Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Permissive no more: on places of worship and the Supreme Court’s interim order

Permissive no more: on places of worship and the Supreme Court’s interim order

The Supreme Court must put an end to (समाप्त करना, अंत करना) violations (उल्लंघन, अतिक्रमण) of the Places of Worship (पूजा स्थल, उपासना स्थल) Act

The Supreme Court’s interim (अंतरिम) order halting the registration of fresh suits (मुकदमा, वाद, कानूनी कार्यवाही) across the country regarding (संबंधित, के बारे में) disputes of places of worship is a welcome (स्वागत योग्य) departure (प्रस्थान, परिवर्तन, बदलाव) from the permissive (liberal, broad-minded, open-minded, tolerant, easy-going) approach of the judiciary (न्यायपालिका) in recent times towards such motivated (प्रेरित, प्रभावित) litigation (मुकदमेबाजी, वाद-विवाद). A Division Bench (a bench of two or three judges is called a division bench), headed (be in charge of, be at the helm of, manage, direct) by the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, has done well to stop the flow of litigation and interim orders, including those that allow ‘surveys’ of such sites and structures, while it deals with the challenges to the validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 (An Act to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August, 1947, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto). The order signifies a deep understanding that this is not about a set of civil disputes but the future of the country’s secular (धर्मनिरपेक्ष) character (चरित्र). It is amply (पर्याप्त रूप से, पूरी तरह) clear to right-thinking (right-minded, ethical, honest) citizens that the law, which freezes (fix or hold in a fixed state for a period of time; regulate, limit, confine, curb) the religious character of all places of worship in the country as they were on the day of Independence, would want this legislation (act/law, regulation, fiat, dictum, ordinance, statute, stipulation, rule) to remain on the statute (act/law, regulation, fiat, dictum, ordinance, legislation, stipulation, rule (written & laid down by the legislature)) book as a bulwark (support; protection, guard, mainstay) against elements that want to perpetuate (cause to continue something indefinitely, particularly a bad situation, an attitude/idea/belief, etc.; keep going, keep in existence, extend/prolong) the religious divide caused by such disputes. It is unfortunate, and even condemnable (objectionable, censurable, lamentable, unjustifiable, discreditable, disgusting), that courts of law have failed to block these suits at a nascent (just beginning, emergent, emerging, incipient, rising, developing) stage by invoking (cite, mention, refer to, point to, adduce, turn to, resort to, have recourse to, use, put to use) the bar (prohibition, ban, debarment, restriction, limitation) under this law. Instead, they have been allowing applications (plea, appeal, request, petition, supplication, suit) for surveys, either disregarding (reject, neglect, ignore, overlook, dismiss, pay no heed/attention to, take no notice of, fail to notice) the Act (law, decree, statute, rule, ruling, ordinance, legislation) and the Court’s endorsement (support, backing, approval) of its necessity in past judgments or ruling that the statutory (legal, lawful, legitimate, rightful, constitutional) bar does not apply to them.

