editorial toi th et ny ms td ie 4 sep 2015

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The Hindu

Justice continues to elude Kandhamal It is seven years since the horrific communal violence against the Christian community engulfed the district of Kandhamal in Odisha, in August 2008. Recently, thousands of survivors gathered at the panchayat headquarter town of Raikia under the banner of the Kandhamal Peace and Solidarity Committee. It was not to relive the past. Survivors of communal violence rarely want to experience the trauma and the pain which rises to the surface of their hearts and minds with every retelling of those dark and terror-filled days. The demand was straight and simple — that they be allowed a future. Agenda of polarisation On the surface, things look better. In the 2014 Odisha Assembly election, the Hindutva forces suffered a resounding defeat in this district, losing in all the three Scheduled Tribe reserved Assembly segments. In the previous elections in 2009, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had put up Manoj Kumar Pradhan, a man accused in two cases of murder of Christians and another 10 cases of arson and violence. He won from G. Udaygiri despite being in jail. The BJP reaped the harvest of the blood of innocents. Pradhan came out of jail within weeks of his election and it was an open secret that he used his clout to sabotage the processes of justice — by intimidating witnesses and instructing the police to go slow in the cases. But this changed in 2014, when the Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) emerged victorious. The Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat, which was won by the BJD candidate, comprises the Phulbani, G.Udaygiri and Baliguda Assembly segments in the district. The BJP candidate was relegated to third place. In the Assembly elections, the Baliguda seat was won by the BJD candidate. In G.Udaygiri, the Congress candidate won, while in Phulbani, the BJD emerged victorious. But it would be quite wrong to assume that the agenda of communal polarisation has weakened in any way following the electoral defeats. Leaders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-led organisations were freed within months of their arrests and have since resumed their toxic agenda of dividing equally poor communities, the majority of whom are below the poverty line, as they had done earlier, mobilising the largely tribal Kui community against the Dalit Pana community. This is ostensibly against the latter’s demand for inclusion in the list of Scheduled Tribes, but when in reality it is targeting Dalits on a communal agenda as around 20 per cent of them are Christians. Tribals from the Kui Samaj who are Christians are also targets. An important aim of the BJP and the RSS and its front organisations was to ensure that their people who had led and instigated the mobs in 2008 would be saved from punishment, and be available in order to further the communal agenda. In this they have largely succeeded; they have literally got away with murder. Inadequate compensation The facts speak for themselves. First, let’s take the issue of compensation. It was said at the time that over 6,000 houses were burnt. The government revised this and brought the figure down to

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4,818. Surveys of the extent of damage were made, much like in Gujarat, when the inmates were not present. How could they be present when they were displaced and living in the squalor of 14 relief camps that had been set up? It was estimated at the time that there were over 56,000 men,women and children, all Christians, who had to flee their homes. They lost all their belongings and the compensation package did not take stock of the goods burnt. The belongings of the poor are assumed to have no value. For a house partially damaged, the compensation fixed was just Rs.20,000 from the State government and another Rs.10,000 from the Central government. For a fully damaged home, the compensation was Rs.50,000 from the State and Rs.30,000 from the Centre. The price of building materials is so high, that with this measly amount, it would be strange if one thought that the victim survivors could rebuild their homes. In reality, they could manage only makeshift structures. Today, these are there for all to see, dotting the landscape of this beautiful region, as asbestos or tin roofs over unplastered, half brick walls. None has a window or a door frame, no grills for security — the evidence of callousness. In all these years, the State government has disbursed only Rs.13 crore as compensation for damaged houses. A petition filed on behalf of the survivors is pending before the Supreme Court. In the violence in 2008, scores of churches and educational institutions were destroyed. The only positive aspect is that while the Gujarat government is still fighting a case in the Supreme Court against giving compensation to rebuild the large number of mosques that were destroyed across that State following the 2002 riots, in Odisha, the BJD government, in principle, has accepted the Supreme Court suggestion for compensation for damage in Kandhamal, though the amount disbursed was negligible — Rs.70 lakh. Poor conviction rate Take the issue of registration and charge sheeting of cases and the arrests of the accused. It is shocking that around 11,000 rioters were given anticipatory bail which was not objected to by the police. Over 3,000 complaints were filed with the police, but they registered only 828 cases. Of these, only 605 were charge sheeted, and two of them were cases of rape.The pathetic level of investigation can be gauged from the fact that in 2015, there are still 228 cases pending investigation. Independent inquiries at the time showed that between 80 to 100 people were killed, but the government officially registered only 39 as dead, of whom two were policemen, and three rioters. It is clear that from the beginning, the effort was to minimise the extent of the crime. The victims have fared no better with the courts. In response to the Supreme Court’s orders following a petition filed by Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, two fast track courts were set up in the district headquarters of Phulbani and which started functioning after March 2009. Meanwhile, the BJP used its powers to do everything to sabotage the process and intimidate witnesses. As a result, the conviction rate was extremely low in all the cases in Kandhamal. In 2010, the fast track courts were wound up as a result of very poor results. According to the indefatigable activist-advocate, Dibya Parichha, who along with his small team has been defying threats while fighting the battle for justice in Kandhamal, there have been convictions in only two cases of murder. Ten of the accused have been given the life sentence. But today, each one of them is out on bail. The 33 other cases of murder of Christians have been closed for “lack of evidence”. In other cases, more serious charges have been closed and punishment given on lesser charges; 315 cases have been closed for “lack of evidence” and 4,232 accused people have been acquitted.



