Keep the peace: on Sabarimala
The immediate task is to dial down the tensions over Sabarimala
The riotous(उपद्रवी/बलवाई) scenes in the pathways leading(प्रमुख/अगुआ) to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala in the last few days ought to persuade(मनाना/राज़ी करना) everyone, irrespective(निरपेक्ष/पृथक) of where they stand on the Supreme Court’s recent verdict(फैसले/निर्णय), of the importance of one thing: to keep the peace. There is little to be gained(लाभ करना/प्राप्त करना)in this surcharged(अधिभारित) atmosphere(वातावरण/माहौल) in stoking further trouble(मुसीबत/परेशानी) or using religious sentiment(विचार/भावुकता) for political purposes. Whether one agrees with it or not, there is no dispute(विवाद/मतभेद) that the Supreme Court judgment allowing into the shrine(मंदिर/तीर्थस्थान) the entry of all women, irrespective of their age, is the law of the land. Also, that it will remain(रहना/टिकना) so unless overturned(पलट जाना) by an even larger bench. The popular protests(विरोध प्रदर्शन) that have consumed(प्रयुक्त/उपभुक्त) Kerala following the Supreme Court judgment havesuggested(सुझाव दिया) there is a sizeable(आकार) section of devotees(भक्तों/सेवक) of both sexes that believes women in the age group of 10 to 50 should not be permitted(अनुमति है) into the shrine. But even so, this is no basis for devotees to prevent(प्रतिबंध करना/रोकना) the implementation(परिपालन/अमल) of the Supreme Court order, by threats(धमकी/आशंका) and the unseemly use of force. Not one woman has managed to enter the temple, with two of them being turned away just 500 metres from the shrine. Faced with a threat by the head priest(पुजारी/पुरोहित) that the shrine itself would be closed if any of the women entered it, the police advised(सलाह दी/विचारपूर्ण) a woman journalist and an activist to turn back.
These developments(घटनाक्रम/उन्नति) do not augur well(अच्छी तरह से). Located in forest terrain (इलाके/स्थान,) the shrine isaccessible(सुलभ/प्रवेश के योग्य) only from a few points, rendering(प्रतिपादन/समर्पण) it easy for protesters to stop vehicles and check for women in the 10 to 50 age group. It transpires(पारदर्शी) that two of the women who tried(कोशिश) to enter the temple were activists(कार्यकर्ताओं). The State government has now declared that its protection is available only to genuine(वास्तविक/सच्चा) devotees and not those trying to make a statement. After the drama and tension of the last few days, it is time for calmer(शांत /उत्तेजनाहीन) reflection, not provocation(उकसावा/उत्तेजना). Activists and non-devotees are legally entitled(हकदार/स्वत्वाधिकारी) to visit the shrine, but in such a volatile(परिवर्तनशील/अस्थिरमति) atmosphere, little is gained and a lot is lost by merely attempting to score a point. Everyone would do well to await the outcome of the review petitions(याचिकाओं/सिफ़ारिश)before the apex court, even if the same issues resurfaced(बदल देना/पुनर्निर्माण करना) were the court to reiterate(दोहराना/फिर कहना) its verdict. The State government, the Travancore Devaswom Board and the devotees should discuss ways of implementing the Supreme Court order instead(बजाय/बदले में ) of frittering(व्यर्थ नष्ट करना/दूर करना) away their energies on managing protests and conflicts(संघर्ष/टकराव) on a daily basis. If no solution is found soon, there is a risk that incidents(घटनाओं/वृत्तांत) may recur (दुबारा होना/पुनरावृत्ति) on any day when the shrine is open. Next month, the temple will open again for a longer season, placing a question mark on the possibility of peaceful and incident-free worship for devotees. Meanwhile(इस दौरान,/तब तक), it is important that everyone works together to ensure that such fears(भय) are unfounded(बेबुनियाद/निराधार हैं).
(Important Vocabulary)
1.Riotous(उपद्रवी/बलवाई)
Synonyms: anarchic, disorganized, rowdy, tumultuous, turbulent
Antonyms: calm, moderate, obedient
2.Persuade(मनाना/राज़ी करना)
Synonyms: advise, assure, cajole, coax, enlist
Antonyms: discourage, dissuade, fail, halt, prevent
3.Irrespective(निरपेक्ष/पृथक)
Synonyms: heedless, inattentive, regardless, careless, discounting
Antonyms: careful, respectful, thoughtful, attentive, cautious
4.Trouble(मुसीबत/परेशानी)
Synonyms: anxiety, concern, danger, difficulty, dilemma
Antonyms : benefit, calm, calmness, contentment, ease
5.Surcharged(अधिभारित
Synonyms: bloated, magnified, overblown, swollen, aggrandized
Antonyms: shrunken, abbreviated, abridged, compressed, contracted
6.Shrine(मंदिर/तीर्थस्थान)
Synonyms: altar, chapel, church, holy place, mausoleum
7.Consumed(प्रयुक्त/उपभुक्त
Synonyms: absorb, deplete, devour, dominate, drain
Antonyms: fill, save, appear, create, hoard
8.Implementation(परिपालन/अमल)
Synonyms: application, discharge, employment, enjoyment, exertion
Antonyms: dissatisfaction, failure, idleness
9.Dispute(विवाद/मतभेद)
Synonyms: bickering, brawl, conflict, controversy, debate
Antonyms: accord, agreement, calm, concord, concurrence
10.Threats(धमकी/आशंका)
Synonyms: blackmail, hazard, intimidation, menace, peril
Antonyms: certainty, safety, surety
11.Prevent(प्रतिबंध करना/रोकना)
Synonyms: avert, avoid, bar, block, counter
Antonyms: advance, aid, allow, approve, assist
12.Terrain (इलाके/स्थान,)
Synonyms: area, contour, field, ground, land
Antonyms: sky
13.Calmer(शांत /उत्तेजनाहीन)
Synonyms: cool, harmonious, low-key, mild, placid
Antonyms: agitated, excited, harsh,, nervous, rough
14.Provocation(उकसावा/उत्तेजना)
Synonyms: affront, harassment, indignity, insult, annoyance
Antonyms: compliment, discouragement, happiness, hindrance, pleasure
15.Volatile(परिवर्तनशील/अस्थिरमति)
Synonyms: buoyant, capricious, elusive, erratic, fickle
Antonyms: certain, constant, definite, dependable, reliable
16.Conflicts(संघर्ष/टकराव)
Synonyms: battle, clash, combat, competition, rivalry
Antonyms: peace, truce, agreement, calm, harmony
17.Frittering(व्यर्थ नष्ट करना/दूर करना)
Synonyms: dissipate, lavish, misspend, squander, blow
Antonyms : hoard, save, hold, store
18.Recur(दुबारा होना/पुनरावृत्ति)
Synonyms: persist, reappear, iterate, recrudesce, reiterate
Antonyms: halt, stop
19.Unfounded(बेबुनियाद/निराधार हैं
Synonyms: baseless, deceptive, fabricated, false, gratuitous
Antonyms: called-for, correct, genuine, honest, justified
