Hindi English Translation || Editorial || The fading patriarch: On Congress and Amarinder Singh

The fading patriarch: On Congress and Amarinder Singh

The Congress has set in motion (प्रस्ताव में निर्धारित) a series of events in Punjab that it can no longer (अब और नहीं, अब नहीं है) control

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has announced plans to launch a new political outfit (संगठन, पार्टी, समूह) and explore (अन्वेषण करना, विचार करना, जांचना) an arrangement (agreement, engagement, deal, understanding, settlement) with the BJP, ahead of next year’s Assembly election in the State. The BJP is warming up to (become enthusiastic about, become supportive of, become excited about, become excited over) the idea. The proposed new party and its partnership with the BJP is an act of expediency (योग्यता, उपयोगिता) and opportunism (अवसरवादिता, मौक़ापरस्ती) of high order (of the greatest importance) by both sides. The Congress had forced Mr. Singh to quit as the Chief Minister in September, bringing an abrupt end to his role at the helm (शिखर पर) of party affairs (matters, activities, concerns) in the State. The reasons for his removal were not just, but his decision to quit the party that he has been associated with for four decades (दशक, दस साल की अवधि) says something unflattering (स्पष्टवादी, अनाकर्षक)  about Mr. Singh. That he could think of joining hands with (work together with) the BJP without batting an eyelid also shows that there is little more than a sense of entitlement (अधिकार, पात्रता) in his politics. The Captain has been a central character (चरित्र, व्यक्तित्व, आकृति, छवि) in Congress politics, particularly in the years following the rise of the BJP in 2014. He led the party to victory in Punjab in 2017, and in 2019, the Congress’s performance in the Lok Sabha polls in the State was outstanding (excellent, magnificent, exceptional; remarkable, extraordinary). After all that, Mr. Singh has chosen to cap (limit, restrict, keep within bounds) his long political career by sleeping with the enemy (to provide support to someone you’re not supposed to be friendly with).

The BJP is a marginal (small, minor, insignificant) player in Punjab, and the ongoing (चलता आ रहा, निरंतर, बिना रुके) controversy over three farm laws has further alienated (isolate, detach, distance, turn away, set apart, drive apart) it from the entrenched (आरोपित हुआ, निहित, स्थापित) farming communities in the State. The debate on the merits (योग्यता, अच्छा बिंदु, मजबूत) of the farm laws apart, the BJP also questioned the patriotism (देशभक्ति, राष्ट्र-भक्ति) of the protestors. The party is now hoping for an outreach (the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement) to the Sikh farmers through a partnership with the Captain. Whether it can offer any compromise (agreement, understanding, settlement, deal) that the farmers might find palatable (pleasant, acceptable, satisfactory, agreeable) remains to be seen. The Congress high command (commander-in-chief, head, leader, boss) cannot absolve (to set (oneself) free from, discharge, acquit, release, relieve, liberate, exempt) itself of the mess in the State. It decided to unsettle (upset, disturb, disquiet, trouble, bother, destabilize) its own government for no apparent reason, and elevated (promote, give promotion, improve the position/status of, give a higher rank) a turncoat (traitor, defector, deserter, betrayer) to lead its State unit. The party appointed a Dalit Sikh as Chief Minister in place of (instead of, as an alternative for, as a replacement for, in exchange for, in lieu of) Mr. Singh, which is a bold experiment that is fraught with (full of, filled with, rife with, loaded with) fresh problems. If it can mobilise public opinion in favour of (in support of, to the advantage of, approve of) its social justice (the equal access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society) politics, the Congress can remain in the reckoning (in a position to be successful (some time in the future)). The Akali Dal, having parted with its long-term ally (partner, supporter, confederate) , the BJP, is now hoping to gain from the confusion arising out of the crisis in the Congress. The Congress has set in motion a series of events that it is no longer in control of. It also appears incapable of recalibrating (reevaluate, reassess, revamp) its strategy (plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests)) for the State. With an untested (new, novel) Chief Minister and a conceited (narcissistic, pleased with oneself, self-loving, self-admiring, self-regarding, self-centred, egoistic, egocentric) party chief in command, the party finds itself in an unenviable (difficult, disagreeable, painful, undesirable, unpleasant) position in Punjab. The desertion (abandonment, leaving, defection, decamping, departure) by Mr. Singh makes its prospects (possibilities, potential, chances, opportunities) considerably (greatly, much, very much, a lot) worse. While it might be too late to keep the former Chief Minister in the fold (group, community), the least the Congress high command can do is to strengthen the hands (control, power, charge, authority) of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and not give the impression (feeling, notion, idea, thought, opinion) that he is keeping the seat warm for the maverick (unorthodox, uncustomary, atypical, individualistic, lone wolf, nonconformist, dissenting) Punjab unit chief of the party, Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.set in motion (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्ताव में निर्धारित
English Meaning - start, begin, activate, trigger, initiate; cause, bring about (a series of events).

2.no longer (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अब और नहीं, अब नहीं है
English Meaning - not any more.

3.outfit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संगठन, पार्टी, समूह
English Meaning - organization, party, group.

4.explore (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अन्वेषण करना, विचार करना, जांचना
English Meaning - look into, consider, check out (an option/possibility).

5.expediency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - योग्यता, उपयोगिता
English Meaning - convenience, advantage, advantageousness, usefulness, utility, benefit.

6.opportunism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अवसरवादिता, मौक़ापरस्ती
English Meaning - expediency, exploitation, taking advantage, pragmatism, realism.