There have been convictions in only 73 cases of the 605 people charge sheeted; 492 people have been sentenced for lesser offences, but they are all out on bail. As of August 2015, there is only one man in jail, held for the gang rape of a nun. Even in this case, the other two who were convicted were given bail and are now absconding. It is as though nothing happened. Shadow of terror There are many other details available of the perpetration of gross injustice after one of the worst instances of carnage against the Christian community. The message that is clear to the victims is that peace is conditional to their subordination. It is a matter of deep shame and sorrow that the Christian community in Kandhamal is subdued not because of its lack of courage but on account of the utter failure of the Central and State governments, the investigative agencies and the criminal justice system, including courts, to ensure justice to it. In contrast to this is the State’s attitude to the Kandhamal Seven — the four Adivasis and three Dalits convicted and sentenced to life wrongly for involvement in the murder of the religious leader , Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati. The Maoists declared that they had killed him. Anyone going through the atrocious judgment will come to the inescapable conclusion of their innocence. Their crime is that they are Adivasi, they are Dalit, they are poor and they are Christian. Their appeal is pending before the High Court. While murderers and arsonists are given bail, the bail petitions of these persons have been rejected. They have been in the central district jail in Phulbani for the last seven years for a crime they did not commit. In the end, along with the struggle for justice for the victim survivors of Kandhamal, the call to “Free the Kandhamal Seven,” should resonate throughout the country; a call that will help heal the wounds and bring solace and confidence to those who had gathered in Raikia with a message for the world. (Brinda Karat is a member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau and a former Rajya Sabha MP.) Right-wing elements in Odisha have resumed their toxic agenda of dividing poor communities revealing how communal polarisation has not weakened despite electoral setbacks. It is a matter of shame and sorrow that the Christian community in Kandhamal is subdued not because of its lack of courage but on account of the failure of the Centre and the State, the investigative agencies and the criminal justice system, including courts, to ensure it justice

vocabs

engulf › to surround and cover something or someone completely: The flames rapidly engulfed the house.

solidarity >agreement between and support for the members of a group, especially a political group: The situation raises important questions about solidarity among member states of the UN.

trauma noun (SHOCK) (a) severe emotional shock and pain caused by an extremely upsetting experience: the trauma of marriage breakdown



polarization › the fact of people or opinions being divided into two opposing groups: There is now more polarization and less cooperation between the political parties.

arson › the crime of intentionally starting a fire in order to damage or destroy something, especially a building: A cinema was burned out in north London last night. Police suspect arson.

reap › to cut and collect a grain crop

clout › to hit someone or something with the hand or with a heavy object: Quigley clouted me smartly across the side of the head.

sabotage › to damage or destroy equipment, weapons, or buildings in order to prevent the success of an enemy or competitor: The rebels had tried to sabotage the oil pipeline. › to intentionally prevent the success of a plan or action: This was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the ceasefire.

intimidating › making you feel frightened or nervous: an intimidating array of weapons an intimidating manner

relegate › to put someone or something into a lower or less important rank or position: She resigned when she was relegated to a desk job.

ostensible › appearing or claiming to be one thing when it is really something else: Their ostensible goal was to clean up government corruption, but their real aim was to unseat the government.

instigate



› to cause an event or situation to happen by making a set of actions or a formal process begin:

The government will instigate new measures to combat terrorism.

inmate › a person who is kept in a prison or a hospital for people who are mentally ill

measly › too small in size or amount, or not enough: a measly amount of money

asbestos › a soft, greyish-white material that does not burn, used especially in the past in buildings, clothing, etc. as a protection against fire and as a form of insulation (= a way of stopping heat from escaping)

callous › unkind, cruel, and without sympathy or feeling for other people: It might sound callous, but I don't care if he's homeless. He's not living with me!

disburse › to pay out money, usually from an amount that has been collected for a particular purpose: The local authorities annually disburse between £50 million and £100 million on arts projects.

anticipatory breach › LAW the act of breaking a contract before it comes into effect, by refusing to do what the contract says or by making yourself unable to do what it says: He is waiting to see if the anticipatory breach turns into non-performance in fact.

pathetic adjective (SAD) > causing feelings of sadness, sympathy, or sometimes lack of respect, especially because a person or an animal is suffering: The refugees were a pathetic sight - starving, frightened and cold.

gauge verb [T] (MEASURE) › to calculate an amount, especially by using a measuring device: Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature. I tried to gauge (= guess) the weight of the box.

gauge verb [T] (JUDGE) › to make a judgment about something, usually people's feelings: A poll was conducted to gauge consumers' attitudes.



indefatigable › always determined and energetic in trying to achieve something and never willing to admit defeat: Annie was an indefatigable campaigner for better community services.

defy > to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.: It is rare to see children openly defying their teachers. A few workers have defied the majority decision and gone into work despite the strike.

abscond verb (ESCAPE) › to go away suddenly and secretly in order to escape from somewhere: Two prisoners absconded last night. She absconded from boarding school with her boyfriend.

abscond verb (STEAL) › to go away suddenly and secretly because you have stolen something, usually money: They absconded with £10,000 of the company's money.

perpetrate › to commit a crime or a violent or harmful act: In this country, half of all violent crime is perpetrated by people who have been drinking alcohol.

carnage › the violent killing of large numbers of people, especially in war: The Battle of the Somme was a scene of dreadful carnage.

subdue › to reduce the force of something, or to prevent something from existing or developing: The fire burned for eight hours before the fire crews could subdue it.

utter > to say something or to make a sound with your voice: She sat through the whole meeting without uttering a word.

atrocious adjective (VERY BAD) › of very bad quality: an atrocious film/piece of acting The weather has been atrocious all week. Conditions in the prison were atrocious.

atrocious adjective (CRUEL)



› violent and shocking: an atrocious crime

Maoism

› the type of Communism introduced in China by Mao Zedong

inescapable › If a fact or a situation is inescapable, it cannot be ignored or avoided.

solace › help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried: When his wife left him, he found solace in the bottle (= drank alcohol).

toxic adjective (POISONOUS) toxic waste/chemicals/effluent toxic adjective (UNPLEASANT) › informal very unpleasant or unacceptable

Sep 04 2015 : The Times of India (Ahmedabad)

True To Type

Mulayam does yet another U turn, leaving Nitish bruised

Living up to his well-earned reputation for U turns, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday pulled

his party from the grand anti-Modi alliance in Bihar. When he was anointed head of the Janata Parivar

gathbandhan, it was to challenge BJP in those very states which were instrumental in getting it to the

Centre UP and Bihar. He was also pivotal in sewing up the JD(U)-RJD alliance.Yet, on Sunday, when

Nitish Kumar shared the stage with Lalu Prasad and Sonia Gandhi at the high stakes swabhiman rally in

Patna, Mulayam stayed away . Now, his latest volley has brought about Advantage BJP.

