Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Trouble in Punjab: on the factors of religious fanaticism, foreign-aided opportunism and a societal crisis

Trouble in Punjab: on the factors of religious fanaticism, foreign-aided opportunism and a societal crisis

The governments at the Centre and in the State must guard against separatism

The police action against violent separatists (secessionist, dissident, protester, sectarian, nonconformist extremist, radical) in Punjab is a case of better late than never (doing something late is better than not doing it at all). Religious fanaticism (अंधाधुंधता, कट्टरवाद) in the State (राज्य, सरकार) has been raising its ugly head in recent years, and going out of control in recent months, with open calls (demand, appeal, request) for violence and threats to state functionaries (पदाधिकारी) including Union Ministers. On February 23, a mob (भीड़) overran (invade, storm, occupy, march into, swamp (in large numbers)) a police station and freed suspects (संदिग्ध व्यक्ति, आरोपी), which was a complete breakdown (failure, collapse) of law and order (कानून एवं व्यवस्था). The challenge appears to be daunting (intimidating, challenging, disconcerting) for the inexperienced (अनुभवहीन, अप्रशिक्षित) Aam Aadmi Party government, and the situation needs more visible coordination and action by the Centre and the State. The violent campaign (अभियान) in the 1980s for a separate Khalistan, supported by Pakistan, had pulverised (defeat utterly, annihilate, crush/vanquish) the State and claimed the lives of a sitting (current, present) Prime Minister and thousands of innocents in a genocidal outrage (उल्लंघन, आक्रोश) targeting the Sikh community. That trauma (damage, torment, distress, suffering) should not be allowed to return and torment (persecute, bother, annoy, disturb, trouble) the community or India. Sikhs are a highly mobile (vigorous, expressive, lively) and enterprising (उद्यमी, व्यावहारिक) community, now spread around the world, but economic and social stagnation (स्थिरता, गतिविधि) is taking its toll. Agriculture is facing a crisis, and drug abuse (गाली) is rampant (widespread, present everywhere/pervasive, unrestrained/out of control). Trouble-makers are smelling an opportunity to incite (provoke, instigate, induce, foment, trigger) violence.

A wound that is allowed to fester ((of a problem) to become worse or more intense due to long time negligence) will sicken (become ill) the whole body. The looming (appearing/emerging as a large/threatening one; imminent, impending, forthcoming, fast approaching) trouble in Punjab is being inflamed (incite, arouse, provoke, stir up) by a mix of religious fanaticism, foreign-aided opportunism (अवसरवाद), and a societal (सामाजिक) crisis. The mobilisation (the act of bringing forces/people/resources together for a particular cause) of a section of the Sikh diaspora (the people who spread/scatter from their own country to places across the world. Indian diaspora constitutes NRIs (Non-resident Indians) and PIOs (Persons of Indian origins)) in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia for the cause of separatism (अलगाववाद) is also a worrying sign for India. The Centre has to work with Punjab and foreign governments to contain this malaise (trouble, unease, depression/unhappiness). Violent tendencies must be nipped in the bud and proponents (advocate, champion, exponent, promoter, supporter) of hate must pay a price (experience the bad/unpleasant result of something). Also, there has to be a conscious effort to communicate with the Sikh community at large to isolate the toxic (fatal, deadly; poisonous, harmful, dangerous) elements. To the world and to citizens, the message must be clear that India remains a multireligious and multicultural nation that does not tolerate (allow, acknowledge, accept, recognize; agree to, accede to, approve of) or require separatism. A lack (absence, non-existence, unavailability) of trust between the farmers of Punjab and the Centre had derailed (obstruct, impede, hinder, hamper, block, interrupt, thwart, stop, restrict) the agriculture laws that sought to reform the sector in 2021. A combination of strict force against violent elements and trust-building (the process of bringing all the members together and creating trust based on activities and exercises) with the general public should be at the heart of the rhetoric (bombast, loftiness, hyperbole/extravagant language) and policy of the government. At any rate (in any case, anyhow, anyway, nevertheless), no rhetoric from any quarter (a particular group of people) should be encouraged that causes more alienation (isolation, estrangement, separation, disaffection, turning away, hostility).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.fanaticism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंधाधुंधता, कट्टरवाद
English Meaning - fundamentalism, radicalism, dogmatism.

2.opportunism (noun)

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

3.societal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सामाजिक
English Meaning - relating to society or social relations; public.

