Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Outrage without borders: On Jignesh Mevani’s arrest

Outrage without borders: On Jignesh Mevani’s arrest

Assam police action against Mevani’s remarks is a blatant (ज़बरदस्त, स्पष्ट) misuse of the law

The arrest of Gujarat independent legislator (विधायक, प्रतिनिधि), Jignesh Mevani, by the Assam police is an egregious (shocking, horrible/terrible, very bad) instance of the misuse of law to target a vocal (मुखर, स्पष्टवादी) critic (समीक्षक, आलोचक, निन्दा करने वाला) of the Union government. There are several aspects (पहलू, विस्तार, बिंदु) about his arrest that ought to (करना चाहिए, तूमे हि करना है) cause shock and revulsion (disgust, repulsion, contempt, aversion, hatred, dislike) to those who believe in law and democracy. Mr. Mevani’s tweets, subsequently (बाद में, यथासमय) withheld by Twitter, described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “Godse worshipper (devotee, admirer, adherent, disciple, follower)”, but also contained an appeal to him to call for (ask for, request, demand) peace in some areas of Gujarat that witnessed communal violence. It is clear that apart from being harsh criticism of the Prime Minister, there is nothing in it that can be seen as affecting public tranquillity (शांति, आराम) or causing divisions in society. Not only have the police invoked (आह्वान करना, उद्धृत करना, उल्लेख करना) the entire gamut (range, extent, scope) of offences (crime, illegal act, unlawful act, breach of the law, violation of the law, felony, wrongdoing, act of misconduct, misdeed) related to inflammatory (भड़काऊ, उकसाने वाला, आंदोलनकारी) speech, breach (उल्लंघन, अवहेलना, उपेक्षा) of peace and outraging (enraging, infuriating, incensing, affronting) of religious feelings, but provisions (प्रावधान, शर्त, विशिष्टता) related to conspiracy (साज़िश, सहयोग, षड़यंत्र) and hacking of computers have also been added for good measure (as an extra, in addition, besides, as well). While some of the criminal provisions in the FIR are questionable, it is astounding (amazing, astonishing, staggering, shocking, surprising) that the police in distant (faraway, far off, far, remote) Kokrajhar, Assam, chose to act on (take action (in accordance with)) a complaint by a political functionary (official, representative, agent, especially in a government or political party; office-holder, office-bearer) against a legislator in Gujarat and travel all the way to take him into custody and jail him in Assam. Except for the fact that the allegedly (reportedly, supposedly, purportedly, ostensibly, apparently) offending (affronting, contemptuous, offensive, outrageous, outraging) remark was made online and is accessible on the Internet, there is nothing to confer (provide, give, present) jurisdiction (authority, control, power, dominion, command) on the Assam police.

The use of Section 295A of the IPC (it criminalises speech that outrages religious feelings, are also vestiges of colonialism), which only applies to acts that outrage (उल्लंघन, अपमान, अपराध) the religious feelings of a section (a particular group within a larger body of people), is particularly questionable because there is nothing in Mr. Mevani’s remarks that can be seen even remotely (slightly, faintly, vaguely) insulting towards any religious belief or practice. Further, it is quite notable that the police or ruling party functionaries in BJP-ruled Gujarat did not pursue (engage in, conduct, take part in, take up (an activity)) the case there. It is almost as if (like as it would be if) his opinion contained a higher potential (possibility, potentiality, chance) for breach of peace or disturbance to public tranquillity in Assam than in his home State. It is not clear on what basis the police in Kokrajhar accepted the complainant’s (litigator, appellant, claimant, plaintiff) claim (charge, allegation; request, application, petition) that the tweet could destroy the social fabric (structure, framework, system, foundations) “in this part of the country”. There cannot be a better example of the misuse of the principle that anyone can set the criminal law (a system of laws concerned with punishment of individuals who commit crimes) in motion. There is something perverse (illogical, irrational, unreasonable; wrong, incorrect) about the manner in which the inter-State operation of criminal law allows any citizen to be held by the police from another State with such ease, even when the alleged (supposed, claimed, professed, purported, reported, ostensible) offences attract short prison terms that do not warrant (guarantee, affirm, support) arrest. It is disconcerting (discomfiting, unsettling, disturbing, troubling) that a judicial magistrate (the judicial officers or civil officers of a state who handle minor legal cases in a specific area like town, district etc) denied bail (conditional, temporary release of an arrested/imprisoned person when a specified amount of security is deposited or pledged (as cash or property) to ensure his/her appearance in court when required) to Mr. Mevani and granted police custody (incarceration, imprisonment, confinement) in a matter that only involves interpretation (understanding, reading, meaning, supposition) of some words. Judicial officers ought to show greater independence by raising questions about territorial jurisdiction (territory, region, province, district, area (to which a court of law or other institution can exercise its authority over suits, cases, appeals etc.)) instead of (rather than) accepting the prosecution claims in such cases without demur (objection, protest, complaint, dispute, dissent, opposition, resistance).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.outrage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन, अपमान, अपराध
English Meaning - affront, offence, injustice, atrocity, act of brutality, inhumane act; anger, fury, wrath, indignation, rage, resentment.

2.border (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सीमा, बाध्य
English Meaning - bound, limit; frontier, boundary, borderline, bounding line.

3.blatant (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - ज़बरदस्त, स्पष्ट
English Meaning - evident, flagrant/glaring, obvious.

4.legislator (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधायक, प्रतिनिधि
English Meaning - a member of a legislature (parliament/legislative assembly); lawmaker, representative.

5.vocal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मुखर, स्पष्टवादी
English Meaning - vociferous, outspoken, forthright; relating to someone who expresses his/her views frankly.

