State of exception: On India, the UN CERD report

India must not normalise (सामान्य बनाना, स्वीकार्य बना देना) a culture (संस्कृति, सामाजिक वातावरण) of discrimination (भेदभाव, पक्षपातपूर्ण व्यवहार)

In its first review by the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) since 2007, India has elicited an expression of “grave concern” about reports of the law enforcement apparatus resorting to (का सहारा लेना, अपनाना) violence — physical and otherwise — against minority ethnic (जातीय, जातीय समुदाय से संबंधित) and ethno-religious groups, Dalits, and non-citizens (गैर-नागरिक) over the years. The Committee also noted that India, which ratified (अनुमोदन करना, पुष्टि करना) the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1968, has not provided detailed and updated information about the state’s inquiries and sanctions arising from (से उत्पन्न होना, के कारण उत्पन्न होना) allegations (आरोप, अभिकथन) of such violence (हिंसा). While the government has told CERD that caste bias (पक्षपात, पूर्वाग्रह) falls (की श्रेणी में आना, के अंतर्गत आना) outside Article 1 of the convention because caste is not synonymous (समानार्थी, समान अर्थ वाला) with race (नस्ल, मानव जातीय समूह), CERD has allowed all forms of discrimination based on inherited (derived genetically from one’s parents or ancestors, or passed down by tradition; congenital, ancestral, innate, generational) status. The Committee’s concerns also span (extend across a range of subjects; cover, encompass, bridge, cross) the practice (custom, habit, tradition, routine) of manual cleaning of sewers despite a law banning it; hate speech against, poor living conditions of, and the mass refoulement of Rohingya Muslims; (a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnic group predominantly from Rakhine State, Myanmar, who have faced extreme persecution and military crackdowns, forcing millions to flee as refugees) the mass deprivation (impoverishment, destitution, disadvantage, dispossession) of citizenship via the National Register of Citizens; (an official register containing names of all genuine Indian citizens; it was updated in Assam in 2019 under Supreme Court supervision to identify illegal immigrants) large-scale deletions from the Special Intensive Revisions (focused administrative exercises undertaken by the Election Commission of India to rigorously update, correct, and verify electoral rolls before elections) of electoral rolls; (voter list, voting register, electoral register, polling list) the government’s use of the FCRA (an Indian law originally enacted in 1976 and substantially modified in 2010 and 2020, regulating the acceptance and utilization of foreign donations to safeguard national interests), UAPA (India’s principal anti-terrorism law enacted in 1967, which provides special procedures to handle terrorist activities and grants expansive investigative powers to state agencies), AFSPA (a 1958 Indian legislation that grants sweeping powers and legal immunity to armed forces operating in regions officially designated as “disturbed areas”), and PMLA (a 2002 Indian criminal law enacted to prevent money laundering and to provide for the confiscation of property derived from such illicit activities) instruments (tool, mechanism, apparatus, medium) to hamper the work of civil society organisations; the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita not expressly criminalising racist (prejudiced, discriminatory, biased, bigoted) hate speech; and the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act (a 2023 legislation that amended the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980, notably exempting certain strategic and national security-related projects near borders from requiring prior forest clearance) exempting (free a person or organization from an obligation or liability imposed on others; release, excuse, absolve, spare) “national security” projects from consultative (advisory, communicative, deliberative, participatory) decision-making.

