Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Crisis and opportunity: On Sri Lanka political crisis

Crisis and opportunity: On Sri Lanka political crisis

Ranil Wickremesinghe must disprove (असत्य सिद्ध करना) his detractors (आलोचक, समीक्षक, निन्दा करनेवाला, बदनामी लगानेवाला) with quick measures for economic recovery

The adage (कहावत, लोकोक्ति, सुक्ति, कथन) ‘every crisis (संकट) contains the seeds of an opportunity’ could not have been truer for anyone than for Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The severe economic crisis, which set off indefinite protests against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, (now former) Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, has pitchforked (To lift or throw to a height or higher level) Mr. Wickremesinghe to an office that he had no chance of occupying until last week. Given the turmoil, Sri Lanka needed a government that would work towards stability and economic recovery. With Mahinda Rajapaksa resigning in the face of determined protests, and the Opposition leader unwilling to work under President Gotabaya, a rare opportunity opened up for Mr. Wickremesinghe. The former premier’s political prospects had almost ended with the 2020 parliamentary election, when his United National Party won no seats, and he himself made it as its lone member in Parliament on the principle of representation in proportion to the total votes it had received across the nation. Much of the UNP’s support base has also gone with Sajith Premadasa, his erstwhile (भूतपूर्व) party colleague, who now runs the main Opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). Mr. Wickremesinghe finds himself in an extraordinary (असाधारण, अपूर्व, निराला, न्यारा, विशेष) situation, as he is dependent on lawmakers of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the party of the Rajapaksas that is the target of public anger. The SJB has offered conditional support to measures aimed at economic recovery.

Mr. Wickremesinghe brushed (नरम उठी हुई, एक गैर-परछांई देने वाली सतह के बनना) aside a question on whether he had the moral authority to hold his office, contending that his situation was no different from that of Winston Churchill becoming PM with just four members supporting him to stave off a crisis. There are many questions on the political morality of his assuming office; there is some justification for popular resentment against him for easing the pressure on the President to resign. However, the need to have a viable (व्यवहार्य) arrangement to tackle the economic crisis is quite urgent. He has spoken about putting together an international consortium (संघ) to ensure (सुनिश्चित करना) financial assistance for the shortage-stricken (त्रस्त, घायल, चोट खाये हुए, शिकार में जख्मी) country. His only strength now is the goodwill of the international community, which solidly backed his efforts to bring about peace and development in Sri Lanka in 2001-02, when he negotiated a ceasefire agreement with the LTTE and held direct talks. There is talk of speeding up political reforms, even to the point of abolishing (समाप्त करना, उन्मूलन करना, रद्द करना) the executive presidency through a fast-tracked constitutional amendment (संशोधन). Yet, such speculation about far-reaching changes does not inspire confidence, as many such opportunities in the past had been squandered (गंवाना). Mr. Wickremesinghe has the additional burden (बोझ लादना) of proving to his detractors that he is working for political stability (The quality of being stable) and economic recovery and not for reviving the political fortunes of the Rajapaksas.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Crisis (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकट
English Meaning - A situation that has reached a critical phase.

2.Disprove (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - असत्य सिद्ध करना
English Meaning - To prove something to be false or wrong.

3.Detractor (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - आलोचक, समीक्षक, निन्दा करनेवाला, बदनामी लगानेवाला
English Meaning - A person who tries to degrade the value or reputation of someone or something.

4.Adage (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - कहावत, लोकोक्ति, सुक्ति, कथन
English Meaning - A saying often in a metaphorical form that expresses a common observation.

5.Erstwhile (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - भूतपूर्व
English Meaning - In the past.

6.Extraordinary (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असाधारण, अपूर्व, निराला, न्यारा, विशेष
English Meaning - Having extremely special quality.

7.Brushed (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - नरम उठी हुई, एक गैर-परछांई देने वाली सतह के बनना
English Meaning - A polished fabric that is not shiny.

8.Viable (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यवहार्य
English Meaning - Capable of working successfully; feasible.

9.Consortium (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - संघ
English Meaning - An agreement formed to carry into effect some financial operations requiring resources more than that of a single member.

10.Stricken (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - त्रस्त, घायल, चोट खाये हुए, शिकार में जख्मी
English Meaning - Affected by some unpleasant condition.

11.Ensure (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुनिश्चित करना
English Meaning - To secure or make certain.

12.Abolish (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - समाप्त करना, उन्मूलन करना, रद्द करना
English Meaning - To end the effect of something.

13.Amendment (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - संशोधन
English Meaning - The process of altering a law in a constitutional procedure.

14.Squander (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - गंवाना
English Meaning - Waste (something, especially money or time) in a reckless and foolish manner.

15.Burden (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - बोझ लादना
English Meaning - To load heavily.