The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in London came with hopes of a “re-energised(सक्रिय)Commonwealth”. To begin with, the summit was being held in the U.K., the founder of the grouping of mostly former British colonies, after 32 years. Besides(के अतिरिक्त,/साथ ही) , Queen Elizabeth II, the head of CHOGM, attended the summit, which she has done infrequently(कभी कभी/कम) in the last few years owing to her health. She opened her homes in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle for the event, in what was called a “charm (आक्रामक/घृणास्पद) by the hosts, who were looking to revive(पुनर्जीवित/प्रसन्न करना) the 53-nation grouping as Commonwealth 2.0, amidst
Britain’s rocky exit from the EU. In India too, the summit was seen to be a promising place to play a leadership role, and Prince Charles’s visit to Delhi to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi bolstered(बल दिया।) that belief(विश्वास ). Mr. Modi was the first Indian Prime Minister to attend CHOGM in a decade, after Manmohan Singh skipped(छोड़ जाना) the summits in Australia (2011) and Sri Lanka (2013) over bilateral(द्विपक्षीय) differences, and Mr. Modi skipped the summit in Malta (2015) out of indifference(उदासीनता). So it was widely expected that India would step up to a bigger role, and help chart a future course for the Commonwealth.
Given the expectations(उम्मीदों/अपेक्षा), the outcome of the meet was under whelming(विराट). It was announced Prince Charles would ‘succeed’ his mother as the head of the Commonwealth, ignoring calls for the position to be more democratically(लोकतांत्रिक ढंग से) shared or rotated. There were substantive(मौलिक/स्वतंत्र) statements on the Blue Charter on Ocean Governance and on the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment, which could together counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative(पहल/आत्मबल). But there was little by way of a road map to achieve the goals. Prime Minister Theresa May apologised(माफी मांगी) for her Home Office’s threat to deport(पेश आना/निकाल देना) thousands ofimmigrants(आप्रवासियों/प्रवासी नागरिक) brought as manual labour in the 1940s on the ship Empire Windrush from the Caribbean, but failed to convince(समझाने/विश्वास दिलाना) most members of the Commonwealth that Britain would reverse its policies on immigration. The U.K.’s hard line on Indian “illegals(अवैध)”, which prevented(स्र्कावट डालना/प्रतिबंध करना) the signing of a bilateral agreement(द्विपक्षीय समझौता) on immigrant “returns” between Mr. Modi and Ms. May, too indicates that post-Brexit London is likely to welcome trade in goods from the Commonwealth, not services. The Commonwealth remains a great platform for development aid, democratic values and educational opportunities(अवसर/मौक़ा), but its relevance(प्रासंगिकता/योग्यता) is unlikely to increase unless it adopts a more egalitarian(समानाधिकारवादी) and inclusive attitude to its next generation of Commonwealth citizens, to partake(हिस्सा लेना/सम्मिलित होना) in a prosperity their forefathers(पूर्वजों) built(निर्माण करना).
Important vocabulary
1.partake(हिस्सा लेना/सम्मिलित होना
Synonyms: consume, devour, divide, engage, feed
Antonyms: abstain, collect, gather, give, hold
Synonyms: consume, devour, divide, engage, feed
Antonyms: abstain, collect, gather, give, hold
2.Charm (आक्रामक/घृणास्पद)
Synonyms: appeal, beauty, charisma, glamour, grace
Antonyms: ugliness, repulsion
Synonyms: appeal, beauty, charisma, glamour, grace
Antonyms: ugliness, repulsion
3.Infrequently(कभी कभी/कम)
Synonyms: intermittently, now and then, occasionally, rarely, sparingly
Antonyms: frequently, regularly
Synonyms: intermittently, now and then, occasionally, rarely, sparingly
Antonyms: frequently, regularly
4.Indifference(उदासीनता).
Synonyms: alienation, apathy, callousness, carelessness, disdain
Antonyms: attention, esteem, respect, bias, caring
Synonyms: alienation, apathy, callousness, carelessness, disdain
Antonyms: attention, esteem, respect, bias, caring
5.Whelming(विराट).
Synonyms: douse, drench, engulf, flood, overflow
Antonyms: dry, underwhelm, dehydrate
Synonyms: douse, drench, engulf, flood, overflow
Antonyms: dry, underwhelm, dehydrate
6.Deport(पेश आना/निकाल देना)
Synonyms: dismiss, displace, exile, expatriate, expel
Antonyms: allow, hold, keep, take in, welcome
Synonyms: dismiss, displace, exile, expatriate, expel
Antonyms: allow, hold, keep, take in, welcome
7.Egalitarian(समानाधिकारवादी)
Synonyms: democratic, equitable, even-handed, impartial, just
Synonyms: democratic, equitable, even-handed, impartial, just