Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Not neutral: On India’s stand on Ukraine at the U.N.

Not neutral: On India’s stand on Ukraine at the U.N.

India cannot be seen as dithering (be indecisive, be unsure, be undecided, hesitate) on issues of any nation’s sovereignty (संप्रभुता, स्वतंत्रता)

Nearly one year to the date of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s launch of attacks on Ukraine (February 24, 2022), the UN General Assembly’s vote on the latest resolution (संकल्प) to criticise Russia resulted in (cause, lead to, bring on, bring about) 141 votes in favour (पक्षपात, अनुमोदन), seven against (it includes Russia) and 32 abstentions (refusal to vote, abstaining, non-voting) (it includes India and China). The resolution, or a call for a “just (impartial, unbiased, objective, neutral) and lasting (स्थायी, टिकाऊ) peace”, that was eventually (अंततः, अंत में) sponsored (प्रायोजक, उत्तरदायी) by more than 70 countries, demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities (it means that the combatants are willing to stop fighting and to restrain their forces), and appealed for accountability (जवाबदेही, उत्तरदायित्व) at international courts for rights violations (उल्लंघन, गैर-अनुपालन) and war crimes (युद्धकालीन अपराध). Significantly, the sponsors (patron, advocate, supporter, promoter), led by the U.S., its allies, and European Union countries, did not call for peace talks — something Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not favour (समर्थन करना) at present, given (दिया गया, विचार करना) the status quo (यथापूर्व स्थिति) advantage that lies with Russian forces having laid claim to about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Two amendments suggested by Russia’s ally (मित्र, साथी) Belarus, to replace the term “invasion (आक्रमण, हस्तक्षेप)” with what Russia calls “Special Military Operations”, and to call for dialogue (discussions, talks, consultation, deliberation) immediately, were rejected. As a result, although there is a military stalemate (deadlock, impasse, standstill/stand-off) in Ukraine, casualties (victim, fatality, mortality, loss, death) continue to rise, and western sanctions (action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc) have not found favour with much of the world, Ukraine and NATO countries called the vote a major victory — much like they had in a similar vote, on March 2, 2022.

In spite of (despite, notwithstanding, nevertheless, even so) several attempts by the U.S. and the European countries, India abstained (not vote, decline to vote, refuse to vote (formally)), which it has consistently (repeatedly, constantly, regularly, invariably) done since last year on any resolution at key UN bodies that has been critical of (reproving, disapproving, condemning, criticizing) Russia. In explanations by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at international fora — some of which were reiterated (repeat, say again, restate) by India’s UN envoy (ambassador, emissary, consul, official) on Thursday — the Modi government has asserted (claim, allege, state, argue) its strategic autonomy (self-determination; independence, freedom), citing its traditional relationship with Moscow, its initial concerns of becoming a party to the conflict (war, armed conflict, battle, fighting) while Indian students were caught in the middle, stressing (emphasize, underline, underscore, highlight) that “diplomacy (international politics, foreign affairs, foreign policy; negotiations, discussions, talks, dialogue (related to international politics)) and dialogue” are the only way forward, and claiming that it is required to maintain a “neutrality (fair-minded, even-handed, non-participating, unaligned, impartial, unbiased, non-partisan)” of sorts (of a kind; not exactly the same as something) to leave space for mediation. While its decision to reject unilateral (relating to a method of taking decisions (on international relations) by a state (country) individually without considering other states (countries)) western sanctions on Russia and increase trade in fuel and fertilizers (Fertilizers are organic or inorganic substances containing chemical elements that improve the growth of plants and the fertility (productiveness) of the soil) with Moscow can be explained by its desire for independent decision-making, it is becoming increasingly hard for New Delhi to hold (have (a belief or opinion); think, consider, maintain, be of the opinion) that abstaining from voting at the multilateral stage is a principled (moral, ethical, good, virtuous, righteous, upright, proper, correct, honest) stand (position, approach, policy, opinion, viewpoint). It has become very clear that this is indeed a Russian invasion of its smaller, sovereign (independent, self-governing, autonomous, non-aligned) neighbour (a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country), one that has not been halted despite Russia gaining its initially announced strategic goals. Prime Minister Modi’s celebrated statement that “this era is not of war” has not been heeded (pay attention to, take notice of, take into account, notice) by President Putin, and it is unclear if Ukraine sees India as an unbiased (just, equitable, impartial, neutral) mediator (intermediary, middleman, agent, representative). India has proven over decades that it will not vote under duress (compulsion, force, pressure, coercion, threat), yet the global and regional leadership that New Delhi claims cannot come from appearing diffident (shy, modest; unassertive, unassuming, hesitant) over basic principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity (unity, unification, wholeness, coherence, cohesion, undividedness, togetherness, solidarity).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.sovereignty (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संप्रभुता, स्वतंत्रता
English Meaning - autonomy, independence, self-government, self-rule, freedom.

2.United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संयुक्त राष्ट्र महासभा
English Meaning - it is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, serving as the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the UN. Its powers, composition, functions, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.

3.resolution (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकल्प
English Meaning - a formal expression of opinion; (United Nations resolutions are formal expressions of the opinion or will of United Nations organs).

4.favour (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पक्षपात, अनुमोदन
English Meaning - approval, support, liking.

5.lasting (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्थायी, टिकाऊ
English Meaning - long-term, continuous, constant..

