THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- November 2, 2016- Topic 1
School’s out in Kashmir
It is almost four months since the unrest in Kashmir
began following the killing of
Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’ Burhan Wani. Protests, intermittent violence and long stretches of
curfew have continued to put
normal life on hold. Delegations of civil society representatives as well as
politicians have attempted to reach out to separatists and find a way to bring
calm to the streets, but to little avail. In fact, the opposite is happening
with increasing mindless arson attacks on schools over the past two months. By
one count, 27 schools, most of
them government-run, have been set afire so
far in the Valley over this period. No one has yet claimed responsibility for
these attacks. The government has blamed the separatists for encouraging the
arson. In turn, the separatists charge the administration of failing to protect
the schools. Amidst all this blame-shifting, it is disturbing that separatist
leaders such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani have not condemned the acts of violence
outright. Their equivocation must be called out, even as the Jammu and Kashmir
High Court has directed the government to reopen all the schools despite the
separatists’ shutdown call.
It is against this backdrop, of life
thrown out of gear and specific targeting of school buildings, that students
have been rattled by the government’s plan to conduct State Board examinations
in the second half of November. The government needs to assure them of adequate
security to address their anxieties. The situation is reminiscent of the early
1990s. Hundreds of schools had been targeted then. Disrupting the school
calendar is one of the oldest tricks in the insurgents’ playbook. It sends out
the signal that the administration is not in full control. And it heightens
anxiety among the local population that their children’s life chances are
doubtful, thereby reinforcing popular disaffection and alienation. However, the
occasional occupation of school buildings by the security forces also makes
them a symbol of the state, and a soft target for militants. The government
must abandon the practice of using schools to solve logistical problems.
Moreover, while the State government focusses on getting students back to
school, to be successful this effort must be embedded in a purposeful, urgent
plan to return normalcy to the State, especially south Kashmir that has been
the epicentre of the protests and violence. The disruption in the academic
calendar in the Valley is an outcome of the prevailing unrest. Resumption of
the rhythms of normal life is essential to end this disruption. Something has
to give. The people of Kashmir need a break from this long and tragic season of
protests, shutdowns and curfew.
Vocabulary
Intermittent: occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
Example: Intermittent rain
Synonyms: sporadic, irregular, fitful, spasmodic, broken, fragmentary, discontinuous
Avail: help or benefit.
Example: No amount of struggle availed Charles
Synonyms: help, aid, assist, benefit, profit, be of
service to
Arson: the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property.
Example: Police are treating the fire as arson
Synonyms: pyromania, incendiarism, torching
Condemned: express complete disapproval of, typically in public; censure.
Example: Fair-minded people declined to condemn her on mere suspicion
Synonyms: censure, criticize, denounce, revile, blame, chastise, berate, reprimand
Rattled: cause (someone) to feel nervous, worried, or irritated.
Example: She turned quickly, rattled by his presence
Synonyms: unnerve, disconcert, disturb, fluster, shake, perturb, discompose
Adequate: satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity.
Example: This office is perfectly adequate for my needs
Synonyms: sufficient, enough, requisite; acceptable, passable, reasonable
Reinforcing: strengthen or support, especially with additional personnel or material.
Example: Paratroopers were sent to reinforce the troops already in the area
Synonyms: augment, increase, add to, supplement, boost, top
up