Hindi English Translation || Editorial || People at the centre: On the Election results 2024

People at the centre: On the Election results 2024

The BJP needs to be more inclusive (समावेशी) and constructive (रचनात्मक) in its approach to nation building (राष्ट्र निर्माण)

People are, and should be, at the centre of a democracy (लोकतंत्र). The outcome (परिणाम) of the 18th general election is an unambiguous (स्पष्ट) reiteration by the people of that tenet (सिद्धांत). As the verdict unfolded (develop, evolve, happen, occur, transpire, emerge) on June 4, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell short of an absolute majority (पूर्ण बहुमत) in the Lok Sabha, which is a far cry from its claims (दावा) made during the campaign (अभियान). The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which the BJP leads, has, however, won a majority, getting more than 290 seats. The BJP’s individual tally (गिनती) is 240, which is 63 fewer than its 2019 strength of 303. Two NDA partners, the JD(U) in Bihar and the TDP in Andhra Pradesh, which have won 12 and 16 Lok Sabha seats, respectively, will hold significant sway in the Lok Sabha, as will other regional parties in general. The verdict of the people cannot be clearer than this — it wants the BJP to be more conciliatory (appeasing, pacifying, peacemaking) and less confrontational (टकरावपूर्ण) towards the political aspirations of various communities and regions of India. The verdict also shows the limits of communal polarisation (ध्रुवीकरण) as a mobilisation (the act of bringing forces/people/resources together for a particular cause) strategy (रणनीति), which turned out to be the mainstay (central component, backbone, tower of strength, cornerstone) of the BJP’s campaign. The outcome holds the BJP accountable, and demands it be more constructive. The BJP must heed (ध्यान देना) that message in a democratic spirit (temperament, disposition, mind, attitude, frame of mind, point of view, way of thinking), and reorient (change the focus or direction of) itself to the reality of the reemergence of coalition (association, union, bloc, partnership) politics after 10 years.

The Congress, which nearly doubled its 2019 tally to reach 99 seats, has restored its position as the other pole of Indian politics, though it finished a distant (far away) second. It too should respect the verdict, and resist any temptation (desire, urge, impulse, inclination; enticement, allurement) to attempt any post-poll coalition at this moment. The pre-poll coalition led by the Congress — INDIA — has not crossed the halfway mark, while the NDA has. Respect for the people requires all parties to remain steadfast (loyal, faithful, committed, constant, reliable, trusty) to their pre-poll alliances and positions. The Congress has managed to form and lead an alliance in spite of the many internal contradictions (conflict, clash, disagreement, opposition, inconsistency, incongruity, mismatch, variance; denial, rebuttal, countering, counterstatement, opposite), and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, has elevated (raise, upgrade, lift (up), improve the position/status of) himself in the public eye (to be famous and is often mentioned on social media, television channels and in the newspapers) as a challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress organisation, strategy and communication worked for it this time, while the BJP came up short (be insufficient; to fail to achieve; to fail to win) on all three factors when measured (consider, evaluate, calculate carefully) against its claims. The party runs (do, carry out, perform) a serious key person risk, with its campaign, strategy and thinking all dependent on one person, Narendra Modi. The overwhelming (mind-blowing, mind-boggling, staggering, fantastic, amazing, astounding) charisma (the strength of character, individuality, personality, charm, presence, attractiveness) and style of Mr. Modi served (work for, be of use to, make a contribution to) the party well in 2014 and 2019, but the same factors were corroding (undermine, weaken, damage) the party’s organisational strengths and withering (diminish, dwindle, lessen, weaken) its regional and local leadership. These factors, and the accumulated (compiled, amassed, gathered, increased, multiplied) anti-incumbency (a situation which is against elected officials currently in power; discontent against ruling government/ party in power) of two terms (period of office, incumbency, stint, spell), caught up with the BJP. Still, that it won a third term, though in alliance, is remarkable. Its ideological (relating to a system of ideas or a set of beliefs (ideology)) agenda has taken deep roots (things that are firmly established/implanted) in its strongholds (fort, fortress, bulwark, mainstay, support), enabling (facilitate, empower, give the means to) it to win what it has even amid (in the middle of, surrounded by; during) clamour about inflation (simply meaning “cost of living”; increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value), unemployment and other livelihood (means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income) issues. By winning a seat in Kerala, the BJP breached a fortress (fort, stronghold, bastion, stronghold, fortification), and by defeating the BJD in Odisha, the party has captured the imagination of a new terrain (territory). That said, the people did not take kindly to its strategy of portraying (describe, represent, depict) its return to power as an inevitable (unavoidable, unpreventable) fate of Indian democracy.

