Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Present imperfect: on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s latest report and India

Present imperfect: on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s latest report and India

Irrespective of what the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom says, India must review its rights record

For the fourth consecutive (लगातार) year, the government has expressed outrage (नाराज़गी, अपमान) and rejected the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCIRF) latest report, calling it “biased (पक्षपातपूर्ण, एकतरफा) and motivated (प्रेरित, प्रायोजित)”. In its report released on Monday, the independent (स्वतंत्र, निष्पक्ष) congressional (relating to the Congress (legislative assembly in the U.S)) body has called for India to be designated (नामित करना, पहचानें) a “Country of Particular Concern (विशेष चिंता का देश)” (CPC) for its “worsening” record on religious freedoms. The report has targeted the Indian government for “promoting and enforcing religiously discriminatory (भेदभावपूर्ण) policies”, naming laws that deal with conversion (धर्म-परिवर्तन), interfaith (between different religions; relating to members of different religions) relationships, wearing the hijab (a head covering, generally a veil or a scarf, worn in public by some Muslim women) and cow slaughter (killing of animals (for food)), as well as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, who had to flee their homeland facing persecution. The six minority groups that have been specifically identified are Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and Parsis) and the National Register of Citizens (नागरिकों का राष्ट्रीय रजिस्टर). All of these, it alleges (आरोप लगाना), have impacted minorities including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and Adivasis (indigenous peoples and Scheduled Tribes) negatively (नकारात्मक रूप में). The USCIRF has also catalogued (classify, categorize, systematize, list, record, registor) acts of violence and the vilification (criticism, censure, condemnation, abuse, defamation, verbal onslaught, verbal attack, tirade, tongue-lashing) of minorities and criticised the “suppression (repression, crackdown, clampdown, stifling, crushing, quelling) of critical (गंभीर, आलोचना करना) voices” by intimidation (धमकी, डराना) that includes surveillance (monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection), demolition of property, detentions (imprisonment, confinement/incarceration, captivity, custody) and the targeting of NGOs through laws curtailing (reduce, diminish, decrease, cut, lower, lessen) foreign donations. It has criticised the U.S. State Department for not having designated India as a CPC, and has called for sanctions (action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc) on Indian government agencies and officials. In the only such sanction imposed on India, the U.S. had, in 2005, revoked (cancel, repeal, reverse, abrogate) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s U.S. visa after a USCIRF recommendation on the 2002 Gujarat riots. In its response, the External Affairs Ministry has told the USCIRF to “desist” from such reports and to “develop a better understanding of India.... ”

The government’s stern (strict, stringent, firm, strong, severe) reaction is understandable, and is in line with (in accordance with, in agreement with) its response to such reports over the last two decades (a period of ten years), since the USCIRF began to publish its findings (conclusion arrived at (as a result of an inquiry)). The process the USCIRF follows is non-inclusive (not inclusive; excluding something/someone), and the fact that it does not study the state (condition) of religious freedoms inside the U.S., suggests a double standard (contradictory standard, two sets of rules, doublespeak, double-dealing, hypocrisy, duplicity). Moreover, its recommendations hold no sway within India, and are meant only for the U.S. government to deliberate on (consider carefully, think about, give thought to, reflect about, contemplate, reflect on), and accept or dismiss. Either way, there is little need for or utility (usefulness, advantage, benefit, value, helpfulness, profitability, convenience, practicality, effectiveness, efficacy) to New Delhi’s public responses, which make it sound defensive and do not actually repair the reputational damage to India as a secular (non-religious), inclusive (including everyone; all-encompassing, all-embracing, all together) and pluralistic (relating to a system in which people of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups coexist in harmony irrespective of their various differences) democracy. Given (considering, taking into account, bearing in mind) the detailed and pointed (cutting, acute, biting, penetrating, sharp) accusations (allegation, charge, indictment), however, the Centre may well consider an internal review of its conduct (behaviour, actions, deeds) and the direction it hopes to lead India in, on issues such as religious freedoms and rights. Eventually, any government’s duty is not in achieving a perfect score in a survey run (do, carry out, perform, organize) abroad, but rather in burnishing (improve, enhance, augment/make better) its record of delivering justice, equality (equal rights, equal opportunities, non-discrimination) and security to its citizens back home (in one’s (own) country/hometown).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.(present) imperfect (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अपूर्ण
English Meaning - (of a grammatical tense) it describes a present action in progress but not completed.

2.consecutive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लगातार
English Meaning - successive, in a row, continuous, back to back, straight.

3.outrage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नाराज़गी, अपमान
English Meaning - affront, offence, injustice, atrocity, act of brutality, inhumane act; anger, fury, wrath, indignation, rage, resentment.

4.biased (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पक्षपातपूर्ण, एकतरफा
English Meaning - partial, one-sided, discriminative.

5.motivated (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रेरित, प्रायोजित
English Meaning - provoked, triggered, induced, incited.

6.independent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वतंत्र, निष्पक्ष
English Meaning - impartial, unbiased, neutral.

7.designate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - नामित करना, पहचानें
English Meaning - identify, recognize, classify.

