THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary - June 11, 2018 - Topic 2
Ceasing fire: on truce in Afghanistan
The Taliban’s announcement of a three-day
ceasefire with Afghan government troops for Eid,
two days after President Ashraf Ghani declared an unconditional week-long
ceasefire, is a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough in the long-struggling peace
process. This is the first time the Taliban has announced a ceasefire in the 17
years since it was removed from power in Kabul. Though it has not acknowledged
the government ceasefire, the timing and the public declaration unmistakably
point to the reciprocity of the decision.
In the past, Mr. Ghani’s government
had tried several times to reach out to the Taliban to find a breakthrough in
the conflict. In 2015, when both sides were in an advanced stage of talks, it
was revealed that the Taliban leader Mullah Omar had died years ago, upending
the whole process. In February, Mr. Ghani had invited the Taliban to shun
weapons and join peace talks in return for security assurances and passports to
militants. But the group shunned the offer after days of uncertainty. The
surprise ceasefire declaration during Ramzan is the latest gambit by Mr. Ghani.
The war has long entered a stalemate, and something needs to give. The Taliban
has made enormous military gains in recent years. It now controls vast swathes
of rural, mountainous Afghanistan, while the government retains its grip on the
more populated urban centres. The Taliban doesn’t seem to be in a position to
capture power by overthrowing the government as long as the U.S. and its allies
remain committed to the regime’s security. Equally, Afghan forces are unable to
defeat or even check the Taliban’s momentum in rural areas.
The fact that the government
and the Taliban finally accepted a limited ceasefire suggests that the appetite
for a political solution is now stronger. But a three-day Taliban ceasefire
will not necessarily set the scene for a more productive engagement. The
Taliban has said that the truce is applicable only to the “domestic
opposition”, which means it will continue to target foreign troops. Also, the
announcement came immediately after several attacks over 24 hours left at least
50 security personnel dead, which shows how precarious the situation is. Even
for talks to be initiated, there are serious bottlenecks — the Taliban insists
that foreign troops be withdrawn, while the government demands that the group
accept the Afghan constitution. Despite these challenges, the Taliban’s
positive response is a small gesture which could be used by both sides to build
confidence before moving to the next step. The U.S. could put pressure on the
Taliban through Pakistan to bring them to the table. If not, the war will
carry on, with neither side gaining a decisive edge and leaving millions of
Afghans in unending misery.
Vocabulary
Glimmer: shine faintly with a
wavering light.
Example: The moonlight glimmered on
the lawn
Synonyms: gleam, shine, glint, flicker, shimmer, glisten, glow, twinkle, sparkle
Breakthrough: a sudden, dramatic,
and important discovery or development.
Example: A major breakthrough in DNA
research
Synonyms: advance, development,
success, improvement, discovery
Acknowledge: accept or admit the
existence or truth of.
Example: The plight of the refugees
was acknowledged by the authorities
Synonyms: admit, accept, grant, allow, concede, accede
to, confess
Ceasefire: a temporary suspension
of fighting, typically one during which peace talks take place; a truce.
Example: War with people who break
their ceasefire agreements is the default position.
Conflict: a serious disagreement
or argument, typically a protracted one.
Example: The eternal conflict between
the sexes
Synonyms: dispute, quarrel, squabble, disagreement, dissension
Shun: persistently avoid,
ignore, or reject someone or something through antipathy or caution.
Example: He shunned fashionable
society
Synonyms: avoid, evade, eschew, steer
clear of, shy away from
Uncertainty: the state of being
uncertain.
Example: Times of uncertainty and
danger
Synonyms: unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness, chanciness, precariousness
Applicable: relevant or
appropriate.
Example: The same considerations are
equally applicable to accident claims
Synonyms: relevant, appropriate, pertinent, appurtenant, apposite, germane
Gesture: a movement of part of
the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning.
Example: Alex made a gesture of
apology
Synonyms: signal, sign, motion, indication, gesticulation, show
Decisive: producing a definite
result.
Example: The Supreme Court voided the
statute by a decisive 7–2 vote
Synonyms: deciding, conclusive, determining, key, pivotal, critical, crucial
