Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A way out: On the government and doctor-led protests in West Bengal

A way out: On the government and doctor-led protests in West Bengal

The West Bengal government must enable (सक्षम) the changes doctors want to see

After five attempts, the Mamata Banerjee government finally managed to hold talks (बातचीत, वार्ता) with protesting junior doctors on September 16, 2024. Conceding (मान लेना, स्वीकार करना) to most of their demands, which included a call (मांग, अपील) to replace the Kolkata Police Commissioner and several Health Department officials (अधिकारी), the Chief Minister urged (आग्रह करना, सिफारिश करना) them to join duty for the sake of the people. Seeking justice for the rape and murder of a colleague (सहकर्मी) on August 9, the doctors have been on a cease (रोकना, समाप्त करना) work agitation (आंदोलन), which, with the support of civil society (नागरिक समाज) and other grassroots (जमीनी स्तर) organisations, has morphed into (बदल जाना, रूपांतरित होना) a people’s movement (आंदोलन). Besides (के अलावा) several ‘reclaim the night (a global protest for a women’s right to be free from sexual violence; a global protest to reclaim the freedom for women to move in public spaces in the night)’ marches and other rallies, the doctors have laid siege to Swasthya Bhavan or the Health Secretariat, not calling off the protest even during two days of pelting ((of rain) pour very heavily) monsoon rain. People from all across (in every part of a particular place) the city have flocked (assemble, gather, come/get together) to the site, with water, tents, folding cots, bedding and food. Though senior doctors, nurses and attendants (assistant, aide) have pitched in with extra hours to help government hospitals, the strain (pressure, demand, burden, tension, stress; fatigue, exhaustion, tiredness, pressure of work) is showing, and there is a clamour (protest, complaint, outcry/commotion) for junior doctors to call off (cancel, abandon, drop, withdraw, shelve) the strike. People from the suburbs (outlying part of a city) and districts flock to the top government hospitals in Kolkata and while out patient department footfalls (the number of people entering an area in a given time) have gradually increased, planned surgeries are still on hold (have, arrange, organize, convene). With about 7,000 to 10,000 junior doctors on strike, the government should have done more to end the impasse (deadlock, stalemate, checkmate, stand-off) earlier.

There is an acute (serious, severe, critical, dangerous, terrible, awful) trust deficit (lack of trust (on authorities-from societal point of view). Situations with low levels of trust are not supportive and often counterproductive. People feel vulnerable and look at each other with suspicion. As a result, they are less open, since they fear that they will not be fairly treated by the other side) between the two sides, and the whiff (trace, hint, note) of a cover-up (concealment, whitewash, suppression, false front) in the way the rape and murder investigation was handled in the initial stages till the CBI took over, particularly by the hospital administration and also by the government, further alienated (set apart, isolate, distance, detach, separate, disunite; estrange, make hostile/make unfriendly) the doctors. The former Principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, has since been arrested. But the government has a lot of work to do if it wants to seriously address (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) some of the other demands. It will take time, money and willpower (determination, resolve, firmness, resolution, courage) to increase the safety and the security of doctors and end the “threat culture” pervading (fill, spread through, penetrate, permeate, suffuse) in government hospitals. The Supreme Court of India, which is hearing the case suo motu (Latin term means “on its own motion”. It is used where a government agency acts on its own knowledge), was sceptical (dubious, doubtful, distrustful, suspicious, questioning, cynical, mistrustful, disbelieving, unconvinced) about the deployment (an act of sending workforce into duty; arrangement, organization, utilization, disposal, disposition, distribution) of contractual security personnel (employees, workforce, staff) in government hospitals and medical colleges, and has pulled up the administration (government) for the slow installation of CCTV cameras. To that end (for that reason, with that goal), the State government has told the doctors, and also informed the top court, that it is setting aside ₹100 crore to improve hospital 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), and will form a task force (a special committee/panel, usually of experts, formed expressly for the purpose of studying a particular problem (or) a temporary organization/committee/panel created to solve a particular problem) headed by the Chief Secretary with representatives of doctors to sort out issues. To get doctors on her side, the Chief Minister, who holds the Health and Home portfolios (the area of responsibility (department)assigned to a Minister), has to walk the talk (to do the things you have said you would do).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.a way out (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समस्या का समाधान
English Meaning - a method of dealing with a problem; solution.

2.enable (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सक्षम
English Meaning - permit, validate, authorize, facilitate.

3.talks (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बातचीत, वार्ता
English Meaning - discussion, dialogue, meeting, negotiation, deliberation, consultation, conversation.

4.concede (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मान लेना, स्वीकार करना
English Meaning - acknowledge, accept, allow, admit, agree, recognize.

5.call (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मांग, अपील
English Meaning - demand, plea, request, appeal.

6.official (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिकारी
English Meaning - officer, bureaucrat, functionary, office-holder, executive.