6.eventually (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - अंततः, अंत में
English Meaning - finally, in the end, ultimately, at long last.

7.sponsor (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रायोजक, उत्तरदायी
English Meaning - support, back, promote (with finance/fund).

8.accountability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जवाबदेही, उत्तरदायित्व
English Meaning - responsibility, liability, answerability.

9.violation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन, गैर-अनुपालन
English Meaning - breach, contravention, infringement, breaking, non-observance.

10.war crime (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युद्धकालीन अपराध
English Meaning - According to the United Nations, a war crime is a serious violation/breach of international law committed against civilians or “enemy combatants” during an international or domestic armed conflict.

11.ally (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मित्र, साथी
English Meaning - a country/state with an alliance with another one in which they promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other.

12.favour (verb)

Hindi Meaning - समर्थन करना
English Meaning - advise, recommend, approve of, support.

13.given (preposition)

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

14.status quo (noun)

Hindi Meaning - यथापूर्व स्थिति
English Meaning - the present situation, the current state, the existing state of affairs.

15.invasion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आक्रमण, हस्तक्षेप
English Meaning - attack, offensive, onslaught, incursion, assault.

16.neutral (adjective)

English Meaning - fair-minded, even-handed, non-participating, unaligned, impartial, unbiased, non-partisan.

17.stand (noun)

English Meaning - position, approach, policy, opinion, viewpoint.

18.dither (verb)

English Meaning - be indecisive, be unsure, be undecided, hesitate.

19.result in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause, lead to, bring on, bring about.

20.abstention (noun)

English Meaning - refusal to vote, abstaining, non-voting.

21.call (noun)

English Meaning - demand, appeal, request.

22.just (adjective)

English Meaning - impartial, unbiased, objective, neutral.

23.cessation (noun)

English Meaning - suspension, stopping, ceasing.

24.cessation of hostilities (phrase)

English Meaning - it means that the combatants are willing to stop fighting and to restrain their forces.

25.sponsor (noun)

English Meaning - patron, advocate, supporter, promoter.

26.call for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - require, publicly ask/necessitate, demand.

27.lie (verb)

English Meaning - be present, exist.

28.lay claim to (phrase)

English Meaning - claim to have rights to (something).

29.dialogue (noun)

English Meaning - discussions, talks, consultation, deliberation.

30.stalemate (noun)

English Meaning - deadlock, impasse, standstill/stand-off.

31.casualty (noun)

English Meaning - victim, fatality, mortality, loss, death.

32.sanctions (noun)

English Meaning - action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.

33.find favour with (phrase)

English Meaning - be liked by someone; be approved of by someone.

34.North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (noun)

English Meaning - NATO was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

35.in spite of (phrase)

English Meaning - despite, notwithstanding, nevertheless, even so.

36.abstain (verb)

English Meaning - not vote, decline to vote, refuse to vote (formally).

37.consistently (adverb)

English Meaning - repeatedly, constantly, regularly, invariably.

38.critical of (adjective)

English Meaning - reproving, disapproving, condemning, criticizing.

39.fora plural form of forum (noun)

English Meaning - meeting, gathering, conference.

40.reiterate (verb)

English Meaning - repeat, say again, restate.

41.envoy (noun)

English Meaning - ambassador, emissary, consul, official.

42.assert (verb)

English Meaning - claim, allege, state, argue.

43.strategic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to achieving long-term or overall goals.

44.autonomy (noun)

English Meaning - self-determination; independence, freedom.

45.strategic autonomy (noun)

English Meaning - the ability of a state (country) to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states (countries). In its pure form, strategic autonomy presupposes the state (country) in question possessing overwhelmingly superior power. This is what would enable that state (country) to resist the pressures that may be exerted by other states (countries) to compel it to change its policy or moderate its interests.

46.cite (verb)

English Meaning - refer to, make reference to, mention, point to.

47.conflict (noun)

English Meaning - war, armed conflict, battle, fighting.

48.in the middle (phrase)

English Meaning - in a difficult or unpleasant position/situation.

49.stress (verb)

English Meaning - emphasize, underline, underscore, highlight.

50.diplomacy (noun)

English Meaning - international politics, foreign affairs, foreign policy; negotiations, discussions, talks, dialogue (related to international politics).

51.the way forward (phrase)

English Meaning - something (a plan/action) that leads to success in the future.

52.neutrality (noun)

English Meaning - non-alignment, non-participation, non-involvement.

53.of sorts (phrase)

English Meaning - of a kind; not exactly the same as something.

54.mediation (noun)

English Meaning - conciliation, arbitration, intervention/negotiation.

55.unilateral (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a method of taking decisions (on international relations) by a state (country) individually without considering other states (countries).

56.fertilizer (noun)

English Meaning - Fertilizers are organic or inorganic substances containing chemical elements that improve the growth of plants and the fertility (productiveness) of the soil.

57.hold (verb)

English Meaning - have (a belief or opinion); think, consider, maintain, be of the opinion.

58.multilateral (adjective)

English Meaning - involving many different countries (in which all WTO member countries are party to the agreement).

59.principled (adjective)

English Meaning - moral, ethical, good, virtuous, righteous, upright, proper, correct, honest.

60.indeed (adverb)

English Meaning - in fact, actually, undeniably.

61.sovereign (adjective)

English Meaning - independent, self-governing, autonomous, non-aligned.

62.neighbour (noun)

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