Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​A crisis of trust: On the Election Commission of India

​A crisis of trust: On the Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India must be more transparent (पारदर्शी) and impartial (निष्पक्ष) in its actions

The credibility (विश्वसनीयता) of an electoral system, or democracy in general, is dependent solely (केवल, अकेले) on it being seen as fair by all, particularly so by the loser. This is comparable to a judicial dispute or a sporting event on this count (a point for discussion; a point for consideration). If the losers think they lost only because the process was rigged against them, a crisis of trust develops. The serious charges (आरोप) being raised against the Election Commission of India (ECI) by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has to be seen in this context (संदर्भ). He says that he has plans to disclose (उजागर करना) more information regarding (के संबंध में) discrepancies (विसंगति) in the 2024 general election. One must wait for the details of those allegations (charge, accusation) before making any comments (टिप्पणी, अभिप्राय) on their merits (an essential inherent quality (rights and wrongs only) while evaluating a case (not by external aspects)). The ECI has come under (के अधीन होना) attack by politicians earlier too. Narendra Modi, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, had repeatedly (बार-बार) questioned the impartiality (निष्पक्षता) of the ECI. Many of these charges against the ECI are rhetorical (शब्दाडंबरपूर्ण) attempts by political parties or leaders to animate (rouse, arouse, excite, encourage, energize, cheer up) supporters. In Bihar, the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly (Assembly/Vidhan Sabha; a legislative body in the states and union territories of India), Tejashwi Yadav, has alleged (claim, charge, accuse; assert, state strongly) his name did not exist on the draft (a preliminary version of (a document)) electoral roll (list of voters; voters list) which is being revised by the ECI. As it turns out (as it happens) the Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number that he thought was his is different from the one in the ECI records, raising a new controversy. Politicians should be raising questions about the electoral process only when there are strong grounds (reason, cause, motive, basis) for doing so. Trust in the electoral system is foundational (underlying, fundamental, basic, key, central, intrinsic, concealed, undisclosed) to representative democracy.

That said (even so; regardless of what has just been said; nevertheless), the ECI’s recent statements and actions, far from (not, not at all; nowhere near, a long way from) buttressing (strengthen, support, make stronger, give strength to, fortify, reinforce, underpin, bolster) public trust and enhancing (increase, raise, improve, augment, upgrade) transparency in the process, raise more questions. Its efficiency and its neutrality (fairness, justness, impartiality, probity, equitability, objectivity) are on test in the preparation of rolls, scheduling (arrange, organize, plan) of elections, enforcement (implementation, imposition, application, carrying out) of the code of conduct, counting process, and the redress (reparation, restitution; remedy (of complaints); reparation (for wrongs)) of complaints. The ECI stands charged on each of these counts. Other than protesting that the electronic voting machines (EVM) (it consists of two Units - a Control Unit and a Balloting Unit- joined by a five-meter cable. The Control Unit is with the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer and the Balloting Unit is placed inside the voting compartment) are beyond tampering (alter, damage, change; interfere/meddle), and that political parties should raise objections (complaint, opposition, disapproval, disagreement) regarding rolls at the appropriate time, the ECI has refused to come clean on (tell truth, be completely honest, own up, accept blame/responsibility) multiple issues. It has not been transparent about the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) (it is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballot-less voting system. it consists of physical paper records of voter ballots as voters have cast them on an electronic voting system) machine which is one of the three parts that make an Electronic Voting Machine. Unlike the other two parts — the Ballot (the piece of paper used to record a vote; vote, poll) Unit and the Control Unit — the VVPAT has software that is centrally installed and it is connected to the control unit. The random tallying (count, counting) of the VVPAT with the electronically cast (vote, register, record, enter (a vote)) votes is now an extremely arbitrary (capricious, personal (whim/choice), capricious, whimsical, random, erratic, unreasonable, irrational, illogical, groundless, unjustifiable, discretionary, subjective) process. All political parties do not have the equal capacity to monitor the various stages of the electoral process. At any rate (in any case, anyhow, anyway, nevertheless, no matter what happens, notwithstanding), the election process is not a matter of negotiation (bargaining, debate) between parties and the ECI. Political parties have a role to play, but the real question is to ensure that the citizenry (people, citizens, the public, electors, voters) at large (as a whole, generally, extensively) is reassured of the integrity (righteousness, uprightness, morality, probity, honesty, fairness) of the electoral process. The ECI needs to correct its course to ensure that.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.transparent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पारदर्शी
English Meaning - open, candid, direct, honest, forthright, straightforward.

2.impartial (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निष्पक्ष
English Meaning - unbiased, unprejudiced, non-discriminatory, non-partisan, disinterested, neutral, even-handed, fair-minded.

3.credibility (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विश्वसनीयता
English Meaning - trustworthiness, reliability, integrity, reputation; believability, faithfulness.

4.solely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - केवल, अकेले
English Meaning - only, simply, just, merely, entirely, completely.

5.rigging (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धांधली, हेरफेर
English Meaning - falsification, manipulation, misrepresentation, distortion, exploitation, deception, trickery.

6.charge (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप
English Meaning - allegation, accusation.

7.context (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संदर्भ
English Meaning - situation, background, scenario, backdrop.