His official line is that gathbandhan dharma has been violated, SP has been humiliated, it hasn't been

given a fair seat share. This is always a sticking point in any coalition and NCP has been making similar



complaints. But since neither NCP nor SP have a realistic shot at a big Bihari bounty , it stands to reason

that said grouse disguises unsaid second thoughts. Look at the opposite alliance for contrast. Asked

about their chief ministerial candidate, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan said all the BJP partners would accept

any A,B,C picked by Modi! Despite Paswan's vote of confidence for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's

continuing power to attract voters, this election could go down to the wire. If cracks are appearing in the

maha gathbandhan against Modi, his acche din promises have also taken a battering over the last 16

months. So today it's tough to tell whether the voters will buy Nitish or Modi's pledges of development

the desire to believe them would be battling their suspect records. Add caste and it's truly a conundrum.

It's hard to predict the determining factors in a tightly fought election. Nevertheless it's worth

remembering that although SP didn't win any of the 146 seats it contested in the last Bihar election, it

helped BJP by fracturing the anti-BJP vote.

Two things are well known about the chemical element mercury.It's quicksilver and used in

thermometers. Mulayam is mercurial but tends to end up on the winning side. So his latest U turn is bad

news indeed for Nitish, leaving him even more dependent on Lalu but raising anew the question of how

long these two can walk together.

vocabs

bruised › having bruises: a bruised shoulder/knee/elbow She was badly bruised but otherwise unhurt. › emotionally hurt as a result of a bad experience: Divorce generally leaves both partners feeling bruised.

anoint verb [T] (IN A CEREMONY) › to make someone holy in a religious ceremony by putting holy water or oil on them › to make someone king or queen, especially as part of a religious ceremony: [+ obj + noun ] In 751 Pepin was anointed king.

anoint verb [T] (FOR A JOB) › formal to choose someone to do a particular job, usually by a person in authority: [+ as + noun] It remains to be seen whom the chairman will anoint as his successor.

pivotal › central and important: a pivotal figure/role/idea

sew sth up (REPAIR) › to close or repair something by sewing the edges together:



Let me sew up that hole in your jeans. A nurse will come and sew up that wound for you soon.

sew sth up (BE SUCCESSFUL) › [usually passive] informal If you have a competition or game sewn up, you are certain to win it or get control of it: The Democratic candidate appears to have the election sewn up. › to complete all the arrangements for a successful business agreement: It's going to take another week or two to sew up this deal.

volley noun (BULLETS) › a large number of bullets (seeming to be) fired at the same time: Even as the funeral took place, guerrillas hidden nearby fired/let off a fresh volley of machine-gun fire.

volley noun (LARGE NUMBER) › a lot of similar things that are said or produced, or that happen, quickly one after the other: I'm afraid my proposal was met with a volley of criticisms.

humiliated >If someone is humiliated, they have has been made to feel ashamed or stupid: I've never felt so humiliated in my life.

bounty noun (REWARD) ›money paid as a reward: A bounty of $10,000 has been offered for the capture of his murderer.

bounty noun (KINDNESS) › literary great kindness or willingness to give: The charity is totally dependent on the Church's bounty.

bounty noun (PLENTY) › a large amount:

grouse noun (BIRD) › (plural grouse) a small fat bird, shot for sport and food

grouse noun (COMPLAINT) › (plural grouses) informal an angry complaint

down to the wire › until the last moment that it is possible to do something: I think the election will go right down to the wire (= be won at the last moment).

disguise >to give a new appearance to a person or thing, especially in order to hide its true form: He disguised himself by wearing a false beard.



battering › an act of hitting someone: baby/wife battering

conundrum › a problem that is difficult to deal with: Arranging childcare over the school holidays can be a real conundrum for working parents.

Sep 04 2015 : The Economic Times (Mumbai)

Stellar Faculty Pay: Crisis in University

India's higher education has turned elitist University teachers certainly command salaries at a steep discount to what they would earn if their skills are deployed in industry . Therefore, it is tempting to welcome the news that some private universities in India now offer senior faculty multi-crore salaries. However, such a happy change in the fortunes for a handful of academics signals a crisis in India's higher education. When teaching, as a profession, is underpaid, the result is elitist education. The best talent skips teaching, for the most part, opting for better-paying jobs. This leaves people who could not make it anywhere else to become teachers, except in the case of a minority , whose commitment to academics overrules all other considerations.This academic elite gravitates towards a tiny number of good universities and colleges. Students elsewhere get mediocrity . Of the vast majority who cannot gain admission to the few centres of excellence with good faculty , a tiny affluent section go abroad to study . The rest, the vast majority , go through the motions of higher education without gaining much for the trouble. This is the high ly elitist system we now have. Private universities have come up to tap the affluent flow to foreign universities, promising quality education for a pri ce. These universities need good faculty, without which they can draw no students, and are willing to pay good money to procure what they need. This does not alter the elitist nature of India's higher education. Private universities can pay high salaries because their tuition fees are proportionately high. Only the elite can afford this. The rest are still saddled with mediocrity . The solution is to make teachers' salaries and work conditions attractive. This will expand the talent pool drawn to academics, improve the quality of teaching across universities and even lower the premium the private universities now pay for faculty . To finance at least a part of the higher salaries of faculty , state universities have to raise fees from their present ridiculous levels. Students, in turn, should have access to a more liberal set of loans and scholarships.



vocabs elitist

› organized for the good of a few people who have special interests or abilities: Many remember sport at school as elitist, focusing only on those who were good at it.

