The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Apr 10, 2021; Day 33

Today we have collated the 10 tricky words/phrases/terms from the editorial on the ASI survey. Go through these words and see how many did you know already. Check their usage as well. This will surely help you to understand the sense the tricky words have conveyed in the editorial.

Difficult Word/ Phrase	Contextual Meaning
Resurrect	to bring back something into existence that had ended
Protract	lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual
Explicit	stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt
Fillip	something which acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity
Revanchist	a policy of seeking to retaliate, especially to recover lost territory
Culminate	reach a climax or point of highest development
Conspire	make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act
Plaintiff	a person who brings a case against another in a court of law
Commission	give an order for
Adduce	cite as evidence

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A disturbing order: ASI survey in Gyanvapi mosque

ASI survey in Gyanvapi mosque should not be allowed to resurrect (to bring back something into existence that had ended) disputes buried by law

The order of a civil court in Varanasi that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should conduct a survey to ascertain whether the Gyanvapi mosque was built over a demolished Hindu temple is an unconscionable intervention that will open the floodgates for another protracted (lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual) religious dispute. The order, apparently in gross violation of the explicit (stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt) legislative prohibition on any litigation over the status of places of worship, is likely to give a fillip (something which acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity) to majoritarian and revanchist (a policy of seeking to retaliate, especially to recover lost territory) forces that earlier carried on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement over a site in Ayodhya. That dispute culminated (reach a climax or point of highest development) in the country’s highest court handing over the site to the very forces that conspired (make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act) to illegally demolish the Babri Masjid. The plaintiffs (a person who brings a case against another in a court of law), who have filed a suit as representatives of Hindu faith to reclaim the land on which the mosque stands, have now succeeded in getting the court to commission (give an order for) an ASI survey to look for the sort of evidence that they would never have been able to adduce (cite as evidence) on their own. The order has been issued despite the fact that the Allahabad High Court reserved its order on the maintainability of the suit on March 15 and is yet to pronounce its ruling. It is not clear why the civil judge did not wait for the ruling and went ahead with his directive to the ASI.

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By an order in 1997, the civil court had decided that the suit was not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which said all pending suits concerning the status of places of worship will abate and that none can be instituted. The 1991 Act also froze the status of all places of worship, barring the then disputed site in Ayodhya, as on August 15, 1947. There was another exception — any place of worship that was an archaeological site or ancient monument covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. On a revision application, another court had asked the trial court to decide afresh the question whether the suit was barred afresh “after taking evidence”. Presumably, the latest application seeking a survey by the ASI as an expert body is aimed at providing that “evidence”. Regardless of the merits of either side’s case, it ought to be clear to anyone concerned with peace and harmony in the country that the attempt to resurrect disputes buried by law is a serious setback to the cause of secularism and peaceful coexistence. That new challenges are emerging to the wisdom of Parliament in giving a statutory quietus to squabbles over religious sites is deeply disturbing.

Hope you got to know some new words/phrases which will definitely be useful in the English section of upcoming competitive exams. Wishing you all the best for your preparation!

Want to improve your vocabulary further? Download the Lists of Word-Meanings of Previous Months here.

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