The Shift In Bihar
Nitish Kumar’s impending split
from the Mahagathbandhan, or Grand Alliance, in Bihar had been the subject of speculation for months so that when it
came, the only surprise was the swiftness and
finality of the separation from Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal — and of
his embrace of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The sequence of events suggests that
Mr. Kumar had secured the new alliance and
his continuation as Chief Minister before he resigned. This is why the proffered reason for his resignation — the
allegations of corruption against his Deputy Chief Minister and Mr. Prasad’s
son, Tejashwi Yadav — lacked conviction. Mr. Kumar’s record of shifting fast
and loose between allies is a story of political expediency and
it is not entirely clear what political compulsion or personal ambition the
latest move was born of. If it was naive to
believe that in 2013 he led the Janata Dal (United) away from the BJP, with
which he led a coalition government
in Bihar, because of a sudden aversion to
prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and communalism, then it is just as
ingenuous to think that his recent move is a result of a principled fight
against corruption. Surely, Mr. Kumar knew he had teamed up with a party led by
a man convicted for corruption in the fodder scam when he joined hands with Mr. Prasad
to fight the 2015 Bihar Assembly election? The record shows that Mr. Kumar’s rallying cry changes depending on which
political party he chooses to be up against. As Mr. Kumar inched closer to the
BJP, praising demonetisation, supporting its presidential candidate and even
colouring a lotus at a public function, the war on corruption became his
overriding theme once again. While it is likely he will steer the JD(U) on this
political realignment in the days to come, a question mark remains on how long
the new arrangement will last. In the BJP’s take-no-prisoners project to expand
its electoral footprint, a multi-cornered contest in Bihar, on the lines of the
last Lok Sabha election, could be the best-case scenario for the party in 2019.
Will it have any use for the JD(U) then? As for Mr. Kumar, he has since 2005
built a constituency made up of vulnerable subsections of the electorate: women
and the more backward among the Other Backward Classes, Dalits (Mahadalits),
and Muslims (Pasmanda Muslims). These are voters he has sought to tie in to the
development narrative with his various allies and forge winning coalitions.
Whether this tactic has run its course will be known at the next election,
mid-term or otherwise. The gains to the JD(U) from the patch-up are not immediately evident, if
indeed Mr. Kumar sees something more durable than a settling of scores with Mr.
Prasad. What is without doubt is that opposition unity has suffered a setback.
The Mahagathbandhan was perceived as the template for taking on the BJP
nationally — what’s more, there were many people who hoped, and once again
naively, that Mr. Kumar would be at the heart of it.
During the past week, it became evident that U.S. President Donald
Trump takes a dim view of his Attorney General,
Je Sessions, a man whose appointment to that key role he fought resolutely for in the face of serious
objections. This is not a clash of egos, but another instance of Mr. Trump’sdisdain for constitutional propriety regarding conflicts of interest
and the murky issue of Russia’s
influence on the 2016 presidential election. The current episode dates back
four months, to when Mr. Sessions recused himself
from the FBI’s inquiry into whether Moscow had interfered in the election.
Although Mr. Trump at the time dismissed the notion that such action was called
for, Mr. Sessions’s recusal was consistent with settled norms and with his own reassurances
on Capitol Hill that he would
consider being removed from any process where he thought his “impartiality
might reasonably be questioned”. The President’s anger at the FBI investigation
then swelled, leading to the abrupt firing of the Bureau’s Director
James Comey in May. Mr. Comey had previously told the House of Representatives’
Intelligence Committee that the FBI was investigating whether the Trump
campaign coordinated with Russia during the election. Since July 24, Mr. Trump
has stepped up his public attacks on Mr. Sessions, describing the recusal as
“very unfair”, and suggesting that Mr. Sessions showed bias in favour of
Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton by not probing her
emails as he should have. Observers are not surprised that Mr. Trump, a man of
his own making, has shown himself to be comfortable with a casual approach
toward conflicts of interest. Yet what they may not have anticipated is the extent to which his
desire to protect the personal interests of his family and the business
interests of the Trump Organization could eventually lead to a chasm between the White House and the
Republican Party. After all, many among the party’s traditional conservatives
believe firmly in the established traditions of checks and balances within the
government system and would view the suspected Russian meddling through the
lens of fiercepatriotism. The clearest
indication that trust is fraying between
the Oval Office and Capitol Hill is the fact that Representatives this week
passed a tough sanctions bill with proposed measures targeting Moscow, by an overwhelming 419-3 vote. This would hamper
Mr. Trump’s strategy of extending the hand of friendship to Vladimir Putin. Mr.
Trump can ill afford such a trust de- cit, especially when his own officials
appear to be uncertain over their boss plans. This would apply, for instance,
to Defence Secretary James Mattis, who was on vacation when Mr. Trump
unexpectedly announced a ban on transgender persons in the military.
WORDS/ VOCABULARY
1) Impending
Meaning: Be about to happen.
Example: My impending departure.