Given (taking into account or considering a particular situation; considering, bearing in mind, in view of, keeping in mind) these issues and the fragmented recourse available, the lack of suitably disaggregated data on disenfranchised communities, including due to (because of, owing to, as a result of, thanks to) a much-delayed (highly postponed, overdue, long-awaited, protracted) Census (the comprehensive decennial enumeration of the Indian population; the most recent exercise was due in 2021 but remains indefinitely delayed) and the slow release (publication, issuance, issuing, unveiling) of NCRB (an Indian government agency established in 1986 under the Ministry of Home Affairs, responsible for collecting and analysing crime data across the country) data, has transcended the bounds of administrative lethargy to actively impeding (hinder, obstruct, hamper, delay) independent (free from outside control or not subject to another’s authority; objective, impartial, unbiased, neutral) checks of India’s claims (an assertion that something is true, typically without providing proof; assertion, declaration, statement, allegation) about fighting caste- and faith-based (affiliated with, supported by, or based on a religion or religious group; religious, spiritual, sectarian, theological) discrimination. In fact (actually, really, in reality, indeed), India has been implementing (put a decision, plan, or agreement into effect; execute, apply, enact, carry out) “special measures (specific targeted actions or policies aimed at addressing a particular issue or uplifting groups; targeted policy, specific action, intervention, affirmative policy)” based on 2011 Census data, which could mask (hide, conceal, cover up, obscure) a regression (a return to a former or less developed state; decline, deterioration, retreat, retrogression) in the socioeconomic status of Scheduled Tribes and Adivasis. Together with (in combination with; along with, in conjunction with, alongside, combined with) the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions recommending the downgrade of the NHRC last year, following the government appointing police officers to investigative roles and a lack of pluralism, CERD is effectively (practically, virtually, essentially, successfully) stepping into (assume a role, take over a responsibility, or enter a situation; intervene in, enter, take on, take over) a vacuum (void, gap, emptiness, absence). The road ahead (the future or the series of events that will happen next; future prospect, way forward, coming days, path forward) remains clear, from restoring (re-establish, reinstate, bring back, rebuild) the NHRC’s independence (autonomy, self-governance, freedom, sovereignty) and criminalising hate speech to supportive affirmative action (active effort to improve employment and educational opportunities for members of groups that have been discriminated against; positive discrimination, equal opportunity policy, reservation, quota system), collecting and publishing disaggregated data, and improving the transparency (openness, accountability, clarity, forthrightness) of the electoral roll revisions, and strengthening (reinforce, fortify, bolster, consolidate) enforcement (the act of compelling observance of or compliance with a law or rule; imposition, implementation, execution, application) overall. But if the government’s attempted use of a technicality to keep the issues of 200 million Dalits a “domestic matter” and avoid international accountability (responsibility, liability, answerability, culpability) — and its dismissal (rejection, repudiation, brush-off, discarding) of CERD’s concerns as politically motivated (done for political reasons, often to gain political advantage rather than for the public good; partisan, biased, factional, calculating) — is any guide, the task continues to fall to (become the duty or responsibility of a particular person or group; be the responsibility of, devolve upon, be down to, rest with) civil society (society considered as a community of citizens linked by common interests, existing outside government and business; public sphere, non-governmental sector, citizens’ groups, civic community) to exert (apply or bring to bear; exercise, apply, wield, utilize) influence (power, sway, leverage, weight) in multilateral (agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially governments of different countries; international, multi-nation, global, combined) fora and sustain (maintain, prolong, keep up, continue) political, legal, and administrative (encompassing the varied dimensions of government operations, including governance, judicial systems, and bureaucratic implementation; governmental, bureaucratic, systemic, institutional) resistance (the refusal to accept or comply with something; opposition, defiance, pushback, confrontation) to government choices that normalise India’s sadly (unfortunately, regrettably, tragically, unhappily) widespread (extensive, prevalent, pervasive, ubiquitous) culture of discrimination of all sorts (a great variety of different things; all kinds, various types, diverse varieties, wide array).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.state of exception (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - आपातकालीन स्थिति, असाधारण स्थिति
English Meaning - a concept where the government (state) suspends normal laws to handle severe crises, often expanding its power; suspension of law, emergency state, constitutional exception, state of emergency.

2.normalise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सामान्य बनाना, स्वीकार्य बना देना
English Meaning - regularise, standardize, accept, legitimize.

3.culture (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संस्कृति, सामाजिक वातावरण
English Meaning - the prevailing ideas, customs, and social behaviour in a particular environment; atmosphere, environment, ethos, climate.

4.discrimination (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भेदभाव, पक्षपातपूर्ण व्यवहार
English Meaning - the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, caste, or religion; prejudice, bias, bigotry, inequity.

5.resort to (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - का सहारा लेना, अपनाना
English Meaning - fall back on, turn to, make use of, rely on.

6.violence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हिंसा
English Meaning - brutality, ferocity, aggression, savagery.

