Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Undeclared Emergency: On the arrests and actions in Newsclick case

Undeclared Emergency: On the arrests and actions in Newsclick case

The arrests and actions in the Newsclick case are aimed at a chilling effect

Even for a government that has shown itself to be intolerant (असहिष्णु) of critical (आलोचनात्मक, गंभीर) journalism, the actions by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led regime (प्रशासन) on the news website NewsClick smack of (suggest, hint at, have a suggestion of, give the impression of, seem like, be a sign of something (bad/unpleasant)) extreme vendetta (प्रतिशोध) and brazen harassment (उत्पीड़न). The government has, thus far (अब तक), disclosed (खुलासा करना, स्पष्ट करना) no specific allegation (आरोप) on what exactly merited (justify, warrant, entitle, authorize) the arrest of the site’s Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha and another person under the draconian (कठोर) provisions (प्रावधान) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (गैरकानूनी गतिविधियां अधिनियम) among others. Reportedly (कथित तौर पर), the website is under investigation for a “terror case with Chinese links”, but no article or content has been brought to light that allegedly (apparently, seemingly, ostensibly, supposedly, purportedly) suggests any link to “terror” or pro-Chinese propaganda (प्रचार करना). The news organisation has also said it has not been given a copy of the First Information Report (प्रथम सूचना रिपोर्ट) or informed about the particulars (detail, point, specific, aspect) of the offences (अपराध) it has been charged (accuse of, blame for, indict for, prosecute for) with. And yet, the journalists, contributors and employees associated with it have been subjected to (put through, expose to, lay open to, submit to, treat with) raids, with many of their mobile phones and laptops seized. These actions against the website are not new — it has been under the scrutiny (examination, inspection, investigation) of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) (Directorate of Enforcement is a specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It was established in the year 1956 with its Headquarters at New Delhi. It is responsible for enforcement of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) (Civil Law) and certain provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) (Criminal Law)) and the Income-Tax Department since 2021, with seizures (taking way (by legal right/warrant); confiscation, appropriation, impounding, commandeering) of electronic equipment, but no charge sheet (an official document on which a police officer enters details of the charge against a person) was ever filed against it. The Delhi High Court, finding a prime facie case in favour of (in support of, to the advantage of, approve of) NewsClick, granted interim (provisional, temporary, short-term, transitional) protection to Mr. Purkayastha from arrest and also deterred the ED from taking coercive action against the organisation. A lower court had dismissed (reject, deny, disregard, shrug off, set aside) a complaint filed by the Income-Tax department on a similar matter.

The trigger (reason, cause) for the set of actions now is apparently (seemingly, allegedly, professedly, supposedly, purportedly) an article in The New York Times that questioned the motives (reason, rationale, cause, grounds) of an investor in NewsClick and alleges (charge, accuse, claim, contend, assert, affirm, argue, state, insist) his proximity (nearness or closeness (in relationship)) to the Chinese government, but it did not point to (indicate, suggest, denote, signal, signify) any specific article on the site that amounted to (be equal to, be equivalent to, be tantamount to, represent) illegal propaganda against India. Government representatives (official, spokesperson, agency) first engaged in a systematic (planned, methodical, routine, regular, consistent) vilification (criticism, censure, condemnation, abuse, defamation, verbal onslaught, verbal attack, tirade, tongue-lashing) and disinformation (misinformation, false information, alternative fact, fake news, false rumour) campaign (an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group) against the site based on this article. Tuesday’s actions seem driven (force, impel, pressure, prompt, urge) by an impulse (urge, drive, need, desire, compulsion) to scapegoat (to blame someone for the wrongdoings/faults that someone else has done) a media outlet (an organization (related to journalism)) and to bring about (cause, result in, lead to, bring on, give rise to, produce), therefore, a chilling effect on critical journalism. No government can or should so brazenly (blatantly, clearly, fragrantly, unashamedly, shamelessly) target journalists solely (only, merely, just) based on suspicion (doubt, qualm, distrust, mistrust, misgiving, apprehension, lack of faith/confidence) about its funding and thereby (as a result of that) undermine (weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage) the freedom of expression (the ability of an individual or group of individuals to express their beliefs, thoughts, ideas, and emotions about different issues free from government censorship, restraint, or legal penalty), which is guaranteed (support, back, vouch for, give a formal assurance) under the Constitution (body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter). Mr. Purkayastha was arrested and kept in jail during the Emergency (In India, “The Emergency” refers to a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country. Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution because of the prevailing “internal disturbance”, the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977) in 1975 under the draconian Maintenance of Internal Security Act, on trumped up charges, when he was a student-activist (a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause)) at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Today, history seems to be repeating itself, but without even the fig leaf ((figuratively) something that is used to hide an embarrassing situation or problem; disguise, camouflage, cover-up, shield, facade, veneer) of a declared Emergency.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.intolerant (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असहिष्णु
English Meaning - narrow-minded, dogmatic, illiberal, unsympathetic, discriminatory, biased, prejudiced.