7.urge (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आग्रह करना, सिफारिश करना
English Meaning - advise, recommend, suggest; appeal, encourage, call on.

8.colleague (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहकर्मी
English Meaning - fellow worker, co-worker, workmate.

9.cease (verb)

Hindi Meaning - रोकना, समाप्त करना
English Meaning - stop, discontinue, shut down, come to an end.

10.agitation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आंदोलन
English Meaning - (public)protest.

11.civil society (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नागरिक समाज
English Meaning - civil society refers to space for collective action around shared interests, purposes, and values, generally distinct from government and commercial for-profit actors. It refers to a wide array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations. Civil society – sometimes called the “third sector” (after government and commerce) – has the power to influence the actions of elected policy-makers and businesses.

12.grassroots (plural noun)

Hindi Meaning - जमीनी स्तर
English Meaning - the most basic level of an organisation.

13.morph into (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बदल जाना, रूपांतरित होना
English Meaning - change, transform, alter.

14.movement (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आंदोलन
English Meaning - campaign, crusade, push, drive.

15.besides (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के अलावा
English Meaning - apart from, other than, barring, excluding.

16.hold (verb)

English Meaning - have, arrange, organize, convene.

17.for someone’s sake (phrase)

English Meaning - benefit, advantage, good/gain, interest.

18.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try to obtain, strive for, go for; request, ask for, appeal for, call on.

19.reclaim the night (noun)

English Meaning - a global protest for a women’s right to be free from sexual violence; a global protest to reclaim the freedom for women to move in public spaces in the night.

20.lay siege to (phrase)

English Meaning - to surround a fortified place in an attempt to force the people there to come out.

21.call off (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cancel, abandon, drop, withdraw, shelve.

22.pelt (verb)

English Meaning - (of rain) pour very heavily.

23.pelting (adjective)

English Meaning - pouring (very heavily).

24.all across (phrase)

English Meaning - in every part of a particular place.

25.flock (verb)

English Meaning - assemble, gather, come/get together.

26.attendant (noun)

English Meaning - assistant, aide.

27.pitch in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to join together and start doing something (an activity) as a group.

28.strain (noun)

English Meaning - pressure, demand, burden, tension, stress; fatigue, exhaustion, tiredness, pressure of work.

29.clamour (noun)

English Meaning - protest, complaint, outcry/commotion.

30.suburb (noun)

English Meaning - outlying part of a city.

31.footfall (noun)

English Meaning - the number of people entering an area in a given time.

32.on hold (phrase)

English Meaning - postpone, put off, hold off, defer, delay, suspend, shelve.

33.impasse (noun)

English Meaning - deadlock, stalemate, checkmate, stand-off.

34.acute (adjective)

English Meaning - serious, severe, critical, dangerous, terrible, awful.

35.trust deficit (noun)

English Meaning - lack of trust (on authorities-from societal point of view). Situations with low levels of trust are not supportive and often counterproductive. People feel vulnerable and look at each other with suspicion. As a result, they are less open, since they fear that they will not be fairly treated by the other side.

36.whiff (noun)

English Meaning - trace, hint, note.

37.cover-up (noun)

English Meaning - concealment, whitewash, suppression, false front.

38.take over (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - assume control of, take charge of.

39.alienate (verb)

English Meaning - set apart, isolate, distance, detach, separate, disunite; estrange, make hostile/make unfriendly.

40.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

41.willpower (noun)

English Meaning - determination, resolve, firmness, resolution, courage.

42.pervade (verb)

English Meaning - fill, spread through, penetrate, permeate, suffuse.

43.suo motu (phrase)

English Meaning - Latin term means “on its own motion”. It is used where a government agency acts on its own knowledge.

44.sceptical (adjective)

English Meaning - dubious, doubtful, distrustful, suspicious, questioning, cynical, mistrustful, disbelieving, unconvinced.

45.deployment (noun)

English Meaning - an act of sending workforce into duty; arrangement, organization, utilization, disposal, disposition, distribution.

46.personnel (noun)

English Meaning - employees, workforce, staff.

47.pull up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - reprimand, rebuke, scold, chastise, castigate, criticize, reprove, reproach, censure, take to task, admonish, lambast, berate.

48.administration (noun)

English Meaning - government.

49.to that end (phrase)

English Meaning - for that reason, with that goal.

50.set aside (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - earmark, reserve, allocate, put aside, allot, give over.

51.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.

52.task force (noun)

English Meaning - a special committee/panel, usually of experts, formed expressly for the purpose of studying a particular problem (or) a temporary organization/committee/panel created to solve a particular problem.

53.have/get someone on your side (phrase)

English Meaning - when you have/get someone on your side, it provides you an advantage and help you to achieve something.

54.hold (verb)

English Meaning - occupy, have.

55.portfolio (noun)

English Meaning - the area of responsibility (department)assigned to a Minister.

56.walk the talk (phrase)

English Meaning - to do the things you have said you would do.