Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Welcome assertion: On the defection issue and the Supreme Court’s deadline for the Maharashtra Speaker

Welcome assertion: On the defection issue and the Supreme Court’s deadline for the Maharashtra Speaker

Matters of defection should be taken out of the purview (limits, bounds, ambit, extent, range, scope) of the Speaker

It is a welcome (स्वागत) sign of judicial assertion (दावा) that the Supreme Court of India has fixed a deadline for the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to adjudicate (निर्णय करना, न्याय करना) on petitions (याचिका) seeking (request, ask for, appeal for) the disqualification of members who had broken away from the leadership of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Long experience shows that Speakers tend to treat disqualification issues with great alacrity (तत्परता, उत्सुकता) or supine (लापरवाह) indifference (उदासीनता), depending on their political affiliations (संबद्धता). Despite being reminded from time to time ((every) now and then/again, on occasions, sometimes, periodically, occasionally, sporadically) of their duty to remain neutral (तटस्थ) and demonstrate a sense of urgency (तात्कालिकता) in dealing with questions arising out of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, the anti-defection law, presiding officers (Speaker is the presiding officers of state legislature. (The Speaker is the presiding officer in the Lower House (Lok Sabha). The Vice-President of India is the ex-officio Chairman/presiding officer of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha))) appear to place political loyalties (निष्ठा, सच्चाई) above their constitutional (संवैधानिक) duty. It is quite (fairly, completely, totally, absolutely, reasonably) fitting (appropriate, suitable, apt, correct, opportune), therefore, that the apex court has asked Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide the disqualification petitions against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s camp (group, side, faction) by December 31 and those concerning (regarding, with regard to, with respect to) the NCP’s breakaway group (अलग हुआ समूह) headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar by January 31, 2024. The directions (instruction, command, order) are a natural follow-up (further review, examination, observation) to the outcome (नतीजा) of a Constitution Bench (संविधान पीठ) decision on May 11, 2023, in which the Speaker was asked to decide the disqualification issue “within a reasonable period”. The verdict came in a case that arose out of a split (division, separation, rupture, break-up, rift) in the Shiv Sena, leading to a change of regime (government), with Uddhav Thackeray being succeeded (replace, take the place of, take over from, supersede, oust, unseat) by Mr. Shinde as Chief Minister.

None can dispute that the Speaker has had enough time to decide the matter, even though a few procedural aspects and the clubbing (join, combine, get together) of petitions may account for (constitute, comprise, form, compose, make up, represent) some delay. In an earlier order in September, the Court had observed (say, remark, comment, mention, state, pronounce) that it expected the Speaker to show deference (submission, obedience, surrender; (respect, regard; consideration, courtesy)) to its directions, especially when he is acting as a tribunal (a special court or arbitration panel set up to resolve a particular dispute; court) under the Tenth Schedule. Even without judicial orders, the issue of whether a member has incurred (to become subject to or experience something unpleasant as a result of your actions) disqualification is not a matter which can be dealt with in a leisurely (slow, lazy, unhurried, relaxed, unrushed, effortless) or partisan (biased, prejudiced, one-sided, preferential, unjust, unfair, inequitable) manner. Recent political history is rife with (full of, filled with, fraught (with), charged with, loaded with, frought) instances of ruling parties casually recruiting (get, obtain, acquire) members of the Opposition in several States without any fear of disqualification, as they know that friendly (accommodating, cooperative, accommodative, helpful, favourable; easy-going, approachable, agreeable, amenable, affable) Speakers will not disqualify them. At the end of its judgment in the Karnataka disqualification case, the Court observed that “there is a growing (increasing) trend of Speakers acting against the constitutional duty of being neutral”. In Manipur, the Court went so far as (to the extent that) to remove a Minister from office after the Speaker failed to decide, even long after (after a long time) the expiry of a judicial deadline, whether the Minister had incurred disqualification for defection. So long as (provided that) the Speaker is vested with the authority (power, control, influence, sway, leverage, clout) to adjudicate disqualification issues, it will be difficult to free matters of defection from the thicket (dense growth of something (particularly small trees/bushes close together)) of politics.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.welcome (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वागत
English Meaning - pleasing, agreeable, favourable, promising, much needed.

2.assertion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दावा
English Meaning - statement, declaration, opinion, affirmation, pronouncement; upholding, insistence.

3.adjudicate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निर्णय करना, न्याय करना
English Meaning - adjudge, judge, decide, settle, resolve.

4.petition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - याचिका
English Meaning - appeal, plea, supplication, urgent request.

5.alacrity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तत्परता, उत्सुकता
English Meaning - eagerness, readiness, promptness, willingness; enthusiasm, zeal, fervour, keenness, briskness, swiftness, speed.

6.supine (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लापरवाह
English Meaning - (figuratively) inactive, lethargic, spiritless; spineless, yielding, submissive, docile; (literally) lying flat on your back and looking upwards.

7.indifference (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उदासीनता
English Meaning - carelessness, disregard, inattention, neglect, inactivity, passivity, negligence.