7.ethnic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - जातीय, जातीय समुदाय से संबंधित
English Meaning - relating to a population subgroup with a common national or cultural tradition; racial, cultural, tribal, indigenous.

8.non-citizen (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गैर-नागरिक
English Meaning - a person who is not recognized as a legal citizen of the country in which they are residing; alien, foreigner, outsider, immigrant.

9.ratify (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अनुमोदन करना, पुष्टि करना
English Meaning - approve, confirm, endorse, sanction.

10.arise from (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - से उत्पन्न होना, के कारण उत्पन्न होना
English Meaning - occur as a result of something; stem from, originate from, result from, emerge from.

11.allegation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप, अभिकथन
English Meaning - charge, accusation, claim, assertion.

12.bias (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पक्षपात, पूर्वाग्रह
English Meaning - prejudice, partiality, partisanship, unfairness.

13.fall (verb)

Hindi Meaning - की श्रेणी में आना, के अंतर्गत आना
English Meaning - be classified or considered in a particular category; belong, fit, be categorized, be included.

14.synonymous (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - समानार्थी, समान अर्थ वाला
English Meaning - having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or phrase; equivalent, identical, interchangeable, alike.

15.race (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नस्ल, मानव जातीय समूह
English Meaning - a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a society; ethnicity, origin, descent, ancestry.

16.inherited (adjective)

English Meaning - derived genetically from one’s parents or ancestors, or passed down by tradition; congenital, ancestral, innate, generational.

17.span (verb)

English Meaning - extend across a range of subjects; cover, encompass, bridge, cross.

18.practice (noun)

English Meaning - custom, habit, tradition, routine.

19.the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UN CERD) (noun)

English Meaning - an independent body of human rights experts established in 1969 to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

20.Article 1 of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (noun)

English Meaning - the introductory provision of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which defines “racial discrimination” as any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race, colour, descent, or ethnic origin.

21.Rohingya Muslims (noun)

English Meaning - a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnic group predominantly from Rakhine State, Myanmar, who have faced extreme persecution and military crackdowns, forcing millions to flee as refugees.

22.deprivation (noun)

English Meaning - impoverishment, destitution, disadvantage, dispossession.

23.National Register of Citizens (NRC) (noun)

English Meaning - an official register containing names of all genuine Indian citizens; it was updated in Assam in 2019 under Supreme Court supervision to identify illegal immigrants.

24.Special Intensive Revisions (SIR) (noun)

English Meaning - focused administrative exercises undertaken by the Election Commission of India to rigorously update, correct, and verify electoral rolls before elections.

25.electoral roll (noun)

English Meaning - voter list, voting register, electoral register, polling list.

26.Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) (noun)

English Meaning - an Indian law originally enacted in 1976 and substantially modified in 2010 and 2020, regulating the acceptance and utilization of foreign donations to safeguard national interests.

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

English Meaning - India’s principal anti-terrorism law enacted in 1967, which provides special procedures to handle terrorist activities and grants expansive investigative powers to state agencies.

28.Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) (noun)

English Meaning - a 1958 Indian legislation that grants sweeping powers and legal immunity to armed forces operating in regions officially designated as “disturbed areas”.

29.Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) (noun)

English Meaning - a 2002 Indian criminal law enacted to prevent money laundering and to provide for the confiscation of property derived from such illicit activities.

30.instrument (noun)

English Meaning - tool, mechanism, apparatus, medium.

31.racist (adjective)

English Meaning - prejudiced, discriminatory, biased, bigoted.

32.Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act (noun)

English Meaning - a 2023 legislation that amended the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980, notably exempting certain strategic and national security-related projects near borders from requiring prior forest clearance.

33.exempt (verb)

English Meaning - free a person or organization from an obligation or liability imposed on others; release, excuse, absolve, spare.

34.consultative (adjective)

English Meaning - advisory, communicative, deliberative, participatory.

35.given (preposition)

English Meaning - taking into account or considering a particular situation; considering, bearing in mind, in view of, keeping in mind.

36.due to (phrase)

English Meaning - because of, owing to, as a result of, thanks to.

37.much-delayed (adjective)

English Meaning - highly postponed, overdue, long-awaited, protracted.

