THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- November 18, 2016- Topic 1
The 2003 ceasefire on the
Line of Control has clearly now ceased to hold, with daily exchange of fire
between Indian and Pakistani soldiers. The DGMO channel has failed to quell
exchanges that include artillery and mortar fire. There are no bilateral talks
today at any level, and the only contact between the governments in Islamabad
and New Delhi is when one country’s foreign ministry summons the other’s High
Commissioner to issue a demarche about the growing casualties along the
International Boundary and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The two countries have
even dispensed with routine niceties: Pakistan is yet to condemn the Uri attack
in which 19 soldiers were killed, and India has not put out a statement on the
spate of terror attacks in Balochistan. Meanwhile, fears about the LoC firing
spiralling out of control have grown. In Pakistan, that worry has increased
because of the impending decision on who will be the next army chief, and owing
to tensions between Army Headquarters and the Nawaz Sharif government. India,
having announced its ‘surgical strikes’ as a new red-line of response post-Uri,
is concerned about a terrorist build-up across the LoC, with 18 infiltration
attempts reported in the past week.
It is against this backdrop,
with confidence-building measures dismantled and dialogue dead, that Sartaj
Aziz, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Pakistan Prime Minister, has indicated
that he will visit India for the Heart of Asia donor conference on Afghanistan
in early December. A year ago, when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
attended the Heart of Asia meet in Islamabad, she had announced the resumption
of bilateral talks, called a “comprehensive dialogue”. This year no such
announcement appears to be even remotely on the cards during Mr. Aziz’s trip to
Amritsar. It is, however, a window of opportunity to take the current tensions
firmly in hand, and assure regional leaders gathered at the conference — who
will include Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad
Zarif and ministers from China and Russia — that India and Pakistan can in fact
sort out the concerns bilaterally. The Heart of Asia conference will no doubt
reinforce India’s message to Pakistan on terrorism on the need to dismantle all
groups including those that target its neighbours such as India, Afghanistan
and Iran. However, in discussing the protracted violence in Afghanistan,
leaders at the conference may also drive home the point that the current levels
of tension and violence between India and Pakistan will benefit no one, but
only worry the region at large.
Vocabulary
Ceased: bring or come to an end.
Example: The hostilities had ceased and normal life was resumed
Synonyms: come to an
end, come to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude
Quell: put an end to (a rebellion or other disorder), typically by the use of
force.
Example: Extra police were called to quell the disturbance
Synonyms: put an end
to, put a stop to, end, crush, put down
Artillery: large-caliber guns used in warfare on land.
Example: Tanks and heavy artillery
Synonyms: ordnance, (big)
guns, cannon(s), battery
Nicety: a fine detail or distinction, especially one regarded as intricate and
fussy.
Example: She was never interested in the niceties of Greek and Latin
Synonyms: subtlety, fine
point, nuance, refinement, detail
Impending: be about to happen.
Example: My impending departure
Synonyms: imminent, close
(at hand), near, nearing, approaching, coming
Dismantled: take (a machine or structure) to pieces.
Example: The engines were dismantled and the bits piled into a heap
Synonyms: take apart, pull
apart, pull to pieces, disassemble, break up, break down
Reinforce: 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