25/04/2022
Different narratives: On India-Maldives ties
India must build ties (संबंधों, योजक रेखा) with all political factions (bloc, section, group) of the Maldives while helping the country meet its needs
The Maldives government’s decision to ban the ‘India Out’ protests shows how the campaign (अभियान, आंदोलन), which started as an online protest by critics (समीक्षक, आलोचक, निन्दा करने वाला) of the Ibrahim Solih administration (प्रशासन, सरकार, शासन), has grown into a polarising (ध्रुवीकरण, विभाजित करना, अलग करना) political issue in the Indian Ocean island nation with which India has deep (गहरा, गंभीर) ties. The campaign, which remained a fringe (unconventional, unorthodox, unofficial; radical, extreme (by a group with marginal or extremist views)) protest in the initial years, gained currency (मुद्रा, स्वीकृति, लोकप्रियता) late last year after former President Abdulla Yameen took it over. Mr. Yameen, who served (spend, complete, go through) two years in jail after losing power in 2018, wanted a strong political narrative (a representation of a particular situation; portrayal, account, description, statement) to make a comeback (वापसी, लौटना), particularly as the country heads (move towards, go towards, set out for) to its presidential election in 2023. Critics termed the Solih administration “a puppet (कठपुतली, मोहरा, उपकरण) of New Delhi”, accusing it of allowing an Indian military presence, thereby (जिसके चलते, उसके परिणामस्वरूप) compromising (समझौता, नुकसान, खराब, कम करना) the country’s sovereignty (संप्रभुता, स्वतंत्रता, स्वशासन) — an allegation (आरोप, अभियोग) the government has repeatedly denied. Mr. Yameen has organised several political rallies (बैठक, सभा, इकट्ठा होना), openly attacking the government’s ties with India. When Mr. Yameen was in power, he was largely (mostly, mainly, generally) seen as a friend of China. His government’s ultimatum ((final) warning, demand, notice, conditions/terms) to India to withdraw (pull out, retreat, pull back, disengage) two of its helicopters from two atolls (an atoll is a ring of coral (a hard stone-like substance) that originally grew completely around the shoreline of an island, and which continued to grow upward on top of itself as the island subsided or eroded away) had triggered (cause, produce, bring about, prompt) tensions (strained relations, strain, unease; ill feeling, friction, antagonism, antipathy, hostility, enmity). But relations between the two countries improved remarkably (noticeably, decidedly, distinctly, clearly) after Mr. Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) came to power in 2018.
President Solih adopted an ‘India first’ foreign policy. In the past four years, India has emerged as the Maldives’s main security and economic partner, committing (allocate, assign, allot, give, give over) $1.4 billion towards its ‘socio-economic (relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects) development needs’. In February 2021, it signed the Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTH) harbour development deal with Male to develop the National Defence Force Coast Guard Harbour. The Yameen camp stepped up (increase, intensify) its attack on the government after this deal. India has historically played an important role in the Maldives as a friendly big neighbour (a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country). But China’s rise (advancement, growth) in the Indian Ocean region has raised the strategic (relating to achieving long-term or overall goals) profile (description, outline, account, portrait, portrayal, depiction; summary of details) of this small, import-dependent (relating to a country that cannot produce enough goods and services to sustain its citizens and must depend on importing the majority of its forms of sustenance) island-nation of 5,50,000 people, where both countries vied (compete, contend, contest, struggle, strive, fight (with others to do/achieve something)) for influence (power, authority, sway, leverage, weight, standing). Now, while Mr. Yameen is trying to regain his lost support by shoring up Maldivian nationalism (it refers to a system (with narrow set of ideas) created by a group of people who believe their nation is superior to all others. It is also a perception of national superiority and an orientation toward national dominance- called as chauvinism (excessive nationalism)) and anti-India sentiments, the MDP is trying to counter (hit back at, answer, respond to, contradict, negate) it with another nationalist (relating to nationalism) narrative. It argues that ties with India, the closest big neighbour of the Maldives, is important for the country’s security, including food security (it is defined as the availability and the access of food to all people). While these two narratives would clash in the coming election, India, being the centre of the political wrangling (long dispute, argument, quarrel), would find itself in a difficult situation. Victory is not guaranteed for the MDP, which faces anti-incumbency (a situation which is against elected officials currently in power; discontent against ruling government/ party in power) problems and differences (disagreement, difference of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute, argument, debate, quarrel) between Mr. Solih and the powerful former President Mohamed Nasheed. If it loses, India risks losing the influence it has built over the last few years. The challenge before India is to build closer ties with all political factions of the Maldives while helping the country meet its economic and security requirements.
Courtesy: The Hindu
Important Word List With Meaning
1.ties (noun)
Hindi Meaning - संबंधों, योजक रेखा
English Meaning - association, relationship, connection.
2.campaign (noun)
Hindi Meaning - अभियान, आंदोलन
English Meaning - an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group; movement, drive, push.
3.critic (noun)
Hindi Meaning - समीक्षक, आलोचक, निन्दा करने वाला
English Meaning - criticizer, censurer, castigator, attacker, fault-finder.
4.administration (noun)
Hindi Meaning - प्रशासन, सरकार, शासन
English Meaning - government, regime, authority, leadership, management.
5.polarising (adjective)
Hindi Meaning - ध्रुवीकरण, विभाजित करना, अलग करना
English Meaning - dividing, separating, parting (into two opposing groups).
