Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A hint of stability: On Sri Lanka’s new dispensation

A hint of stability: On Sri Lanka’s new dispensation

With a new government in Sri Lanka, India must review its options in extending (बढ़ाना) more help

As a leader who was the lone member of his party in Parliament, Ranil Wickremesinghe can only see his victory in Sri Lanka’s presidential elections on Wednesday as a political windfall (bonanza, jackpot, unexpected fortune/gain; a lot of money that you win or get unexpectedly). However, the position comes with a crown of thorns (a painful burden; (According to the New Testament, a woven crown of thorns was placed on the head of Jesus during the events leading up to his crucifixion)). His first challenge will be to reach out (तक पहुंचना) to the people, including the protesters in Colombo demanding his resignation, which is something politicians usually do before they win an election, not after. Building credibility (विश्वसनीयता, स्वीकार्यता) with them will require distancing himself from the very faction (गुट, समूह) of the ruling (currently having anauthirity/power) SLPP backed (support, endorse, advocate, promote, uphold) by Mahinda Rajapaksa that won him the elections. If he fails to satisfy the “street”, then general elections, which Sri Lanka can barely afford at this point, will be the only remaining course (पाठ्यक्रम, मार्ग). Elections would only further delay the task of economic rebuilding (पुनर्निर्माण), particularly the much-needed (बेहद जरूरी) negotiations with the IMF for a bailout (an act of providing financial help/support by the outside investors to a bank/institution/organisation which faces serious financial difficulty). In normal course, the six-time Prime Minister will be equal to the challenge (to have the ability to tackle a problem in a successful way). However, his performance over the past few months as PM has not seen him emerge with any big ideas to control the crisis. A combination of the fall (गिरावट, कमी) in domestic production, tax revenues, remittances (payment, allowance, (money) settlement), and currency reserves (मुद्रा आरक्षित) signals that the road (way, path, route, direction, course) out of this economic trough (lowest point; a point of low activity) will be arduous (difficult, taxing, onerous, laborious, back-breaking). In addition (के अतिरिक्त, इसके अलावा), President Wickremesinghe, and whoever fills his position as Prime Minister, will have to make many more unpopular decisions once the IMF negotiations are concluded (निष्कर्ष निकालना, समाप्त करना), and the bailout stipulations (clause, condition, specification, requirement) and conditions spelt out (explain, make clear, elucidate/clarify).

New Delhi will also have to review its options, given (दिया गया, विचार करना) the proximity (nearness, presence, closeness), and as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told an all-party meeting on Tuesday, the Government will naturally worry about the “spill over ((something like an emotion/bad condition) spread out or fan out & reach to an uncontrolled level)” from the Sri Lankan situation. The Modi government has adopted (take up, follow, use) a three-pronged (having three different parts) strategy (plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests)) — expressing sympathy (support, compassion, caring, concern; common feeling, fellow feeling, affinity, empathy, rapport) with the people of Sri Lanka and their “quest (search, pursuit) for stability (स्थिरता, दृढ़ता) and economic recovery through democratic means (method, way, manner)”; extending “unprecedented (not done or experienced before)” financial assistance, credit lines (another term for line of credit; a source of funds that can readily be tapped/borrowed at the borrower’s discretion (choice)) and essential food, fuel and medicines worth U.S.$3.8 billion since January 2022; and distancing itself from the Rajapaksas. The policy has reaped (receive, obtain, get, acquire, secure, bring in) dividends (benefit, advantage, reward, gain) in public goodwill (compassion; cooperation, collaboration, friendliness, mutual support) in Sri Lanka for India, particularly in comparison to other partners such as China that have only provided humanitarian aid (material and logistic assistance that’s used to relieve suffering during emergency situations) worth approximately $74 million, and not much else by way of credit lines and debt (liability, financial obligation, borrowed capital) restructuring and deferrals (postponement, suspension, moratorium) of repayment this year. It is significant that India’s first reaction to Mr. Wickremesinghe’s election was understated (play down, downplay, de-emphasize), given the uncertainties (unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness/precariousness) still surrounding the government. However, if the new government is to have a chance at overcoming the odds, New Delhi’s support, bilaterally (between the two countries involved) and internationally, will be essential, and the Modi government must decide if continuing its policy of distance from the leadership will achieve its objectives (aim, intention, goal, purpose, target) with its close neighbour (a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country) in the months ahead.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.stability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्थिरता, दृढ़ता
English Meaning - steadiness, firmness, solidity, secureness, strength.

2.extend (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बढ़ाना
English Meaning - give, grant, present.

3.reach out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - तक पहुंचना
English Meaning - contact someone to obtain/offer help/assistance/cooperation.