4.separatism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अलगाववाद
English Meaning - dissension, nonconformity, dissent/faction.

5.state (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राज्य, सरकार
English Meaning - government.

6.functionary (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पदाधिकारी
English Meaning - official, administrator, office-holder, office-bearer, bureaucrat.

7.mob (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भीड़
English Meaning - a large, disorganized, and often violent crowd of people.

8.suspect (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संदिग्ध व्यक्ति, आरोपी
English Meaning - accused.

9.law and order (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कानून एवं व्यवस्था
English Meaning - lawful behaviour, order, lawfulness, discipline, peacefulness.

10.inexperienced (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनुभवहीन, अप्रशिक्षित
English Meaning - immature, inexpert, untrained.

11.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान
English Meaning - an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.

12.outrage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन, आक्रोश
English Meaning - indignation, fury/anger, disapproval.

13.enterprising (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - उद्यमी, व्यावहारिक
English Meaning - resourceful, talented, spirited, dynamic, ambitious.

14.stagnation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्थिरता, गतिविधि
English Meaning - lack of activity/development.

15.abuse (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गाली
English Meaning - misuse.

16.guard against (verb)

English Meaning - take care for, beware of, keep watch for, be alert to.

17.separatist (noun)

English Meaning - secessionist, dissident, protester, sectarian, nonconformist extremist, radical.

18.better late than never (phrase)

English Meaning - doing something late is better than not doing it at all.

19.raise one’s ugly head (phrase)

English Meaning - an unpleasant/undesirable thing hidden till date, becomes as a problem that people have to deal with.

20.open (adjective)

English Meaning - unrestricted.

21.call (noun)

English Meaning - demand, appeal, request.

22.overrun (verb)

English Meaning - invade, storm, occupy, march into, swamp (in large numbers).

23.breakdown (noun)

English Meaning - failure, collapse.

24.daunting (adjective)

English Meaning - intimidating, challenging, disconcerting.

25.Khalistan (noun)

English Meaning - Khalistan movement (a Sikh separatist movement) seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān (‘Land of the Khalsa’), in the Punjab region.

26.pulverise (verb)

English Meaning - defeat utterly, annihilate, crush/vanquish.

27.sitting (adjective)

English Meaning - current, present.

28.genocidal (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the deliberate mass murder/killing.

29.trauma (noun)

English Meaning - damage, torment, distress, suffering.

30.torment (verb)

English Meaning - persecute, bother, annoy, disturb, trouble.

31.mobile (adjective)

English Meaning - vigorous, expressive, lively.

32.take its toll (phrase)

English Meaning - have a serious/adverse effect on someone/something; cause damage to someone/something; cause suffering.

33.rampant (adjective)

English Meaning - widespread, present everywhere/pervasive, unrestrained/out of control.

34.smell (verb)

English Meaning - detect or suspect (something).

35.incite (verb)

English Meaning - provoke, instigate, induce, foment, trigger.

36.fester (verb)

English Meaning - (of a problem) to become worse or more intense due to long time negligence.

37.sicken (verb)

English Meaning - become ill.

38.looming (adjective)

English Meaning - appearing/emerging as a large/threatening one; imminent, impending, forthcoming, fast approaching.

39.inflame (verb)

English Meaning - incite, arouse, provoke, stir up.

40.mobilisation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of bringing forces/people/resources together for a particular cause.

41.diaspora (noun)

English Meaning - the people who spread/scatter from their own country to places across the world. Indian diaspora constitutes NRIs (Non-resident Indians) and PIOs (Persons of Indian origins).

42.contain (verb)

English Meaning - control, limit, curb, restrain, reduce, lessen, decrease.

43.malaise (noun)

English Meaning - trouble, unease, depression/unhappiness.

44.nip something in the bud (phrase)

English Meaning - to stop something (a potential problem or bad behaviour) at an early stage so that it does not become a serious problem/issue in the future; suppress, prevent, halt, destroy, stifle, obstruct, impede.

45.proponent (noun)

English Meaning - advocate, champion, exponent, promoter, supporter.

46.pay a price (phrase)

English Meaning - experience the bad/unpleasant result of something.

47.at large (phrase)

English Meaning - as a whole, generally.

48.toxic (adjective)

English Meaning - fatal, deadly; poisonous, harmful, dangerous.

49.tolerate (verb)

English Meaning - allow, acknowledge, accept, recognize; agree to, accede to, approve of.

50.lack (noun)

English Meaning - absence, non-existence, unavailability.