The Congress strategy of making livelihood issues and equity (fairness, justness, neutrality, lack of bias, impartiality) questions the core (centre, an essential thing) of its campaign seemed to have worked well in its direct contests with the BJP in Karnataka and Rajasthan. Both parties that operate at the national level should learn the right lessons from this verdict. The lifeblood of Indian democracy is its diversity (existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference) and the BJP has been less than respectful of that in the last 10 years. The new government will be required to deal with two particular questions that are critical to India’s federalism and diversity — the delimitation (the act of establishing limits or boundaries in a Treaty, Judgement or other Agreement) of Lok Sabha constituencies after the publication of the first Census (an official survey, particularly of a population) after 2026; and the ongoing work of the 16th Finance Commission (a constitutional body appointed by the President every five years to make recommendations on sharing of taxes between the Centre and the States) which is scheduled to submit its report in 2025. Both these call for (require, publicly ask/necessitate, demand) political wisdom (understanding, insight, perception, discernment, foresight, rationale, rationality), wide consultations and maturity. The verdict for a coalition government at the Centre underscores (highlight, emphasize, underline, stress, call/draw attention to) the diversity of India, and the role of States and regional political parties in its federalism. Coalitions are not a deficiency in a plural (relating to a system in which people co-exist in harmony irrespective of various differences) democracy, but quite the opposite. Rather than (instead of) attempting inorganic and transactional coalitions, both the Congress and the BJP should nurture (improve, foster, cultivate, encourage, promote, further, boost) genuine, organic (natural) coalitions with regional parties and social groups. Enforcement (imposition, implementation, execution) of uniformity cannot be the aim of a federal polity (a politically organized society), and the people have spoken on this issue loud and clear (very clear; in a way that is easy to understand) in 2024.

The outcome of 2024 should also put to rest (to stop, settle, finish end something, particularly a question/discussion) the unnecessary fear mongering (an act of spreading public fear intentionally on a particular topic/problem) about EVMs, though serious and urgent steps are required to reinforce (strengthen, support, make stronger, bolster, buttress) public trust (public confidence/belief in the reliability of something) in the electoral process. EVMs have been around for long enough, and until now, have recorded results that align with what campaigners and observers report from the field (area of activity). Responsible leaders and parties should not amplify conspiracy thzeories (an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister (criminal/menacing) and powerful groups, often political in motivation). The Election Commission of India (ECI) faced a lot of flak (strong criticism, censure, disapproval, condemnation, castigation, lambasting, denunciation), largely (mostly, mainly, generally) for justifiable (valid, legitimate, reasonable, sensible, well founded) reasons, and the remedy (solution, answer, antidote/panacea) cannot be combative (aggressive, quarrelsome, argumentative, hostile, belligerent, hawkish, threatening) rebuttals (denial, counter-argument, negation, contradiction) but more confidence building. Notwithstanding (in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, although, regardless of, despite that) its shortcomings (fault, flaw, imperfection/defect), the 2024 elections turned out to be proof yet again of the vitality (energy, strength, power, vigour) of India’s democracy and its electoral system, and the ECI deserves credit (praise, commendation, recognition, kudos, regard). An issue that requires the attention of the ECI and the government is the function of exit polls (a poll or survey of voters exiting/leaving polling stations after casting their votes). The speculative (risky, uncertain, unpredictable) hysteria (hysteric, wildness, irrationality, loss of control, loss of reason, exaggerated reaction, emotional reaction) that it generates ahead of the actual results is hardly an innocent sport. Exit polls could influence (affect, have an effect on, control, govern, pressurize) stock markets (equity market, share market (a stock is a security, but every security is not a stock)), for one (as a single given example, often the most obvious or important one and almost certainly enough to influence the argument, of several reasons for something), and many of the channels have business interests (common concerns (in politics/business)) and are heavily (very much, too much, excessively, deeply, greatly; to a great extent) invested in the markets.