38.Census (noun)

English Meaning - the comprehensive decennial enumeration of the Indian population; the most recent exercise was due in 2021 but remains indefinitely delayed.

39.release (noun)

English Meaning - publication, issuance, issuing, unveiling.

40.National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) (noun)

English Meaning - an Indian government agency established in 1986 under the Ministry of Home Affairs, responsible for collecting and analysing crime data across the country.

41.impede (verb)

English Meaning - hinder, obstruct, hamper, delay.

42.independent (adjective)

English Meaning - free from outside control or not subject to another’s authority; objective, impartial, unbiased, neutral.

43.claim (noun)

English Meaning - an assertion that something is true, typically without providing proof; assertion, declaration, statement, allegation.

44.faith-based (adjective)

English Meaning - affiliated with, supported by, or based on a religion or religious group; religious, spiritual, sectarian, theological.

45.in fact (phrase)

English Meaning - actually, really, in reality, indeed.

46.implement (verb)

English Meaning - put a decision, plan, or agreement into effect; execute, apply, enact, carry out.

47.special measure (noun)

English Meaning - specific targeted actions or policies aimed at addressing a particular issue or uplifting groups; targeted policy, specific action, intervention, affirmative policy.

48.mask (verb)

English Meaning - hide, conceal, cover up, obscure.

49.regression (noun)

English Meaning - a return to a former or less developed state; decline, deterioration, retreat, retrogression.

50.together with (phrase)

English Meaning - in combination with; along with, in conjunction with, alongside, combined with.

51.effectively (adverb)

English Meaning - practically, virtually, essentially, successfully.

52.step into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - assume a role, take over a responsibility, or enter a situation; intervene in, enter, take on, take over.

53.vacuum (noun)

English Meaning - void, gap, emptiness, absence.

54.road ahead (phrase)

English Meaning - the future or the series of events that will happen next; future prospect, way forward, coming days, path forward.

55.restore (verb)

English Meaning - re-establish, reinstate, bring back, rebuild.

56.independence (noun)

English Meaning - autonomy, self-governance, freedom, sovereignty.

57.affirmative action (noun)

English Meaning - active effort to improve employment and educational opportunities for members of groups that have been discriminated against; positive discrimination, equal opportunity policy, reservation, quota system.

58.transparency (noun)

English Meaning - openness, accountability, clarity, forthrightness.

59.strengthen (verb)

English Meaning - reinforce, fortify, bolster, consolidate.

60.enforcement (noun)

English Meaning - the act of compelling observance of or compliance with a law or rule; imposition, implementation, execution, application.

61.accountability (noun)

English Meaning - responsibility, liability, answerability, culpability.

62.dismissal (noun)

English Meaning - rejection, repudiation, brush-off, discarding.

63.politically motivated (adjective)

English Meaning - done for political reasons, often to gain political advantage rather than for the public good; partisan, biased, factional, calculating.

64.fall to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - become the duty or responsibility of a particular person or group; be the responsibility of, devolve upon, be down to, rest with.

65.civil society (noun)

English Meaning - society considered as a community of citizens linked by common interests, existing outside government and business; public sphere, non-governmental sector, citizens’ groups, civic community.

66.exert (verb)

English Meaning - apply or bring to bear; exercise, apply, wield, utilize.

67.influence (noun)

English Meaning - power, sway, leverage, weight.

68.multilateral (adjective)

English Meaning - agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially governments of different countries; international, multi-nation, global, combined.

69.forum (noun)

English Meaning - assembly, conference, platform, gathering.

70.sustain (verb)

English Meaning - maintain, prolong, keep up, continue.

71.political, legal, and administrative (phrase)

English Meaning - encompassing the varied dimensions of government operations, including governance, judicial systems, and bureaucratic implementation; governmental, bureaucratic, systemic, institutional.

72.resistance (noun)

English Meaning - the refusal to accept or comply with something; opposition, defiance, pushback, confrontation.

73.sadly (adverb)

English Meaning - unfortunately, regrettably, tragically, unhappily.

74.widespread (adjective)

English Meaning - extensive, prevalent, pervasive, ubiquitous.

75.all sorts (phrase)

English Meaning - a great variety of different things; all kinds, various types, diverse varieties, wide array.