steep adjective (NOT GRADUAL) >(of a slope) rising or falling at a sharp angle:

a steep slope It's a steep climb to the top of the mountain, but the view is worth it. The castle is set on a steep hill/hillside. > A steep rise or fall is one that goes very quickly from low to high or from high to low: There has been a steep increase/rise in prices.

deploy › to use something or someone, especially in an effective way: The company is reconsidering the way in which it deploys its resources/staff.

tempt › to make someone want to have or do something, especially something that is unnecessary or wrong: The offer of free credit tempted her into buying a new car.

gravitate › to be attracted to or move toward something: People tend to gravitate to the beaches here.

mediocre >not very good: The film's plot is predictable and the acting is mediocre.

affluent > having a lot of money or owning a lot of things: affluent nations/neighbourhoods

procure › to get something, especially after an effort: She's managed somehow to procure his phone number.

saddle noun (SEAT) > a seat, often made of leather, used on a horse, bicycle, motorcycle, etc.: He swung himself into the saddle and rode off.



Sep 04 2015 : The Economic Times (Mumbai)

The RBI Must Shed its CPI Obsession

The spectre of deflation, or falling prices, is haunting India, says chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian. It all depends on which price index you go by . The wholesale price index shows falling prices. The GDP deflator for the first quarter of the current fiscal, which measures economywide price changes, was 1.7%. Growth in gross value added (GVA), which is GDP net of taxes and subsidies, has been identical in constant and current prices. It implies that net of taxes and subsidies, the price rise was a round zero across the economy . The RBI is fixated on the consumer price index (CPI), inflation measured by which was upward of 5% in Q1, when economywide price change net of taxes was zero and wholesale pric es fell. What Subramanian did not say is that the RBI should not use CPI to guide its monetary policy . We agree. Deflation is an ageing, rich-world phenomenon, for instance, in Japan, and a low-middle-in come economy with widespread poverty levels like ours needs to avoid it at all cos ts. Falling prices are terrible for investment and consumption offtake and would hugely depress sentiments. It is true that CPI is used as the primary inflation tracker in the mature markets. But India is not a mature market. Fuel and food account for more than 60% of India's CPI. Food inflation is structural in India, as demand goes up when people emerge from poverty and supply remains constrained by flawed logistics, infrastructure and markets. Some 40 lakh tonnes of onions are routinely wasted, for want of cold storage and suitable warehousing. And since food inflation jacks up CPI, it necessarily means a far tighter than warranted monetary policy . Sure, the RBI needs to worry about capital flight amidst global turbulence and has to calibrate rate cuts, but cut interest rates, it has to. Crucial parts: Fuel and food account for more than 60% of India's CPI. Some 40 lakh tonnes of onions are routinely wasted, for want of cold storage and suitable warehousing

Vocabs

the spectre of sth › the idea of something unpleasant that might happen in the future: The awful spectre of civil war looms over the country.

haunting › beautiful, but in a sad way and often in a way that cannot be forgotten: a haunting melody



depress verb (CAUSE SADNESS) › to cause someone to feel unhappy and without hope: This weather depresses me.

sentiment noun (IDEA) > formal a thought, opinion, or idea based on a feeling about a situation, or a way of thinking about something: Nationalist sentiment has increased in the area since the bombing. I don't think she shares my sentiments.

constrained to do sth › forced to do something against your will: Don't feel constrained to do what he says - he has no authority. › Constrained behaviour is forced and unnatural: a constrained voice/manner

calibrate › to mark units of measurement on an instrument such so that it can measure accurately: a calibrated stick for measuring the amount of oil in an engine › to check a measuring instrument to see if it is accurate

flawed >not perfect, or containing mistakes: Diamonds are still valuable, even when they are flawed. His argument is deeply flawed.

jack sth up › to raise a heavy object such as a car off the ground with a jack jack sth up (INCREASE) › informal disapproving to increase the price of something suddenly and by a large amount: Once the tourists arrive, the restaurants jack up their prices.

amid >in the middle of or surrounded by: On the floor, amid mounds of books, were two small envelopes.

turbulence noun [U] (CONFUSION) › a state of confusion without any order: The era was characterized by political and cultural turbulence. There are signs of turbulence ahead for the economy. turbulence noun [U] (AIR/WATER MOVEMENT) › strong sudden movements within air or water: We might be experiencing some turbulence on this flight due to an approaching electrical storm.



the new york times

Australia’s Brutal Treatment of Migrants

Some European officials may be tempted to adopt the hard-line approach Australia has used to stem a similar tide of migrants. That would be unconscionable. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has overseen a ruthlessly effective effort to stop boats packed with migrants, many of them refugees, from reaching Australia’s shores. His policies have been inhumane, of dubious legality and strikingly at odds with the country’s tradition of welcoming people fleeing persecution and war. Since 2013, Australia has deployed its navy to turn back boats with migrants, including asylum seekers, before they could get close to its shores. Military personnel force vessels carrying people from Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea and other conflict-roiled nations toward Indonesia, where most of the journeys begin. A boat captain recently reported that Australian authorities paid him $30,000 to turn back. If true, that account, which the Australian government has not disputed, would represent a violation of international laws designed to prevent human smuggling and protect asylum seekers Those who have not been turned back are held at detention centers run by private contractors on nearby islands, including the tiny nation of Nauru. A report this week by an Australian Senate committee portrayed the Nauru center as a purgatory where children are sexually abused, guards give detainees marijuana in exchange for sex and some asylum seekers are so desperate that they stitch their lips shut in an act of protest. Instead of stopping the abuses, the Australian government has sought to hide them from the world. The Border Force Act, which took effect July 1, makes it a crime punishable by a two-year prison sentence for employees at detention camps to discuss the conditions there publicly. Australia and Nauru, which depends heavily on Australian foreign aid, have gone to great lengths to keep international journalists from gaining access to the detention center, in which more than 2,200 people have been held since 2012. Last year, Nauru raised the fee it charges for journalists’ visas from $200 to roughly $8,000; applicants who are turned down are not given refunds. Scores of people who have worked at the camp have become whistle-blowers. More than 40, including medical personnel and social workers, wrote a public letter to senior government officials in July saying they would rather risk arrest than stay quiet. “If we witness child abuse in Australia we



