Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Stay invested: On Chabahar and India-Iran ties

Stay invested: On Chabahar and India-Iran ties

India should not tailor its ties (संबंध) with Iran to U.S. foreign policy changes

By signing a 10-year agreement with Iran to develop and operate the Chabahar port, India has taken its infrastructure (आधारभूत संरचना) and trade partnership with the Islamic Republic to the next level despite tensions (तनाव) in West Asia. India will invest $120 million and offer a credit facility (a type of pre-approved loan which allows the borrower to borrow money on an ongoing basis over an extended period of time, rather than applying for a new loan each time the borrower needs more money) of $250 million to further develop the terminal it operates in Chabahar’s Shahid Beheshti port and related projects. However, after the deal was signed, the U.S. State Department (it is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country’s foreign policy and relations) said entities (establishment, organization, outfit) considering business deals with Iran “need to be aware that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions (प्रतिबंध)”. In the past, American sanctions on Iran had delayed the project. Conceived (कल्पना करना) in 2003, the project did not take off (to suddenly start to be successful; progress, do well, succeed, thrive, flourish) for years after the U.S. and the UN imposed sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme. India signed a memorandum of understanding (समझौता ज्ञापन) in 2015 after Washington eased (कम करना) sanctions on Iran following that year’s nuclear agreement, and in 2016, the contract was executed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Iran visit. The U.S.’s unilateral (एकतरफा) withdrawal (वापसी) from the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposition (पुन: थोपना) of sanctions on Iran raised questions on India’s continued (निरंतर) cooperation with Tehran. But India managed to win a carve-out (an exemption from a contractual agreement) from U.S. sanctions that allowed it to operate the port through ad hoc (impromptu, unpremeditated, unprepared, unplanned, unarranged, unconsidered, spontaneous, offhand, improvised, makeshift) measures (उपाय, कदम).

The Chabahar port is critical for India’s connectivity plans. First, it offers an alternative route to Afghanistan and Central Asia by bypassing (elude, avoid, dodge, escape, sidestep, evade, circumvent, be evasive about) Pakistan, allowing better trade with Central Asia. And, Chabahar is expected to be connected to the International North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) (a multi modal transportation established in 2000 for the purpose of promoting transportation cooperation among the Member States. It is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road), bringing India closer to Europe through Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia. An alternative to the Suez (The Suez Canal is an important man-made waterway in Egypt. It connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea) route, a fully operational NSTC would reduce the time and money spent on intercontinental (महाद्वीपीय) trade. The port, roughly 200 km from Pakistan’s Gwadar, where China is developing a port as part of its BRI, would also help India expand its geopolitical (भू-राजनैतिक) influence (power, authority, leverage, sway, weightage, clout, muscle) in Central Asia. But the U.S. seems to have taken a narrow (narrow-minded, intolerant, illiberal, partisan, sectarian, discriminatory) view of the project over its hostility (opposition, conflict, resentment, enmity, aversion, antipathy) with Iran. America’s interests (common concerns (in politics/business)) in the region have also changed. In 2018, when U.S. forces were backing (support, favour, uphold, endorse, defend) the Islamic Republic government in Afghanistan, it gave a sanctions waiver (a rule/agreement does not have to be followed; deferral, rejection, renunciation (with no stipulations/restrictions)) to India as Kabul also stood to benefit from the port project. Today, U.S. troops (armed forces, forces, soldiers) are out of Afghanistan, the Taliban has replaced the Islamic Republic, and the U.S.’s focus is on containing (control, restrain, keep under control, keep in check) Iran. India, in the past, had taken U-turns (reversal, reversal of policy, volte-face, about-face, change of mind, turnaround; withdrawal, pulling back, back down) in its Iran engagement (participation, contribution, involvement) depending on the policy changes in Washington DC. It should not do that any more (no longer). It should stay invested in Chabahar and seek (try, aim, attempt) to improve its trade and connectivity projects with Central Asia, which is essential for India’s continued rise (growth).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.ties (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संबंध
English Meaning - bond, connection, association, relationship, friendship.

2.infrastructure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आधारभूत संरचना
English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.

3.tensions (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तनाव
English Meaning - strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease.

4.open up (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - खुल जाना
English Meaning - become available, become accessible, become present.

5.sanctions (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबंध
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.

6.conceive (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कल्पना करना
English Meaning - originate, develop, create, formulate.

7.memorandum of understanding (MoU) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समझौता ज्ञापन
English Meaning - a formal (written) agreement between two (bilateral) or more (multilateral) parties outlined in a formal document.

8.ease (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कम करना
English Meaning - reduce, diminish, lessen.

9.unilateral (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - एकतरफा
English Meaning - relating to a method of taking decisions individually without considering others.

10.withdrawal (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वापसी
English Meaning - departure, pull-out, retreat, disengagement; removal, taking away, cancellation, termination, abolition, invalidation.

11.reimposition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पुन: थोपना
English Meaning - reintroduction, re-enforcement, imposition again.

12.continued (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निरंतर
English Meaning - continuous, continuing, constant, incessant, unceasing.

13.measure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपाय, कदम
English Meaning - action, step, procedure.

14.intercontinental (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - महाद्वीपीय
English Meaning - between or among continents.

15.geopolitical (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - भू-राजनैतिक
English Meaning - relating to (the study of) the geographical factors (a country’s position on the earth, size, climate, and natural resources &, etc.) in world politics and inter-state relations.

16.tailor (verb)

English Meaning - customize, adapt, adjust, modify, change.

17.take something to the next level (phrase)

English Meaning - to further improve/develop something that is already doing well.

18.credit facility (noun)

English Meaning - a type of pre-approved loan which allows the borrower to borrow money on an ongoing basis over an extended period of time, rather than applying for a new loan each time the borrower needs more money.

19.the U.S. State Department (noun)

English Meaning - it is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country’s foreign policy and relations.

20.entity (noun)

English Meaning - establishment, organization, outfit.

21.take off (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to suddenly start to be successful; progress, do well, succeed, thrive, flourish.

22.carve-out (noun)

English Meaning - an exemption from a contractual agreement.

23.ad hoc (adjective)

English Meaning - impromptu, unpremeditated, unprepared, unplanned, unarranged, unconsidered, spontaneous, offhand, improvised, makeshift.

24.bypass (verb)

English Meaning - elude, avoid, dodge, escape, sidestep, evade, circumvent, be evasive about.

25.International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) (noun)

English Meaning - a multi modal transportation established in 2000 for the purpose of promoting transportation cooperation among the Member States. It is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road.

26.Suez (noun)

English Meaning - The Suez Canal is an important man-made waterway in Egypt. It connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

27.Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (noun)

English Meaning - The Belt and Road Initiative, formerly known as One Belt One Road or OBOR for short, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 71 countries and international organizations. It is also referred to as “21st century silk road”. From South-east Asia to Eastern Europe and Africa, Belt and Road includes 71 countries that account for half the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP.

28.influence (noun)

English Meaning - power, authority, leverage, sway, weightage, clout, muscle.

29.take a view (phrase)

English Meaning - to have an opinion about something.

30.narrow (adjective)

English Meaning - narrow-minded, intolerant, illiberal, partisan, sectarian, discriminatory.

31.hostility (noun)

English Meaning - opposition, conflict, resentment, enmity, aversion, antipathy.

32.interest (noun)

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

33.back (verb)

English Meaning - support, favour, uphold, endorse, defend.