THE HINDU EDITORIAL : MARCH 12, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : MARCH 12, 2018
a) A welcome quietus: on Hadiya case verdict
Hadiya has at last won her freedom. The curious aspect of her case is that it took such a long time for the courts to acknowledge that the 25-year-old woman from Kerala enjoys as much freedom of choice in her marriage as in her religious belief. The Kerala High Court had caused quite a muddle when it annulled her marriage solely on the suspicion that it was a ruse to scuttle habeas corpus proceedings before it. On her father’s complaint that she had been indoctrinated and brainwashed into embracing Islam, and his fear that she was a victim of a movement to convert Hindu women and send them to overseas battle zones, the high court ordered her confinement in her parents’ home. The Supreme Court’s categorical ruling that the high court was wrong in invalidating a marriage under its writ jurisdiction constitutes a welcome end to the unjustified curtailment of her freedom of movement and her life choices. The verdict, for which detailed reasons are yet to be pronounced, restores the liberty of Ms. Hadiya, who chose to convert to Islam more than a year ago and later married a Muslim man. Last November, the apex court had freed her from her parents’ custody and allowed her to complete her internship as part of a homoeopathy course she had taken up in Tamil Nadu. However, even this was somewhat unsatisfactory, as it appeared to be a compromise between being in parental custody and being allowed to live with her husband.
It is possible that her father, K.M. Asokan, was gripped by fear as her conversion came amid reports of radical groups recruiting young people on behalf of the Islamic State. The high court did not question her conversion, but suspected the veracity of her claim that she was married, as it happened in a day’s break between hearings. However, these facts were not enough for the court to annul the marriage and label it a “sham”. The court made odd observations on how a woman’s marriage requires the involvement of her parents and that Ms. Hadiya was “at a vulnerable age”. Even in the Supreme Court, Ms. Hadiya could explain to the judges that she stood by her marriage to Shafin Jahan only after other parties had advanced arguments on “indoctrination” and “conspiracy” and the National Investigation Agency had its say. Finally, the court has now given primacy to her view. The implications of her ordeal are disquieting: it is not difficult in this country to question the life choices of an adult woman by casting doubts on her volition and personal autonomy, and her freedom to choose her way of life can sometimes be judicially curtailed. While a lawful investigation into organised recruitment by radical groups must not be impeded, courts should strive even harder to protect personal freedoms without being swayed by mere suspicion.
b) Saving Ghouta
The agreement reached between armed groups in Eastern Ghouta and a UN delegation to evacuate some militants from the besieged enclave is the first major concession the rebels have made since Syrian government attacks began a month ago. Under the deal, the Jaish al-Islam, the main rebel group, will evacuate militants linked to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly an al-Qaeda front, from Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus. HTS militants will go to Idlib, a province in northwestern Syria run by the rebels, mainly the HTS. Over the past month, the rebels had refused to strike any deal with the regime even after repeated bombardment. At least 1,000 people have been killed in one month, with the UN warning of an “apocalypse” in Syria. The regime’s argument was that it was seeking to liberate Eastern Ghouta from terrorist occupation. But about 400,000 people are stuck in the enclave; some reports say the rebels are using them as human shields. But the regime and its Russian backers are paying little attention to human suffering. Last month, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta. Thereafter, the Syrian government eased the siege of the city, allowing aid groups to supply assistance. But the ceasefire is yet to take effect. The Russians, who voted for the resolution at the Security Council, continued to justify attacks by citing the presence of the HTS, which is linked to an internationally designated terrorist organisation.
With HTS fighters now being evacuated, it is an opportunity for Russia and the Syrian regime to cease hostilities and engage with the other armed groups, including Jaish and Faylaq al-Rahman, an affiliate of the Free Syrian Army. Both the rebels and the government can learn from the battle for eastern Aleppo, which regime forces captured in late 2016. After the rebels ran out of all options in the face of continued Syrian/Russian assaults, both from land and air, they finally decided to leave the city under Turkish mediation, handing it over to government forces. The battle for Eastern Ghouta bears an eerie similarity to that of eastern Aleppo. In Ghouta, the rebels do not have any meaningful support coming from outside that could allow them to resist regime forces. What they do now to deter regime advances is to shell the government-controlled parts of Damascus and its suburbs, killing more civilians and giving further reason for the regime to justify its military operations. This will only prolong the conflict, endangering civilians on both sides. Given the Aleppo example and the reality on the ground in Eastern Ghouta, the sooner the government forces and the armed gangs reach an agreement for evacuation, the better it will be for the hundreds of thousands of people in the enclave.
WORDS/ VOCABULARY
1) Muddle
Meaning: Bring into a disordered or confusing state.
Example: “They were muddling up the cards”
Synonyms: Confuse, Mix up, Jumble
2) Annulled
Meaning: Declare invalid (an official agreement, decision, or result).
Example: “The elections were annulled by the general amid renewed protests”
Synonyms: Declare invalid, Declare null and void
Antonyms: Restore, Enact
3) Ruse
Meaning: An action intended to deceive someone; a trick.
Example: “Emma tried to think of a ruse to get Paul out of the house”
Synonyms: Ploy, Stratagem
4) Scuttle
Meaning: Run hurriedly or furtively with short quick steps.
Example: “A mouse scuttled across the floor”
Synonyms: Scamper, Scurry
5) Habeas corpus
Meaning: A writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.
Example: “His application for habeas corpus”
6) Confinement
Meaning: The action of confining or state of being confined.
Example: “He was immediately released from his confinement”
Synonyms: Imprisonment, Internment
Antonyms: Liberty
7) Indoctrinated
Meaning: Teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.
Example: “Broadcasting was a vehicle for indoctrinating the masses”
Synonyms: Brainwash, Propagandize
8) Embracing
Meaning: Accept (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.
