Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Thought police: on a professor’s arrest

Thought police: on a professor’s arrest

A professor’s arrest for posts points to (इंगित करना, संकेत देना) misuse (दुरुपयोग) of law against dissent (असहमति, मतभेद)

In an unconscionable act, a professor of political science at Ashoka University, Ali Khan Mahmudabad, was arrested on Sunday by the Haryana Police after two separate first information reports (FIR) (a written document prepared by the police when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence) were registered against him in Sonipat. These FIRs were over his social media posts in connection with Operation Sindoor. The first message analysed the strategic (रणनीतिक) reasons for India’s Operation Sindoor as it had to tackle a Pakistan regime (शासन, सरकार) — led by the military — that has sought to hide behind non-state actors (गैर-राज्य अभिनेता) while promoting terror in India. It also noted how the empanelment (the process of selecting or adding someone to a list) of Muslim military officers in India’s press briefings (संक्षिप्त जानकारी) showcased (प्रदर्शित करना, दिखाना) the pluralist (बहुलवादी) vision of the country, even though this was in contrast with (के विपरीत, की तुलना में) the communal reality that Muslims face (meet, encounter, experience, be confronted by, be faced with, come across, run into) in many parts of India in recent years. The second post condemned (निंदा करना) the “blind bloodlust for war” by some netizens (a person who uses the internet, especially as a forum, for the expression of views and participation in political society) following the ceasefire (युद्धविराम), while arguing that only the world’s military-industrial complex benefited from war and that both Hindu and Islamic scriptures (धर्मग्रंथ, पवित्र लेख) emphasised (ज़ोर देना, महत्व देना) that patience and restraint (restriction; limitation; control) are virtues (good quality, good point, strong point, advantage, benefit, plus, usefulness) in conflict (war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash). There is nothing objectionable (condemnable, censurable, lamentable, unjustifiable, discreditable, disgusting, reprehensible) in his posts that were lucid (rational; well balanced; sensible; clear-headed) and patriotic (relating to the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to a country; nationalistic, nationalist, country-loving) calls for an inclusive (comprehensive, all-encompassing, all-embracing, without exception, all-inclusive) India and evinced (reveal, indicate, show, exhibit, give away) an understanding (comprehension, perception, interpretation, discernment, grasp) that India has been forced to target terror-hubs in Pakistan by removing the distinction (difference, contrast, dissimilarity, variation, separation) between terrorists and the larger terrorist infrastructure (the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc) backed by Pakistan’s military regime. The Haryana Police’s move (act, action, activity, step, measure) was based on complaints by office-bearers (a person who holds an office; functionary, office-holder, politician) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Yuva Morcha and the Haryana State Women Commission Chairperson Renu Bhatia, which said that the posts were disparaging (belittle, ridicule, mock, discredit, speak ill of, denigrate) to women in uniform and attributed (ascribe, assign, hold responsible for, pin something on, connect/associate with) malicious (evil-intentioned, ill-natured, vengeful, defamatory, hostile) intent to the Indian government. This is plainly (simply, clearly, visibly, apparently, evidently, manifestly, obviously) false, and there should have been little basis (reason, ground, justification, footing, rationale) for the Haryana Police to have acted on these complaints, if they had cared to read and understand the clear messages in the posts.

It is also alarming that the arrests have been made on charges that are related to endangering the country’s sovereignty and integrity, and promoting enmity between different groups — akin to the charges of sedition levelled against dissidents in the recent past. Too often, and very wrongly, the charge of sedition has been used by law enforcement agencies across India to quell dissent and the professor’s travails are symptomatic of a pernicious trend in recent years, especially in States ruled by the BJP. His arrest is also a reflection of the worsening state of academic freedoms, where critical understanding and reflections in institutes of higher education on the policies and the actions of the state and governments have been frowned upon and even criminalised in some cases. On Monday, the Supreme Court of India agreed to urgently hear the professor’s case against his arrest. The Court must reiterate the importance of the freedom of expression and come down heavily on law enforcement agencies that misuse powers to slap serious charges related to sedition, on frivolous grounds.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.point to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - इंगित करना, संकेत देना
English Meaning - indicate; suggest, signal, signify, denote.

2.misuse (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दुरुपयोग
English Meaning - wrong use, abuse, misapplication, mishandling, exploitation.