6.critic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समीक्षक, आलोचक, निन्दा करने वाला
English Meaning - criticizer, censurer, castigator, attacker, fault-finder.

7.aspect (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पहलू, विस्तार, बिंदु
English Meaning - detail, point, angle, thing.

8.ought to (modal verb)

Hindi Meaning - करना चाहिए, तूमे हि करना है
English Meaning - must, should.

9.subsequently (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - बाद में, यथासमय
English Meaning - afterwards, later on, in due course.

10.tranquillity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शांति, आराम
English Meaning - peacefulness, restfulness, calmness, quietness.

11.invoke (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आह्वान करना, उद्धृत करना, उल्लेख करना
English Meaning - cite, refer to, adduce; resort to, have recourse to, turn to.

12.inflammatory (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - भड़काऊ, उकसाने वाला, आंदोलनकारी
English Meaning - provoking, inflaming, inciting, agitational.

13.breach (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन, अवहेलना, उपेक्षा
English Meaning - contravention, violation, non-observance, neglect.

14.provision (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रावधान, शर्त, विशिष्टता
English Meaning - stipulation, condition, specification, requirement.

15.conspiracy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - साज़िश, सहयोग, षड़यंत्र
English Meaning - (unlawful) plan/plot, intrigue, collaboration/deception, collusion.

16.revulsion (noun)

English Meaning - disgust, repulsion, contempt, aversion, hatred, dislike.

17.egregious (adjective)

English Meaning - shocking, horrible/terrible, very bad.

18.withheld past participle of withhold (verb)

English Meaning - hold back, keep back, stop; check, suppress, repress, restrain.

19.worshipper (noun)

English Meaning - devotee, admirer, adherent, disciple, follower.

20.call for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - ask for, request, demand.

21.gamut (noun)

English Meaning - range, extent, scope.

22.offence (noun)

English Meaning - crime, illegal act, unlawful act, breach of the law, violation of the law, felony, wrongdoing, act of misconduct, misdeed.

23.outraging (noun)

English Meaning - enraging, infuriating, incensing, affronting.

24.for good measure (phrase)

English Meaning - as an extra, in addition, besides, as well.

25.first information report (FIR) (noun)

English Meaning - a written document prepared by the police when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence.

26.astounding (adjective)

English Meaning - amazing, astonishing, staggering, shocking, surprising.

27.distant (adjective)

English Meaning - faraway, far off, far, remote.

28.act on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - take action (in accordance with).

29.functionary (noun)

English Meaning - official, representative, agent, especially in a government or political party; office-holder, office-bearer.

30.allegedly (adverb)

English Meaning - reportedly, supposedly, purportedly, ostensibly, apparently.

31.offending (adjective)

English Meaning - affronting, contemptuous, offensive, outrageous, outraging.

32.confer (verb)

English Meaning - provide, give, present.

33.jurisdiction (noun)

English Meaning - authority, control, power, dominion, command.

34.Section 295A of the IPC (noun)

English Meaning - it criminalises speech that outrages religious feelings, are also vestiges of colonialism.

35.Indian Penal Code (IPC) (noun)

English Meaning - The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is the official criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. The draft was passed into law on 6 October 1860. The Code came into operation on 1 January 1862. The Indian Penal Code of 1860, sub-divided into 23 chapters, comprises 511 sections. IPC deals with crimes and punishments.

36.outrage (verb)

English Meaning - offend, enrage, infuriate, incense, anger, stir up.

37.section (noun)

English Meaning - a particular group within a larger body of people.

38.remotely (adverb)

English Meaning - slightly, faintly, vaguely.

39.pursue (verb)

English Meaning - engage in, conduct, take part in, take up (an activity).

40.as if (phrase)

English Meaning - like as it would be if.

41.potential (noun)

English Meaning - possibility, potentiality, chance.

42.complainant (noun)

English Meaning - litigator, appellant, claimant, plaintiff.

43.claim (noun)

English Meaning - charge, allegation; request, application, petition.

44.fabric (noun)

English Meaning - structure, framework, system, foundations.

45.criminal law (noun)

English Meaning - a system of laws concerned with punishment of individuals who commit crimes.

46.set something in motion (phrase)

English Meaning - start, begin, get going, get working, get in operation.

47.perverse (adjective)

English Meaning - illogical, irrational, unreasonable; wrong, incorrect.

48.interstate (adjective)

English Meaning - existing between countries/states.

49.held past participle of hold (verb)

English Meaning - detain, hold in custody, imprison, lock up, put behind bars, put in prison, put in jail, incarcerate, confine.

50.alleged (adjective)

English Meaning - supposed, claimed, professed, purported, reported, ostensible.

51.warrant (verb)

English Meaning - guarantee, affirm, support.

52.disconcerting (adjective)

English Meaning - discomfiting, unsettling, disturbing, troubling.

53.magistrate (noun)

English Meaning - the judicial officers or civil officers of a state who handle minor legal cases in a specific area like town, district etc.

54.bail (noun)

English Meaning - conditional, temporary release of an arrested/imprisoned person when a specified amount of security is deposited or pledged (as cash or property) to ensure his/her appearance in court when required.

55.custody (noun)

English Meaning - incarceration, imprisonment, confinement.

56.interpretation (noun)

English Meaning - understanding, reading, meaning, supposition.

57.jurisdiction (noun)

English Meaning - territory, region, province, district, area (to which a court of law or other institution can exercise its authority over suits, cases, appeals etc.).

58.instead of (phrase)

English Meaning - rather than.

59.prosecution (noun)

English Meaning - legal action, legal proceeding, legal case.

60.demur (noun)

English Meaning - objection, protest, complaint, dispute, dissent, opposition, resistance.