are legally obliged to report it to child protection authorities,” they wrote. “If we witness child abuse in detention centers, we can go to prison for attempting to advocate for them effectively.” European officials have traveled to Australia on fact-finding missions recently. Mr. Abbott, who argues that aggressively intercepting the boats saves lives, has urged European governments to follow his model, and some European leaders seem so inclined. “The Australian model may seem attractive to politicians,” said Leonard Doyle, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration. “Politicians love fences, but what fences do is create a market for smugglers and major humanitarian problems.” The world’s war zones are all but certain to continue to churn out an extraordinary number of refugees and economic migrants in the years ahead. Those people understandably will head to the most prosperous nations, hoping to rebuild their lives. It is inexcusable that some find themselves today in situations that are more hopeless and degrading than the ones that prompted them to flee.

vocabs

brutal >cruel, violent, and completely without feelings: a brutal dictator

tempt › to make someone want to have or do something, especially something that is unnecessary or wrong: The offer of free credit tempted her into buying a new car.

stem › to stop something unwanted from spreading or increasing: These measures are designed to stem the rise of violent crime. We must take action to stem the tide of resignations.

unconscionable › morally unacceptable: To make people feel shame or guilt for being ill is unconscionable. This unconscionable policy will cause great suffering.

inhumane › cruel and causing suffering to people or animals: Conditions for prisoners were described as inhumane.

dubious



> thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted: These claims are dubious and not scientifically proven.

flee > to escape by running away, especially because of danger or fear: She fled (from) the room in tears. In order to escape capture, he fled to the mountains.

flee the country › to quickly go to another country in order to escape from something or someone: It is likely that the suspects have fled the country by now.

persecute › to treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of time because of their race, religion, or political beliefs, or to annoy someone by refusing to leave them alone: Religious minorities were persecuted and massacred during the ten-year regime.

asylum noun (PROTECTION) › protection or safety, especially that given by a government to people who have been forced to leave their own countries for their safety or because of war: to seek/apply for political asylum

detention › [U] the act of officially detaining someone: Concern has been expressed about the death in detention of a number of political prisoners.

purgatory › the place to which Roman Catholics believe that the spirits of dead people go and suffer for the evil acts that they did while they were alive, before they are able to go to heaven › humorous an extremely unpleasant experience that causes suffering: I've been on a diet for two weeks now, and it's purgatory!

aggressive adjective (ANGRY) > behaving in an angry and violent way towards another person: Men tend to be more aggressive than women. If I criticize him, he gets aggressive and starts shouting.

aggressive adjective (DETERMINED) > determined to win or succeed and using forceful action to win or to achieve success: an aggressive election campaign

churn sth out › to produce large amounts of something quickly, usually something of low quality:



The factory churns out thousands of pairs of these shoes every week.

intercept › to stop and catch something or someone before that thing or person is able to reach a particular place: Law enforcement agents intercepted a shipment of drugs from Central America.

urge > a strong wish, especially one that is difficult or impossible to control: The two of them seem unable to control their sexual urges.

The Dawn

President’s remarks in China PRESIDENT Mamnoon Hussain has been a mostly silent, often underwhelming, president so far. Yet, when it comes to the Pak-China relationship, the ceremonial Pakistani president had an unusually public and political message for his more powerful Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. President Hussain is reported to have said that most East Turkestan Independence Movement militants — ethnic Uighur Muslims fighting the Chinese state — have been evicted from Pakistan following Operation Zarb-i-Azb. He added that Pakistan is committed to ensuring the safety and security of Chinese nationals working on various projects here. The public comments are a measure of how eager the Pakistani state is to assure the Chinese that everything possible is being done to address their security concerns — China does not even officially acknowledge the existence of the separatist movement and the state media made no reference to Mr Hussain’s comments. While the claims are quite possibly true, they do not necessarily reflect a longer-term reality. Since 9/11, the Pakistani state has periodically attempted to evict foreign militants from its soil. Be it through the much-lamented peace deals with so-called pro-state militants, counterterrorism operations in urban areas or direct military operations, the space for Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechens, Uighurs and militants of sundry other nationalities has progressively shrunk. Since Zarb-i-Azb in



particular, the physical space available to foreign, non-Afghan elements has been virtually eliminated. But it is also the case that many are believed to have escaped to Afghanistan — and the correlation between an increased outside militant presence in Afghanistan and violence in, say, the northern parts of the country has not gone unnoticed. What that means then is that while it is possible to dislodge militants from one area or region, it is far more difficult to eliminate them or put an end to their activities altogether. So long as the Pak-Afghan border remains porous, a return to Pakistan of foreign militants cannot be discounted. Particularly in the case of Uighur militants, the lure to return to Pakistan, just as the state tries to ramp up economic linkages with the Xinjiang region, will be strong. Success today should not translate into complacency tomorrow. There is another aspect to what President Hussain said in Beijing: while he may have conveyed good news, will there ever be a reckoning inside Pakistan of how the problem of foreign militants was allowed to grow to such an extent to begin with? Who were the architects of a security policy that allowed Fata to become an international hub of militancy? Who were the individuals responsible for letting foreign militants wage war against Pakistan and its neighbouring countries? Without accountability, without honestly facing the past, there is rarely irreversible policy change. What the country needs to collectively pledge is that never again will it allow the mistakes of the past to be repeated. But first, those mistakes must be publicly acknowledged.

vocabs

counterpart > a person or thing that has the same purpose as another one in a different place or organization: The prime minister is to meet his European counterparts to discuss the war against drugs.