In the name of (for the sake of, at the behest of, for the reason of, on behalf of, on account of) reclaiming (get back, take back, recover, regain, retrieve) religious sites lost to invaders (intruder, conqueror, plunderer, attacker, assailant, encroacher), several groups and purported (supposed, claimed, professed, alleged, reported, ostensible) devotees (ipper, admirer, adherent, disciple, follo) have been moving civil courts and obtaining questionable orders for surveying mosques for evidence that they may have been built on the ruins (remains, remnants, relics, rubble, debris, wreckage) of destroyed temples. The success of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was largely (mostly, mainly, generally) due to (because of, owing to, on account of, thanks to, by/in virtue of, in the wake of) the political patronage (backing, support, assistance, help, protection, defence) enjoyed by its spearheads (leader), and a final verdict from the Court, which handed over the disputed land to the Hindu litigants (a person involved in a lawsuit; litigator, petitioner, appellant, complainant, claimant, plaintiff) while condemning (attack, lambast, denounce, lash out, censure, castigate, criticize) the demolition of the Babri Masjid mosque in December 1992. That the vandals (goon, hooligan, thug, troublemaker) involved in the demolition were acquitted (declare innocent; discharge, release, free (from a criminal charge)), without any further appeal, added to the triumphalism (boastfulness, self-assertion, self-satisfaction, excessive pride, extreme self-confidence, chutzpah, chest-thumping, chest-beating; an attitude or a belief that a particular doctrine, religion, culture, social system is superior to and should triumph all over others) that marks (indicate, represent, signify) this movement (campaign, drive, push) for altering the status of mosques. This has given rise to further claims (assertion, affirmation, avowal, contention, allegation, declaration) in Varanasi, Mathura, and, more recently, Sambhal, among other places that house mosques dating back to the 16th century. A notable (important, significant, obvious, glaring, striking) feature (aspect, point, factor) of this permissive judicial attitude is the complete absence of any understanding of the history of the temple movement that was largely political in character. That judges could entertain (consider, agree to, approve of, support, contemplate, give consideration to, take into consideration) obviously baleful (menacing, threatening, unfriendly, hostile, hate-filled, pernicious, harmful, dangerous, poisonous) and ill-motivated (motivated by bad reasons or intentions; ill-intentioned) cases is a great cause of concern (a reason to be worried about something reason to worry) for those rightfully invested in the secular nature of the country. The criminal imprint ((lasting) impact, effect, influence, impression) on the nation’s fabric (framework, system, composition, structure) left by political movements in a religious garb (an outward appearance, form, guise) should not be forgotten.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.no more (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अब और नहीं, अब अस्तित्व में नहीं
English Meaning - exist no longer; never again.

2.places of worship (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पूजा स्थल, उपासना स्थल
English Meaning - structures created for worship such as temples, churches, mosques, synagogues and etc.

3.interim (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अंतरिम
English Meaning - provisional, temporary, short-term, transitional.

4.put an end to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - समाप्त करना, अंत करना
English Meaning - abolish, do away with, get rid of, scrap, end, stop, terminate, eradicate, eliminate.

5.violation (noun)

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

6.suit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुकदमा, वाद, कानूनी कार्यवाही
English Meaning - lawsuit, court case, case, legal action, litigation.

7.regarding (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - संबंधित, के बारे में
English Meaning - concerning, with regard to, in respect of, with reference to, relating to.

8.welcome (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वागत योग्य
English Meaning - pleasing, agreeable, favourable, promising, much needed.

9.departure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्थान, परिवर्तन, बदलाव
English Meaning - change, shift, deviation, divergence, digression.

10.judiciary (noun)

Hindi Meaning - न्यायपालिका
English Meaning - a branch of government in which judicial power is vested.

11.motivated (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रेरित, प्रभावित
English Meaning - influenced, provoked, triggered, induced.

12.litigation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुकदमेबाजी, वाद-विवाद
English Meaning - legal case, legal proceeding, legal action.

13.secular (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - धर्मनिरपेक्ष
English Meaning - non-religious.

14.character (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चरित्र
English Meaning - nature, identity, status, image, feature, quality.

15.amply (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - पर्याप्त रूप से, पूरी तरह
English Meaning - sufficiently, satisfactorily, reasonably, substantially, (more than) enough.

16.permissive (adjective)

English Meaning - liberal, broad-minded, open-minded, tolerant, easy-going.

17.Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 (noun)

English Meaning - An Act to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August, 1947, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

18.bench (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law with a number of judges.

19.Constitution Bench (noun)

English Meaning - a bench of the Supreme Court having five or more judges on it. These benches are not a routine phenomenon. (Constitution Benches are exceptions, set up only if some circumstances exist).

20.Division Bench (noun)

English Meaning - a bench of two or three judges is called a division bench.

21.head (verb)

English Meaning - be in charge of, be at the helm of, manage, direct.

22.right-thinking (adjective)

English Meaning - right-minded, ethical, honest.

23.freeze (noun)

English Meaning - fix or hold in a fixed state for a period of time; regulate, limit, confine, curb.

