Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Something special: On 25 years of the India-France strategic partnership

Something special: On 25 years of the India-France strategic partnership

India’s relationship with France is uniquely different from other ties

Celebrating 25 years of the India-France strategic (रणनीतिक) partnership was at the top of (if something is at the top of the list/agenda, it is of highest priority, most important, most urgent thing in the list/agenda) the agenda during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to France and his meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron last week, which ended with a number of agreements and a slew (a large number of, lot, range) of defence deals. Mr. Modi’s visit, just months before Mr. Macron is in Delhi for the G-20 summit (सम्मेलन, बैठक), was a special one, as he was invited to be the chief guest at the Bastille Day (French National Day which is celebrated on 14 July each year) parade — it saw Indian tri-service (त्रि-सेवा) participation — and was the second time that an Indian Prime Minister has been extended (give, offer, confer, bestow, grant, present) the invitation (Manmohan Singh was the first in 2009). Chief among the agreements was the strategic road map (plan/strategy to do something successfully) for the next 25 years — “Horizon 2047 (it is the strategic road map for the next 25 years in the France-India bilateral relationship. The roadmap for bilateral relations has three pillars: partnership for security and sovereignty; partnership for the planet; partnership for the people)” — which includes cooperation in defence, space, nuclear energy, climate change (जलवायु परिवर्तन) and green (environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, energy-efficient, clean) transitions as well as education and people-to-people ties (association, relationship, bond, connection). Another road map was released on how to cooperate further in the Indo-Pacific region (the Indo-Pacific region refers to the confluence (convergence) of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, which interconnect in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and more)), which includes military and naval (relating to a navy) exchanges and a trilateral (त्रिपक्षीय) development fund to help countries in the region. There were also the decisions, in principle (सैद्धान्तिक रूप से), to buy 26 more Rafale fighter jets off-the-shelf (Rafale-M), this time for the Indian Navy; three more Scorpene (it is a 2000-tons conventional submarine designed by Naval Group (a major French industrial group) for all types of missions, such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes, special operations or intelligence gathering) submarines (a warship submerged in the water) in continuation to the purchases of 2008, and an agreement between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was established in October 1964 by merging Hindustan Aircraft Limited and Aeronautics India Limited. It is engaged in the “design, development, manufacture, repair, and overhaul of aircraft, helicopters, engines, and their accessories.” The company has 12 divisions located in six states and 11 R&D centers; its registered office is in Bangalore) and Safran (a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures aircraft engines, rocket engines and other related things) for helicopter engines.

In the broader picture (तस्वीर, चित्र), the France-India strategic relationship is built on (पर निर्मित) a respect for each other’s strategic autonomy (the ability of a state (country) to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states). France has remained steadfast (firm, resolute, determined, insistent, single-minded) in its refusal to comment (टिप्पणी करना) on India’s internal affairs (activities, matters, concerns) or its foreign policy choices. While France has taken a leading role (प्रमुख भूमिका) in the western pushback (resistance, opposition, beat back, force back, repulse drive; negative reaction , unfavourable response) to Russia’s war in Ukraine, it has not joined other western countries in publicly exhorting ((strongly or earnestly) urge, encourage, enjoin, instruct, spur, appeal to, advise someone to do something) India to change its stand (position, standpoint, perspective, attitude, policy). In 1974, and in 1998, France did not join the western push (a strong and powerful effort to do or obtain something) to sanction (punish, discipline someone for; impose a sanction) India for its nuclear tests either; it even stepped in with uranium supplies to power the Tarapur reactors (nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant. They contain and control nuclear chain reactions that produce heat through a physical process called fission. That heat is used to make steam that spins a turbine to create electricity). Mr. Modi’s visit was also at around (आसपास) the same time that the European Parliament decided to adopt (अपनाना, स्वीकार करना) a resolution (प्रस्ताव, संकल्प) criticising his government for the violence in Manipur and alleged (कथित, कहा हुआ) violations (उल्लंघन) of human rights (human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status) and freedom of religion issues. Yet, none of these issues was discussed or brought up. India too, made no mention of the violence in France after the killing of a teenager belonging to the Algerian immigrant (non-native, foreigner, migrant) community. Further, neither country has any desire to pull (attract, bring in, lure, tempt) the other into a coalition (alliance, association, union, partnership), grouping or alliance the other is a part of, and both seem content (satisfied) with the success in forging the relationship bilaterally (between the two countries involved). In this and many other ways, their relationship has proven itself to be different from the other major partnerships that India has built across the world, explaining both the symbolism (the idea that things represent other things; representation, symbol, emblem, metaphor) and the substance (significant subject, important matter/content, valid message) of the Prime Minister’s visit.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.summit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सम्मेलन, बैठक
English Meaning - meeting, conference, conclave (of heads of state/government).

2.tri-service (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - त्रि-सेवा
English Meaning - relating to three services, especially an army, navy, and air force.

3.strategic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - रणनीतिक
English Meaning - relating to achieving long-term military advantage or overall goals.

4.climate change (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलवायु परिवर्तन
English Meaning - a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth.

5.trilateral (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - त्रिपक्षीय
English Meaning - involving three nations/parties/groups.

