THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- September 25, 2017- Topic 1

Afghan overture

On India’s assistance

President Donald Trump’s policy announcement on Afghanistan has clearly set the stage for diverse moves on the geopolitical chessboard. India’s plans to expand its security assistance to Afghanistan by training police officers in India as part of a UNDP project must be assessed in this light. A welcome step in itself and one that could have a significant impact on the security situation in Afghanistan, it also sends out a loud geopolitical signal. 

The main part of this message is meant for Afghanistan, as it indicates a continued commitment to its stability. By training police officers and hundreds of army cadets and officers, India is taking an important role in capacity building for Afghan security. The country saw the highest civilian casualties last year since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Increasingly, these casualties are coming not from Afghanistan’s border areas but its cities and villages where only a professionally trained police force, and not armies, can maintain peace. India has also announced this month 116 smaller “new development projects” across Afghanistan, and police forces will be crucial in protecting irrigation, housing and school projects from the Taliban and other terror groups. The second message, to Pakistan and other countries in the region that deal with the Taliban, is that India will not be deterred from assisting Afghanistan for its security. This is a clear counter to Pakistan Prime Minister S.K. Abbasi’s recent statement that India has “zero political and military role” in Afghanistan. This message is reinforced by New Delhi’s decision to send Indian engineers to refurbish several non-functional Soviet-era planes and to repair the helicopters India donated to Afghanistan last year.

Third, there is a message to the U.S. and NATO forces, just ahead of an important visit by U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis to Delhi, that could not be clearer: India will play a part in putting Afghanistan back on its feet in India’s own way and not necessarily, as the U.S. may prefer, with ‘boots on the ground’ or by sending large numbers of trainers into Afghanistan, where they would become marked targets. The decision to enhance security training comes coupled with an India-Afghanistan trade fair sponsored by USAID, that will welcome Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and other ministers to Delhi this week. Regardless of actual transactions made, the optics will be significant, demonstrating possibilities of India-Afghanistan business regardless of the obstacles in transit trade posed by Pakistan. An announcement by the government that the India-Afghanistan-Iran trilateral arrangement to circumvent the obstacles is on track was well-timed, and the commitment that the Chabahar port development project will be completed next year should reassure business on both sides about a sustainable trade route from South Asia to Central Asia. India and Afghanistan have lost too much time on each of these plans.

Vocabulary

Diverse: showing a great deal of variety; very different.

Example: A culturally diverse population

Synonyms: various, sundry, manifold, multiple, varied, varying

Assess: evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.

Example: The committee must assess the relative importance of the issues

Synonyms: evaluate, judge, gauge, rate, estimate, appraise

Stability: the state of being stable.

Example: There are fears for the political stability of the area

Synonyms: firmness, solidity, steadiness, strength, security, safety

Commitment: the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc..

Example: The company's commitment to quality

Synonyms: dedication, devotion, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity

Deter: discourage someone from doing something

Example: Only a health problem would deter him from seeking re-election

Synonyms: discourage, dissuade, put off, scare off, dishearten, demoralize

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

Refurbish: renovate and redecorate something, especially a building.

Example: The premises have been completely refurbished in our corporate style

Synonyms: renovate, recondition, rehabilitate, revamp, overhaul, restore

Enhance: intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of.

Example: His refusal does nothing to enhance his reputation

Synonyms: increase, add to, intensify, heighten, magnify, amplify

Obstacle: a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress.

Example: The major obstacle to achieving that goal is money

Synonyms: barrier, hurdle, stumbling block, obstruction, bar, block

Circumvent: find a way around an obstacle.

Example: However, those inventive motorcyclists have managed to circumvent the obstacle

Sustainable: able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

Example: Sustainable fusion reactions