24.as on the date/day (phrase)

English Meaning - on the particular date/day.

25.legislation (noun)

English Meaning - act/law, regulation, fiat, dictum, ordinance, statute, stipulation, rule.

26.statute (noun)

English Meaning - act/law, regulation, fiat, dictum, ordinance, legislation, stipulation, rule (written & laid down by the legislature).

27.bulwark (noun)

English Meaning - support; protection, guard, mainstay.

28.perpetuate (verb)

English Meaning - cause to continue something indefinitely, particularly a bad situation, an attitude/idea/belief, etc.; keep going, keep in existence, extend/prolong.

29.condemnable (adjective)

English Meaning - objectionable, censurable, lamentable, unjustifiable, discreditable, disgusting.

30.court of law (noun)

English Meaning - court, law court, tribunal.

31.nascent (adjective)

English Meaning - just beginning, emergent, emerging, incipient, rising, developing.

32.invoke (verb)

English Meaning - cite, mention, refer to, point to, adduce, turn to, resort to, have recourse to, use, put to use.

33.bar (noun)

English Meaning - prohibition, ban, debarment, restriction, limitation.

34.application (noun)

English Meaning - plea, appeal, request, petition, supplication, suit.

35.disregard (verb)

English Meaning - reject, neglect, ignore, overlook, dismiss, pay no heed/attention to, take no notice of, fail to notice.

36.Act (noun)

English Meaning - law, decree, statute, rule, ruling, ordinance, legislation.

37.endorsement (noun)

English Meaning - support, backing, approval.

38.ruling (noun)

English Meaning - verdict, pronouncement, decision, pronouncement.

39.statutory (adjective)

English Meaning - legal, lawful, legitimate, rightful, constitutional.

40.in the name of (phrase)

English Meaning - for the sake of, at the behest of, for the reason of, on behalf of, on account of.

41.reclaim (verb)

English Meaning - get back, take back, recover, regain, retrieve.

42.invader (noun)

English Meaning - intruder, conqueror, plunderer, attacker, assailant, encroacher.

43.purported (adjective)

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

44.devotee (noun)

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

45.move (verb)

English Meaning - apply formally to a court for something.

46.civil suit/trial (noun)

English Meaning - a court case involves a legal dispute between two or more parties (plaintiff & defendant).

47.ruins (noun)

English Meaning - remains, remnants, relics, rubble, debris, wreckage.

48.largely (adverb)

English Meaning - mostly, mainly, generally.

49.due to (phrase)

English Meaning - because of, owing to, on account of, thanks to, by/in virtue of, in the wake of.

50.patronage (noun)

English Meaning - backing, support, assistance, help, protection, defence.

51.spearhead (noun)

English Meaning - leader.

52.litigant (noun)

English Meaning - a person involved in a lawsuit; litigator, petitioner, appellant, complainant, claimant, plaintiff.

53.condemn (verb)

English Meaning - attack, lambast, denounce, lash out, censure, castigate, criticize.

54.vandal (noun)

English Meaning - goon, hooligan, thug, troublemaker.

55.acquit (verb)

English Meaning - declare innocent; discharge, release, free (from a criminal charge).

56.add to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - increase, intensify, heighten, deepen, exacerbate, aggravate, escalate.

57.triumphalism (noun)

English Meaning - boastfulness, self-assertion, self-satisfaction, excessive pride, extreme self-confidence, chutzpah, chest-thumping, chest-beating; an attitude or a belief that a particular doctrine, religion, culture, social system is superior to and should triumph all over others.

58.mark (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, represent, signify.

59.movement (noun)

English Meaning - campaign, drive, push.

60.give rise to (phrase)

English Meaning - cause, bring about, result in, effect, produce, engender, trigger.

61.claim (noun)

English Meaning - assertion, affirmation, avowal, contention, allegation, declaration.

62.date back to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to have existed since a particular time in the past

63.notable (adjective)

English Meaning - important, significant, obvious, glaring, striking.