underwhelmed

› feeling no excitement about or admiration for something or someone: I get the feeling that John's colleagues are distinctly underwhelmed by his latest proposal.

ethnic >relating to a particular race of people: A question on ethnic origin was included in the census. The factory's workforce reflects the ethnic mix from which it draws its labour.

militant › active, determined, and often willing to use force: militant extremists The group has taken a militant position on the abortion issue and is refusing to compromise.

evict › to force someone to leave somewhere:



Tenants who fall behind in their rent risk being evicted.

eager > wanting very much to do or have something, especially something interesting or enjoyable: the children's eager faces

assure verb (SAY WITH CERTAINTY) > to tell someone confidently that something is true, especially so that they do not worry: The unions assured the new owners of the workers' loyalty to the company.

lament › to express sadness and feeling sorry about something: The poem opens by lamenting (over) the death of a young man. My grandmother, as usual, lamented the decline in moral standards in today's society.

shrink verb (BECOME SMALLER) > to become smaller, or to make something smaller: Your sweater will shrink if you wash it at too high a temperature.

dislodge › to remove something or someone, especially by force, from a fixed position: The earthquake dislodged stones from the walls and the roof.

porous › Something that is porous has many small holes, so liquid or air can pass through, especially slowly: porous soil with good drainage porous brick walls a porous polymer membrane › not protected enough to stop people going through: The border in this region is porous and many refugees have simply walked across.

lure > [ usually singular] the quality or power that something or someone has that makes it, him, or her attractive: the lure of fame/power/money

ramp sth up › If a business ramps up its activity, it increases it:



The company announced plans to ramp up production to 10,000 units per month.

complacency › a feeling of calm satisfaction with your own abilities or situation that prevents you from trying harder: What annoys me about these girls is their complacency - they seem to have no desire to expand their horizons.

reckon verb (THINK) > informal to think or believe: I reckon it's going to rain. [+ (that)] How much do you reckon (that) it's going to cost? "Can you fix my car today?" "I reckon not/so (= probably not/probably)."

reckon verb (CONSIDER) › to consider or have the opinion that something is as stated: I don't reckon much to (US of) their chances of winning (= I do not think they will win). She was widely reckoned (to be) the best actress of her generation.

reckon verb (CALCULATE) › mainly UK to calculate an amount: Angela quickly reckoned the amount on her fingers. The inflation rate is now reckoned to be 10 percent.

to be reckoned with › worth taking seriously because of being powerful, important, or good: Are unions still a force to be reckoned with?

irreversible > not possible to change; impossible to return to a previous condition: Smoking has caused irreversible damage to his lung

The Indian Express

Gathering storm

With the monsoon faltering, governments at the state and Centre need to prepare plans to address growing rural distress. After receiving an unexpectedly high amount of rainfall in June, the trend has turned turtle, with July and August registering a 17 per cent and 23 per cent rainfall deficit respectively. This has been an odd year, where instead of a delayed monsoon, it could be a late season drought. The news coming



in suggests that the rainfall deficit is likely to continue. A recent analysis by Crisil says that four states — Maharashtra, Bihar, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh — are the worst hit in terms of productivity. These four states account for over one-third of India’s total foodgrain production. Five crops — jowar, soyabean, tur, maize and cotton — are the most affected. What makes matters worse is that El Nino, the weather phenomenon responsible for the monsoon’s sour mood, is expected to strengthen and is likely to influence rainfall all the way up to the spring season in 2016. That essentially means that the spectre of agrarian distress is fast turning into a reality, even though none of the state governments have announced a drought as yet. There are some small mercies, though. For one, the fall in global commodity prices means that consumers may not be troubled beyond an occasional spike of onion prices. But for the agricultural producers in rural India, a perfect storm is gathering. The low international prices are likely to negate any upside from lower domestic production. This will come on the back of a sharp turnaround in the fortunes in rural India, which enjoyed a massive surge between 2004 and 2014. Rural wages have been depressed in the past year. This is significant because 70 per cent of Indian agricultural households/ families are from the small and marginal category and depend on wages for income, as against large farmers, who benefit from income due from cultivation per se. The task ahead is increasingly becoming clear for both the Central and state governments. In the short term, both governments have to focus on providing income support. The BJP-led government might be well advised to use the MGNREGA, a programme whose efficacy it has been openly sceptical of in the past. For one, the MGNREGA has an already laid network and streamlining its implementation is likely to be the quickest way to alleviate rural distress. The states too cannot shirk their responsibility — agriculture is a state subject. The emerging paradigm, after the 14th Finance Commission report, demands that states prioritise their spending instead of pointing towards lower allocations in the Union budget.

Crucial lines

A recent analysis by Crisil says that four states — Maharashtra, Bihar, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh

— are the worst hit in terms of productivity. These four states account for over one-third of India’s

total foodgrain production. Five crops — jowar, soyabean, tur, maize and cotton — are the most

affected.

70 per cent of Indian agricultural households/ families are from the small and marginal category and

depend on wages for income

vocabs

falter verb (STOP) › to lose strength or purpose and stop, or almost stop: The dinner party conversation faltered for a moment. Her friends never faltered in their belief in her. Nickie's voice faltered and he stopped speaking.

falter verb (ALMOST FALL) › to move awkwardly as if you might fall: The nurse saw him falter and made him lean on her.



distress >a feeling of extreme worry, sadness, or pain: She claimed that the way she had been treated at work had caused her extreme emotional and psychological distress. Many of the horses were showing signs of distress at the end of the race. >a situation in which you are suffering or are in great danger and therefore in urgent need of help: Six people were rescued by helicopter from a fishing boat in distress off the coast. a distress signal

drought > a long period when there is little or no rain: This year (a) severe drought has ruined the crops.

