THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-May 25, 2017- Topic 2

The commendation

On award to Major Leetul Gogoi

There are two issues that are pertinent about the commendation awarded to Major Leetul Gogoi of the Army’s 53 Rashtriya Rifles. The first relates to the timing — it was conferred on him by Army chief General Bipin Rawat before a Court of Inquiry has concluded its probe into his role in the use of a human shield during the Srinagar Lok Sabha election on April 9. 

Without casting any doubt whatsoever about Major Gogoi’s “sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations”, it is impossible but to conclude that the timing of the award sends a truly unfortunate message, one that risks a loss of public confidence in the Court of Inquiry, ordered by the Army itself. Since the Major was being probed for a possible transgression in an area plagued by insurgency, wouldn’t the commendation be regarded as a tacit approval of his action? The second issue relates to the circumstances in which Major Gogoi resorted to the use of a human shield, something that he admitted to doing a day after news of the commendation broke. Many of the specifics relating to this are irrelevant insofar as they do not constitute a justification for tying someone to the bonnet of a jeep and driving him through the street as a deterrent to stone-pelting. For instance, the discussion on whether Farooq Ahmad Dar was instigating a group to throw stones (as Major Gogoi states) or whether he was merely a bystander who was out to exercise his franchise (as Mr. Dar says) cannot cloud the larger issue — the impropriety of the Indian Army using someone as a human shield.

The Indian Army prides itself on a long and honourable tradition in guarding the Republic; indeed, it operates in places such as Kashmir in extremely trying circumstances that risk life and limb. But surely it must accept that the rules of conduct for men in uniform must be adhered to, despite the difficulties in doing so in the conduct of what is clearly an asymmetric engagement. If the use of human shields has been declared a war crime by the Geneva Conventions and opposed for the same reason in both “international and non-international conflicts” by organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, it is because such acts put people at risk and constitute a gross human rights violation. It is no accident that the use of such shields has been perfected by terrorist organisations, ranging from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to the Islamic State. It could be argued that in the fog of operations, some improvisation in standard operating procedures is inevitable. But the use of a human shield, in this instance of a civilian, can hardly be justified on this ground, because it militates against the basic principles that govern the rules of conduct in war and war-like situations. It would have been proper if this incident was met with stern disapproval rather than being exploited, as it has been in some hyper-nationalistic quarters, to reinforce an us-versus-them binary and pit the security forces against the Kashmiri street.

Vocabulary

Pertinent: relevant or applicable to a particular matter.

Example: She asked me a lot of very pertinent questions

Synonyms: relevant, to the point, apposite, appropriate, suitable

Commendation: praise.

Example: The film deserved the highest commendation

Synonyms: praise, congratulation, appreciation, acclaim, credit, recognition

Insurgency: an active revolt or uprising.

Example: Rebels are waging an armed insurgency to topple the monarchy

Transgression: an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct.

Example: I'll be keeping an eye out for further transgressions

Synonyms: offense, crime, sin, wrong, wrongdoing, misdemeanor, impropriety

Plague: cause continual trouble or distress to.

Example: The problems that plagued the company

Synonyms: afflict, bedevil, torment, trouble, beset, dog, curse

Tacit: understood or implied without being stated.

Example: Your silence may be taken to mean tacit agreement

Synonyms: implicit, understood, implied, hinted, suggested, unspoken

Irrelevant: not connected with or relevant to something.

Example: Motive is important in detection and in arguing a case in court, but it is irrelevant to sentencing.

Synonyms: beside the point, immaterial, not pertinent, not germane

Bonnet: a protective cover or cap over a machine or object, in particular.

Example: Well, with that and the money I make from this story, Chris' bonnet is almost covered.

Deterrent: able or intended to deter.

Example: The deterrent effect of heavy prison sentences

Synonyms: disincentive, discouragement, damper, curb, check, restraint

Bystander: a person who is present at an event or incident but does not take part.

Example: Yet you are given the impression that the author was an innocent bystander to events which were supposed to have been under his control.

Synonyms: onlooker, looker-on, passerby, nonparticipant, observer, spectator

Impropriety: a failure to observe standards or show due honesty or modesty; improper language, behavior, or character.

Example: She was scandalized at the impropriety of the question

Synonyms: wrongdoing, misconduct, dishonesty, corruption, unscrupulousness

Improvisation: the action of improvising.

Example: He learned to play the piano by ear, developing a talent for improvisation which, years later

Stern: serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline.

Example: A smile transformed his stern face

Synonyms: serious, unsmiling, frowning, severe, forbidding, grim, unfriendly

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