Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Promise or perish: On political parties and their manifestos

Promise or perish: On political parties and their manifestos

Parties need to offer more than welfare (कल्याण) schemes in their manifesto

Political parties offer voters a preview (walk–through, dry run, trial, rehearsal) of their vision (दृष्टि) in manifestos (घोषणापत्र) ahead of an election. Personality-driven (moved/controlled by a celebrity or famous person) politics and rapid changes in communication modes have reduced the import (आयात) of manifestos, but still they offer a structured (संरचित, व्यवस्थित) documentation of a political party’s approach to governance (शासन) and state policy. The Congress manifesto for 2024, titled Nyay Patra (Document for Justice) (Document for Justice), is a pitch (a way of talking when attempting to convince someone to buy or accept something) for the party’s political revival (पुनरुद्धार, पुनः प्रवर्तन) in the face of (when confronted with, against; despite, notwithstanding, regardless of) the expansive (extensive, thorough, comprehensive) ideological (विचारधारा) project of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress has offered 25 guarantees (promise, assurance, pledge, vow, oath, commitment) under categories such as justice for youth, women, farmers, workers and for equity (fairness, justness, neutrality, lack of bias, impartiality). The focus, according to the party, is social justice (सामाजिक न्याय), economy and the primacy (प्रधानता) of constitutional institutions (संवैधानिक संस्थाएँ), and a promise to “reverse (alter, change, undo, overturn) the damage,” allegedly (कथित रूप से) done by the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government. The most significant political promise (वादा करना) is to remove the 50% cap (limit, ceiling, upper limit, limitation) on reservation (आरक्षण) for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBC) and conduct a nation-wide caste census (जनगणना). The Congress is wading into unfamiliar waters on this count (a point for discussion; a point for consideration), as it has for the longest time lived in denial of caste as a determinant (factor, issue, concern, point, matter) of politics, even as the BJP has expanded its base (a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party) by addressing (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) it. A new law to ensure that “‘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) is the rule, jail is the exception’ in all criminal laws”, a review of all laws that interfere with (tinker with, tamper with, meddle with, mess around with, play with) the right to privacy (the right to privacy is a fundamental right and is an integral part of the right to life and liberty. It refers to a legal framework that provides individuals a legal right to protect their or their data’s privacy) and individual’s choice of food, dress or marriage, a self-regulation regime (system, mechanism, method, procedure, policy) for the media and a law to preserve (protect, conserve, maintain, take care of, look after) the freedom of the Internet have been promised.

An unconditional (total, complete, entire, full; unrestricted, unlimited, unequivocal) cash transfer of ₹1 lakh a year to every poor family under the Mahalakshmi scheme, legal right to the minimum support price (MSP) (it is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to give guaranteed price and assured market to the farmers and protect them from the price fluctuations and market imperfections. The guaranteed price and assured market are expected to encourage higher investment and in the adoption of modern farming practices), and the right to health (it is an inclusive right, extending not only to timely and appropriate health care, but also to the underlying determinants of health, such as access to safe and potable water and adequate sanitation, healthy occupational and environmental conditions, and access to health-related education and information, including on sexual and reproductive health) with cashless insurance of up to ₹25 lakh under a universal health scheme are among the raft (a large quantity of something) of welfare schemes that the Congress is offering to voters. Further, the party promises the right to apprenticeship (training period, probationary period, traineeship) with an annual stipend of ₹1 lakh, the abolition (termination, elimination, cancellation (of a system)) of application fees for government examination and government posts, one-time writing (cancel (a bad debt/loan) ; disregard, dismiss, ignore (someone/something as insignificant)) off of all educational loans including unpaid interest and a lot more. Whether all this adds up to a new vision that stands out (be noticeable, be distinctive, be visible, be prominent, attract attention, catch the eye) in comparison with (when compared) that of the BJP, and has credibility (trustworthiness, reliability, integrity) against the backdrop (situation, scenario, context) of the Congress’s own track record ((previous) performance, accomplishments, achievements) in governance are questions that remain. Welfare schemes have ceased (end, halt, stop, finish, conclude, to come to an end) to be differentiators (a distinguishing feature) between political parties as all of them offer a mix of these. The Congress should have shown more imagination than was evident in its manifesto.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.promise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - वादा करना
English Meaning - assure, vow, guarantee, commit oneself, give an assurance.

2.manifesto (noun)

Hindi Meaning - घोषणापत्र
English Meaning - (policy) statement, declaration, pronouncement (issued by a political party before a General Election).

3.welfare (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कल्याण
English Meaning - a government program that provides (financial) assistance to individuals and families in need; social security, government/state benefit, public assistance.

4.vision (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दृष्टि
English Meaning - perspective, perception, foresight, far-sightedness, imagination.

5.import (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आयात
English Meaning - importance, significance, seriousness, meaning, substance, weight.

6.structured (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संरचित, व्यवस्थित
English Meaning - organized, systematic, methodical, well ordered, planned.