2.critical (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - आलोचनात्मक, गंभीर
English Meaning - evaluative, commentative, analytic, interpretative; censorious, condemning, castigatory, reproving, disapproving, criticizing.

3.regime (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशासन
English Meaning - government.

4.vendetta (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिशोध
English Meaning - prolonged feud/bitterness; revenge, vengeance.

5.harassment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्पीड़न
English Meaning - oppression, victimization, persecution, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation.

6.thus far (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अब तक
English Meaning - until now, up to this point, hitherto.

7.disclose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - खुलासा करना, स्पष्ट करना
English Meaning - reveal, unfold, tell, communicate, make public, bring to light, show, uncover, display.

8.allegation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप
English Meaning - accusation, charge, indictment.

9.draconian (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कठोर
English Meaning - (of laws or punishments) extremely harsh, severe, strict, stringent, tough, oppressive.

10.provision (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रावधान
English Meaning - clause, condition, stipulation, requirement, term.

11.Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गैरकानूनी गतिविधियां अधिनियम
English Meaning - an Indian law aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India.

12.reportedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कथित तौर पर
English Meaning - apparently, allegedly, evidently, seemingly, supposedly, ostensibly, purportedly.

13.propaganda (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रचार करना
English Meaning - the (deliberate & systemic) spreading of information (facts, ideas, rumours or lies) to influence public opinion.

14.first information report (FIR) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रथम सूचना रिपोर्ट
English Meaning - a written document prepared by the police when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence.

15.offence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अपराध
English Meaning - crime, wrongdoing, illegal act, misdeed; breach, violation of the law.

16.chilling (adjective)

English Meaning - frightening, terrifying, disturbing/horrifying.

17.smack of (verb)

English Meaning - suggest, hint at, have a suggestion of, give the impression of, seem like, be a sign of something (bad/unpleasant).

18.brazen (adjective)

English Meaning - blatant/flagrant; bold and shameless; unashamed, unembarrassed.

19.merit (verb)

English Meaning - justify, warrant, entitle, authorize.

20.bring to light (phrase)

English Meaning - reveal, disclose, expose, uncover, lay bare, unveil, manifest.

21.allegedly (adverb)

English Meaning - apparently, seemingly, ostensibly, supposedly, purportedly.

22.pro- (prefix)

English Meaning - supporting.

23.particular (noun)

English Meaning - detail, point, specific, aspect.

24.charge (verb)

English Meaning - accuse of, blame for, indict for, prosecute for.

25.subject to (verb)

English Meaning - put through, expose to, lay open to, submit to, treat with.

26.seize (verb)

English Meaning - take away (by legal right/warrant); take over, take possession of, confiscate, commandeer.

27.scrutiny (noun)

English Meaning - examination, inspection, investigation.