8.affiliation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संबद्धता
English Meaning - connection, relationship, association, partnership, attachment, link.

9.neutral (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तटस्थ
English Meaning - fair-minded, even-handed, non-participating, unaligned, impartial, unbiased, non-partisan.

10.urgency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तात्कालिकता
English Meaning - importance, top priority, gravity, necessity, exigency, seriousness.

11.loyalty (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निष्ठा, सच्चाई
English Meaning - allegiance, faithfulness, obedience, adherence.

12.constitutional (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संवैधानिक
English Meaning - relating to something as per the Constitution; legal, lawful, legitimate.

13.breakaway group (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अलग हुआ समूह
English Meaning - separatist, secessionist, dissenting, splinter (group/party); a small group, sector, wing of a larger one.

14.outcome (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नतीजा
English Meaning - result, aftermath, consequence, repercussion, ramification.

15.Constitution Bench (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संविधान पीठ
English Meaning - a bench of the Supreme Court having five or more judges on it. These benches are not a routine phenomenon. Constitution Benches are exceptions, set up only if some circumstances exist).

16.defection (noun)

English Meaning - desertion, absconding, decamping.

17.take out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - remove, dissociate, separate, detach.

18.purview (noun)

English Meaning - limits, bounds, ambit, extent, range, scope.

19.seek (verb)

English Meaning - request, ask for, appeal for.

20.break away (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - split with, separate from, disaffiliate from, defect from, part company with.

21.tend to (verb)

English Meaning - be inclined, be disposed, gravitate, have a leaning/disposition.

22.from time to time (phrase)

English Meaning - (every) now and then/again, on occasions, sometimes, periodically, occasionally, sporadically.

23.arise out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - happen, occur, emanate, originate, emerge, stem from.

24.Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (or) Anti-defection Law (noun)

English Meaning - The 10th Schedule to the Constitution, popularly referred to as the ‘Anti-Defection Law,’ was inserted by the 52nd Amendment in 1985. The grounds of disqualification are specified in Paragraph 2 of the 10th Schedule. A member would incur a disqualification under paragraph 2 (1) (a) when he “voluntarily gives up his membership of a party” and under 2 (1) (b) when he/she votes (or abstains from voting) contrary to the directive issued by the party.

25.presiding officer (noun)

English Meaning - Speaker is the presiding officers of state legislature. (The Speaker is the presiding officer in the Lower House (Lok Sabha). The Vice-President of India is the ex-officio Chairman/presiding officer of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha)).

26.quite (adverb)

English Meaning - fairly, completely, totally, absolutely, reasonably

27.fitting (adjective)

English Meaning - appropriate, suitable, apt, correct, opportune.

28.camp (noun)

English Meaning - group, side, faction.

29.concerning (preposition)

English Meaning - regarding, with regard to, with respect to.

30.direction (noun)

English Meaning - instruction, command, order.

31.follow-up (noun)

English Meaning - further review, examination, observation.

32.bench (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law with a number of judges.

33.Division Bench (noun)

English Meaning - a bench of two or three judges is called a division bench.

34.split (noun)

English Meaning - division, separation, rupture, break-up, rift.

35.lead to (phrasal verb)

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

36.regime (noun)

English Meaning - government.

37.succeed (verb)

English Meaning - replace, take the place of, take over from, supersede, oust, unseat.

38.club (verb)

English Meaning - join, combine, get together.

39.account for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - constitute, comprise, form, compose, make up, represent.

40.observe (verb)

English Meaning - say, remark, comment, mention, state, pronounce.

41.deference (noun)

English Meaning - submission, obedience, surrender; (respect, regard; consideration, courtesy).

42.tribunal (noun)

English Meaning - a special court or arbitration panel set up to resolve a particular dispute; court.

43.incur (verb)

English Meaning - to become subject to or experience something unpleasant as a result of your actions.

44.leisurely (adjective)

English Meaning - slow, lazy, unhurried, relaxed, unrushed, effortless.

45.partisan (adjective)

English Meaning - biased, prejudiced, one-sided, preferential, unjust, unfair, inequitable.

46.rife with (adjective)

English Meaning - full of, filled with, fraught (with), charged with, loaded with, frought.

47.recruit (verb)

English Meaning - get, obtain, acquire.

48.friendly (adjective)

English Meaning - accommodating, cooperative, accommodative, helpful, favourable; easy-going, approachable, agreeable, amenable, affable.

49.growing (adjective)

English Meaning - increasing.

50.so far as (phrase)

English Meaning - to the extent that.

51.long after (phrase)

English Meaning - after a long time.

52.so long as (phrase)

English Meaning - provided that.

53.be vest with (verb)

English Meaning - give or provide (someone) the legal right to power.

54.authority (noun)

English Meaning - power, control, influence, sway, leverage, clout.

55.(constitutional) authority (noun)

English Meaning - a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state (country), namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary.

56.thicket (noun)

English Meaning - dense growth of something (particularly small trees/bushes close together).