Example: “Besides traditional methods, artists are embracing new technology”
Synonyms: Welcome, Accept
Antonyms: Reject
9) Writ
Meaning: A form of written command in the name of a court or other legal authority to act, or abstain from acting, in a particular way.
Example: “The two reinstated officers issued a writ for libel against the applicants”
Synonyms: Summons, Subpoena
10) Curtailment
Meaning: The action or fact of reducing or restricting something.
Example: “The curtailment of human rights”
Synonyms: Reduction, Cut
Antonyms: Increase, Expansion
11) Verdict
Meaning: A decision on an issue of fact in a civil or criminal case or an inquest.
Example: “The jury returned a verdict of not guilty”
Synonyms: Judgement, Adjudication
12) Gripped
Meaning: Take and keep a firm hold of; grasp tightly.
Example: “His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel”
Synonyms: Grasp, Clutch
Antonyms: Release, Hold lightly
13) Amid
Meaning: Surrounded by; in the middle of.
Example: “Our dream home, set amid magnificent rolling countryside”
Synonyms: In the middle of, Surrounded by
Antonyms: Surrounding
14) Veracity
Meaning: Conformity to facts; accuracy.
Example: “Officials expressed doubts concerning the veracity of the story”
Synonyms: Truthfulness, Truth
Antonyms: Falsity
15) Conspiracy
Meaning: A secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
Example: “A conspiracy to destroy the government”
Synonyms: Plot, Scheme
16) Implications
Meaning: The conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated.
Example: “The implication is that no one person at the bank is responsible”
Synonyms: Suggestion, Inference
Antonyms: Explicit statement
17) Ordeal
Meaning: A very unpleasant and prolonged experience.
Example: “The ordeal of having to give evidence”
Synonyms: Trial, Tribulation
18) Volition
Meaning: The faculty or power of using one’s will.
Example: “Without conscious volition she backed into her office”
19) Impeded
Meaning: Delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder.
Example: “The sap causes swelling which can impede breathing”
Synonyms: Hinder, Obstruct
Antonyms: Facilitate
20) Strive
Meaning: Struggle or fight vigorously.
Example: “Scholars must strive against bias”
Synonyms: Attempt, Endeavour
21) Swayed
Meaning: Move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backwards and forwards or from side to side.
Example: “He swayed slightly on his feet”
Synonyms: Swing, Shake
22) Suspicion
Meaning: A feeling or thought that something is possible, likely, or true.
Example: “She had a sneaking suspicion that he was laughing at her”
Synonyms: Intuition, Feeling
Antonyms: Certainty
23) Evacuate
Meaning: Remove (someone) from a place of danger to a safer place.
Example: “Several families were evacuated from their homes”
Synonyms: Remove, Clear
24) Besieged
Meaning: Be inundated by large numbers of requests or complaints.
Example: “The television station was besieged with calls”
Synonyms: Overwhelm, Inundate
25) Enclave
Meaning: A portion of territory surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or ethnically distinct.
Example: “The besieged Muslim enclave of Srebrenica”
26) Rebels
Meaning: A person who rises in opposition or armed resistance against an established government or leader.
Example: “Tory rebels”
Synonyms: Revolutionary, Insurgent
27) Outskirts
Meaning: The outer parts of a town or city.
Example: “He built a new factory on the outskirts of Birmingham”
Synonyms: Outlying districts, Edges
28) Bombardment
Meaning: A continuous attack with bombs, shells, or other missiles.
Example: “An aerial bombardment will precede the attack”
Synonyms: Shelling, Strafing
29) Apocalypse
Meaning: The complete final destruction of the world, as described in the biblical book of Revelation.
Example: “The bell’s ringing is supposed to usher in the Apocalypse”
30) Unanimously
Meaning: Without opposition; with the agreement of all people involved.
Example: “A committee of MPs has unanimously agreed to back his bill”
Synonyms: Without opposition, With one accord
31) Ceasefire
Meaning: A temporary suspension of fighting; a truce.
Example: “The latest ceasefire seems to be holding”
32) Siege
Meaning: A military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender.
Example: “Verdun had withstood a siege of ten weeks”
Synonyms: Blockade, Encirclement
Antonyms: Relief, Raising
33) Aid
Meaning: Help, typically of a practical nature.
Example: “He saw the pilot slumped in his cockpit and went to his aid”
Synonyms: Assistance, Support
Antonyms: Hindrance
34) Regime
Meaning: A government, especially an authoritarian one.
Example: “Ideological opponents of the regime”
Synonyms: Government, Authorities
35) Hostilities
Meaning: Hostile behaviour; unfriendliness or opposition.
Example: “Their hostility to all outsiders”
Synonyms: Antagonism, Unfriendliness
Antonyms: Friendliness, Approval
36) Eerie
Meaning: Strange and frightening.
Example: “An eerie green glow in the sky”
Synonyms: Uncanny, Sinister
Antonyms: Normal, Reassuring
37) Deter
Meaning: Discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences.
Example: “Only a health problem would deter him from seeking re-election”
Synonyms: Put off, Discourage, Dissuade
Antonyms: Encourage
38) Suburbs
Meaning: An outlying district of a city, especially a residential one.
Example: “A highly respectable suburb of Chicago”
Synonyms: Outlying district, Residential area
39) Conflict
Meaning: A serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.
Example: “The eternal conflict between the sexes”
Synonyms: Dispute, Quarrel
Antonyms: Agreement
40) Endangering
Meaning: Put (someone or something) at risk or in danger.
Example: “He was driving in a manner likely to endanger life”
Synonyms: Imperil, Jeopardize
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THE HINDU EDITORIAL – MARCH 10, 2018
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