8.Country of Particular Concern (CPC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विशेष चिंता का देश
English Meaning - as per the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), it is the category of governments performing most poorly on religious freedom criteria.

9.discriminatory (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - भेदभावपूर्ण
English Meaning - biased, unfair/unjust, inequitable, one-sided, partisan.

10.conversion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धर्म-परिवर्तन
English Meaning - new belief; a method of convincing/inducing a person to change his/her religious faith.

11.National Register of Citizens (NRC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नागरिकों का राष्ट्रीय रजिस्टर
English Meaning - It is a register that includes demographic information about all those individuals who qualify as citizens of India as per the Citizenship Act, 1955.

12.allege (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप लगाना
English Meaning - claim, state, profess, purport, report, argue.

13.negatively (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - नकारात्मक रूप में
English Meaning - adversely. badly.

14.critical (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गंभीर, आलोचना करना
English Meaning - criticizing, condemning, fault-finding, disapproving, unfavourable.

15.intimidation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धमकी, डराना
English Meaning - threatening, frightening, menacing, terrifying, scaring, domineering, browbeating, bullying, pressurizing, coercion, harassment, tormenting

16.The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) (noun)

English Meaning - USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF’s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.

17.irrespective (adjective)

English Meaning - regardless, disregarding, notwithstanding, without consideration of.

18.congressional (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the Congress (legislative assembly in the U.S).

19.Congress (noun)

English Meaning - legislative assembly, parliament; The United States Congress is the bicameral (two chambers) legislature of the federal government of the United States, and consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

20.Congressional body/committee (noun)

English Meaning - A congressional body/committee is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty (rather than the general duties of Congress). Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction.

21.call for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - require, publicly ask/necessitate, demand.

22.faith (noun)

English Meaning - religion, religious belief, belief/ideology.

23.inter- (prefix)

English Meaning - between.

24.inter-faith (adjective)

English Meaning - between different religions; relating to members of different religions.

25.hijab (noun)

English Meaning - a head covering, generally a veil or a scarf, worn in public by some Muslim women.

26.slaughter (noun)

English Meaning - killing of animals (for food).

27.Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) (noun)

English Meaning - The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, who had to flee their homeland facing persecution. The six minority groups that have been specifically identified are Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and Parsis.

28.indigenous (adjective)

English Meaning - native, original, aboriginal, ancient, primeval.

29.catalogue (verb)

English Meaning - classify, categorize, systematize, list, record, registor.

30.vilification (noun)

English Meaning - criticism, censure, condemnation, abuse, defamation, verbal onslaught, verbal attack, tirade, tongue-lashing.

31.suppression (noun)

English Meaning - repression, crackdown, clampdown, stifling, crushing, quelling.

32.surveillance (noun)

English Meaning - monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection.

33.detention (noun)

English Meaning - imprisonment, confinement/incarceration, captivity, custody.

34.non-governmental organization (NGO) (noun)

English Meaning - it is generally defined as nonprofit entities independent of governmental influence (although they may receive government funding). A not-for profit, voluntary citizen’s group that is organized on a local, national or international level to address issues in support of the public good.

35.curtail (verb)

English Meaning - reduce, diminish, decrease, cut, lower, lessen.

36.sanctions (noun)

English Meaning - action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.

37.sanction (noun)

English Meaning - ban, prohibition, restriction, embargo, penalty, punishment.

38.revoke (verb)

English Meaning - cancel, repeal, reverse, abrogate.

39.desist from (verb)

English Meaning - refrain from, stop oneself, abstain, hold back.

40.stern (adjective)

English Meaning - strict, stringent, firm, strong, severe.

41.in line with (phrase)

English Meaning - in accordance with, in agreement with.

42.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

43.findings (noun)

English Meaning - conclusion arrived at (as a result of an inquiry).

44.non-inclusive (adjective)

English Meaning - not inclusive; excluding something/someone.

42.the fact that (phrase)

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

46.state (noun)

English Meaning - condition.

47.double standard (noun)

English Meaning - contradictory standard, two sets of rules, doublespeak, double-dealing, hypocrisy, duplicity.

48.hold sway (phrase)

English Meaning - hold power, have the greatest influence, have control, have the upper hand.

49.deliberate on (verb)

English Meaning - consider carefully, think about, give thought to, reflect about, contemplate, reflect on.

50.utility (noun)

English Meaning - usefulness, advantage, benefit, value, helpfulness, profitability, convenience, practicality, effectiveness, efficacy.

51.secular (adjective)

English Meaning - non-religious.

52.inclusive (adjective)

English Meaning - including everyone; all-encompassing, all-embracing, all together.

53.pluralistic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a system in which people of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups coexist in harmony irrespective of their various differences.

54.given (preposition)

English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

55.pointed (adjective)

English Meaning - cutting, acute, biting, penetrating, sharp.

56.accusation (noun)

English Meaning - allegation, charge, indictment.

57.conduct (noun)

English Meaning - behaviour, actions, deeds.

58.run (verb)

English Meaning - do, carry out, perform, organize.

59.burnish (verb)

English Meaning - improve, enhance, augment/make better.