TOPIC OF THE DAY :- “A) Long road home: Hamid Nihal Ansari’s return”
India And Pakistan Should Adopt A More Humane Approach To Each Other’s Prisoners
The return to India of Hamid Nihal Ansari, an engineer from Mumbai who spent six years in a Pakistani prison, is cause for cheer on the otherwise bleak landscape of India-Pakistan relations. The plight of the young man, who had crossed over into Pakistan from Afghanistan in 2012 on a mission to save a woman he had befriended online and been arrested for espionage, had caught public attention in both countries. Subsequent investigations proved his innocence on all charges other than entering Pakistan illegally, but even so, the authorities there put him through a trial in a military court. In December 2015, the court sentenced him to three years in prison. All through his ordeal, Mr. Ansari’s parents kept alive the struggle to bring him back, without letting the emotional and financial costs deter them. To its credit, the Ministry of External Affairs applied sustained diplomatic pressure on Islamabad, first to demand information on Mr. Ansari’s whereabouts and then for a fair trial and consular access, which was never granted. The Government of Pakistan must also be commended for expediting Mr. Ansari’s release after he completed his sentence on December 15, although it had received another month from a Peshawar court to finish the formalities. Above all, credit goes to citizens’ groups in both countries that helped the family, particularly lawyers and human rights activists in Pakistan who worked pro bono to ensure Mr. Ansari’s release.
Given the downturn in bilateral relations, further complicated by the international case India is pursuingagainst Pakistan over the conviction of Kulbhushan Jadhav, and instances of prisoners like Sarabjit Singh dying in Pakistani jails, it is nothing short of a miracle that Mr. Ansari has returned home safe and sound. New Delhi would do well to acknowledge the Imran Khan government’s gesture in releasing him. Both India and Pakistan must dedicate themselves to freeing hundreds of other prisoners who remain in each other’s jails, many of whom have completed their sentences but await long processes of identification andrepatriation. According to government figures, Pakistan holds 471 Indian prisoners while India holds 357 Pakistani prisoners, a large number of them fishermen who inadvertently trespassed into each other’s waters. The two countries must also revive the biannual meetings of the Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners as agreed to a decade ago; the committee has not met since 2013. Its last recommendations, that women and children as well as prisoners with mental health issues be sent back to their countries on humanitarian grounds, are yet to be implemented. There is little to be gained by holding these prisonershostage to bitter bilateral ties and prolonging the misery of their impoverished families. There needs to be a more humane approach.
- B)Misusing NSA: the detention of a Manipur journalist
The Manipur Government Must Revoke The Vindictive Detention Order Against A Journalist
The detention of a journalist in Manipur under the stringent National Security Act for a social media post is a clear instance of misuse of power and a blatant violation of his rights as a citizen. It indicates a dangerous trend among those wielding power to invoke laws aimed at preserving public order and security in a casual or vindictive manner, with utter disregard for constitutional provisions that uphold individual liberty. It is immaterial how scathing the Facebook post of Kishorechand Wangkhem was in its criticism of the Manipur Chief Minister and his party. Calling the Chief Minister a “puppet” can in no way be a reason to arrest him, as was done by the police in Imphal in November, on the charge of sedition. A magistrategranted him bail, noting that Mr. Wangkhem’s remarks were no more than an expression of opinion against the public conduct of a public figure, albeit in “street language”. However, in a sign that the regime of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh could not tolerate the journalist being set free, he was arrested again a couple of days later and detained under the NSA, which provides for detention for a year without bail to prevent someone from “acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state” or for “the maintenance of public order”. The NSA can be used only against those advocating armed insurrection or violent disaffection. It is shocking that the statutory advisory board held there was “sufficient cause” for detention, when he posed no threat to public order or security. The State should revoke its vengeful detention order.
The Manipur government confirmed his imprisonment for a year as soon as the detention order was cleared by the advisory board. It is questionable whether a person can be detained under the NSA for one year at a go, as its provisions say the detention can only be for three months at a time and up to one year in total. This position has also been confirmed by the Supreme Court. The NSA advisory board consists of three members who are, or have been, or are qualified to be high court judges. It is not expected to approve detention orders in a routine or mechanical manner. At a time when the Law Commission is revisitingSection 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with sedition, and there is a demand for its repeal, it is disturbing that State governments continue to use it. It is even more deplorable that on failing to make the sedition charge stick, a government puts away the same person under the NSA. This is a fit case for judicial review, and the protests and the outrage against the incarceration of Mr. Wangkhem ought to result in astinging indictment of the State government’s action. This will inhibit any future move to throttle free expression by misusing the law.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) cheer
Meaning : shout for joy or in praise or encouragement.
Synonyms : optimism
Antonyms : sadness
Example : “she cheered from the sidelines”
2) bleak
Meaning : (of an area of land) lacking vegetation and exposed to the elements(adj).
Synonyms : gloomy
Antonyms : bright
Example : “a bleak and barren moor”
3) plight
Meaning : a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation.
Synonyms : quandary
Antonyms : advantage
Example : “we must direct our efforts towards relieving the plight of children living in poverty”
4) espionage
Meaning : the practice of spying or of using spies, typically by governments to obtain political and military information.
Synonyms : spying
Example : “the camouflage and secrecy of espionage”
5) ordeal
Meaning : a very unpleasant and prolonged experience.
Synonyms : tribulation
Antonyms : delight
Example : “the ordeal of having to give evidence”
6) deter
Meaning : discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences.
