Topic of the day– A) Strange turn: on SC’s order regarding Ayodhya dispute
“The Supreme Court’s attempt at mediation in the Ayodhya dispute is incongruous”
Mediation, especially when it is at the instance of a court, is a welcome option for those embroiled in protracted civil disputes. A compromise could indeed be preferable to an order that may leave one side aggrieved. However, it is questionable whether this principle can be applied to all disputes and in all situations. The Supreme Court’s order appointing three mediators to find a solution to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is quite strange and incongruous, given that all such previous attempts have ended in failure. Further, the case is ripe for final hearing, and not all parties favoured mediation. The dispute over the site at Ayodhya, where a 16th century mosque stood until it was torn down by Hindutva fanatics in December 1992, has remained intractable since 1949. After the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the President referred to the Supreme Court the question whether there was a temple to Lord Ram before the mosque was built at the site. The court, in a landmark decision in 1994, declined to go into that question. More important, it revived the title suits and, thereby, restored due process and the rule of law. The present attempt by the Supreme Court to give mediation a chance within a narrow window of eight weeks goes against the spirit of the 1994 decision. After all, it was that verdict that made possible the 2010 judgment of the Allahabad High Court, which favoured a three-way split of the site among Ram Lalla, the Sunni Wakf Board and the Nirmohi Akhara, which is under appeal. A welcome feature of the court-mandated mediation attempt is that it will not consume much time; the same eight weeks are needed for preparation for the final hearing. The confidentiality rule will be helpful as none would want the atmosphere to be vitiated by premature disclosures when the country is in election mode. However, the inclusion of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as one of the mediators is controversial. In the past, he has made remarks to the effect that Muslims ought to give up their claim and that the failure to find a negotiated settlement will result in “civil war”. It is true that the prolonged problem has had an adverse impact on the body politic and some “healing” is required. But the injury to the country’s secular fabric was caused by fanatical Hindutva groups that launched a revanchist campaign on the plea that some temples had been turned into mosques by invaders. The only way to heal this festering wound on the body politic is to render complete justice not only in the civil case, but also for the criminal act of the demolition. No one must be left with the impression that the exercise is aimed at privileging the faith-based argument that the mosque stood at the exact spot where Lord Ram was born over the legal question on who holds the title to the land.
B) Road through Rome?
“Italy’s proposed endorsement of the BRI highlights the dilemmas within the EU”
Italy’s plan to endorse the Belt and Road Initiative, the first such move by a G7 member, will boost China’s global ambitions. In turn, this highlights the difficulties facing the EU and the U.S. in formulating a concerted response to counter China’s growing might. On its inception in 2013, the BRI envisaged linking about 65 countries along a modern Silk Road, the transformation of China into a high-income economy and the renminbi’s elevation into a global currency. Today, it has expanded to over 80 countries, mostly least developed and developing economies, as Beijing seeks to bolster its Made in China 2025 industrial policy. The lure of the BRI is attributed largely to the informal nature of the deals Beijing negotiates with partner-states, with attractive loan terms and sans political strings. Their opaque nature has spurred criticism that recipients risk being pushed into a debt trap. But the glitches facing some of the BRI infrastructure projects have merely led to calls for renegotiation rather than their roll-back. The BRI has moved forward, along with Beijing’s other venture, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Many Central and Eastern European countries, EU members and aspirants alike, are part of the “16+1” group, which includes China, collaborating in infrastructure ventures. However, Italy, an EU founder-member, will be the first major developed economy to participate in the BRI. Rome’s ruling eurosceptic and anti-establishment coalition has been enthusiastic in signing on. Its timing is seen to have something to do with the difficulties the government has faced in balancing its growth targets with the EU’s stringent fiscal norms. These tensions surfaced in recent negotiations with Brussels that led to a revised Italian budget. Italy is counting on its BRI endorsement to boost investment in it, given recent reductions in Chinese outflows into the EU. Rome is expected to sign an MoU to participate in the mammoth endeavour during a visit this month of President Xi Jinping. Italy’s move comes at a moment of increasing concern in European capitals, especially Paris and Berlin, to counter Chinese mergers and acquisitions of European firms to protect the bloc’s strategic economic sectors. The Trump administration has, in keeping with its America First policy, invoked national security provisions rarely deployed in international trade and targeted Beijing with punitive import tariffs, ostensibly to protect domestic industries. China’s phenomenal economic expansion since joining the WTO in 2001 has almost altered the global landscape. But attempts to block Chinese businesses may prove short-sighted. Instead, Western democracies should strive to live up to their repeated pledges, since the 2007-08 global financial crisis, to eschew protectionism and promote rules-based open and free global competition.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) instance
Meaning : an example or single occurrence of something(n).
Synonyms : occurrence
Antonyms : hide
Example : “a serious instance of corruption”
2) embroiled
Meaning : involve (someone) deeply in an argument, conflict, or difficult situation(v).
