Daily English Vocab
PDF 10th Feb 2017
Punjab's Post-Truth Politics
In faking it for political effect, appeals for votes in Punjab have surpassed chicanery (वाक्छल/धोखा)
in America
Wouldn't it be just `huuuge' to know what President Donald Trump thinks of Shiromani Akali
Dal's manifesto promise of acquiring one lakh acres of land in foreign countries, including the US,
and settle Punjabi farmers there? At a time when the American president is threatening to shut out
almost all immigration, Punjabi farmers will simply saunter (चहलकदमी करना) through LaGuardia,
do some bhangra on the Golden Gate Bridge, drink some lassishassi in front of the White House
and grow wheat next to Mount Rushmore! If you thought that only American politics was a
reflection of the post-truth world we are living in, think again. The entire campaign for the Punjab
assembly election was a messy collection of emotional appeals and unrealistic promises. In fact,
just before Punjabis voted on February 4, a concerted attempt was made to spread fake news,
clearly establishing that we are as much post-truth as in America.
Shiromani Akali Dal doesn't have a monopoly (एकाधधकार) on making `huuuge' promises. Besides,
making outlandish (धवधचत्र) promises is not even new to Indian politics. But some of the campaign
pledges (वादा/वचन) this time are so far away from logic that it is shocking.
For instance, both Congress and AAP have promised to end the narcotics menace (ख़तरा/सक
ं ट) in
Punjab within one month of coming to power. The US couldn't end the problem in 50 years despite
running a sustained war on drugs with the resources of the most powerful country in the world.
But Congress and AAP are dead certain they can end the menace in 30 days flat. The details of
how they will do it are as hazy (अस्पष्ट/अधनधित) as a drug-filled high.
Thankfully, we already have a pretty long fence along the Pakistan border or both parties would
have run a campaign to build a wall there and have Pakistan pay for it! In March last year, three
months before `Udta Punjab' was released, then President Barack Obama had told the National
Prescription Drug Abuse Heroin Summit in Atlanta that it was time to stop looking at addiction
through the lens of criminal justice. He wanted the focus to shift to reducing demand and providing
treatment.
In Punjab, however, Arvind Kejriwal is making recorded phone calls to voters telling them that to
end the drug menace quickly, his first step would be to jail a few politicians. It is ridiculous
(उपहास्य/मूखखतापूर्ख) to think that jailing someone would end Punjab's drug problem when you consider
that All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi's survey last year had estimated that in
a population of around 2.77 crore people, Punjab had an estimated 1.23 lakh heroin-dependent
people.
These are, of course, facts. But in the age of post-truth, facts don't matter. Feelings do. So, finger
pointing is more effective than building political consensus (सवखसम्मधत) to end a menace that has the
capacity to destroy an entire generation.
To ensure that all the characteristics of post-truth politics were played out in Punjab, attempts were
also made at spreading fake news. Just before votes were cast, a letter ostensibly (प्रकट रूप से) written
in Hindi by AAP's Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh was circulated on social media. Written
on the official AAP letterhead, it asked Kejriwal to start maintaining a distance from the Punjab
campaign just in case the party loses, as Congress's popularity was growing.
Singh categorically denied writing any such letter. By evening, another fake letter was doing the
social media rounds. Making almost the same argument in English, it had Prashant Kishor writing
to Sonia Gandhi asking her to stay away from Punjab. Both letters have now reached the Election
Commission.
And that wasn't all. A colour-coded map, allegedly prepared by Punjab police's intelligence wing,
was the hottest forward on WhatsApp a week before polling. It gave a massive majority to one of
the opposition parties. It is extremely unusual for intelligence officers to give out such maps with
their official stamp, making many wonder if it was yet another attempt at fakery (The act of
faking).
Then on February 3, another fake letter was circulated. This time it was on the letterhead of the
highest temporal seat of Sikhism the Akal Takht asking people not to vote for Akali Dal for taking
support of Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa. It was quickly refuted by both the high priests and Akali
Dal leaders.
It is now clear that political parties and their supporters have mastered the social media and know
exactly how to let loose a balloon with nothing but gas to get people chattering on a particular
issue or subject. You can project patent lies and half-truths as absolute truth and there will be
enough people to believe in it just because it went viral. Viral trumps veracity (सच्चाई) (the pun is
intended).
By the time people realise that what they gulped down was fake, they will be in no position to
regurgitate (to repeat (something, such as a fact, idea, etc.) without understanding it) it. And
by then a mood, a sentiment, a perception will be created and veracity will no longer be relevant.
You can crib about (restrain) fake news and false promises, but we have created the sentiment
we need ahead of a crucial election that seems to be the strategy. Facts can wait, feelings can't.
Courtesy: The Times of India (Politics).
1. Chicanery (noun): The use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose. (वाक्छल/धोखा)
Synonyms: Trickery, Deception, Deceitfulness, Subterfuge, Fraudulence, Legerdemain.
Antonyms: Honesty, Openness, Truthfulness, Forthrightness.
Example: You can smell the chicanery from a dishonest politician.
Verb forms: Chicane, Chicaned, Chicaned.
Related words:
Chicane (verb) - धोखा देना
2. Saunter (verb): To walk at a relaxed speed/ walk in a slow, relaxed manner. (चहलकदमी करना)
Synonyms: Stroll, Amble, Wander, Promenade.
Antonyms: Run.
