The Hindu Editorial : February 26, 2019
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The Hindu Editorial : February 26, 2019
Dear Banking Aspirants,
THE HINDU EDITORIAL – February 26, 2018, is one of the must-read section for the competitive exams like NIACL AO Prelims Exam, IBPS SO Mains Exam. These topics are widely expected to be asked in the reading comprehension, Cloze Test or Error Detection in the forthcoming exams. So gear up your Exam preparation and learn new words daily.
Pushing boundaries: on Balakot air strikes
The air strikes have delivered a clear, robust message; the follow-up must be restrained
The Indian Air Force’s strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot delivers a robust but calibrated message. The latter is manifest in New Delhi’s diplomatic utterances. While the strikes followed the Pulwama attack by a couple of weeks, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale referred to the action as a “non-military pre-emptive strike”. The phrase indicates the action was based on an assessment of an imminent threat, and had ensured that Pakistan’s military personnel and infrastructure were not targeted, and civilian casualties were actively avoided. In effect, New Delhi’s line is that the operation was an intelligence-driven counter-terror strike rather than escalatory military aggression. The government said all other options had been exhausted in making Islamabad keep its commitments since 2004 on curbing the activities of groups like the JeM. There is no denying that the decision to send Mirage jets across the Line of Control (LoC) to fire missiles 70 km inside Pakistan represents a major shift. During the Kargil war in 1999, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had drawn a red line over the IAF crossing the LoC, to avoid international recrimination. This strike was carried out in Pakistani territory, not in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the theatre for retaliatory action in the past. It is still to be determined how far the JeM has been set back, but the strikes mark a new chapter with New Delhi’s willingness to push the war against terror into Pakistan territory. The government has judged, perhaps correctly, that global opinion has shifted and there is little tolerance today for terror groups that continue to find shelter on Pakistan soil. Significantly, with the exception of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, there has been no global criticism of India’s statement on the strikes, and most have just counselled restraint to both countries.
In Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for a joint session of Parliament and for its diplomats to raise the matter at international fora. He has convened a meeting of the National Command Authority that oversees Pakistan’s nuclear policy. However, Pakistan’s options are limited. It could continue to deny that the Indian strike caused any damage on the ground, and obviate the need for retaliatory strikes; or it could escalate the situation with a military response. It could also make a break from its past, and begin to shut down the terror camps on its soil, which would win friends internationally and ensure peace in the region. The Modi government would do well to continue the restrained approach it has adopted after the latest operation, and avoid the triumphalism that clouded the ‘surgical strikes’ of September 2016. With a response to Pulwama duly executed, it must reach out to residents of J&K who have borne the brunt of the jingoism unleashed after Pulwama. In the long term, building strong counter-terror defences, partnering with its own citizens to gather intelligence, and creating deterrents will be key.
B) Decolonising Chagos
Britain must honour the ICJ opinion on returning the islands to Mauritius
The stunning opinion of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, that Britain’s continued administration of the Chagos archipelago is unlawful, is a landmark in the effort to decolonise the Indian Ocean and return the islands to Mauritius. Britain’s reaction, however, was predictable and disappointing. It said the ICJ’s is an advisory opinion it will examine, and stressed the security significance of the islands. Since the late-1960s, the U.S. has maintained a military base on one of them, Diego Garcia. In 2016, Britain extended the lease to the U.S. till 2036 even as it said it would return the islands to Mauritius when no longer needed for defence purposes. Mauritius has made it clear that it does not intend to jeopardise the future of the military base. The agreement to allow Britain to administer the Chagos islands came in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence. Mauritius says Britain had made it a pre-condition for independence. This was endorsed by the ICJ, which noted that given the imbalance between the two, the agreement did not amount to “freely expressed and genuine will”. It is a damning assessment of colonial legacies and the attempt by former colonial powers to justify or ignore the indefensible on the basis of ‘agreements’.
Britain has tried to block Mauritius’s claim to the islands at every stage, first by attempting to defeat a UN General Assembly vote in 2017 calling on the ICJ to deliver its opinion. When it lost this, London questioned the court’s jurisdiction and Mauritius’s version of how the deal had been thrashed out. However, Mauritius has had many countries on its side, including India. In written and oral submissions before the court, India has insisted that historical facts were not with Britain’s interpretation and that its continued administration of the islands meant the process of decolonisation had not been completed. In an ideal world, Britain would be compelled to hand the islands to Mauritius. However, as the opinion against the construction of the separation wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2003 demonstrates, ICJ advisories are not always acted on. At the very least, Britain should show it respects the court’s view and Mauritius’s sovereignty, and make significant concessions — starting with matters ranging from fishing rights to compensation for the Chagossians, who have suffered through all of this. The ICJ ‘opinion’ draws the line on what is expected from Britain for it to be a global nation in tune with the new world order. It announces that the world has moved on from passive acceptance of the injustices of empire.
VOCABULARY
1) calibrated
Meaning : (of an instrument) marked with a scale of readings(adj).
Tamil Meaning : சீரமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது
Synonyms : adjust
Antonyms : ignore
Example : “the position of a pointer on a calibrated scale”
2) manifest
Meaning : clear or obvious to the eye or mind(adj).
Synonyms : palpable
Antonyms : hidden
Example : “her manifest charm and proven ability”
3) diplomatic
Meaning : of or concerning diplomacy(adj).