3.dissent (noun)

Hindi Meaning - असहमति, मतभेद
English Meaning - opposition, objection, disapproval, disagreement, difference of opinion.

4.strategic (adjective)

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

5.regime (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शासन, सरकार
English Meaning - government, system, administration.

6.non-state actor (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गैर-राज्य अभिनेता
English Meaning - an individual or organization that has significant political influence

7.briefing (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संक्षिप्त जानकारी
English Meaning - press conference, meeting, news, report.

8.showcase (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रदर्शित करना, दिखाना
English Meaning - display, exhibit, present, demonstrate, highlight.

9.pluralist (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बहुलवादी
English Meaning - relating to or advocating for pluralism.

10.in contrast with (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के विपरीत, की तुलना में
English Meaning - as against; as an alternative to; as opposed to

11.condemn (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निंदा करना
English Meaning - criticize, censure, castigate, denounce / decry

12.blind (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अंधा, लापरवाह
English Meaning - mindless, careless, heedless, insensible, unconcerned, unthinking, negligent.

13.ceasefire (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युद्धविराम
English Meaning - a negotiated agreement that will be accompanied by other associated commitments to de-escalate the fighting; a temporary stoppage of war, truce, armistice.

14.scripture (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धर्मग्रंथ, पवित्र लेख
English Meaning - a sacred writing or book; sacred text.

15.emphasise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - ज़ोर देना, महत्व देना
English Meaning - highlight, underscore, underline, stress, call/draw attention to.

16.thought police (noun)

English Meaning - A group that aims to control what other people think (and their beliefs and opinions).

17.unconscionable (adjective)

English Meaning - unethical, immoral, indefensible.

18.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.

19.sought past tense of seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

20.actor (noun)

English Meaning - participants (in an action).

21.state actor (noun)

English Meaning - a state actor is a person who is acting on behalf of a governmental body.

22.empanelment (noun)

English Meaning - the process of selecting or adding someone to a list.

23.pluralism (noun)

English Meaning - (of people) the practice exists in harmony irrespective of various differences.

24.face (verb)

English Meaning - meet, encounter, experience, be confronted by, be faced with, come across, run into.

25.blood lust (noun)

English Meaning - unstoppable desire to kill others.

26.netizen (noun)

English Meaning - a person who uses the internet, especially as a forum, for the expression of views and participation in political society.

27.truce (noun)

English Meaning - an ad-hoc (temporary/makeshift) arrangement, arrived at by the combatants (fighters), to pause the fighting. Temporary cessation/suspension (of hostilities); A deal to stop fighting for a certain time.

28.cessation of hostilities (phrase)

English Meaning - it means that the combatants are willing to stop fighting and to restrain their forces.

29.restraint (noun)

English Meaning - restriction; limitation; control.

30.virtue (noun)

English Meaning - good quality, good point, strong point, advantage, benefit, plus, usefulness.

31.conflict (noun)

English Meaning - war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash.

32.objectionable (adjective)

English Meaning - condemnable, censurable, lamentable, unjustifiable, discreditable, disgusting, reprehensible.

33.lucid (adjective)

English Meaning - rational; well balanced; sensible; clear-headed.

34.patriotic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to a country; nationalistic, nationalist, country-loving.

35.call for (noun)

English Meaning - demand, requirement, appeal; reason/cause.

36.inclusive (adjective)

English Meaning - comprehensive, all-encompassing, all-embracing, without exception, all-inclusive.

37.evince (verb)

English Meaning - reveal, indicate, show, exhibit, give away.

38.understanding (noun)

English Meaning - comprehension, perception, interpretation, discernment, grasp.

39.hub (noun)

English Meaning - centre of activity; core; focal point.

40.distinction (noun)

English Meaning - difference, contrast, dissimilarity, variation, separation.

41.infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.

42.back (verb)

English Meaning - support, assist, favour, promote, endorse.

43.move (noun)

English Meaning - act, action, activity, step, measure.

44.office-bearer (noun)

English Meaning - a person who holds an office; functionary, office-holder, politician.

45.disparage (verb)

English Meaning - belittle, ridicule, mock, discredit, speak ill of, denigrate.

46.attribute (verb)

English Meaning - ascribe, assign, hold responsible for, pin something on, connect/associate with.

47.malicious (adjective)

English Meaning - evil-intentioned, ill-natured, vengeful, defamatory, hostile.