4.credibility (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विश्वसनीयता, स्वीकार्यता
English Meaning - trustworthiness, acceptability, reliability, dependability.

5.faction (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गुट, समूह
English Meaning - clique, bloc, group, sector.

6.course (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पाठ्यक्रम, मार्ग
English Meaning - way, path, direction.

7.rebuilding (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पुनर्निर्माण
English Meaning - reorganization, restructuring, rearrangement, revamping, makeover.

8.much-needed (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बेहद जरूरी
English Meaning - needed to a large extent/degree/level.

9.International Monetary Fund (IMF) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मुद्रा कोष
English Meaning - an international organization of 189 countries, headquartered in Washington, D.C., working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

10.fall (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गिरावट, कमी
English Meaning - decline, drop, decrease, reduction, plummet, plunge, slump.

11.currency reserve (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुद्रा आरक्षित
English Meaning - a currency that is held in large amounts by central banks and monetary authorities as part of their foreign exchange reserves programme. (E.g. The Reserve bank of India is the central bank in India).

12.foreign currency reserves (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विदेशी मुद्रा भंडार
English Meaning - Forex reserves are the amounts of assets /money in foreign currencies that a country has in its central bank (in India, it is Reserve bank of India).

13.in addition (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के अतिरिक्त, इसके अलावा
English Meaning - moreover, furthermore, additionally.

14.conclude (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निष्कर्ष निकालना, समाप्त करना
English Meaning - finish, close, wind up, terminate.

15.given (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - दिया गया, विचार करना
English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

16.windfall (noun)

English Meaning - bonanza, jackpot, unexpected fortune/gain; a lot of money that you win or get unexpectedly.

17.crown of thorns (noun)

English Meaning - a painful burden; (According to the New Testament, a woven crown of thorns was placed on the head of Jesus during the events leading up to his crucifixion).

18.dispensation (noun)

English Meaning - government; the establishment, the system.

19.distance oneself from (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - denounce, disown, reject.

20.ruling (adjective)

English Meaning - currently having anauthirity/power.

21.back (verb)

English Meaning - support, endorse, advocate, promote, uphold.

22.the street (noun)

English Meaning - public.

23.bailout (noun)

English Meaning - an act of providing financial help/support by the outside investors to a bank/institution/organisation which faces serious financial difficulty.

24.be equal to the challenge (phrase)

English Meaning - to have the ability to tackle a problem in a successful way.

25.remittance (noun)

English Meaning - payment, allowance, (money) settlement.

26.road (noun)

English Meaning - way, path, route, direction, course.

27.trough (noun)

English Meaning - lowest point; a point of low activity.

28.arduous (adjective)

English Meaning - difficult, taxing, onerous, laborious, back-breaking.

29.stipulation (noun)

English Meaning - clause, condition, specification, requirement.

30.spell out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - explain, make clear, elucidate/clarify.

31.proximity (noun)

English Meaning - nearness, presence, closeness.

32.spill over (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - (something like an emotion/bad condition) spread out or fan out & reach to an uncontrolled level.

33.adopt (verb)

English Meaning - take up, follow, use.

34.three-pronged (adjective)

English Meaning - having three different parts.

35.strategy (noun)

English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

36.sympathy (noun)

English Meaning - support, compassion, caring, concern; common feeling, fellow feeling, affinity, empathy, rapport.

37.quest (noun)

English Meaning - search, pursuit.

38.means (noun)

English Meaning - method, way, manner.

39.unprecedented (adjective)

English Meaning - not done or experienced before.

40.credit line (noun)

English Meaning - another term for line of credit; a source of funds that can readily be tapped/borrowed at the borrower’s discretion (choice).

41.reap (verb)

English Meaning - receive, obtain, get, acquire, secure, bring in.

42.dividend (noun)

English Meaning - benefit, advantage, reward, gain.

43.goodwill (noun)

English Meaning - compassion; cooperation, collaboration, friendliness, mutual support.

44.humanitarian aid (noun)

English Meaning - material and logistic assistance that’s used to relieve suffering during emergency situations.

45.by way of something (phrase)

English Meaning - as a form of, having, constituting; by means of.

46.debt (noun)

English Meaning - liability, financial obligation, borrowed capital.

47.deferral (noun)

English Meaning - postponement, suspension, moratorium.

48.understate (verb)

English Meaning - play down, downplay, de-emphasize.

49.uncertainty (noun)

English Meaning - unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness/precariousness.

50.overcome/beat the odds (phrase)

English Meaning - to become successful in spite of not having a good chance.

51.bilaterally (adverb)

English Meaning - between the two countries involved.

52.objective (noun)

English Meaning - aim, intention, goal, purpose, target.

53.neighbour (noun)

English Meaning - a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country.