Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Law of numbers: On the winter session and a low in India’s parliamentary democracy

Law of numbers: On the winter session and a low in India’s parliamentary democracy

The government should not use its majority to rush through legislation

The 18-day winter session of Parliament that was adjourned (स्थगित होना) sine die on December 21 marked a new low in India’s parliamentary democracy as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party refused to engage (To become involved, or have contact, with someone or something) with the Opposition, evaded (बचना) executive accountability (जवाबदेही) and passed a battery of Bills with far-reaching consequences (परिणाम) for the country while a majority of the Opposition members remained suspended (निलंबित करना, रोकना). In the final count, a total of 146 Members of Parliament (MP) from the Opposition bloc were suspended — 46 of the Rajya Sabha, and 100 of the Lok Sabha, as they clamoured (Make a loud complaint or demand) for a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on a breach (उल्लंघन) of security that involved protesters gaining entry into the chamber of the Lok Sabha on December 13. The rift (दरार) lingers (टिका रहना, रुका रहना), as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Vice-President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, terming the suspension of Opposition MP as “predetermined (पूर्वनिर्धारित) and premeditated (To plan or consider (something, such as a violent crime) beforehand)” by the government. The absence of any application of mind was evident, Mr. Kharge has written, recalling (Bring the memory of a past event into your mind) that an MP who was not even present in the Lok Sabha, was among those suspended. The Chairs of both the Houses could not ensure smooth conduct of the session. Attempts made by Mr. Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla lacked the requisite imprimatur (Official approval of something or permission to do something) of impartiality (निष्पक्षता).

It was in the absence of a majority of the Opposition members that the government passed new laws that rewrite the criminal code of the country, regulation of telecommunication and the appointment of the Election Commission of India. The common feature of these laws is an unprecedented (अभूतपूर्व) increase in the power of the executive (कार्यकारी), and it is not a coincidence (संयोग) that they were passed without a meaningful parliamentary debate that took on board conflicting views. The government refused even the Opposition demand for a statement on the security breach, in a show of obstinacy that equates numerical majority with logical and moral infallibility (The fact of never being wrong, failing, or making a mistake). The government has blamed the Opposition for bringing the suspensions upon itself, and this position has been echoed (A detail that is similar to and makes you remember something else) by the Speaker and the Chairman. The case of the alleged mimicry (The act or art of copying or imitating closely) of Mr. Dhankhar by an Opposition MP was a distraction that was convenient for the ruling party. Mr. Dhankhar himself told the Rajya Sabha that the alleged mimicry was an insult to his community, a dismaying (Making you feel unhappy and disappointed) correlation (सहसंबंध) to be made by anyone, let alone a legal luminary (A person who is famous and important in a particular area of activity) such as himself. It is another matter whether the Opposition should have invested so much time and effort in asking for a debate on the security breach by a few misguided (बहकाना) youths. The effect, if not the objective, of it all was to derail parliamentary functioning and obtain a free pass for the executive.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Adjourn (verb)

Hindi Meaning - स्थगित होना
English Meaning - To have a pause or rest during a formal meeting or trial.

2.Evade (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बचना
English Meaning - Avoid or escape from someone or something.

3.Accountability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जवाबदेही
English Meaning - The state of being accountable, liable, or answerable.

4.Consequence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिणाम
English Meaning - A result of a particular action or situation, often one that is bad or not convenient.

5.Suspend (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निलंबित करना, रोकना
English Meaning - To stop something from being active, either temporarily or permanently.

6.Breach (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन
English Meaning - An act of breaking a law, promise, agreement, or relationship.

7.Rift (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दरार
English Meaning - A serious disagreement that separates two people.

8.Linger (noun)

Hindi Meaning - टिका रहना, रुका रहना
English Meaning - To take a long time to leave or disappear.

9.Predetermined (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्वनिर्धारित
English Meaning - Decided or arranged at an earlier time.

10.Impartiality (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निष्पक्षता
English Meaning - The fact of not supporting any of the sides involved in an argument.

11.Unprecedented (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अभूतपूर्व
English Meaning - Never having happened or existed in the past.

12.Executive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यकारी
English Meaning - Someone in a high position, esp. in business, who makes decisions and acts according to them.

13.Coincidence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संयोग
English Meaning - An occasion when two or more things happen at the same time, esp. in a way that is unexpected or unlikely.

14.Correlation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहसंबंध
English Meaning - A connection or relationship between two or more facts, numbers, etc.

15.Misguide (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बहकाना
English Meaning - Unsuitable because of being based on a bad judgment of a situation or on information or beliefs that are wrong.

16.Engage (noun)

English Meaning - To become involved, or have contact, with someone or something.

17.Clamour (noun)

English Meaning - Make a loud complaint or demand.

18.Premeditated (noun)

English Meaning - To plan or consider (something, such as a violent crime) beforehand.

19.Recall (noun)

English Meaning - Bring the memory of a past event into your mind.

20.Imprimatur (noun)

English Meaning - Official approval of something or permission to do something.

21.Infallibility (noun)

English Meaning - The fact of never being wrong, failing, or making a mistake.

22.Echo (noun)

English Meaning - A detail that is similar to and makes you remember something else.

23.Mimicry (noun)

English Meaning - The act or art of copying or imitating closely.

24.Dismaying (noun)

English Meaning - Making you feel unhappy and disappointed.

25.Luminary (noun)

English Meaning - A person who is famous and important in a particular area of activity.