PARAGRAPH,WORDS AND MEANINGS
Topic Of The Day:-“China’s Block: On Not Listing Azhar As Global Terrorist”
Its decision on Masood Azhar is shocking — but India must keep up persuasive diplomacy
China’s decision to block the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council is both a setback to India’s post-Pulwama diplomatic strategy and a reality check on ties with China at present. After the February 14 attack, claimed by the JeM, the government had made the listing of Azhar a focus in its diplomatic efforts. It reached out to several governments, and shared a dossieron Azhar with each member of the Security Council, who are all members of the 1267 ISIL and al-Qaeda sanctions committee. A special effort was made with Beijing, which has blocked the Azhar listing in the past, including just after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. From 2016 to 2018, India’s proposals to list Azhar, with evidence of JeM involvement in the Pathankot airbase attack, were also foiled by China, which placed holds on the listing, and then vetoed it. The vetoes came despite the fact that the JeM is banned, and in the UNSC listing it is noted that Azhar, as its leader and founder, accepted funds from Osama bin Laden. China, as the one country that has refused to allow Azhar’s name on the list, is well aware of the evidence against him, but is not ready to withdraw its objections. It is clear that despite India-China relations improving after the Wuhan summit in April 2018, China is unwilling to align itself with India on its concerns on cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
China’s stand is regrettable and condemnable, and it has been consistent on this issue. New Delhi must now consider whether it wishes to accept this as a fait accompli, or confront Beijing to try to persuade it to change its stand by means of incentives or coercion. This is a challenge, as any kind of concertedinternational pressure from the Western countries in this regard has in the past only served to be counterproductive. It is also unlikely that the suggestions being offered by some political groups, of cutting imports from China and other punitive actions, will yield much. The government may be more successful if it identifies the incentives it can offer China in the next few months to review its position. While some of those incentives would be bilateral, the Chinese spokesperson’s hint that dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad, and even possible “triangular” talks including Beijing, is indicative of China’s thinking. The government must also not lose sight of the bigger picture: that the UNSC cannot enforce its own listings, and other leaders who have been sanctioned in the past remain free and unencumbered. While listing Azhar at the UNSC is an unfinished task, the larger issue remains: to ensure that Pakistan takes substantiveaction against Azhar, the JeM and other terror groups that are threatening India. China, with its economic and strategic leverage with Pakistan, may be better-placed to help in this matter.
WORDS AND MEANINGS:-
1) diplomatic
Meaning : of or concerning diplomacy(adj).
Synonyms : gracious
Antonyms : rude
Example : “diplomatic relations with Britain were broken”
2) claimed
Meaning : state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof.
Synonyms : assert
Antonyms : abandon
Example : “the Prime Minister claimed that he was concerned about Third World debt”
3) dossier
Meaning : a collection of documents about a particular person, event, or subject.
Synonyms : portfolio
Example : “we have a dossier on him”
4) vetoed
Meaning : exercise a veto against (a decision or proposal).
Synonyms : declined
Antonyms : approved
Example : “the president vetoed the bill”
5) despite
Meaning : without being affected by; in spite of.
Synonyms : although
Example : “he remains a great leader despite age and infirmity”
6) concerns
Meaning : relate to; be about.
Synonyms : burden
Antonyms : pastime
Example : “the story concerns a friend of mine”
7) emanating
Meaning : (of a feeling, quality, or sensation) issue or spread out from (a source).
Synonyms : emerge
Antonyms : conceal
Example : “warmth emanated from the fireplace”
8) regrettable
Meaning : (of conduct or an event) giving rise to regret; undesirable; unwelcome.
Synonyms : calamitous
Antonyms : comforting
Example : “the loss of this number of jobs is regrettable”
9) condemnable
Meaning : express complete disapproval of; censure.
Synonyms : censure
Antonyms : approve
Example : “most leaders roundly condemned the attack”
10) consistent
Meaning : acting or done in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate.
Synonyms : logical
Antonyms : dishonest
Example : “the parents are being consistent and firm in their reactions”
11) confront
Meaning : come face to face with (someone) with hostile or argumentative intent.
Synonyms : defy
Antonyms : avoid
Example : “300 policemen confronted an equal number of union supporters”
12) persuade
Meaning : induce (someone) to do something through reasoning or argument.
Synonyms : assure
Antonyms : discourage
Example : “it wasn’t easy, but I persuaded him to do the right thing”
13) incentives
Meaning : a thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something.
Synonyms : impetus
Antonyms : hindrance
Example : “give farmers an incentive to improve their land”
14) concerted
Meaning : jointly arranged or carried out; coordinated.
Synonyms : united
Antonyms : disarranged
Example : “a concerted attempt to preserve religious unity”
15) punitive
Meaning : inflicting or intended as punishment.
Synonyms : punishing
Antonyms : beneficial
Example : “he called for punitive measures against the Eastern bloc”
16) indicative
Meaning : serving as a sign or indication of something.
Synonyms : suggestive
Antonyms : concealing
Example : “having recurrent dreams is not necessarily indicative of any psychological problem”
17) enforce
Meaning : compel observance of or compliance with (a law, rule, or obligation).
Synonyms : apply
Antonyms : cease
Example : “the role of the police is to enforce the law”
18) ensure
Meaning : make certain that (something) will occur or be the case.
Synonyms : assure
Antonyms : endanger
Example : “the client must ensure that accurate records are kept”
19) substantive
Meaning : having a firm basis in reality and so important, meaningful, or considerable.
Synonyms : essential
Antonyms : inessential
Example : “there is no substantive evidence for the efficacy of these drugs”
20) leverage
Meaning : the exertion of force by means of a lever.
Synonyms : advantage
Antonyms : weakness
Example : “my spade hit something solid that wouldn’t respond to leverage”
