THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-March 7, 2017- Topic 2
The Tawang test
China’s statement that it is “gravely
concerned” over the government’s decision to allow the Dalai Lama
to visit Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang monastery in early April, and that it would
“seriously damage” bilateral ties, is unwarranted. It is also an unacceptable
escalation of rhetoric over an issue that India and China have engaged with each
other on, including during the visit by Foreign
Secretary S. Jaishankar to Beijing.
The controversy over the Tawang area goes
back to the Shimla meet of 1914, when the Chinese representatives just
initialled, and didn’t sign, a trilateral agreement with British India and
Tibet. Later, in 1959, when the current Dalai Lama fled Tibet, he came into
India through Tawang. He has not visited Arunachal Pradesh since 2009, when he
retraced his 1959 journey. On that occasion too, his itinerary had evoked
threats from Beijing, but eventually bilateral concerns outweighed them. The
Chinese government would do well to not allow tensions with India over the
issue of Arunachal Pradesh to spill into other spheres of engagement, and
perhaps to also recall its own talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama
that broke down after nine rounds in 2010 when it seeks to castigate him and
New Delhi for their engagement. Beijing’s objections over access for the Dalai
Lama as a spiritual leader to a religious shrine obviously cannot be allowed to
intimidate India into restricting his free movement.
At the same time, New Delhi must calibrate its moves to avoid
misperceptions that it is indulging in political power-play. Recent
developments, such as visits to Tawang by American diplomats including the U.S.
Ambassador, and an official dinner at the U.S. Embassy attended by a Minister
and leader of the “Tibetan government in exile” based in Dharamshala, could be
interpreted as messages aimed at China, even if they did not signify any policy
change. Beijing has been touchy about visiting delegations from Taiwan and the
grant of visas to those it perceives as dissident activists. Pinpricks cannot
substitute for policy and New Delhi should keep its focus on the major issues
between the two countries. The bid for Nuclear Suppliers Group
membership and having Masood
Azhar placed on the UN terrorists’ list have occupied much of the bilateral canvas, while the
larger issue of the boundary resolution hasn’t been addressed adequately.
Statements last week from former Chinese special envoy Dai Bingguo, who
suggested that flexibility from India over the “eastern boundary” in Arunachal
Pradesh could yield flexibility from China over “other areas”, that is, the
western boundary in J&K, are significant. If the statements are an
indication that the 20th round of talks between the special representatives
expected this year will see an opening for progress, then that is a more worthwhile
goal for New Delhi and Beijing to be preoccupied with.
Vocabulary
Monastery: a building or buildings occupied by a community of
monks living under religious vows.
Example: In the middle of
the 19th century abbot of the monastery was a monk named Genadii.
Synonyms: religious
community, friary, abbey, priory, nunnery
Escalation: a rapid increase; a rise.
Example: Cost escalations
Synonyms: increase, rise, hike, growth, leap, upsurge, upturn, climb
Rhetoric: the art of effective or persuasive speaking or
writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional
techniques.
Example: Born into a rich
provincial family, he studied philosophy as well as rhetoric and law.
Synonyms: oratory, eloquence, command
of language, way with words
Itinerary: a planned route or journey.
Example: In reality, I am
safe and sound and I do not intend to change my travel itinerary .
Outweighed: be heavier than.
Example: Bob outweighed him
by more than twenty-five pounds
Castigate: reprimand someone severely.
Example: He was castigated
for not setting a good example
Synonyms: reprimand, rebuke, admonish, chastise, chide, censure
Shrine: a place regarded as holy because of its
associations with a divinity or a sacred person or relic, typically marked by a
building or other construction.
Example: On these days they
do not enter temples or home shrines , or approach holy men.
Synonyms: holy place, temple, church, chapel, tabernacle, sanctuary
Perceive: become aware or conscious of something.
Example: His mouth fell
open as he perceived the truth
Synonyms: discern, recognize, become
aware of, see, distinguish
Dissident: in opposition to official policy.
Example: There is only one
explicitly dissident voice to be heard
Synonyms: dissenting, disagreeing, opposing, objecting, protesting
Worthwhile: worth the time, money, or effort spents.
Example: Extra lighting
would make a worthwhile contribution to road safety
Synonyms: valuable, useful, of
use, of service, beneficial