Topic Of The Day:-“Tokenism In Reactions“
Saudi Arabia is defiant. It has warned all those who may be thinking of isolating or even moving sanctions against the regime with dire consequences. Some token action is being taken by some western governments such as demanding a thorough, impartial inquiry into the incident. The chief of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has cancelled her participation at the ‘Davos in the Desert’ Conference, in Riyadh. Significantly, the U.S. Treasury Secretary has joined the boycott. The outrage is universal in the developed world, though the developing countries seem to have decided their own counsel. The Bretton Woods institutions will still need Saudi funding.
This writer has long and firmly believed that foreign policy is all about promoting national interest and that sentiment should have no place in it. This continues to be his conviction. U.S. President Donald Trump follows this principle quite ruthlessly. He is open about it, and not at all hypocritical. He is unabashed in proclaiming that hundreds of billions worth of arms sales are on the line and that he is not prepared to put them in jeopardy.
For all we know, the complicity of the highest levels of the Saudi monarchy may never be fully established; already fall guys are being projected which will give Mr. Trump the fig leaf to continue his cozy relationship with the regime. It remains to be seen if the noises made by some U.S. Senators about imposing sanctions or blocking the arms sales amount to any meaningful action.
It is the same principle of national interest that has inhibited us from confronting the Saudis as well as the Iranians about their open, unchecked support, financial and otherwise, by funding radical Sunni and Shia mosques in India. This is reported to have been going on for decades, perhaps before Independence. Yet, successive governments have not found it possible to protest such behaviour which amounts to direct interference in India’s internal affairs and in radicalising sections of the Muslim community. It was felt that India’s national interest, India’s dependence on West Asian energy sources and anxiety not to upset them too much lest they voted against us in meetings of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, or side with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, is what made us cautious.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) reaffirmed
Meaning : state again strongly.
Tamil Meaning : மீண்டும் உறுதிப்படுத்து
Synonyms : continue , prolong
Antonyms : destroy
Example : “the prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to the agreement”
2) regimes
Meaning : a government, especially an authoritarian one.
Tamil Meaning : ஆட்சிகள்
Synonyms : establishment , government
Antonyms : disorder
Example : “ideological opponents of the regime”
3) defiance
Meaning : open resistance; bold disobedience.
Tamil Meaning : எதிர்ப்புத் தெரிவித்தல்
Synonyms : contempt , opposition
Antonyms : calm
Example : “an act of defiance”
4) ruthlessness
Meaning : the quality of lacking pity or compassion for others.
Tamil Meaning : இரக்கமற்ற தன்மை
Synonyms : atrocity , brutality
Antonyms : kindness
Example : “the real-world ruthlessness of business”
5) dissident
Meaning : a person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state.
Tamil Meaning : கருத்து வேறுபாடு கொண்ட
Synonyms : discordant, dissenting
Antonyms : conforming
Example : “a dissident who had been jailed by a military regime”
6) heretical
Meaning : believing in or practising religious heresy.
Tamil Meaning : பேதம்
Synonyms : agnostic , atheistic
Antonyms : orthodox
Example : “heretical beliefs”
7) unambiguous
Meaning : not open to more than one interpretation.
Tamil Meaning : குழப்பமற்ற
Synonyms : explicit , obvious
Antonyms : indefinite
Example : “instructions should be unambiguous”
8) dissent
Meaning : the holding or expression of opinions at variance with those commonly or officially held.
Tamil Meaning : எதிர்ப்பை
Synonyms : discord , disunity
Antonyms : agreement
Example : “there was no dissent from this view”
9) dire
Meaning : extremely serious or urgent.
Tamil Meaning : கொடிய
Synonyms : acute , critical
Antonyms : calm
Example : “misuse of drugs can have dire consequences”
10) boycott
Meaning : withdraw from commercial or social relations with (a country, organization, or person) as a punishment or protest.
Tamil Meaning : புறக்கணிப்பு
Synonyms : avoid , spurn
Antonyms : accept
Example : “we will boycott all banks which take part in the loans scheme”
11) outrage
Meaning : an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation.
Tamil Meaning : கோபத்தை
Synonyms : shock , violence
Antonyms : benefit
Example : “her voice trembled with outrage”
12) 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.
Tamil Meaning : தண்டனை
Synonyms : faith , view
Antonyms : doubt
Example : “she had a previous conviction for a similar offence”
13) ruthlessly
Meaning : without pity or compassion for others.
Tamil Meaning : இரக்கமற்ற
Synonyms : barbarous , callous
Antonyms : calm
Example : “they fell prey to money lenders who ruthlessly exploited them”
14) unabashed
Meaning : not embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed.
Tamil Meaning : வெட்கமற்ற
Synonyms : blatant , bold
Antonyms : timid
Example : “he was unabashed by the furore his words provoked”
15) jeopardy
Meaning : danger of loss, harm, or failure.
Tamil Meaning :
Synonyms : peril , hazard
Antonyms : safety
Example : “the whole peace process is in jeopardy“
16) stalemate
Meaning : a position counting as a draw, in which a player is not in check but cannot move except into check.
Tamil Meaning : இக்கட்டான நிலை
Synonyms : delay , impasse
Antonyms : advance
Example : “last time I played him it ended up in stalemate”
17) inhibited
Meaning : unable to act in a relaxed and natural way because of self-consciousness or mental restraint.
Tamil Meaning : தடுக்கப்படுவதாக
Synonyms : frustrated , guarded
Antonyms : extroverted
Example : “I could never appear nude, I’m far too inhibited”
18) confronting
Meaning : face up to and deal with (a problem or difficulty).
Tamil Meaning : எதிர்கொள்ளும்
Synonyms : accost , defy
Antonyms : dodge
Example : “we knew we couldn’t ignore the race issue and decided we’d confront it head on”
19) radicalising
Meaning : cause (someone) to adopt radical positions on political or social issues.
Tamil Meaning : தீவிர
Synonyms : extremism zealotry
Antonyms : conservatism
Example : “some of those involved had been radicalized by the Vietnam War”
20) disastrous
Meaning : causing great damage.
Tamil Meaning : பேரழிவு
Synonyms : adverse, calamitous
Antonyms : assisting
Example : “a disastrous fire swept through the museum”
