conduct.

24.align with (verb)

English Meaning - join up with, give support to, form an alliance with, combine with.

25.term (noun)

English Meaning - period, time, spell, stint.

26.coalition (noun)

English Meaning - association, union, partnership.

27.wheel and deal (phrase)

English Meaning - engage in a secret plan dishonestly/unethically/fraudulently.

28.characterise (verb)

English Meaning - identify, depict, describe.

29.the fact that (phrase)

English Meaning - used to refer to a specific situation under consideration/discussion.

30.opportunist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is selfish, self-centred, self-seeking, egocentric.

31.belie (verb)

English Meaning - contradict, be at odds with, call into question, disprove, falsify.

32.adherent (noun)

English Meaning - supporter, upholder, defender, champion, advocate.

33.leftist (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to left-wing political views.

34.barely (adverb)

English Meaning - hardly, only just, almost not.

35.fall out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - quarrel, have a row/fight, squabble, disagree, differ, have a difference of opinion.

36.faction (noun)

English Meaning - group, side, camp.

37.led to past tense of lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to.

38.besides (preposition)

English Meaning - apart from.

39.loaves plural form of loaf (noun)

English Meaning - slice, share, portion.

40.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

41.ideology (noun)

English Meaning - beliefs, opinions, ideals, principles.

42.tempting (adjective)

English Meaning - attractive, appealing, inviting, alluring, enticing.

43.break up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - disband, separate, disperse, disintegrate.

44.due to (phrase)

English Meaning - because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of.

45.legitimate (adjective)

English Meaning - valid, reasonable, reliable.

46.grievance (noun)

English Meaning - complaint, protestation, protest, criticism, problem, objection.

47.authoritarian (adjective)

English Meaning - oppressive, dictatorial, totalitarian.

48.manoeuvre (noun)

English Meaning - activity, plan/operation, stratagem, tactic (carefully planned).

49.hold on to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cling on to, hang on to, hold tightly grip, grasp, attach oneself to; keep, retain, keep possession of.

50.volte-face (noun)

English Meaning - U-turn, about-face, turnaround, turnround, turnabout, backtracking, rowback.

51.join hands with (phrase)

English Meaning - work together with.

52.opportunistic (adjective)

English Meaning - selfish, self-centred, self-seeking, egocentric, inward-looking.

53.wrangling (noun)

English Meaning - long dispute, argument, quarrel.

54.hamper (verb)

English Meaning - obstruct, impede, hinder, block, interrupt, stop.

55.make the best (out) of (phrase)

English Meaning - to use (something) in an advantageous way.

56.out of (phrase)

English Meaning - from.

57.unfavourable (adjective)

English Meaning - unpromising, bleak, disadvantageous.

58.nomination (noun)

English Meaning - candidacy, candidature; selection, choice, recommendation, naming, proposal.

59.reportedly (adverb)

English Meaning - allegedly, supposedly, purportedly, ostensibly, apparently.

60.arrangement (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, deal, settlement, understanding.

61.plum (noun as modifier)

English Meaning - excellent, best, very good, great.

62.patronage (noun)

English Meaning - support, backing, protection.

63.subvert (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, undermine, sabotage, damage.

64.short-term (adjective)

English Meaning - temporary, interim, transitional.

65.gain (noun)

English Meaning - profit, advantage, benefit, reward, yield, return, proceeds, dividend.

66.perpetuate (verb)

English Meaning - cause to continue something indefinitely, particularly a bad situation, an attitude/idea/belief, etc.; keep going, keep in existence, extend/prolong.

67.instability (noun)

English Meaning - uncertainty, unpredictability, precariousness.

68.endure (noun)

English Meaning - survive, experience, go through, persist.

69.upheaval (noun)

English Meaning - disruption, turmoil, disorder, chaos, mayhem.

70.constitutional (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the Constitution; legal, lawful, legitimate.

71.republic (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people involved in a particular activity with certain equality; “The Republic” is a form of government in which a state (country) is ruled by elected representatives of the people (citizen body).