6.deep (adjective)
Hindi Meaning - गहरा, गंभीर
English Meaning - deep-rooted, fervent, profound, serious.
7.currency (noun)
Hindi Meaning - मुद्रा, स्वीकृति, लोकप्रियता
English Meaning - acceptance, popularity, traction, publicity.
8.take over (phrasal verb)
Hindi Meaning - कब्जा
English Meaning - assume control of, take control of, take charge of, take command of.
9.comeback (noun)
Hindi Meaning - वापसी, लौटना
English Meaning - return.
10.puppet (noun)
Hindi Meaning - कठपुतली, मोहरा, उपकरण
English Meaning - pawn, tool, hostage, mouthpiece.
11.thereby (adverb)
Hindi Meaning - जिसके चलते, उसके परिणामस्वरूप
English Meaning - as a result of that.
12.compromise (verb)
Hindi Meaning - समझौता, नुकसान, खराब, कम करना
English Meaning - damage, harm, spoil, diminish, reduce, weaken, lessen, decrease.
13.sovereignty (noun)
Hindi Meaning - संप्रभुता, स्वतंत्रता, स्वशासन
English Meaning - autonomy, independence, self-government, freedom.
14.allegation (noun)
Hindi Meaning - आरोप, अभियोग
English Meaning - charge, accusation, indictment.
15.rally (noun)
Hindi Meaning - बैठक, सभा, इकट्ठा होना
English Meaning - meeting, gathering, march, parade.
16.grow into (phrasal verb)
English Meaning - Become something due to gradual increase.
17.narrative (noun)
English Meaning - a representation of a particular situation; portrayal, account, description, statement.
18.faction (noun)
English Meaning - bloc, section, group.
19.fringe (adjective)
English Meaning - unconventional, unorthodox, unofficial; radical, extreme (by a group with marginal or extremist views).
20.serve (verb)
English Meaning - spend, complete, go through.
21.head (verb)
English Meaning - move towards, go towards, set out for.
22.largely (adverb)
English Meaning - mostly, mainly, generally.
23.ultimatum (noun)
English Meaning - (final) warning, demand, notice, conditions/terms.
24.withdraw (verb)
English Meaning - pull out, retreat, pull back, disengage.
25.atoll (noun)
English Meaning - an atoll is a ring of coral (a hard stone-like substance) that originally grew completely around the shoreline of an island, and which continued to grow upward on top of itself as the island subsided or eroded away.
26.trigger (verb)
English Meaning - cause, produce, bring about, prompt.
27.tension (noun)
English Meaning - strained relations, strain, unease; ill feeling, friction, antagonism, antipathy, hostility, enmity
28.remarkably (adverb)
English Meaning - noticeably, decidedly, distinctly, clearly.
29.commit (verb)
English Meaning - allocate, assign, allot, give, give over.
30.socio-economic (noun)
English Meaning - relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects.
31.need (noun)
English Meaning - requirement, demand, necessity.
32.Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF) Harbour Development Project (noun)
English Meaning - India on Feb 21, 2021 signed an agreement with the Maldives to “develop, support and maintain” the National Defence Force Coast Guard Harbour at Uthuru Thila Falhu naval base in the island nation. Though the new harbour is being built officially for the use of Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard, it is likely to turn into a strategic asset for India.
33.step up (phrasal verb)
English Meaning - increase, intensify.
34.play a role (phrase)
English Meaning - contribute to, be instrumental in, be a factor in.
35.neighbour (noun)
English Meaning - a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country.
36.rise (noun)
English Meaning - advancement, growth.
37.strategic (adjective)
English Meaning - relating to achieving long-term or overall goals.
38.profile (noun)
English Meaning - description, outline, account, portrait, portrayal, depiction; summary of details.
39.import-dependent (adjective)
English Meaning - relating to a country that cannot produce enough goods and services to sustain its citizens and must depend on importing the majority of its forms of sustenance.
40.vie (verb)
English Meaning - compete, contend, contest, struggle, strive, fight (with others to do/achieve something).
41.influence (noun)
English Meaning - power, authority, sway, leverage, weight, standing.
42.shore up (phrasal verb)
English Meaning - support, help, assist someone/something from ; bolster up, buttress, strengthen, fortify, reinforce, underpin something from decline.
43.nationalism (noun)
English Meaning - it refers to a system (with narrow set of ideas) created by a group of people who believe their nation is superior to all others. It is also a perception of national superiority and an orientation toward national dominance- called as chauvinism (excessive nationalism).
44.sentiment (noun)
English Meaning - point of view, way of thinking, feeling, attitude, thought, opinion, belief.
45.counter (verb)
English Meaning - hit back at, answer, respond to, contradict, negate.
46.nationalist (noun/adjective)
English Meaning - relating to nationalism.
47.food security (noun)
English Meaning - it is defined as the availability and the access of food to all people.
48.wrangling (noun)
English Meaning - long dispute, argument, quarrel.
49.find oneself (verb)
English Meaning - discover himself/herself/itself to be in a particular situation.
50.anti-incumbency (noun)
English Meaning - a situation which is against elected officials currently in power; discontent against ruling government/ party in power.
51.difference (noun)
English Meaning - disagreement, difference of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute, argument, debate, quarrel.
