THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-January 12, 2017- Topic 1
Kejriwal
in Punjab
That
Delhi was meant only as a springboard for the Aam Aadmi Party was clear even before Arvind Kejriwal was sworn in as Chief Minister in 2013. From
the start, the AAP envisaged itself as a nationwide movement against corruption
and for good governance. Even as he was talking of Delhi’s problems with water, power and so on, Mr. Kejriwal saw himself as rivalling Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi, fighting corruption and communalism. But those who thought the party’s rout in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls would dispirit its tenacious leader were wrong.
Its
proximity to Delhi was not the only reason the AAP found a resonance in Punjab.
The AAP could position itself as an alternative to both the Shiromani Akali Dal
and the Congress; it took the focus away from the identity politics of SAD, but
spoke up for the Sikh victims of the 1984 riots in Delhi under Congress watch.
The agrarian crisis, the drug mafia, jobs and development issues are in the
forefront of the AAP’s campaign. But the party has been handicapped by its
failure to groom a regional leader in Punjab. Mr. Kejriwal’s autocratic style
of functioning appears to have put off many in his party, as it did Navjot
Singh Sidhu, the former BJP MP who at one point seemed inclined to join forces
with the AAP. While Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia asked voters at
an election rally to vote as if Mr. Kejriwal were the chief ministerial
candidate, Mr. Kejriwal himself has been wary of projecting himself thus. The
AAP would have liked to showcase its two years in government in Delhi as a
model, but the frequent run-ins with the Lt. Governor over powers and
jurisdiction did not present a pretty picture. And while Punjab might be
important for the AAP’s national goals, voters are unlikely to look beyond
their immediate life and livelihood concerns in making their choice. The AAP
needs Punjab more than Punjab needs the AAP.
Vocabulary
Envisage: contemplate or
conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event.
Example: The Rome Treaty
envisaged free movement across frontiers
Synonyms: imagine, contemplate, visualize, envision, picture
Rival: compete for
superiority with.
Example: The efficiency of
the Bavarians rivals that of the Viennese
Synonyms: match, compare
with, compete with, vie with, equal
Rout: a disorderly
retreat of defeated troops.
Example: The retreat
degenerated into a rout
Synonyms: retreat, flight
Dispirit: cause someone to
lose enthusiasm or hope.
Example: The army was
dispirited by the uncomfortable winter conditions
Tenacious: tending to keep a
firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely.
Example: A tenacious grip
Synonyms: firm, tight, fast, clinging, strong, forceful
Stairs: a set of steps
leading from one floor of a building to another, typically inside the building.
Example: He came up the
stairs
Akin: of similar
character.
Example: Something akin to
gratitude overwhelmed her
Synonyms: similar, related, close, near, corresponding, comparable
Indulge: allow oneself to
enjoy the pleasure of.
Example: We indulged in
some hot fudge sundaes
Synonyms: wallow
in, give oneself up to, give way to, yield to
Groom: a person employed
to take care of horses.
Example: The Stakes will
include $830 for the groom of the winning horse.
Synonyms: stable
hand, stableman, stable boy
Autocratic: of or relating to
a ruler who has absolute power.
Example: The constitutional
reforms threatened his autocratic power
Livelihood: a means of
securing the necessities of life.
Example: People whose
livelihoods depend on the rain forest
Synonyms: income, source
of income, means of support, living