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without caring - The Hindu
Editorial with vocab - September 14, 2016
Emotions often trump reason.
The Cauvery water dispute विवाद
is turning out to be
less about water and irrigation (supply water) and more
about linguistic chauvinism and regional identity.
Nothing else can explain the mindless violence in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the Supreme Court
order asking the former to release water to the latter, keeping in view the distress(worrying) situation in both
States in a season of deficit(small/shortfall)
rainfall. Many of the acts of violence have been perpetuated in the two States by chauvinistic, fringe organisations
that have little to do with the farming community or its interests. It is clear
that there is insufficient water in Karnataka’s reservoirs to meet the full
irrigation needs of both States. The point of the Supreme Court order was to
make the States share their distress and not to magically fulfil the needs of
farmers on both sides. But political parties and some media houses, especially
regional language television channels, have sought to portray the issue as one that pits the people of one State against that
of the other. Indeed, the two major national parties, the Congress and the
Bharatiya Janata Party, have taken different stands in the two States on this
issue. No party or State government appears to believe it can afford to be seen
as taking even so much as a conciliatory
step toward defusing the crisis. On some previous occasions when Karnataka
released water in a distress year the State government did so quietly so as to
not give chauvinistic elements any opportunity to inflame passions.
Cauvery is an inter-State dispute, but this is no reason to turn
the issue into a raging controversy
that draws the peoples of the two States into confrontation (a fight or
argument). That Tamil-speaking people settled in Karnataka for generations
are made to feel insecure, and business establishments run by entrepreneurs
tracing their familial ties to Karnataka are targeted in Tamil Nadu are
indications of how the water dispute goes beyond the interests of the people
and becomes mixed up with the emotive issue of linguistic identity. Ideally, as
stipulated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, the technicalities of
water-sharing should be left to the Cauvery Management Board, which is to
monitor the water flows with the help of the Cauvery Regulation Committee and
the respective State authorities. If Cauvery is not to be made a plaything in
the hands of chauvinists, the governments of the two States as well as at the
Centre need to send out a strong signal to the marauding mobsters that violence, in whatever name, will be put
down strongly by the security forces. As laid down by the CWDT, the issue of
water-sharing should be left in the hands of technical experts, and not
politicians who are hostage to the emotions of a parochial fringe.
dispute - noun - an argument or disagreement,
especially an official one between
synonyms: debate, discussion, discourse,
disputation, argument, controversy,
contention,
disagreement
turn out (HAPPEN) —
phrasal verb - to happen in a particular way or to have a particular
result, especially an unexpected one
linguistic -adjective- connected with language
or the study of language
chauvinism / noun [ U ] disapproving / the strong and
unreasonable belief that your own country or race is the best or most important
2-
excessive or prejudiced support for one's own cause, group, or sex.
synonyms: jingoism, excessive patriotism, blind patriotism, excessive
nationalism, sectarianism, isolationism, excessive loyalty, flag-waving,
xenophobia, racism, racialism
distress -noun- a
situation in which you are suffering or are in great danger and therefore in
urgent need of help
Perpetuate – verb-
to cause something to continue
pit sb/sth against sb/sth —
phrasal verb -to cause one person, group, or thing to fight against or
be in competition with another
conciliate / verb -to end a disagreement or
someone's anger by acting in a friendly way or slightly changing your opinions,
or to satisfy someone who disagrees with you by acting in this way
conciliatory adjective
(friendly way)
synonyms: propitiatory,
placatory, appeasing, pacifying
inflame / / verb / to cause or increase very strong
feelings such as anger or excitement
raging / / adjective - very strong or violent
marauding / / adjective [ before noun] - going
from one place to another killing or using violence, stealing, and destroying
parochial / adjective -- showing interest
only in a narrow range of matters, especially those that directly affect
yourself, your town, or your country
synonyms: narrow-minded, small-minded, provincial,
insular, narrow
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