THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-December 1, 2016- Topic 2
The death of seven soldiers in the terrorist attack on an Army base in Nagrota provides graphic evidence of the high cost being borne by the armed forces
amidst escalating violence in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack comes just two
months after militants stormed an Army camp in Uri, resulting in the death of
19 soldiers. Early on Tuesday morning, three terrorists entered the camp in
Nagrota, near Jammu city and not very far from the headquarters of 16 Corps,
one of the largest and most important corps of the Indian Army. It is important
to investigate how heavily armed terrorists reached the 166 Medium Regiment
premises in a securitised area, despite several road blocks on the road to
Nagrota. Wearing police uniforms, the terrorists reportedly scaled a wall and stormed
the base, where many military families were staying. Seven soldiers, including
two Majors, were killed as they fought to prevent a hostage situation. At least
four unarmed officers, the wives of two officers and two children were among
those who were at risk of being taken hostage. According to Army officers, the
two women also showed exemplary presence of mind, and blocked their doors with
household items.
With the latest incident, at
least 89 security personnel have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir so far in
2016. This is the highest figure in almost a decade, or since the gains of the
2003 ceasefire on the India-Pakistan border began to be consolidated. Since the
surgical strikes of September 29 in response to the Uri attack, India has lost
27 security personnel. In fact, the attrition rate among the security forces
has been going up steadily vis-Ã -vis the terrorists. Decades of experience in fighting insurgencies and the
diverse tactics adopted to reduce security force casualties have in recent
months been challenged by the terrorists’ focus on security installations,
aimed at causing maximum casualties among the forces. The violence level within
Jammu and Kashmir is a result of several factors: the unrest in the Valley, the
state of India’s relations with Pakistan, and the situation along the border,
both the International Boundary and the Line of Control. On all three fronts,
much needs to be done. India-Pakistan bilateral relations have nosedived in
recent months. And while New Delhi does not have the luxury of choosing
unilaterally between relative peace and a lingering state of low-intensity
conflict, there needs to be an appraisal of the costs that have come with the
breakdown of the 2003 ceasefire — for instance, crossfire is routinely a cover for
Pakistan in assisting terrorists to cross over to Indian territory. Creating
peace is a complex process. Drawing up a plan to minimise loss of life will be
a good place to begin.
Vocabulary
Stormed: move angrily or forcefully in a specified direction.
Example: She burst into tears and stormed off
Synonyms: stride
angrily, stomp, march, stalk, flounce, stamp
Corps: a main subdivision of an armed force in the field, consisting of two or
more divisions.
Example: The 5th Army Corps
Regiment: a permanent unit of an army typically commanded by a colonel and divided
into several companies, squadrons, or batteries and often into two battalions.
Example: Two or three miles inland a highly experienced artillery regiment had
established a defensive position
Synonyms: unit, outfit, force, corps, division, brigade, battalion, squadron, company, platoon
Hostage: a person seized or held as security for the fulfillment of a condition.
Example: The kidnapper had instructed the hostage's family to drop the ransom at
noon
Synonyms: captive, prisoner, inmate, detainee, internee, victim, abductee, prey
Consolidated: combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent
whole.
Example: All manufacturing activities have been consolidated in new premises
Synonyms: combine, unite, merge, integrate, amalgamate, fuse, synthesize
Casualties: a person killed or injured in a war or accident.
Example: And as we get more and faster trains on to the rails we can expect more
deaths, so the casualty figures coldly used in cost benefit studies are all
going to be out of date anyway.
Appraisal: an act of assessing something or someone.
Example: Treatment begins with a thorough appraisal of the patient's condition
Synonyms: assessment, evaluation, estimation, judgment, rating, gauging