Topic Of The Day:-“Choice & Conversion“
The case of Akhila/Hadiya is becoming curiouser by the day. Entrusted with adjudicating whether her conversion to Islam and marriage to a Muslim man were voluntary acts, the Supreme Court has embarked on a roving inquiry into whether Hindu women in parts of Kerala are being radicalised. Inexplicably, the court has sought inputs from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), tasked with tackling terrorism, to probe the circumstances of the 24-year-old’s conversion and marriage even before it heard her out. The question before the court was the correctness of the Kerala High Court’s decision to annul her marriage. The Supreme Court’s reasoning for its position that it needs the inputs of all stakeholders before it speaks to the woman concerned is hard to comprehend. Of what use would these inputs be if she maintains that she chose to convert and marry voluntarily? The High Court did not question her conversion to Islam, only suspecting the veracity of her sudden claim that she was married to a Muslim. This happened in the course of hearings on a plea by her father complaining that she was under the influence of radical groups. The High Court held that the purported marriage was only a ruse to scuttle the proceedings and annulled the marriage as a “sham”. In the process, it made the odd observations that a woman’s marriage requires the involvement of her parents and that even if she had attained the age of majority, she was still at a “vulnerable age”. The Supreme Court has nominated a retired judge to supervise the NIA probe, the object of which is presumably to safeguard its independence and credibility. But the inquiry itself has come about because of a submission made by the NIA that there is a pattern to such incidents in Kerala. It is possible to make out a case for a police investigation into the suspicious activities of radical groups in the State. But the mere suspicion that they are working in an organised way to convert people is not sufficient to conclude that they are involved in recruiting them for overseas terror operations for groups such as the Islamic State. The woman’s father maintains that she is under the spell and influence of radical activists who, he says, would transport her abroad to destinations such as Syria. These and related apprehensions are subjects that should be addressed by the police and intelligence agencies rather than by a process that involves subjecting the woman to live in a manner not chosen by her. It is unfortunate that the plea that she was living under custody in her parental home despite being a major failed to cut any ice before the two-judge bench. In refusing to entertain the plea, the Supreme Court has lent the unfortunate impression that it has placed a judicial curtailment on her volition. Rather than doing this, it should have striven to find a way to protect her freedom of religion and movement.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Entrusted
Meaning: Assign the responsibility for doing something to (someone).
Example: I’ve been entrusted with the task of getting him safely back.
Synonym: Assign, Charge
Antonym: Deny, Retain
2) Adjudicating
Meaning: Make a formal judgement on a disputed matter.
Example: The Committee adjudicates on all betting disputes.
Synonym: Judge, Hear
Antonym: Ignore, Defer
3) Embarked
Meaning: Begin (a course of action)
Example: She embarked on a new career.
Synonym: Begin, Start, Commence
Antonym: Cease, Finish
4) Roving
Meaning: Travel for one’s work, having no fixed base.
Example: He trained as a roving reporter.
Synonym: Wander, Roam
Antonym: Stay
5) Radicalised
Meaning: Cause (someone) to adopt radical positions on political or social issues.
Example: Some of those involved had been radicalized by the Vietnam War.
6) Inexplicably
Meaning: In a way that cannot be explained or accounted for.
Example: Many crucial documents had inexplicably disappeared.
7) Probe
Meaning: A thorough investigation into a crime or other matter.
Example: A probe into city hall corruption.
Synonym: Investigation, Enquiry
8) Annul
Meaning: Declare invalid (an official agreement, marriage, decision, or result)
Example: The elections were annulled by the general amid renewed protests.
Synonym: Declare invalid, Declare null
Antonym: Allow, Permit
9) Stakeholders
Meaning: an independent party with whom each of those who make a wager deposits the money or counters wagered.
Example: We will continue to engage with all stakeholders on issues and concerns they may have.
10) Comprehend
Meaning: Include, comprise, or encompass.
Example: A divine order comprehending all men.
Synonym: Comprise, Include
Antonym: Disregard, Lose
11) Veracity
Meaning: Conformity to facts; accuracy.
Example: Officials expressed doubts concerning the veracity of the story.
Synonym: Truthfulness, Truth, Accuracy
Antonym: False, Inaccuracy
12) Plea
Meaning: A request made in an urgent and emotional manner.
Example: He made a dramatic plea for disarmament.
Synonym: Appeal, Entreaty
Antonym: Demand
13) Radical
Meaning: Advocating or based on thorough or complete political or social change; representing or supporting an extreme or progressive section of a political party.
Example: A radical American activist.
Synonym: Revolutionary, Progressive
Antonym: Minor, Moderate
14) Purported
Meaning: Appear to be or do something, especially falsely.
Example: The purported marriage was void.
Synonym: Claim, Lay claim
Antonym: Disclaim, Deny
15) 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.
Synonym: Ploy, Stratagem, Tactic
Antonym: Reality, Openness
16) Scuttle
Meaning: Run hurriedly or furtively with short quick steps.
Example: A mouse scuttled across the floor.
Synonym: Scamper, Scurry
17) Sham
Meaning: A thing that is not what it is purported to be.
Example: Our current free health service is a sham.
Synonym: Pretence, Fake
Antonym: Genuine, Authentic
18) Credibility
Meaning: The quality of being trusted and believed in.
Example: The government’s loss of credibility.
Synonym: Trustworthiness, Reliability
Antonym: Unlikelihood
19) Apprehensive
Meaning: Anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen.
Example: He felt apprehensive about going home.
Synonym: Anxious, Alarmed
Antonym: Calm, Certain
20) Curtailment
Meaning: The action or fact of reducing or restricting something.
Example: The curtailment of human rights.
Synonym: Reduction, Cut, Cutback
Antonym: Increase