Synonyms: Imminent, Forthcoming
2) Speculation
Meaning: The forming of a theory or conjecture without firm
evidence.
Example: There has been widespread speculation that he plans to
quit.
Synonyms: Conjecture, Theorizing
3) Swiftness
Meaning: Lack of delay; promptness.
Example: Researchers were impressed with the swiftness of
responses.
Synonyms: Suddenness, Abruptness
Antonyms: Lateness, Tardiness
4) Alliance
Meaning: A union or association formed for mutual benefit,
especially between countries or organizations.
Example: A defensive alliance between Australia and New Zealand.
Synonyms: Association, Union
Antonyms: Distance, Separation
5) Proffered
Meaning: Hold out or put forward (something) to someone for
acceptance.
Example: She proffered a glass of wine.
Synonyms: Offer, Tender
Antonyms: Refuse, Withdraw
6) Expediency
Meaning: The quality of being convenient and practical despite
possibly being improper or immoral; convenience.
Example: An act of political expediency.
Synonyms: Convenience, Advantage
Antonyms: Disadvantage
7) Naive
Meaning: (Of a person or action) showing a lack of experience,
wisdom, or judgement.
Example: The rather naive young man had been totally misled.
Synonyms: Innocent, Unsophisticated
Antonyms: Experienced, Worldly
8) Coalition
Meaning: A temporary alliance for combined action, especially of
political parties forming a government.
Example: A coalition between Liberals and Conservatives.
Synonyms: Alliance, Union, Partnership
9) Aversion
Meaning: A strong dislike or disinclination.
Example: They made plain their aversion to the use of force.
Synonyms: Disinclination, Abhorrence
Antonyms: Liking, Inclination, Desire
10) Fodder
Meaning: Food, especially dried hay or straw, for cattle and other
livestock.
Example: Young people ending up as factory fodder.
11) Scam
Meaning: A dishonest scheme; a fraud.
Example: An insurance scam.
Synonyms: Fraud, Swindle
12) Rallying
Meaning: The action or process of coming together to support a
person or cause.
Example: The rallying of ethnic minorities to form a new
opposition party.
13) Patch up
Meaning: To try to improve a relationship after there have been
problems.
Example: Jackie and Bill are still trying to patch up their
marriage.
14) Attorney
Meaning: A person, typically a lawyer, appointed to act for
another in business or legal matters.
Example: She’s an attorney who advises companies about mergers and
takeovers.
Synonyms: Lawyer, Legal practitioner
15) Resolutely
Meaning: In an admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering
manner.
Example: She resolutely refused to be bullied by those around her.
16) Disdain
Meaning: The feeling that someone or something is unworthy of
one’s consideration or respect.
Example: Her upper lip curled in disdain.
Synonyms: Contempt, Scorn
Antonyms: Admiration, Respect
17) Propriety
Meaning: Conformity to conventionally accepted standards of
behaviour or morals.
Example: He always behaved with the utmost propriety.
Synonyms: Decorum, Decency
Antonyms: Impropriety, Indecorum
18) Murky
Meaning: Dark and gloomy, especially due to thick mist.
Example: The sky was murky and a thin drizzle was falling.
Synonyms: Dark, Grey
Antonyms: Bright, Sunny
19) Recused
Meaning: Challenge
(a judge or juror) as unqualified to perform legal duties because of a
potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.
Example: He was recused when he referred to the corporation as ‘a
bunch of villains.
20) Capitol
Meaning: A building in which a US state government meets.
Example: The Oklahoma State Capitol.
21) Swelled
Meaning: Become or make greater in intensity, number, amount, or
volume.
Example: The low murmur swelled to a roar.
Synonyms: Increase, Enlarge
Antonyms: Decrease, Wane
22) Abrupt
Meaning: Sudden and unexpected.
Example: I was surprised by the abrupt change of subject.
Synonyms: Sudden, Immediate
Antonyms: Gradual, Unhurried
23) Probing
Meaning: Explore or examine (something), especially with the hands
or an instrument.
Example: Hands probed his body from top to bottom.
Synonyms: Examine, Poke
24) Anticipated
Meaning: Regard as probable; expect or predict.
Example: She anticipated scorn on her return to the theatre.
Synonyms: Expect, Foresee
Antonyms: Dread
25) Chasm
Meaning: A deep fissure in the earth’s surface.
Example: A chasm a mile long.
Synonyms: Gorge, Canyon
26) Fierce
Meaning: Having or displaying a violent or ferocious
aggressiveness.
Example: Fierce fighting continued throughout the day.
Synonyms: Ferocious, Savage
Antonyms: Tame, Mild
27) Fraying
Meaning: (Of a fabric, rope, or cord) unravel or become worn at
the edge, typically through constant rubbing.
Example: cheap fabric soon frays.
Synonyms: Unravel, Wear
28) Overwhelming
Meaning: Very great in amount.
Example: His party won overwhelming support.
Synonyms: Very large, Profuse
Antonyms: Small
NOTE
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