El Niño › an unusual ocean current that happens along the western coast of South America every two to ten years, killing large numbers of sea creatures and causing noticeable and often severe changes in weather conditions in many areas of the world: the El Niño weather pattern/system/phenomenon Rains came late to the region because of El Niño.

sour adjective (TASTE) B1 having a sharp, sometimes unpleasant, taste or smell, like a lemon, and not sweet: These plums are a bit sour.

sour adjective (BAD FEELING) › unfriendly or easily annoyed: Overnight, it seemed, their relationship had turned sour. She gave me a sour look.

the spectre of sth › the idea of something unpleasant that might happen in the future: The awful spectre of civil war looms over the country.

agrarian › relating to the land, especially the use of land for farming: This is prime agrarian land. › An agrarian place or country makes its money from farming rather than industry: This part of the country is mainly agrarian.



spike noun (SHAPE) › a narrow, thin shape with a sharp point at one end, or something, especially a piece of metal, with this shape: There were large spikes on top of the railings to stop people climbing over them. Some types of dinosaur had sharp spikes on their tails.

spikes › a set of short, pointed pieces of metal or plastic, attached to the bottom of shoes worn for particular sports, that stop the person wearing the shoes from sliding on the ground, or shoes with these pointed pieces

negate › to cause something to have no effect: The increase in our profits has been negated by the rising costs of running the business.

surge a sudden and great increase: An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash.

sceptical >doubting that something is true or useful: Many experts remain sceptical about/of his claims.

efficacy › the ability, especially of a medicine or a method of achieving something, to produce the intended result: They recently ran a series of tests to measure the efficacy of the drug.

paradigm > a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something: Some of these educators are hoping to produce a change in the current cultural paradigm.

alleviate › to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe: The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain/suffering.

shirk › to avoid work, duties, or responsibilities, especially if they are difficult or unpleasant: If you shirk your responsibilities/duties now, the situation will be much harder to deal with next month



The Moscow Times

Russians Must Open Up and Think Long Term (Op-Ed)

Russian media could not ignore the recent survey by state-run pollster VTsIOM measuring Russians' attitudes toward the United States. The headlines in almost every pro-Kremlin and even opposition publication declared that Russians consider the U.S. an immoral and unspiritual country. However, the survey results that were sent to news commentators across the country actually showed that only 15 percent of respondents hold that view. Though that is clearly more than felt that way 20 years ago when enthusiasm over the fall of the Iron Curtain was at its highest, it is hardly a figure that justifies such categorical headlines. Only 15 percent of those questioned consider the U.S. immoral and unspiritual — not all Russians, and nowhere close to a majority. The results from even Russia's major sociological research centers such as the pro-Kremlin VTsIOM and the more independent Levada Center no longer inspire confidence. Even their staffers admit that the quality and accuracy of their work has fallen lately. And one reason for the decline is that fewer Russians agree to respond to their surveys. Field workers must now knock on approximately seven times as many doors as before to find a home whose residents are willing to answer their questions. Nobody — not sociologists, government officials or fellow Russians — know what those reticent citizens are thinking. The result is that any diagnosis of Russian society involves so much guesswork that Western sociologists no longer put any faith in the "big data" coming out of this country. Even the idea that 86 percent of the population supports President Vladimir Putin and 14 percent opposes him is little more than a theory that has gained currency in both domestic and foreign media through the force of repetition, but that lacks any grounding in empirical data. Even the survey on attitudes toward the U.S., although it seems like an attempt to either confirm or deny a certain sociological hypothesis, is based on nothing more than a propagandistic ploy. Many might believe just the opposite, that Russians are even more anti-U.S. than popularly reported and that most residents in single-industry towns hardest hit by the current crisis, and who now earn the equivalent of $120 per month at the current exchange rate, would gladly jump into the cockpit of a tank or fighter plane to combat hostile U.S. imperialism. However, too much evidence exists to the contrary. For example, "sources familiar with the situation" occasionally claim that Russia has 50,000 volunteers in the Donbass. However, that is ridiculously few from a country of 145 million that is inundated with anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western propaganda day and night.



Also, hundreds of thousands of people must resolve the practical task of protecting their incomes and savings as the value of the ruble declines. Most who convert their money into dollars and euros have never visited Europe or the United States. Perhaps they watch the state-controlled Channel One, vote for Putin and believe that Russia's actions in Crimea are absolutely right. But at the right moment they shake off the cobwebs of propaganda and pragmatically opt to buy U.S. dollars so as to purchase that new furniture set before the ruble price goes through the roof. The very fact that Russians are wondering what to do with what little savings they have shows that the economic culture has changed from what it was even 10 years ago. Sociologists have identified some of those changes in attitude, but not all, in part because they did not always know which questions to pose. The only thing we can say with certainty about Russian society is that it differs significantly from the picture painted of it by state-controlled television. If to look only at television reports, it is very difficult to shake the feeling of impending disaster. It even seems strange that the street is not full of columns of angry uniformed men carrying torches and marching to the attack. There is no official data to indicate just how universal this sense of disaster is. That feeling might be confined to people interested in political science and modern political history, or the general population might feel it also. Any chance conversation with Russian people — at a moment when they are not watching televised state propaganda — reveals the true level of frustration over the current crisis and uncertainty in the future. The tendency among many Russians to expect the end of the world stems from modern and recent Russian history. It is a tragic story with millions of war victims, exile, famine and prison camps. However, other countries have also experienced such tragedies. The difference is that Russia has not yet come to terms with its most tumultuous upheavals. Historians relate the events of 1917, the Russian Civil War, the purges of the 1930s, the war with Nazi Germany and the Soviet collapse in 1991, but the deeper reasons for them and their psychological and social consequences have yet to find a place in the national consensus. The result is that Russians see their past as a vaguely horrific time, and because its underlying causes and effects remain so little understood, Russians have a vague dread that the same events might repeat themselves in the future. That is why an increasing number of Russians are trying to escape impending disaster by taking flight — either by moving abroad, or for those without means, by moving away from the capital city. However, the more people leave, the less chance remains to avert a disaster. It is possible to reverse the negative trend. Russians need to understand their history and know themselves. They — we — sit in our Moscow apartments and plan our escape because we fear the people on the street below. We are alienated from each other. It is as if the Middle Ages never ended. Our experience shows that our fears are not unfounded. But it also shows that those fears might be exaggerated.



