Editorial -1
The triumph of hope
The triumph of hope: On Jacinda Ardern's election victory
Inclusive politics and decisive governance won another term for Ardern in New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern was expected to win Saturday’s parliamentary election in New Zealand given that almost all opinion polls had predicted this for the 40-year-old global liberal icon, noted for her inclusive politics and tough handling of the coronavirus pandemic. But it was the margin of the victory that surprised many. Her centre-left Labour Party won 49.1% of the popular vote and is projected to take 64 seats in the 120-member Parliament. This is Labour’s greatest victory in almost 50 years and the biggest victory of any party since the nation adopted a proportional representation voting system, which gives assembly seats to any party winning more than 5% vote, in 1996. The Opposition centre-right National Party won 26.8% of the vote and is projected to take 35 seats, down from the 56 seats it won in the previous election. Ms. Ardern, who came to power in 2017 by forming a coalition with the Greens and the nationalist New Zealand First party, faced unprecedented challenges in her first term, from the Christchurch terrorist attack and the White Island volcanic eruption to the COVID-19 outbreak. She herself had turned the polls into a de facto referendum on her government’s handling of the pandemic by calling it the ‘COVID election”. New Zealand, home to over five million, recorded just 25 pandemic deaths — one of the lowest fatality rates in the world. It has eliminated community transmission by imposing strict lockdowns and brought back relative normalcy before the election.What makes Ms. Ardern’s victory significant is that her brand of politics — socially liberal, economically inclusive and politically democratic — has bucked the trend of conservatives and the anti-immigrant, anti-minority far-right parties making gains in crisis-ridden societies. Offering a new way of governance, she presented herself as an empathetic co-citizen who happens to be running the government. This approach was successfully tested when a far-right terrorist opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch in March 2019, killing 51. She immediately reached out to the country’s Muslim minority and backed a Bill that banned most assault style weapons. She has also promised to alleviate child poverty and fight climate change more vigorously. Inclusive politics and a humane approach, coupled with quick decisive actions to tackle crises, transformed her into the most popular New Zealand leader. But the emphatic victory also means great expectations. The lockdowns have had a heavy economic cost — a contraction by 12.2% in April-June. One of the criticisms she faced during the campaign was that she did not have a recovery plan. The COVID-19 threat is still looming large. She will have to prove her critics wrong and live up to the expectations of those who supported her while ruling for, what she said, “all New Zealanders”.
coalition -गठबंधन--union, network, organization, league, syndicate, coalition
unprecedented--अभूतपूर्व--unprecedented, apoorv, apurv, remarkably
eruption--विस्फोट--
referendum--जनमत संग्रह
जनमत संग्रह--विपत्ति
bucked--चीरना--rip, saw, split, disintegrate, sliver, buck
conservatives--परंपरावादियों--Tory, conservative, slowcoach, die-hard
crisis-ridden--संकट ग्रस्त
alleviate--कम करना, हलका कर देना, धीमा करना--reduce, detract, lower, slacken, decrease, alleviate
vigorously--ज़ोरों के साथ--in a way that involves physical strength, effort, or energy; strenuously.
emphatic --ज़ोरदार--strenuous, emphatic, strong, nervy, bounteous, altisonant
Looming--उभरते--appear as a shadowy form, especially one that is large or threatening.
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Heckler’s veto: On Vijay Sethupathi's withdrawal from Muralitharan biopic '800'
Films can be subjected to criticism after their release, but not stymied before they are made
Opposition from sections of Tamils has led to versatile Tamil film star Vijay Sethupathi withdrawing from a planned biopic on the Sri Lankan bowling legend, Muttiah Muralitharan. Opponents mainly from the Tamil film industry and political parties in Tamil Nadu claim that Muralitharan had “whitewashed genocide” by not raising his voice against the Sri Lankan state, and warned the actor against playing his character, contending that he would only jeopardise his career and alienate his fan following. It is a shame that these protests have prevented a talented actor from essaying a role based on the story of Muralitharan, who scaled Himalayan peaks in international cricket through talent and determination. Noting the unfair and unrelenting attacks on Sethupathi to the point of accusing him of being a traitor, Muralitharan appealed to the actor to keep out of the biopic. The ultimate decision may have been Muralitharan’s own, but it is quite clear that Sethupathi dropped the idea only after the onslaught. The film’s motion poster released recently had evoked great expectation among cinema aficionados, especially because of the actor’s highly convincing resemblance to the cricketer. Appropriately named ‘800’, in celebration of the number of Test wickets the bewitching off-spinner bagged, the biopic appears to aim at showcasing his rise in the backdrop of the violent ethnic conflict that shook Sri Lanka for three decades.Exponents of art being cowed down by protests is not new to Tamil Nadu. The real problem in the latest example of popular intolerance prevailing over artistic ventures is that an old chestnut in Tamil Nadu politics — the idea that every Tamil should pass a ‘Tamil nationalist’ test — has been resurrected to stymie this project too. Madras Cafe, a Hindi film, could not be screened in the State after opposition to its portrayal of the LTTE. In 2008, a Sri Lankan producer was forced to give up his footage while he was in Chennai to process his film at a studio. Some of those who demanded that Sethupathi withdraw from the biopic have emphasised that they were merely making an appeal to him, given his past political views in favour of causes that resonate with the people of Tamil Nadu. Whether it was an appeal or a threat, it is a no-brainer that pressure was brought to bear on an artist to give up his professional decision. As for Muralitharan’s political views, it may be that some of his remarks were seen as supporting the Sri Lankan Army’s triumph over the LTTE and questioning the truth behind the grief of the mothers of the disappeared thousands. However, that is no reason to run down his monumental achievements in his chosen sport. And nothing prevents any detractor from questioning the film’s motive or content after its release. It is unfortunate that the heckler’s veto has prevailed.
stymied --हैरानी में डालना-prevent or hinder the progress of.--stymie, sidetrack, perplex, maze
contending--संघर्ष करना--विवादstruggle, contend, scramble, conflict, clash, jar
jeopardise --ख़तरे में डालना--put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure.
Endanger, jeopardize, jeopardising
alienate --हटाना
delete, remove, dislodge, repel, alienate, eliminate-cause (someone) to feel isolated or estranged.
Noting --
unrelenting --unrelenting, unmerciful, unrepentant, dour, inclement, merciless-
not yielding in strength, severity, or determination.
traitor--देशद्रोही--राज-द्रोही, ग़द्दार--
aficionados--प्रशंसक--a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime.
showcasing--को दिखाने
ethnic--संजाति विषयक--relating to a population subgroup (within a larger or dominant national or cultural group) with a common national or cultural tradition.
shook --हिलाकर रख दिया
cowed--डराना
prevailing--प्रबल होनेवाला
resurrected --पुनर्जीवित
stymie--गतिरोध
emphasised--emphasize, intone, stress, stand up, intonate, punctuate
give special importance or prominence to (something) in speaking or writing.
resonate--संबंधित--produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound.
triumph--विजय--tide, swamp, triumph, bear down, wear down, tide over
achieve a victory; be successful.
grief--शोक-mourning, grief, condolence, sorrow, weeds, lament
deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone's death.
detractor --आलोचक--critic, detractor, reviewer--a person who disparages someone or something.
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