7.governance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शासन
English Meaning - administration.

8.revival (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पुनरुद्धार, पुनः प्रवर्तन
English Meaning - comeback, bringing back, re-establishment, reintroduction, rejuvenation, restoration.

9.ideological (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विचारधारा
English Meaning - relating to a system of ideas (ideology).

10.social justice (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सामाजिक न्याय
English Meaning - the equal access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.

11.primacy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रधानता
English Meaning - greater importance, priority, preference, first place.

12.constitutional institutions (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संवैधानिक संस्थाएँ
English Meaning - institutions like the judiciary, the Election Commission of India, etc. are called constitutional institutions wherein power is assigned to different institutions.

13.allegedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कथित रूप से
English Meaning - apparently, supposedly, evidently, seemingly, reportedly, presumably, ostensibly.

14.reservation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरक्षण
English Meaning - a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics.

15.census (noun)

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

16.perish (verb)

English Meaning - disappear, vanish, fade, be destroyed, cease to exist.

17.preview (noun)

English Meaning - walk–through, dry run, trial, rehearsal.

18.personality-driven (adjective)

English Meaning - moved/controlled by a celebrity or famous person.

19.state policy/government policy (noun)

English Meaning - a set of the basic principles, norms, and activities for the implementation of state/government power.

20.Nyay Patra (noun)

English Meaning - Document for Justice.

21.pitch (noun)

English Meaning - a way of talking when attempting to convince someone to buy or accept something.

22.in the face of (phrase)

English Meaning - when confronted with, against; despite, notwithstanding, regardless of.

23.expansive (adjective)

English Meaning - extensive, thorough, comprehensive.

24.guarantee (noun)

English Meaning - promise, assurance, pledge, vow, oath, commitment.

25.equity (noun)

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

26.(fourth branch) institutions (noun)

English Meaning - the independent institutions, which are tasked with the protection of key constitutional values such as democracy, legality, impartiality, probity, human rights and price stability, are characterized as the fourth branch of the state, because of their distinctiveness from the three “branches”- the executive, legislature and judiciary. In the Indian context, institutions of the fourth branch include the Election Commission, Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Central Bureau of Investigation, Reserve Bank, National Statistics Commission, National Human Rights Commission, Public Service Commission, University Grants Commission, Finance Commission, Niti Aayog and many others.

27.reverse (verb)

English Meaning - alter, change, undo, overturn.

28.cap (noun)

English Meaning - limit, ceiling, upper limit, limitation.

30.wade into (something) (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to get involved in a difficult situation (argument, debate, fight & etc) without thinking about the possible consequences.

31.count (noun)

English Meaning - a point for discussion; a point for consideration.

32.determinant (noun)

English Meaning - factor, issue, concern, point, matter.

33.base (noun)

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

34.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

35.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.

36.interfere with (verb)

English Meaning - tinker with, tamper with, meddle with, mess around with, play with.

37.Right to Privacy (noun)

English Meaning - the right to privacy is a fundamental right and is an integral part of the right to life and liberty. It refers to a legal framework that provides individuals a legal right to protect their or their data’s privacy.

38.regime (noun)

English Meaning - system, mechanism, method, procedure, policy.

39.preserve (verb)

English Meaning - protect, conserve, maintain, take care of, look after.

40.unconditional (adjective)

English Meaning - total, complete, entire, full; unrestricted, unlimited, unequivocal.

41.Minimum Support Price (MSP) (noun)

English Meaning - it is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to give guaranteed price and assured market to the farmers and protect them from the price fluctuations and market imperfections. The guaranteed price and assured market are expected to encourage higher investment and in the adoption of modern farming practices.

42.right to health (noun)

English Meaning - it is an inclusive right, extending not only to timely and appropriate health care, but also to the underlying determinants of health, such as access to safe and potable water and adequate sanitation, healthy occupational and environmental conditions, and access to health-related education and information, including on sexual and reproductive health.

43.universal (health) coverage (noun)

English Meaning - it means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It covers the full continuum of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care; Insurance for all.

44.raft (noun)

English Meaning - a large quantity of something.

45.apprenticeship (noun)

English Meaning - training period, probationary period, traineeship.

46.right to apprenticeship law (noun)

English Meaning - it promises guaranteed placement with government, public or private firms for all persons below 25-years of age who hold a graduate degree or diploma, promising them ₹1 lakh stipend for a year.

47.abolition (noun)

English Meaning - termination, elimination, cancellation (of a system).

48.write off (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cancel (a bad debt/loan) ; disregard, dismiss, ignore (someone/something as insignificant).

49.add up to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - amount to, come to, correspond to, make, equal, spell out, signal.

50.stand out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - be noticeable, be distinctive, be visible, be prominent, attract attention, catch the eye.

51.in comparison with (phrase)

English Meaning - when compared.

52.credibility (noun)

English Meaning - trustworthiness, reliability, integrity.