India has once again proved to itself and the world that it is a vibrant (spirited, lively, high-spirited, energetic, dynamic, exciting, passionate, determined), functioning democracy. The new government has a responsibility to live up to (satisfy, fulfil, achieve, meet) the expectations of the people, and they are much more than a voter base (a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.inclusive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - समावेशी
English Meaning - embracing all people irrespective of race, gender & etc.; all-embracing, all-encompassing.

2.constructive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - रचनात्मक
English Meaning - practical, effective, helpful, productive.

3.nation building (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राष्ट्र निर्माण
English Meaning - a process, policy, or idea that aims to create and shape the national identity using the state’s power. it is a significant undertaking that governments employ to develop political, economic, security, and social institutions.

4.democracy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लोकतंत्र
English Meaning - a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through fairly & freely elected representatives.

5.outcome (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिणाम
English Meaning - end result, aftermath, conclusion, consequence, effect.

6.unambiguous (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट
English Meaning - clear, categorical, conclusive, unquestionable, unequivocal, straightforward.

7.tenet (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सिद्धांत
English Meaning - principle, doctrine, precept, belief, conviction, idea, opinion, dogma.

8.absolute majority (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्ण बहुमत
English Meaning - a condition in which a party is winning more than half of the seats/members in an election.

9.claim (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दावा
English Meaning - assertion, declaration, contention.

10.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान
English Meaning - canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.

11.tally (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गिनती
English Meaning - count.

12.confrontational (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - टकरावपूर्ण
English Meaning - antagonistic, aggressive, hostile, combative, belligerent; bitter, vicious, spiteful.

13.polarisation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ध्रुवीकरण
English Meaning - separation of two contrasting groups (based on different opinions/beliefs).

14.strategy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रणनीति
English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

15.heed (verb)

Hindi Meaning - ध्यान देना
English Meaning - pay attention to, take notice of, pay regard to, take into account, consider, concentrate, focus, be attentive, be wary.

16.be at the centre (noun)

English Meaning - to be most involved in a situation; to be most important in a situation.

17.reiteration (noun)

English Meaning - the process of repeating something (some action) for clarity/emphasis; repetition, repeating, restatement, retelling, iteration.

18.unfold (verb)

English Meaning - develop, evolve, happen, occur, transpire, emerge.

19.fall short (phrase)

English Meaning - fail to meet/reach; be deficient/inadequate/insufficient.

20.be a far cry from (phrase)

English Meaning - to be entirely different from something.

21.hold sway (phrase)

English Meaning - hold power, have the greatest influence, have control, have the upper hand.

22.conciliatory (adjective)

English Meaning - appeasing, pacifying, peacemaking.

23.mobilisation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of bringing forces/people/resources together for a particular cause.

24.turn out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - happen, occur, transpire, emerge, develop, evolve, come out.

25.mainstay (noun)

English Meaning - central component, backbone, tower of strength, cornerstone.

26.hold accountable for or hold responsible for (phrase)

English Meaning - to say that someone should accept the responsibility for something bad/unpleasant (that has happened); hold to account.

27.spirit (noun)

English Meaning - temperament, disposition, mind, attitude, frame of mind, point of view, way of thinking.

