THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- January 16, 2018 - Topic 2

After the Spring

The seventh anniversary of the Jasmine Revolution

Tunisians have seized on commemorations of the Jasmine Revolution’s seventh anniversary to oppose the government’s austerity measures. In a way, the continuing clamour in the North African state is for a consolidation of the fragile gains from the 2011 revolution that set off the Arab Spring. In the weeks-long demonstrations, at least one person has been killed and a few hundred activists detained. 

The trigger for the unrest is the stringent terms attached to the government’s recent budget — a precondition for the $2.9 billion loan from the IMF. Lower petrol subsidies and higher taxes on cars and utilities are among the measures proposed to reduce the fiscal deficit, currently at 6% of GDP, to 4.9% by the year-end. Further fuelling the anger are the 25% youth unemployment rate, twice the national average, and persisting disparities among regions. Tourism has been one of the sectors worst-hit by the political unrest of recent years and the 2015 terrorist attacks. The government has promised $70 million in aid to support the poorer communities in a bid to quell the protests. But as the opposition Popular Front has set its sights on the withdrawal of the budget, there are few signs of the turmoil subsiding anytime soon.

The country-wide opposition and police action have, understandably, led to comparisons with Tunisia’s 2011 popular uprising that spread across the Arab world. The relatively stable transition witnessed in Tunis, in contrast with the authoritarian backlash in other countries, saw Tunisia being hailed as a global model. Perhaps conscious of this, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has been cautious, confining his criticism to the violence behind the opposition rather than the expression of dissent per se against the fiscal reforms. But he would have to show demonstrable progress in implementing democratic reforms to restore confidence in the government’s ability to deal with the discontentment. Of particular concern is a 2015 security law that has been revived following the recent death of a police official. Civil society groups are apprehensive that the measure is intended to grant immunity to the police and the military, as well as to penalise critics. Another controversial law passed in September to grant amnesty to officials charged with corruption allegedly committed during the nearly 25-year rule of Tunisia’s ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is being challenged by some parliamentarians. In recent years, the IMF has seemed more alive to the macroeconomic issues confronting developing countries, even as it has administered the usual recipe of structural reforms. Tunis could do with international support to prevent the country from slipping into the kind of chaos and uncertainty that has gripped the rest of the region. European Union nations in particular have an interest in promoting political and economic stability, in the light of migrant outflows from North Africa to the continent. Above all, the leadership in Tunisia could do more to reclaim popular trust.

Vocabulary

Austerity: sternness or severity of manner or attitude.

Example: He was noted for his austerity and his authoritarianism

Synonyms: nonindulgence, ascesis, asceticism

Antonyms: comfort

Clamour: a loud and confused noise, especially that of people shouting.

Example: The questions rose to a clamour

Synonyms: din, rocket, loud noise, uproar, tumult

Consolidation: the action or process of making something stronger or more solid.

Example: The permanent consolidation of peace

Synonyms: integrating, consolidation, integration, desegregation

Demonstration: the action or process of showing the existence or truth of something by giving proof or evidence.

Example: It is not capable of mathematical demonstration

Synonyms: proof, substantiation, confirmation, affirmation, corroboration

Stringent: strict, precise, and exacting.

Example: California's air pollution guidelines are stringent

Synonyms: strict, firm, rigid, rigorous, severe, harsh, tough, tight, exacting

Antonyms: undemanding

Disparities: a great difference.

Example: Economic disparities between different regions of the country

Synonyms: discrepancy, inconsistency, imbalance, variance, variation

Persistent: continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

Example: One of the government's most persistent critics

Synonyms: tenacious, persevering, determined, resolute, purposeful

Antonyms: caducous, sporadic, deciduous, forgettable, docile, shed

Turmoil: a state of great disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty.

Example: The country was in turmoil

Synonyms: confusion, upheaval, turbulence, tumult, disorder, disturbance

Backlash: a strong and adverse reaction by a large number of people, especially to a social or political development.

Example: A public backlash against racism

Synonyms: adverse reaction, adverse response, counterblast

Cautious: careful to avoid potential problems or dangers.

Example: A cautious driver

Synonyms: careful, heedful, attentive, alert, watchful, vigilant, circumspect

Antonyms: tearaway, immoderate, madcap, hotheaded, incautious

Intended: planned or meant.

Example: The intended victim escaped

Synonyms: deliberate, intentional, calculated, conscious, planned, studied

Antonyms: unattached, causeless, inadvertent, unintentional

Apprehensive: anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen.

Example: He felt apprehensive about going home

Synonyms: anxious, worried, uneasy, nervous, concerned, agitated, tense

Antonyms: unperceptive, easy, unperceiving, fearless

Amnesty: an official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses.

Example: An amnesty for political prisoners

Synonyms: pardon, pardoning, reprieve, grace, release, discharge

Antonyms: penalty, punishment, retaliation, retribution

Recipe: a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.

Example: A traditional Indonesian recipe

Synonyms: cooking instructions/directions, receipt

Outflow: a large amount of money, liquid, or people that moves or is transferred out of a place.

Example: An outflow of foreign currency

Synonyms: discharge, outflowing, outpouring, rush, flood, deluge, issue

Antonyms: influx, inflow

Reclaim: retrieve or recover something previously lost, given, or paid.

Example: He returned three years later to reclaim his title as director of advertising

Synonyms: get back, recoup, claim back, recover, regain, retrieve