Editorial : A chance in Srinagar: On Ramzan ceasefire

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A chance in Srinagar: On Ramzan ceasefire

The Centre’s announcement of a cessation(विराम/बंद होना) of operations in Jammu and Kashmir during(की अवधि में/दौरान) the month of Ramzan is a welcome step. The direction(दिशा/नीति) to the security forces not to launch operations in the State during this period, while allowing them to reserve “the right to retaliate(प्रतिशोध लेना/बदला लेना) if attacked or if it is essential(आवश्यक/अनिवार्य) to protect the lives of innocent

people”, is aimed at bringing respite(राहत/टालना) to the Valley after two years of escalated(तना हुआ/ ख़राब करना) violence, since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’ Burhan Wani in July 2016. The decision came days after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti informed the Centre that an all-party meeting had called for a ceasefire. The quick response will help her recover some equilibrium(संतुलन/साम्यवस्था) politically, and get an administrative(प्रशासनिक) grip on the street. In this current phase of violence in the Valley, there has been a marked increase in home-grown militancy(आतंकवाद). All too often, the funeral(अंतिम संस्कार/शवयात्रा) of a local militant has become the rallying point for anti-state protests, which lead to new recruitment. The ceasefire will limit such occasions(हालत/अवसरों). The stone-pelting protests too have taken their toll and deepened alienation(अलगाव की भावना।/हस्तांतरण). The cessation of cordon-and-search operations is a high-risk initiative(पहल/प्रेरणा) — but it is the very riskiness of the gesture(संकेत/हाव-भाव) that could invite confidence among local groups to consider ways and means to mark an end to the violent couple of years.

A series of calibrated(जांच करना) complementary(अतिरिक्त/संपूरक) steps are required if any lasting contribution(योगदान) to improving the situation on the ground is to be made. Importantly, the announcement came just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Srinagar on Saturday, and his remarks will be closely tracked. The ceasefire has brought back memories of the 2000 Ramzan effort of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. That initiative set in motion a series of developments towards dialogue, despite the still-fresh wounds of the 1999 Kargil conflict.(संघर्ष/टकराव) There are parallels(समानताएं/मेल खाना) between those days and today. In terms of violence, Kashmir is quickly spiralling out of control to the level seen 15 years ago. Even as the security forces have gunned down 64 suspected terrorists in 2018, a large number of young Kashmiris have taken up arms. According to the latest data from the State police, 69 local youth have joined militancy, 35 of them in the wake of the April 1 operations in which 13 locals were killed. But just a temporary halt to security operations in Kashmir is not enough. At best, it can be the first step in a long and difficult road to recovery, and eventually(फलतः/अंत में) peace. Currently, the 2003 ceasefire on the Pakistan border is in tatters(झटके में/चिथड़े). It must be urgently restored. But most important, a political outreach, possibly unconditional, is required to help Kashmir get back to normal. As Mr. Vajpayee did back then, Mr. Modi must take political ownership of the outreach. Else, the Ramzan ceasefire could remain an isolated (अलग किया/पृथक)outreach.

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Important Vocabulary

1.Cessation(विराम/बंद होना)
Synonyms: abeyance, arrest, break, breather, cease
Antonyms: action, activity, advance, beginning, commencement

2.Retaliate(प्रतिशोध लेना/बदला लेना)
Synonyms: reciprocate, get, pay, recompense, repay
Antonyms: depart, leave, lose, take, forgive

3.Respite(राहत/टालना)
Synonyms: breather,breathing space, downtime, hiatus, interruption
Antonyms: continuation, advance, beginning, blame, censure

4.Equilibrium(संतुलन/साम्यवस्था)
Synonyms: calmness, composure, serenity, stability, symmetry, calm
Antonyms: agitation, excitement, imbalance, unevenness

5.Occasions(हालत/अवसरों).
Synonyms: incident, moment, opening, opportunity, possibility
Antonyms: misfortune

6.Alienation(अलगाव की भावना।/हस्तांतरण).
Synonyms: disaffection, estrangement, indifference, separation, breach
Antonyms: agreement, connection, charm, endearment, friendliness

7.Calibrated(जांच करना)
Synonyms: calibrated, graded, measured, registered, serialized

8.Parallels(समानताएं/मेल खाना)
Synonyms: analogy, comparison, corollary, resemblance, similarity
Antonyms: difference, dissimilarity, unlikeness, divergence, opposite