28.Enforcement Directorate (ED) (noun)

English Meaning - Directorate of Enforcement is a specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It was established in the year 1956 with its Headquarters at New Delhi. It is responsible for enforcement of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) (Civil Law) and certain provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) (Criminal Law).

29.seizure (noun)

English Meaning - taking way (by legal right/warrant); confiscation, appropriation, impounding, commandeering.

30.charge sheet (noun)

English Meaning - an official document on which a police officer enters details of the charge against a person.

31.prima facie (adjective)

English Meaning - “It is a Latin expression meaning ‘at first sight/look/view’, at firs appearance, based on first impression. It may be used as an adjective meaning ‘sufficient to establish a fact or raise a presumption unless disproved or rebutted’. It is used for a belief that is accepted as correct until proven otherwise; It literally means ‘at first face’.

32.in favour of (phrase)

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

33.interim (adjective)

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

34.dismiss (verb)

English Meaning - reject, deny, disregard, shrug off, set aside.

35.trigger (noun)

English Meaning - reason, cause.

36.apparently (adverb)

English Meaning - seemingly, allegedly, professedly, supposedly, purportedly.

37.motive (noun)

English Meaning - reason, rationale, cause, grounds.

38.allege (verb)

English Meaning - charge, accuse, claim, contend, assert, affirm, argue, state, insist.

39.proximity (noun)

English Meaning - nearness or closeness (in relationship).

40.point to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - indicate, suggest, denote, signal, signify.

41.amount to (verb)

English Meaning - be equal to, be equivalent to, be tantamount to, represent.

42.representative (noun)

English Meaning - official, spokesperson, agency.

43.systematic (adjective)

English Meaning - planned, methodical, routine, regular, consistent.

44.vilification (noun)

English Meaning - criticism, censure, condemnation, abuse, defamation, verbal onslaught, verbal attack, tirade, tongue-lashing.

45.disinformation (noun)

English Meaning - misinformation, false information, alternative fact, fake news, false rumour.

46.campaign (noun)

English Meaning - an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.

47.drive (verb)

English Meaning - force, impel, pressure, prompt, urge.

48.impulse (noun)

English Meaning - urge, drive, need, desire, compulsion.

49.scapegoat (verb)

English Meaning - to blame someone for the wrongdoings/faults that someone else has done.

50.outlet (noun)

English Meaning - an organization (related to journalism).

51.bring about (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause, result in, lead to, bring on, give rise to, produce.

52.brazenly (adverb)

English Meaning - blatantly, clearly, fragrantly, unashamedly, shamelessly.

53.solely (adverb)

English Meaning - only, merely, just.

54.suspicion (noun)

English Meaning - doubt, qualm, distrust, mistrust, misgiving, apprehension, lack of faith/confidence.

55.thereby (adverb)

English Meaning - as a result of that.

56.undermine (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.

57.freedom of expression (noun)

English Meaning - the ability of an individual or group of individuals to express their beliefs, thoughts, ideas, and emotions about different issues free from government censorship, restraint, or legal penalty.

58.guarantee (verb)

English Meaning - support, back, vouch for, give a formal assurance.

59.The Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - India, also known as Bharat, is a Union of States. It is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950.

60.constitution (noun)

English Meaning - body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter.

61.The Emergency (noun)

English Meaning - In India, “The Emergency” refers to a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country. Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution because of the prevailing “internal disturbance”, the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977.

62.The Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) , 1971 (noun)

English Meaning - An Act to provide for detention in certain cases for the purpose of maintenance of ,internal security and matters connected therewith.

63.trumped-up (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a wrong or incorrect accusation/allegation; fabricated, unproven, unconfirmed, deceitful, incorrect.

64.activist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause).

65.fig leaf (noun)

English Meaning - (figuratively) something that is used to hide an embarrassing situation or problem; disguise, camouflage, cover-up, shield, facade, veneer.