6.in principle (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - सैद्धान्तिक रूप से
English Meaning - in general (or) on paper.

7.violation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन
English Meaning - breach, infringement, breaking, non-observance, dereliction.

8.picture (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तस्वीर, चित्र
English Meaning - concept, idea, notion, view, impression.

9.built on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - पर निर्मित
English Meaning - develop, expand/enlarge on, improve, enhance.

10.comment (verb)

Hindi Meaning - टिप्पणी करना
English Meaning - say, remark on, talk about, speak about, discuss, mention.

11.leading role (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रमुख भूमिका
English Meaning - most important role.

12.at around (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - आसपास
English Meaning - approximately, around.

13.adopt (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अपनाना, स्वीकार करना
English Meaning - formally approve, support, vote for, endorse, validate, ratify.

14.resolution (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्ताव, संकल्प
English Meaning - a form in which a legislative body expresses an opinion or a purpose with respect to a given matter or topic (that is temporary in nature).

15.alleged (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कथित, कहा हुआ
English Meaning - supposed, so-called, claimed, professed, reported, ostensible.

16.off-the-shelf (phrase)

English Meaning - ready to use, ready made.

17.strategic partnership (noun)

English Meaning - it is a long-term interaction between two countries based on political, economic, social and historical factors.

18.ties (noun)

English Meaning - association, relationship, bond, connection.

19.at the top of (phrase)

English Meaning - if something is at the top of the list/agenda, it is of highest priority, most important, most urgent thing in the list/agenda.

20.slew (noun)

English Meaning - a large number of, lot, range.

21.G-20 (noun)

English Meaning - The G20, formed in 1999, is a group of twenty of the world’s largest economies that meets regularly to coordinate global policy on trade, health, climate, and other issues. It brings together the world’s major advanced and emerging economies. The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, UK and USA. The G20 Countries together represent around 90% of global GDP, 80% of global trade, and two thirds of the world’s population.

22.Bastille Day (noun)

English Meaning - French National Day which is celebrated on 14 July each year.

23.extend (verb)

English Meaning - give, offer, confer, bestow, grant, present.

24.road map (noun)

English Meaning - plan/strategy to do something successfully.

25.Horizon 2047 (noun)

English Meaning - it is the strategic road map for the next 25 years in the France-India bilateral relationship. The roadmap for bilateral relations has three pillars: partnership for security and sovereignty; partnership for the planet; partnership for the people.

26.green (adjective)

English Meaning - environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, energy-efficient, clean.

27.The Indo-Pacific (region) (noun)

English Meaning - the Indo-Pacific region refers to the confluence (convergence) of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, which interconnect in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and more).

28.naval (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a navy.

29.Scorpene (noun)

English Meaning - it is a 2000-tons conventional submarine designed by Naval Group (a major French industrial group) for all types of missions, such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes, special operations or intelligence gathering.

30.submarine (noun)

English Meaning - a warship submerged in the water.

31.Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) (noun)

English Meaning - The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was established in October 1964 by merging Hindustan Aircraft Limited and Aeronautics India Limited. It is engaged in the “design, development, manufacture, repair, and overhaul of aircraft, helicopters, engines, and their accessories.” The company has 12 divisions located in six states and 11 R&D centers; its registered office is in Bangalore.

32.Safran (noun)

English Meaning - a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures aircraft engines, rocket engines and other related things.

33.broader superlative adjective of broad (adjective)

English Meaning - comprehensive, extensive, wide, wide-ranging, broad-ranging.

34.strategic autonomy (noun)

English Meaning - the ability of a state (country) to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states.

35.steadfast (adjective)

English Meaning - firm, resolute, determined, insistent, single-minded.

36.affairs (noun)

English Meaning - activities, matters, concerns.

37.pushback (noun)

English Meaning - resistance, opposition, beat back, force back, repulse drive; negative reaction , unfavourable response.

38.exhort (verb)

English Meaning - (strongly or earnestly) urge, encourage, enjoin, instruct, spur, appeal to, advise someone to do something.

39.stand (noun)

English Meaning - position, standpoint, perspective, attitude, policy.

40.push (noun)

English Meaning - a strong and powerful effort to do or obtain something.

41.sanction (verb)

English Meaning - punish, discipline someone for; impose a sanction.

42.step in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - become/get involved, intervene, take action, take meatures.

43.reactor (noun)

English Meaning - nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant. They contain and control nuclear chain reactions that produce heat through a physical process called fission. That heat is used to make steam that spins a turbine to create electricity.

44.EU Parliament (noun)

English Meaning - The European Parliament is an important forum for political debate and decision-making at the EU level. The Members of the European Parliament are directly elected by voters in all Member States to represent people’s interests with regard to EU law-making and to make sure other EU institutions are working democratically.

45.human rights (noun)

English Meaning - human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.

46.bring up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - mention, propose, present, put forward, bring forward (for discussion/consideration).

47.make no mention (phrase)

English Meaning - to say nothing about something.

48.immigrant (noun)

English Meaning - non-native, foreigner, migrant.

49.pull (verb)

English Meaning - attract, bring in, lure, tempt.

50.coalition (noun)

English Meaning - alliance, association, union, partnership.

51.content (adjective)

English Meaning - satisfied.