Example: Although the criminal was being chased by a police officer, he chose to saunter down
the street as if he did not have a care in the world.
Verb forms: Saunter, Sauntered, Sauntered.
3. Monopoly (noun): Exclusive control or possession of something/ the state in which one entity
or individual dominates an entire industry or market. (एकाधधकार)
Synonyms: Proprietorship, Possessorship, Holding, Single Ownership.
Antonyms: Sharing Or Joint Ownership.
Example: The local cable company has a monopoly on high speed Internet because it offers the
only web access in town.
Related words:
Monopolist (noun) - एकाधधकारी
Monopolistic (adjective) - एकाधधकारप्राप्त
4. Outlandish (adjective): Looking or sounding bizarre or unfamiliar/ (धवधचत्र
Synonyms: Weird, Queer, Offbeat, Grotesque, Quirky, Unconventional, Bizarre, Unusual.
Antonyms: Common, Conventional, Familiar, Normal, Ordinary.
Example: If the psychic’s outlandish prediction comes true, the world will end in a week.
Related words:
Outlandishly (adverb) - धिधित्र ढंग से
Outlandishness (noun) - धिधित्रता
5. Pledge (noun): A solemn promise or undertaking. (वादा/वचन)
Synonyms: Promise, Undertaking, Vow, Commitment, Assurance, Oath.
Antonyms: Breach, Break.
Example: The federal government has pledged to increase its foreign aid to the war-torn region.
Verb forms: Pledge, Pledged, Pledged.
Related words:
Pledge (verb) – िादा करना
6. Menace (noun): Express a threat either by an utterance or a gesture/ a threat or danger.
(ख़तरा/सक
ं ट)
Synonyms: Threat, Danger, Jeopardy, Hazard, Peril.
Antonyms: Safety, Surety, Delight, Pleasure.
Example: The weeds invading my vegetable garden are a huge menace.
Verb forms: Menace, Menaced, Menaced.
Related words:
Menace (verb) - डराना/धमकाना
7. Hazy (adjective): Vague or ill-defined. (अस्पष्ट/अधनधित)
Synonyms: Vague, Indistinct, Unclear, Indefinite, Ill-Defined, Nebulous.
Antonyms: Clear, Definite, Distinct, Certain.
Example: The history between the downfall of Magadha and arrival of Islam is very hazy.
Haze (noun) - confusion characterized by lack of clarity
8. Ridiculous (adjective): Deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd. (उपहास्य/मूखखतापूर्ख)
Synonyms: Absurd, Comical, Risible, Derisory, Bizarre, Goofy.
Antonyms: Credible, Good, Logical, Plausible, Reasonable.
Example: The student told the teacher a ridiculous story about his dog eating his homework, but
she didn't believe him.
Related words:
Ridiculously (adverb) - बेतक
ु े ढंग से
9. Consensus (noun): The judgment arrived at by most of those concerned/ group solidarity in
sentiment and belief. (सवखसम्मधत)
Synonyms: Accord, Harmony, Concurrence, Consent, Unison, Unanimity.
Antonyms: Disagreement, Dissension, Opposition, Refusal, Opposition.
Example: When everyone stood up and applauded the president of the firm, it was obvious the
entire company was in consensus with the new goals.
Verb forms: Consent, Consented, Consented.
Related words:
Consensual (adjective) - सहमधत से
Consent (verb) – सहमत होना
10. Ostensibly (adverb): As appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so. (प्रकट रूप से)
Synonyms: Apparently, Seemingly, Outwardly, Professedly, Purportedly.
Antonyms: Improbably, Obscurely, Unlikely.
Example: While the ostensible destination of our trip sounded appealing, I was dreading the long
drive it would take to get there.
Related words:
Ostensible (adjective) - स्पष्ट /प्रकट
11. Fakery (noun): Something that is not authentic or genuine. /The act of faking / (धदखावटी/झठू ).
Synonyms: Deception, Dishonesty, Sham, Untruth.
Antonyms: Honesty, Truthfulness, Uprightness.
Example: My mother said that the pressure cooker of the Company was a fakery and didn’t work.
Related words:
Fake (adjective) – not genuine.
12. Veracity (noun): Conformity to facts; accuracy/ the quality of being truthful(सच्चाई)
Synonyms: Truthfulness, Truth, Accurateness, Correctness, Exactness, Realism.
Antonyms: Deceit, Dishonesty, Falsehood, Lying, Unfairness.
Example: Since the witness is a known enemy of the defendant, his testimony certainly needs to
be evaluated for its veracity.
Related words:
Veracious (adjective) - सत्यधनष्ठ
13. Regurgitate (verb): To repeat (something, such as a fact, idea, etc.) without understanding it
/ to expel swallowed substances out of the mouth or to repeat information despite not
understanding it. (दोहराना/िापस लाना (पनु ः धस्िधत में).
Synonyms: Repeat, Say Again, Restate, Recapitulate, Reiterate, Recite.
Example: While I didn’t understand the lecture, I was able to regurgitate the content well enough
to create a decent essay.
Verb forms: Regurgitate, Regurgitated, Regurgitated.
14. Crib (verb): Restrain/ keep under control or within limits. (रोकना)
Synonyms: Prevent, Stop, Restrict, Constrain, Restrain.
Antonyms: Assist, Encourage, Free, Liberate.
Example: If we can restrain runaway spending our economy will not suffer.
Verb forms: Crib, Cribbed, Cribbed.
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