7.at the helm (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - शिखर पर
English Meaning - in charge, in command/control/authority; in the driving seat.

8.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक, दस साल की अवधि।
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

9.unflattering (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्टवादी, अनाकर्षक
English Meaning - unattractive, unbecoming, ugly, ugly-looking, incorrect.

10.entitlement (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिकार, पात्रता
English Meaning - the belief that someone is inherently deserving of special treatment (privilege).

11.character (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चरित्र, व्यक्तित्व, आकृति, छवि
English Meaning - person, personage, personality, figure, image.

12.ongoing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चलता आ रहा, निरंतर, बिना रुके
English Meaning - continuing, non-stop, constant, unceasing, never-ending, relentless.

13.entrenched (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - आरोपित हुआ, निहित, स्थापित
English Meaning - ingrained, established, well established, deep-rooted, firm.

14.merit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - योग्यता, अच्छा बिंदु, मजबूत
English Meaning - good point, strong point, advantage, benefit, value.

15.patriotism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - देशभक्ति, राष्ट्र-भक्ति
English Meaning - devoted love and support for country; nationalism, national loyalty.

16.fading (adjective)

English Meaning - disappearing, failing, vanishing, waning, declining, diminishing,

17.patriarch (noun)

English Meaning - a powerful & eldest male head of a family or an organisation or a social system.

18.arrangement (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, engagement, deal, understanding, settlement.

19.warm up to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - become enthusiastic about, become supportive of, become excited about, become excited over.

20.of high order (phrase)

English Meaning - of the greatest importance.

21.helm (noun)

English Meaning - in charge, in command, in authority, position.

22.affairs (noun)

English Meaning - matters, activities, concerns.

23.just (adjective)

English Meaning - fair, fair-minded; well founded, justifiable, reasonable, logical.

24.join hands with (phrase)

English Meaning - work together with.

25.not bat an eyelid (phrase)

English Meaning - show no surprise/concern; not be shocked, surprised, concerned.

26.outstanding (adjective)

English Meaning - excellent, magnificent, exceptional; remarkable, extraordinary.

27.cap (verb)

English Meaning - limit, restrict, keep within bounds.

28.sleeping with the enemy (phrase)

English Meaning - to provide support to someone you’re not supposed to be friendly with.

29.marginal (adjective)

English Meaning - small, minor, insignificant.

30.Farm Acts, 2000 (noun)

English Meaning - Farm Acts, 2000 refer to three agricultural bills passed by Indian Parliament in September 2020. The three acts are “The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 (FPTC Act) allows farmers to sell their harvest outside the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis without paying any State taxes or fees”, “the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 facilitates contract farming and direct marketing”, and “the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 deregulates the production, storage, movement and sale of several major foodstuffs, including cereals, pulses, edible oils and onion, except in the case of extraordinary circumstances”.

31.alienate (verb)

English Meaning - isolate, detach, distance, turn away, set apart, drive apart.

32.outreach (noun)

English Meaning - the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement.

33.compromise (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, understanding, settlement, deal.

34.palatable (adjective)

English Meaning - pleasant, acceptable, satisfactory, agreeable.

35.high command (noun)

English Meaning - commander-in-chief, head, leader, boss.

36.absolve (oneself of) (verb)

English Meaning - to set (oneself) free from, discharge, acquit, release, relieve, liberate, exempt.

37.unsettle (verb)

English Meaning - upset, disturb, disquiet, trouble, bother, destabilize.

38.elevate (verb)

English Meaning - promote, give promotion, improve the position/status of, give a higher rank.

39.turncoat (noun)

English Meaning - traitor, defector, deserter, betrayer.

40.in place of (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of, as an alternative for, as a replacement for, in exchange for, in lieu of.

41.fraught with (adjective)

English Meaning - full of, filled with, rife with, loaded with.

42.mobilise (verb)

English Meaning - (of resources) bring together for a specific cause.

43.in favour of (phrase)

English Meaning - in support of, to the advantage of, approve of.

44.social justice (noun)

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

45.in the reckoning (phrase)

English Meaning - in a position to be successful (some time in the future).

46.part with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - discard, give up, relinquish, forgo, renounce.

47.ally (noun)

English Meaning - partner, supporter, confederate.

48.arise out of (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - occur, happen, ensue (as a result of).

49.recalibrate (verb)

English Meaning - reevaluate, reassess, revamp.

50.strategy (noun)

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

51.untested (adjective)

English Meaning - new, novel.

52.conceited (adjective)

English Meaning - narcissistic, pleased with oneself, self-loving, self-admiring, self-regarding, self-centred, egoistic, egocentric.

53.find oneself (verb)

English Meaning - discover himself/herself/itself to be in a particular situation.

54.unenviable (adjective)

English Meaning - difficult, disagreeable, painful, undesirable, unpleasant.

55.desertion (noun)

English Meaning - abandonment, leaving, defection, decamping, departure.

56.prospect (noun)

English Meaning - possibilities, potential, chances, opportunities.

57.considerably (adverb)

English Meaning - greatly, much, very much, a lot.

58.fold (noun)

English Meaning - group, community.

59.hands (noun)

English Meaning - control, power, charge, authority.

60.impression (noun)

English Meaning - feeling, notion, idea, thought, opinion.

61.keep something warm for someone (phrase)

English Meaning - occupy a post/position until another person is ready to occupy it

62.maverick (adjective)

English Meaning - unorthodox, uncustomary, atypical, individualistic, lone wolf, nonconformist, dissenting.