28.reorient (verb)

English Meaning - change the focus or direction of.

29.coalition (noun)

English Meaning - association, union, bloc, partnership.

30.distant (adjective)

English Meaning - far away.

31.temptation (noun)

English Meaning - desire, urge, impulse, inclination; enticement, allurement.

32.steadfast (adjective)

English Meaning - loyal, faithful, committed, constant, reliable, trusty.

33.contradiction (noun)

English Meaning - conflict, clash, disagreement, opposition, inconsistency, incongruity, mismatch, variance; denial, rebuttal, countering, counterstatement, opposite.

34.elevate (verb)

English Meaning - raise, upgrade, lift (up), improve the position/status of.

35.in the public eye (phrase)

English Meaning - to be famous and is often mentioned on social media, television channels and in the newspapers.

36.came up short (phrase)

English Meaning - be insufficient; to fail to achieve; to fail to win.

37.measure (verb)

English Meaning - consider, evaluate, calculate carefully.

38.run (verb)

English Meaning - do, carry out, perform.

39.overwhelming (adjective)

English Meaning - mind-blowing, mind-boggling, staggering, fantastic, amazing, astounding.

40.charisma (noun)

English Meaning - the strength of character, individuality, personality, charm, presence, attractiveness.

41.serve (verb)

English Meaning - work for, be of use to, make a contribution to.

42.corrode (verb)

English Meaning - undermine, weaken, damage.

43.wither (verb)

English Meaning - diminish, dwindle, lessen, weaken.

44.accumulated (adjective)

English Meaning - compiled, amassed, gathered, increased, multiplied.

45.anti-incumbency (noun)

English Meaning - a situation which is against elected officials currently in power; discontent against ruling government/ party in power.

46.term (noun)

English Meaning - period of office, incumbency, stint, spell.

47.catch up with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - start to have a damaging effect on someone.

48.ideological (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a system of ideas or a set of beliefs (ideology).

49.deep roots (noun)

English Meaning - things that are firmly established/implanted.

50.stronghold (noun)

English Meaning - fort, fortress, bulwark, mainstay, support.

51.enable (verb)

English Meaning - facilitate, empower, give the means to.

52.amid (preposition)

English Meaning - in the middle of, surrounded by; during.

53.clamour (noun)

English Meaning - protest, complaint, outcry/commotion.

54.inflation (noun)

English Meaning - simply meaning “cost of living”; increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value.

55.livelihood (noun)

English Meaning - means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income.

56.breach (verb)

English Meaning - break (through), force itself through, split.

57.fortress (noun)

English Meaning - fort, stronghold, bastion, stronghold, fortification.

58.capture/catch the imagination (phrase)

English Meaning - to make someone/something very interested or excited.

59.terrain (noun)

English Meaning - territory.

60.not take kindly to (phrase)

English Meaning - dislike, object to, resent, be annoyed/irritated by, be displeased by.

61.portray (verb)

English Meaning - describe, represent, depict.

62.inevitable (adjective)

English Meaning - unavoidable, unpreventable.

63.equity (noun)

English Meaning - fairness, justness, neutrality, lack of bias, impartiality.

64.core (noun)

English Meaning - centre, an essential thing.

65.lifeblood (noun)

English Meaning - essential component/part, driving force, essence.

66.diversity (noun)

English Meaning - existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference.

67.federalism/federal framework/system (noun)

English Meaning - a system of government in which establishments such as states or provinces share power with a national government.

68.delimitation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of establishing limits or boundaries in a Treaty, Judgement or other Agreement.

69.demarcation (noun)

English Meaning - the physical marking of the boundary on the ground.

70.census (noun)

English Meaning - an official survey, particularly of a population.

71.Finance Commission (noun)

English Meaning - a constitutional body appointed by the President every five years to make recommendations on sharing of taxes between the Centre and the States.

72.call for (phrasal verb)

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

73.wisdom (noun)

English Meaning - understanding, insight, perception, discernment, foresight, rationale, rationality.