The only way to find out how things really stand is to get to know and build bridges between each other. That is much simpler than rethinking national history. What's more, it does not require any special effort. When a person gets cold, he can warm himself by focusing his thoughts away from the cold and taking long, deep breaths. In the same way, Russians need to shift their thoughts away from some impending disaster and take a longer-term approach to life than a focus on the opening and closing ruble exchange rate each day. It helps to get into that broader rhythm now, at the start of the school year. I, for example, started school in 1983, in the post-Brezhnev period of the Soviet Union at the peak of the Cold War. I graduated in 1993, in what had become a completely different country and a radically changed world. Hundreds of thousands of Russian children started school on Sept. 1. They will also graduate in what will be a completely different national and international environment. Even now, Russia is not the country we see portrayed on state-controlled television

Vocabs

immoral > morally wrong, or outside society's standards of acceptable, honest, and moral behaviour: an immoral act

amoral › without moral principles: Humans, he argues, are amoral and what guides them is not any sense of morality but an instinct for survival.

spiritual > relating to deep feelings and beliefs, especially religious beliefs: Traditional ways of life fulfilled both economic and spiritual needs

lately >recently: I haven't been feeling so well lately.

knock-on › causing other events or situations to happen, although not directly: High petrol prices could be having a knock-on effect among manufacturers.



reticent › unwilling to speak about your thoughts or feelings: He is very reticent about his past. Most of the students were reticent about answering questions.

empirical >based on what is experienced or seen rather than on theory: This theory needs to be backed up with solid empirical data/evidence.

combat > a fight, especially during a war: There was fierce combat between the two sides. No one knew how many troops had died in combat. The soldiers were engaged in hand-to-hand combat. armed combat (= fighting with weapons) unarmed combat (= fighting without weapons) › [C] a fight between two people or things: The film explores the combat between good and evil.

hostile adjective (UNFRIENDLY) >unfriendly and not liking something: a hostile crowd The president had a hostile reception in Ohio this morning. More examples

hostile adjective (DISAGREEING) >not agreeing with something: I'm not hostile to (= against) the idea of change as such.

hostile adjective (DIFFICULT) >difficult or not suitable for living or growing: hostile weather conditions a hostile climate/environment

hostile adjective (ENEMY) › [before noun] connected with the enemy in a war: hostile aircraft/forces

hostile adjective (COMPANIES) › relating to situations in which one company wants to buy another company whose owners do not want to sell it: The company convinced investors to reject a hostile bid from Enterprise Oil Plc worth £1.5 billion. a hostile merger

imperialism › a system in which a country rules other countries, sometimes having used force to get power over them: the age of imperialism



the contrary › the opposite: I was worried that it might be too hard for me but it turned out the contrary was true.

on the contrary > used to show that you think or feel the opposite of what has just been stated: "I thought you said the film was exciting?" "On the contrary, I nearly fell asleep half way through it!"

inundate verb (TOO MUCH) › to give someone so much work or so many things that they cannot deal with it all: We have been inundated with requests for help.

inundate verb (FLOOD) › formal to flood an area with water: If the dam breaks it will inundate large parts of the town.

propaganda > information, ideas, opinions, or images, often only giving one part of an argument, that are broadcast, published, or in some other way spread with the intention of influencing people's opinions: political/wartime propaganda

impending › used to refer to an event, usually something unpleasant or unwanted, that is going to happen soon: impending disaster/doom

confine [T] to limit an activity, person, or problem in some way: Let's confine our discussion to the matter in question, please! Please confine your use of the phone to business calls. By closing the infected farms we're hoping to confine the disease to the north of the region (= stop it from spreading to other areas). [T usually passive] to keep someone closed in a place, often by force: The hostages had been confined for so long that they couldn't cope with the outside world.

exile > the condition of someone being sent or kept away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons: The king went into exile because of the political situation in his country.



famine > a situation in which there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death, or a particular period when this happens: Another crop failure could result in widespread famine.

tumult › a loud noise, especially that produced by an excited crowd, or a state of confusion, change, or uncertainty: You couldn't hear her speak over the tumult from the screaming fans.

upheaval › a great change, especially causing or involving much difficulty, activity, or trouble: Yesterday's coup brought further upheaval to a country already struggling with famine.

purge verb (REMOVE PEOPLE) › to get rid of people from an organization because you do not agree with them: Party leaders have undertaken to purge the party of extremists. Hard-liners are expected to be purged from the administration.

purge verb (REMOVE EVIL) › to make someone or something free of something evil or harmful: Roman Catholics go to confession to purge their souls/themselves (from/of sin).

vague > not clearly expressed, known, described, or decided: I do have a vague memory of meeting her many years ago. The patient had complained of vague pains and backache. > not clear in shape, or not clearly seen: Through the mist I could just make out a vague figure. > A vague person is not able to think clearly, or gives an impression of not thinking clearly in order to hide their real thoughts: My aunt is incredibly vague - she can never remember where she puts things.

dread > to feel extremely worried or frightened about something that is going to happen or that might happen: He's dreading the exam - he's sure he's going to fail. [+ -ing verb] I'm dreading having to meet his parents.

dread to think > used to say that you do not want to think about something because it is too worrying: I dread to think what would happen if he was left to cope on his own.

avert verb (PREVENT) › to prevent something bad from happening:



to avert a crisis/conflict/strike/famine to avert disaster/economic collapse Synonym avoid

unfounded › If a claim or piece of news is unfounded, it is not based on fact: Our fears about the weather proved totally unfounded.

exaggerate > to make something seem larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is: The threat of attack has been greatly exaggerated. Don't exaggerate - it wasn't that expensive.

exacerbate › to make something that is already bad even worse: This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.


editorial toi th et ny ms td ie 4 sep 2015

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