Synonyms : enmesh
Antonyms : exclude
Example : “the organization is currently embroiled in running battles with pressure groups”
3) disputes
Meaning : a disagreement or argument(n).
Synonyms : bickering
Antonyms : agreement
Example : “a territorial dispute between the two countries”
4) indeed
Meaning : used to emphasize a statement or response confirming something already suggested(adv).
Synonyms : absolutely
Antonyms : dubiously
Example : “it was not expected to last long, and indeed it took less than three weeks”
5) aggrieved
Meaning : feeling resentment at having been unfairly treated(adj).
Synonyms : disturbed
Antonyms : comforted
Example : “they were aggrieved at the outcome”
6) incongruous
Meaning : not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something(adj).
Synonyms : incoherent
Antonyms : compatible
Example : “the duffel coat looked incongruous with the black dress she wore underneath”
7) ripe
Meaning : having arrived at the fitting stage or time for a particular action or purpose(adj).
Synonyms : overdue
Antonyms : unprepared
Example : “land ripe for development”
8) torn
Meaning : pull (something) apart or to pieces with force(v).
Synonyms : damaged
Antonyms : working
Example : “I tore up the letter”
9) revived
Meaning : restore to life or consciousness(v).
Synonyms : refreshed
Antonyms : drained
Example : “both men collapsed, but were revived”
10) vitiated
Meaning : spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of(v).
Synonyms : annihilate
Antonyms : allow
Example : “development programmes have been vitiated by the rise in population”
11) controversial
Meaning : giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement(adj).
Synonyms : disputed
Antonyms : definite
Example : “years of wrangling over a controversial bypass”
12) ought
Meaning : used to indicate duty or correctness, typically when criticizing someone’s actions.
Synonyms : prerequisite
Antonyms : lacked
Example : “they ought to respect the law”
13) claim
Meaning : state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof.
Synonyms : assertion
Antonyms : denial
Example : “the Prime Minister claimed that he was concerned about Third World debt”
14) prolonged
Meaning : continuing for a long time or longer than usual; lengthy(adj).
Synonyms : protracted
Antonyms : brief
Example : “the region suffered a prolonged drought”
15) plea
Meaning : a request made in an urgent and emotional manner(n).
Synonyms : appeal
Antonyms : demand
Example : “he made a dramatic plea for disarmament”
16) festering
Meaning : (of a wound or sore) forming pus; septic(adj).
Synonyms : blister
Antonyms : grow
Example : “a festering abscess”
17) render
Meaning : provide or give (a service, help, etc.).
Synonyms : distribute
Antonyms : conceal
Example : “money serves as a reward for services rendered“
18) endorse
Meaning : declare one’s public approval or support of(v).
Synonyms : approve
Antonyms : attack
Example : “the report was endorsed by the college”
19) concerted
Meaning : jointly arranged or carried out; coordinated(adj).
Synonyms : combined
Antonyms : disorganized
Example : “a concerted attempt to preserve religious unity”
20) envisaged
Meaning : contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event.
Synonyms : anticipate
Example : “the Rome Treaty envisaged free movement across frontiers”
21) negotiates
Meaning : obtain or bring about by discussion(v).
Synonyms : confer
Antonyms : confuse
Example : “he negotiated a new contract with the sellers”
22) spurred
Meaning : (of a rider or their boots) having a spiked device on the heels for urging a horse forward.
Synonyms : propel
Antonyms : calm
Example : “two young men appeared booted and spurred“
23) glitches
Meaning : a sudden, usually temporary malfunction or fault of equipment.
Synonyms : defect
Antonyms : advantage
Example : “a draft version was lost in a computer glitch”
24) merely
Meaning : just; only(adv).
Synonyms : purely
Antonyms : indefinitely
Example : “Gary, a silent boy, merely nodded”
25) Punitive
Meaning : inflicting or intended as punishment.
Synonyms : punishing
Antonyms : beneficial
Example : “he called for punitive measures against the Eastern bloc”
26) stringent
Meaning : (of regulations, requirements, or conditions) strict, precise, and exacting(adj).
Synonyms : exacting
Antonyms : flexible
Example : “stringent guidelines on air pollution”
27) endeavour
Meaning : try hard to do or achieve something(v).
Synonyms : attempt
Antonyms : surrender
Example : “he is endeavouring to help the Third World”
28) concern
Meaning : make (someone) anxious or worried.
Synonyms : interest
Antonyms : pastime
Example : “the roof of the barn concerns me because eventually it will fall in”
29) invoked
Meaning : cite or appeal to (someone or something) as an authority for an action or in support of an argument(v).
Synonyms : adjure
Antonyms : give
Example : “the antiquated defence of insanity is rarely invoked in England”
30) deployed
Meaning : move (troops or equipment) into position for military action(v).
Synonyms : expand
Antonyms : conclude
Example : “forces were deployed at strategic locations”