Synonyms : hinder
Antonyms : support
Example : “only a health problem would deter him from seeking re-election”
7) sustained
Meaning : continuing for an extended period or without interruption.
Synonyms : stable
Antonyms : destroyed
Example : “several years of sustained economic growth”
8) diplomatic
Meaning : of or concerning diplomacy.
Synonyms : tactful
Antonyms : impolite
Example : “diplomatic relations with Britain were broken”
9) complicated
Meaning : consisting of many interconnecting parts or elements; intricate.
Synonyms : intricate
Antonyms : simple
Example : “a complicated stereo system”
10) pursuing
Meaning : follow or chase (someone or something).
Synonyms : trailing
Antonyms : leading
Example : “the officer pursued the van”
11) conviction
Meaning : a formal declaration by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law that someone is guilty of a criminal offence.
Synonyms : certitude
Antonyms : doubt
Example : “she had a previous conviction for a similar offence”
12) repatriation
Meaning : the return of someone to their own country.
Synonyms : return
Antonyms : exile
Example : “the voluntary repatriation of refugees”
13) inadvertently
Meaning : without intention; accidentally.
Synonyms : accidentally
Antonyms : advertently
Example : “his name had been inadvertently omitted from the list”
14) trespassed
Meaning : enter someone’s land or property without permission.
Synonyms : infringed
Antonyms : retreated
Example : “there is no excuse for trespassing on railway property”
15) revive
Meaning : restore to life or consciousness.
Synonyms : restore
Antonyms : destroy
Example : “both men collapsed, but were revived”
16) implemented
Meaning : put (a decision, plan, agreement, etc.) into effect.
Synonyms : applied
Antonyms : exempted
Example : “the scheme to implement student loans”
17) hostage
Meaning : a person seized or held as security for the fulfilment of a condition.
Synonyms : prisoner
Antonyms : hesitation
Example : “they were held hostage by armed rebels”
18) impoverished
Meaning : make (a person or area) poor.
Synonyms : poor
Antonyms : affluent
Example : “the wars had impoverished him”
19) detention
Meaning : the action of detaining someone or the state of being detained in official custody.
Synonyms : retention
Antonyms : release
Example : “the fifteen people arrested were still in police detention”
20) stringent
Meaning : (of regulations, requirements, or conditions) strict, precise, and exacting.
Synonyms : rigorous
Antonyms : flexible
Example : “stringent guidelines on air pollution”
21) blatant
Meaning : completely lacking in subtlety; very obvious.
Synonyms : flagrant
Antonyms : subtle
Example : “she forced herself to resist his blatant charm”
22) invoke
Meaning : cite or appeal to (someone or something) as an authority for an action or in support of an argument.
Synonyms : evoke
Antonyms : dismiss
Example : “the antiquated defence of insanity is rarely invoked in England”
23) disregard
Meaning : pay no attention to; ignore.
Synonyms : ignore
Antonyms : regard
Example : “the body of evidence is too substantial to disregard”
24) vindictive
Meaning : having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.
Synonyms : vengeful
Antonyms : forgiving
Example : “the criticism was both vindictive and personalized”
25) disregard
Meaning : pay no attention to; ignore.
Synonyms : ignore
Antonyms : regard
Example : “the body of evidence is too substantial to disregard”
26) scathing
Meaning : witheringly scornful; severely critical.
Synonyms : mordant
Antonyms : mild
Example : “she launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister”
27) sedition
Meaning : conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
Synonyms : mutiny
Antonyms : loyalty
28) detained
Meaning : keep (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention.
Synonyms : delayed
Antonyms : available
Example : “she made to open the door, but he detained her”
29) revoke
Meaning : officially cancel (a decree, decision, or promise).
Synonyms : rescind
Antonyms : collaborate
Example : “the men appealed and the sentence was revoked”
30) vengeful
Meaning : seeking to harm someone in return for a perceived injury.
Synonyms : spiteful
Antonyms : benevolent
Example : “a vengeful ex-con”
31) confirmed
Meaning : (of a person) firmly established in a particular habit, belief, or way of life and unlikely to change their ways.
Synonyms : established
Antonyms : changeable
Example : “a confirmed bachelor”
32) granted
Meaning : admittedly; it is true (used to introduce a factor which is opposed to the main line of argument but is not regarded as so strong as to invalidate it).
Synonyms : bestowed
Antonyms : denied
Example : “granted, Marie was two years older than her, but it wasn’t a question of age”
33) criticism
Meaning : the expression of disapproval of someone or something on the basis of perceived faults or mistakes.
Synonyms : censure
Antonyms : approval
Example : “he received a lot of criticism”
34) revisiting
Meaning : come back to or visit again.
Synonyms : revising
Antonyms : departing
Example : “she was anxious to revisit some of her old haunts in Paris”
35) sedition
Meaning : conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
Synonyms : revolt
Antonyms : obedience
36) repeal
Meaning : revoke or annul (a law or act of parliament).
Synonyms : revoke
Antonyms :approval
Example : “the legislation was repealed five months later”
37) outrage
Meaning : an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation.
Synonyms : force
Antonyms : delight
Example : “her voice trembled with outrage”
38) incarceration
Meaning : the state of being confined in prison; imprisonment.
Synonyms : Captivity
Antonyms : redemption
Example : “the public would not be served by her incarceration”
39) stinging
Meaning : wound or pierce with a sting.
Synonyms : cutting
Antonyms : hot
Example : “he was stung by a jellyfish”
40) indictment
Meaning : a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime.
Synonyms :accusation
Antonyms : apology
Example : “an indictment for conspiracy”