74.underscore (verb)

English Meaning - highlight, emphasize, underline, stress, call/draw attention to.

75.deficiency (noun)

English Meaning - insufficiency, lack, shortage, scarcity, dearth.

76.plural (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a system in which people co-exist in harmony irrespective of various differences.

77.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

78.inorganic (adjective)

English Meaning - artificial, lifeless, manufactured.

79.nurture (verb)

English Meaning - improve, foster, cultivate, encourage, promote, further, boost.

80.organic (verb)

English Meaning - natural.

81.enforcement (noun)

English Meaning - imposition, implementation, execution.

82.polity (noun)

English Meaning - a politically organized society.

83.loud and clear (phrase)

English Meaning - very clear; in a way that is easy to understand.

84.put to rest (phrase)

English Meaning - to stop, settle, finish end something, particularly a question/discussion.

85.fear mongering (noun)

English Meaning - an act of spreading public fear intentionally on a particular topic/problem.

86.reinforce (verb)

English Meaning - strengthen, support, make stronger, bolster, buttress.

87.public trust (noun)

English Meaning - public confidence/belief in the reliability of something.

88.field (noun)

English Meaning - area of activity.

89.amplify (verb)

English Meaning - raise, intensify, heighten, escalate; elaborate on, add detail to, go into detail about, augment.

90.conspiracy (noun)

English Meaning - (unlawful) plan/plot/script, intrigue, collaboration/deception, collusion.

91.conspiracy theory (noun)

English Meaning - an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister (criminal/menacing) and powerful groups, often political in motivation.

92.flak (noun)

English Meaning - strong criticism, censure, disapproval, condemnation, castigation, lambasting, denunciation.

93.largely (adverb)

English Meaning - mostly, mainly, generally.

94.justifiable (adjective)

English Meaning - valid, legitimate, reasonable, sensible, well founded.

95.remedy (noun)

English Meaning - solution, answer, antidote/panacea.

96.combative (adjective)

English Meaning - aggressive, quarrelsome, argumentative, hostile, belligerent, hawkish, threatening.

97.rebuttal (noun)

English Meaning - denial, counter-argument, negation, contradiction.

98.confidence building measures/mechanisms (noun)

English Meaning - confidence-building measures (CBMs) are planned procedures to prevent hostilities, to avert escalation, to reduce military tension, and to build mutual trust between countries.

99.notwithstanding (preposition/conjunction)

English Meaning - in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, although, regardless of, despite that.

100.shortcoming (noun)

English Meaning - fault, flaw, imperfection/defect.

101.vitality (noun)

English Meaning - energy, strength, power, vigour.

102.credit (noun)

English Meaning - praise, commendation, recognition, kudos, regard.

103.function (noun)

English Meaning - use, purpose.

104.exit poll (noun)

English Meaning - a poll or survey of voters exiting/leaving polling stations after casting their votes.

105.speculative (adjective)

English Meaning - risky, uncertain, unpredictable.

106.hysteria (noun)

English Meaning - hysteric, wildness, irrationality, loss of control, loss of reason, exaggerated reaction, emotional reaction.

107.hardly (adverb)

English Meaning - barely, only just, certainly not, almost not.

108.influence (verb)

English Meaning - affect, have an effect on, control, govern, pressurize.

109.stock market (noun)

English Meaning - equity market, share market (a stock is a security, but every security is not a stock).

110.for one (phrase)

English Meaning - as a single given example, often the most obvious or important one and almost certainly enough to influence the argument, of several reasons for something.

111.interest (noun)

English Meaning - common concerns (in politics/business).

112.heavily (adverb)

English Meaning - very much, too much, excessively, deeply, greatly; to a great extent.

113.vibrant (adjective)

English Meaning - spirited, lively, high-spirited, energetic, dynamic, exciting, passionate, determined.

114.live up to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - satisfy, fulfil, achieve, meet.

115.base (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party.