THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- November 12, 2016- Topic 1
There was never any doubt that Punjab’s
legislative adventurism in enacting a law in 2004 to terminate all previous
agreements on sharing the waters of the Ravi and the Beas with its neighbours
would not survive judicial scrutiny. Answering a Presidential reference on the
validity of Punjab’s action, the Supreme Court has declared the State’s law illegal. It
has ruled that Punjab reneged on its solemn promises by terminating its 1981
agreement with Haryana and Rajasthan to discharge itself of the obligation to
construct the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal. Its objective was to overcome the
2004 decree passed by the Supreme Court directing it to complete the canal work
expeditiously. The court’s reasoning draws from previous verdicts relating to
the Cauvery and Mullaperiyar disputes, reiterating the principle that “a State
cannot, through legislation, do an act in conflict with the judgment of the
highest court which has attained finality.” It is another matter if legislation
takes the form of a validating Act to cure specific illegalities or one that
removes the basis for a particular verdict. The verdict by a five-member Bench
is a timely reminder that it would be destructive of the rule of law and
federalism if a State were to be allowed to usurp judicial powers by nullifying
a verdict that has rendered findings on both fact and law.
As Punjab heads for the Assembly
election, this issue has already led to posturing by all major parties on which
among them is the best protector of the State’s interests. This attitude leads
to a disturbing tendency among States to be judges in their own cause,
especially when it comes to water disputes. Political parties in power
increasingly resort to legislation or Assembly resolutions rather than
negotiation. The Opposition parties collaborate in this with equal zeal, lest
they be seen to be wanting in passion for the cause. Punjab may well have had
legitimate grievances, historically, in the sharing of waters. This was, in
fact, the reason the Rajiv-Longowal accord of 1985 contained clauses relating
to river-water sharing too. Earlier, differences were first settled by a
notification by the Centre in 1976. When the matter led to litigation, Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi brokered an agreement in 1981. In effect, the present
arrangements, which Punjab seeks to wriggle out of, are backed by three
agreements. The Supreme Court ruled against Punjab in 2002 as well as in 2004.
The State’s obligation to allow the completion of the SYL Link Canal, so that
Haryana can utilise the share of water allocated to it, cannot be frustrated
any more. If Punjab feels aggrieved, there may be scope for negotiation and
conciliation even now, but it cannot take action unilaterally.
Vocabulary
Solemn: formal and dignified.
Example: A solemn procession
Synonyms: dignified, ceremonious, ceremonial, stately, formal, courtly, majestic
Destructive: causing great and irreparable harm or damage.
Example: The destructive power of weapons
Synonyms: devastating, ruinous, disastrous, catastrophic, calamitous, cataclysmic
Posturing: behave in a way that is intended to impress or mislead others.
Example: A masking of fear with macho posturing
Synonyms: pose, strike an attitude, strut
Grievance: a real or imagined wrong or other cause for complaint or protest,
especially unfair treatment.
Example: Failure to redress genuine grievances
Synonyms: injustice, wrong, injury, ill, unfairness, affront, insult, indignity
Litigation: the process of taking legal action.
Example: The company wishes to avoid litigation
Synonyms: legal proceedings, legal action, lawsuit, legal
dispute, legal case
Wriggle: twist and turn with quick writhing movements.
Example: He kicked and wriggled but she held him firmly
Synonyms: squirm, writhe, wiggle, jiggle, jerk, thresh, flounder, flail
Frustrated: prevent (a plan or attempted action) from progressing, succeeding, or being
fulfilled.
Example: His attempt to frustrate the merger
Synonyms: thwart, defeat, foil, block, stop, put a
stop to, counter, spoil
Aggrieved: feeling resentment at having been unfairly treated.
Example: They were aggrieved at the outcome
Synonyms: resentful, affronted, indignant, disgruntled, discontented, upset, offended
Adventurism: the willingness to take risks in business or politics (especially in the
context of foreign policy); actions, tactics, or attitudes regarded as daring
or reckless.
Example: Only in this manner can we hope to reduce the risks of adventurism and
miscalculation in a world that retains many thousands of nuclear weapons.