8.disclose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - उजागर करना
English Meaning - reveal, show, display, expose, manifest, unveil.

9.regarding (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के संबंध में
English Meaning - concerning, with regard to, in respect of, with reference to, relating to.

10.discrepancy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विसंगति
English Meaning - inconsistency, contradiction, incongruity, mystery, riddle, conundrum.

11.comment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - टिप्पणी, अभिप्राय
English Meaning - remark, mention, reference.

12.come under (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के अधीन होना
English Meaning - be subjected to.

13.repeatedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - बार-बार
English Meaning - frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently.

14.impartiality (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निष्पक्षता
English Meaning - fairness, justness, neutrality, probity, equitability, objectivity.

15.rhetorical (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - शब्दाडंबरपूर्ण
English Meaning - high-sounding, flowery, pompous, bombastic, overblown.

16.merits (noun)

English Meaning - an essential inherent quality (rights and wrongs only) while evaluating a case (not by external aspects).

17.count (noun)

English Meaning - a point for discussion; a point for consideration.

18.allegation (noun)

English Meaning - charge, accusation.

19.animate (verb)

English Meaning - rouse, arouse, excite, encourage, energize, cheer up.

20.(Legislative) Assembly (noun)

English Meaning - Assembly/Vidhan Sabha; a legislative body in the states and union territories of India.

21.allege (verb)

English Meaning - claim, charge, accuse; assert, state strongly.

22.draft (noun as modifier)

English Meaning - a preliminary version of (a document).

23.electoral roll (noun)

English Meaning - list of voters; voters list.

24.roll (noun)

English Meaning - list.

25.as it turns out (phrase)

English Meaning - as it happens.

26.Electors Photo Identification Card (EPIC) (noun)

English Meaning - Voter ID; The electors registered in the electoral roll are issued with Electors Photo. Identity Card (EPIC). The number of the EPIC issued is printed on the electoral roll (voter list).

27.grounds (noun)

English Meaning - reason, cause, motive, basis.

28.foundational (adjective)

English Meaning - underlying, fundamental, basic, key, central, intrinsic, concealed, undisclosed.

29.representative government/representative democracy (noun)

English Meaning - a government where citizens elect people to represent them and make laws on their behalf, instead of always voting directly on laws and other government actions.

30.that said (phrase)

English Meaning - even so; regardless of what has just been said; nevertheless.

31.far from (phrase)

English Meaning - not, not at all; nowhere near, a long way from.

32.buttress (verb)

English Meaning - strengthen, support, make stronger, give strength to, fortify, reinforce, underpin, bolster.

33.public trust (noun)

English Meaning - public confidence/belief in the reliability of something.

34.enhance (verb)

English Meaning - increase, raise, improve, augment, upgrade.

35.neutrality (noun)

English Meaning - fairness, justness, impartiality, probity, equitability, objectivity.

36.schedule (verb)

English Meaning - arrange, organize, plan.

37.enforcement (noun)

English Meaning - implementation, imposition, application, carrying out.

38.Model Code of Conduct (MCC) (noun)

English Meaning - a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India for conduct of political parties and candidates during elections.

39.redress (noun)

English Meaning - reparation, restitution; remedy (of complaints); reparation (for wrongs).

40.stand charged on (phrase)

English Meaning - stand accused of, to be officially blamed for something, often a crime/wrongdoing.

41.Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) (noun)

English Meaning - it consists of two Units - a Control Unit and a Balloting Unit- joined by a five-meter cable. The Control Unit is with the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer and the Balloting Unit is placed inside the voting compartment.

42.tamper (noun)

English Meaning - alter, damage, change; interfere/meddle.

43.objection (noun)

English Meaning - complaint, opposition, disapproval, disagreement.

44.come clean on (phrase)

English Meaning - tell truth, be completely honest, own up, accept blame/responsibility.

45.Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)

English Meaning - it is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballot-less voting system. it consists of physical paper records of voter ballots as voters have cast them on an electronic voting system.

46.paper trail (noun)

English Meaning - document log; a series of documents that used as an evidence for activities by an organization (from beginning to end).

47.ballot (noun)

English Meaning - the piece of paper used to record a vote; vote, poll.

48.tallying (noun)

English Meaning - count, counting.

49.cast (verb)

English Meaning - vote, register, record, enter (a vote).

50.arbitrary (adjective)

English Meaning - capricious, personal (whim/choice), capricious, whimsical, random, erratic, unreasonable, irrational, illogical, groundless, unjustifiable, discretionary, subjective.

51.at any rate (phrase)

English Meaning - in any case, anyhow, anyway, nevertheless, no matter what happens, notwithstanding.

52.negotiation (noun)

English Meaning - bargaining, debate.

53.play a role/part (phrase)

English Meaning - contribute to, be instrumental in, be a factor in.

54.citizenry (noun)

English Meaning - people, citizens, the public, electors, voters.

55.at large (phrase)

English Meaning - as a whole, generally, extensively.

56.integrity (noun)

English Meaning - righteousness, uprightness, morality, probity, honesty, fairness.

57.course correction (noun)

English Meaning - the activity to modify, improve or rectify something (the plan of action).