Synonyms : gracious
Antonyms : rude
Example : “diplomatic relations with Britain were broken”
4) pre-emptive
Meaning : serving or intended to pre-empt or forestall something, especially to prevent attack by disabling the enemy(adj).
Tamil Meaning : முன்கூட்டிய
Synonyms : preventative
Antonyms : reactive
Example : “a pre-emptive strike”
5) imminent
Meaning : about to happen(adj).
Tamil Meaning : உடனடி
Synonyms : immediate
Antonyms : avoidable
Example : “they were in imminent danger of being swept away”
6) ensured
Meaning : make certain that (something) will occur or be the case(v).
Tamil Meaning : உறுதி
Synonyms : assure
Antonyms : endanger
Example : “the client must ensure that accurate records are kept”
7) escalatory
Meaning : increase rapidly(v).
Tamil Meaning : அதிகரிக்கும்
Synonyms : mount
Antonyms : decline
Example : “the price of tickets escalated”
8) aggression
Meaning : feelings of anger or antipathy resulting in hostile or violent behaviour(n); readiness to attack or confront.
Tamil Meaning : ஆக்கிரமிப்பு
Synonyms : assault
Example : “his chin was jutting with aggression”
9) exhausted
Meaning : (of resources or reserves) completely used up(adj).
Tamil Meaning : தீர்ந்துவிட்டது
Synonyms : disabled
Antonyms : active
Example : “Kirov spat, his patience suddenly exhausted”
10) curbing
Meaning : restrain or keep in check(v).
Tamil Meaning : கட்டுப்படுத்து
Synonyms : barrier
Antonyms : inside
Example : “she promised she would curb her temper”
11) retaliatory
Meaning : (of an action) characterized by a desire for revenge(adj).
Tamil Meaning : பதிலடி
Synonyms : penal
Antonyms : beneficial
Example : “fears of a retaliatory attack by the victim’s friends”
12) restraint
Meaning : a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control(n).
Synonyms : caution
Antonyms : assistance
Example : “decisions are made within the financial restraints of the budget”
13) convened
Meaning : come or bring together for a meeting or activity; assemble(v).
Tamil Meaning : கூட்டப்பட்ட
Synonyms : gather
Antonyms : disperse
Example : “he had convened a secret meeting of military personnel”
14) obviate
Meaning : remove (a need or difficulty)(v).
Tamil Meaning : அகற்றிட
Synonyms : preclude
Antonyms : support
Example : “the presence of roller blinds obviated the need for curtains”
15) unleashed
Meaning : release (a dog) from a leash(v).
Synonyms : free
Antonyms : hold
Example : “they dig up badger setts and unleash terriers into them”
16) deterrents
Meaning : a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something(n).
Synonyms : hindrance
Antonyms : assistance
Example : “cameras are a major deterrent to crime”
17) predictable
Meaning : able to be predicted(adj).
Tamil Meaning : யூகிக்கக்கூடிய
Synonyms : certain
Antonyms : improbable
Example : “the market is volatile and never predictable”
18) intend
Meaning : have (a course of action) as one’s purpose or intention; plan(v).
Synonyms : contemplate
Antonyms : disbelieve
Example : “the company intends to cut 400 jobs”
19) endorsed
Meaning : declare one’s public approval or support of.
Tamil Meaning : ஒப்புதல்
Synonyms : approved
Antonyms : discouraged
Example : “the report was endorsed by the college”
20) damning
Meaning : (of a circumstance or piece of evidence) strongly suggesting guilt or error(adj).
Synonyms : incriminating
Example : “I was innocent but the evidence was damning”
21) assessment
Meaning : the action of assessing someone or something.
Tamil Meaning : மதிப்பீடு
Synonyms : estimate
Example : “the assessment of educational needs”
22) thrashed
Meaning : beat (a person or animal) repeatedly and violently with a stick or whip(v).
Synonyms : crush
Antonyms : inspirit
Example : “she thrashed him across the head and shoulders”
23) interpretation
Meaning : the action of explaining the meaning of something(n).
Synonyms : analysis
Antonyms : complication
Example : “the interpretation of data”
24) concessions
Meaning : a thing that is granted, especially in response to demands(n).
Synonyms : permit
Antonyms : denial
Example : “the government was unwilling to make any further concessions”
25) sovereignty
Meaning : supreme power or authority(n).
Synonyms : dominance
Antonyms : submission
Example : “the sovereignty of Parliament”
26) insisted
Meaning : demand something forcefully, not accepting refusal(v).
Tamil Meaning : வலியுறுத்தினார்
Synonyms : assert
Antonyms : abandon
Example : “she insisted on carrying her own bag”
27) indefensible
Meaning : not justifiable by argument(adj).
Synonyms : untenable
Antonyms : defensible
Example : “this behaviour is morally indefensible”
28) colonise
Meaning : send settlers to (a place) and establish political control over it(v).
Synonyms : conquer
Antonyms : stay
Example : “the Greeks colonized Sicily and southern Italy”
29) determined
Meaning : having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it(adj).
Synonyms : decisive
Antonyms : irresolute
Example : “Alina was determined to be heard”
30) restrained
Meaning : characterized by reserve or moderation; unemotional or dispassionate(adj).
Synonyms : discreet
Antonyms : extroverted
Example : “his restrained, gentlemanly voice”
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : FEBRUARY 25, 2019
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