THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- December 13, 2017- Topic 2

Unedifying campaign: On Gujarat polls

The Gujarat election campaign, the second and last phase of which concluded on Monday, was high on decibels and low on substance. Election campaigns often generate more heat than light, but this one was riddled with a string of controversies, which served to deflect attention from the real issues, particularly those relating to Gujarat’s development. 

For much of the campaign, the focus was on such things as Rahul Gandhi’s religious identity, a rash and intemperate remark against Prime Minister Modi, and more broadly on personalities rather than issues. This was odd given that Mr. Modi swept the 2014 general election on the promise of expanding the so-called Gujarat model of development to other parts of the country. Ironically, very little was heard of the State’s record on the economic front during the campaign, which ended on a bizarre and jarring note — with the Prime Minister accusing the Congress of colluding with Pakistan on the Gujarat election. This accusation was made on the basis that the Pakistan High Commissioner and its former foreign minister had attended a dinner at which some Congress leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, were present. The allegation that the meeting was held in “secret” is laughable given the presence of a clutch of political leaders, diplomats and journalists, not to mention a former Army Chief of Staff and a former Vice-President. A stung Manmohan Singh has exposed the irresponsibility in painting such a meeting as an act of collusion with foreign officials.

It is not clear whether the unseemly edge and rancour in the campaign rhetoric was a consequence of the perception that this would be a closely fought election, as some pollsters have predicted. But there is no denying that for both parties there is a huge stake riding on this Assembly election. For the Congress, which was charged with adopting a soft Hindutva approach following soon-to-be Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s frequent visits to temples, a win here could reverse the political narrative of the last few years. The stakes for the BJP are arguably even higher — a narrow victory in the home turf will be insufficient to prevent the perception of a decline given the performance in the 2014 general election, when the party won almost 60% of the popular vote. To demonstrate that it retains the political momentum, the BJP would have to, at the very least, better its 2012 Assembly election performance, when it won 115 of the 182 seats. The big question is whether it can pull this off in the face of a new caste coalition that the Congress has cobbled together, spearheaded by the influential Patidar community, which seems palpably angry. Given Mr. Modi’s personal stake in the BJP retaining his home State and Mr. Gandhi’s need to prove himself as the Congress president, this Assembly election has had the character of a presidential contest — something that explains the huge interest in the result.

Vocabulary

Riddle: a person or thing that is difficult to understand or explain.

Example: The riddle of her death

Synonyms: Puzzle, conundrum, poser, enigma, brain-teaser

Deflect: cause something to change direction by interposing something; turn aside from a straight course.

Example: The bullet was deflected harmlessly into the ceiling

Synonyms: turn aside/away, divert, avert, sidetrack, distract, draw away

Attention: the action of dealing with or taking special care of someone or something.

Example: The business needed her attention

Synonyms: consideration, contemplation, deliberation, thought, study

Intemperate: having or showing a lack of self-control; immoderate

Example: Intemperate outbursts concerning global conspiracies

Synonyms: immoderate, excessive, undue, inordinate, extreme, unrestrained

Ironically: used in reference to a paradoxical, unexpected, or coincidental situation.

Example: Ironically, the rescue craft which saved her was the boat she was helping to pay for

Bizarre: very strange or unusual, especially so as to cause interest or amusement.

Example: Her bizarre dresses and outrageous hairdos

Synonyms: strange, peculiar, odd, funny, curious, outlandish

Allegation: a claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically one made without proof.

Example: He made allegations of corruption against the administration

Synonyms: claim, assertion, charge, accusation, declaration, statement

Collusion: secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others.

Example: The armed forces were working in collusion with drug traffickers

Synonyms: conspiracy, connivance, complicity, intrigue, plotting

Perception: the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.

Example: The normal limits to human perception

Arguably: it may be argued used to qualify the statement of an opinion or belief.

Example: She is arguably the greatest woman tennis player of all time

Synonyms: possibly, conceivably, feasibly, plausibly, probably, maybe

Retain: continue to have something.

Example: Built in 1830, the house retains many of its original features

Synonyms: keep, keep possession of, keep hold of, hold on to

Huge: extremely large; enormous.

Example: A huge area

Synonyms: enormous, vast, immense, large, big, great, massive