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Daily Vocab Capsule 19th October 2019

Everyone’s Now Invited

India has firmed up a gradual, but significant, shift in its foreign policy in the first few months of Prime Minister

Narendra Modi’s second term. It has moved decisively from a P2 (US and China) mind-set to a P5+2 approach

to position itself as a power that makes it its business to do business with all, rather than keeping distance or

taking sides.

In the first four months of returning to power, Modi has met US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi

Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin three times; his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe twice; and once

each with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British PM Boris

Johnson. Merkel is also slated to visit India early next month.

These meetings are over and above the many interactions Modi has had with these seven leaders in group settings

at the G20 meet in Osaka, Japan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,

the G7 at Biarritz, France, and the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) at Vladivostok, Russia.

If P5+2 is one end of India’s newfound multi-alignment approach, then ‘neighbourhood-plus’ is the other end.

The ‘plus’ in this extends beyond South Asia — from West Asia to Central and East Asia. As of now, however,

it contains a significant ‘minus’: Pakistan.

China is one country that falls in both P5+2 and ‘neighbourhood-plus’ categories. Which is why Modi’s

Mamallapuram summit with Xi was very significant for India. It sends out an important signal that India and

China have established a concrete regular connect at the highest level. Let’s not forget that until Xi took charge,

China had always identified its premier as the Indian PM’s counterpart.

This messaging helps balance conversations with other major powers, especially with those looking to leverage

India-China divergences to their benefit. It’s also a recognition by New Delhi that neither Washington nor

Moscow has the clout with Beijing to tilt, or favourably influence, a conversation in India’s favour.

This is a shift from the UPA years when the objective really was how to leverage India’s strategic value with

China on the back of strong India-US relations. The high point of that approach was 2005-06, when Indian

cemented the India-US nuclear deal and signed the principles of a boundary settlement with China.

Gin and Yang

But Xi’s elevation proved to be a turning point, as China actively sought to assert and act independently of the

US. As a result, former US President Barack Obama did not enjoy the kind of leverage his predecessor could

have exercised on the Chinese leadership.

The US backlash happened with the election of Donald Trump to the White House. The Chinese quest for

seeking parity has now turned into a grand showdown with the US. Regardless of which way conversations go,

the fact is, Trump has turned China into a domestic political issue in the US, one on which even the Democrats

cannot take a soft line.

In a turbulent environment such as this, where power is more diffused at the high table and, yet, each country is

so deeply networked with each other, it’s important to build stakes in each of the big power relationships

regardless of the contradictions. India’s ability to engage with China despite problems, illustrates this best. The

effort from both sides has been to take a longerterm view of the relationship at the informal summit, so that

differences don’t turn into disputes.

Xi is believed to have appreciated that Modi had given considerable thought at choosing the location, as Chinese

leaders like the seaside. This is pertinent because the Chinese leadership is known to head for sea resorts like

Beidaihe near Beijing, for their annual summer gathering. It was a tradition Mao Zedong started, and at these

meets, some historic long-term decisions like the Great Leap Forward were made.

It’s true that India chose the venue not just from the long-term perspective as Xi seemed to allude, but also from

what this would signal to the neighbourhood, especially to Pakistan. The disputes on the northern boundaries bind

Beijing with Islamabad. Which is why to recall an oceanic connect from the South was New Delhi’s way to create

a narrative independent of Pakistan.

In many ways, Indian efforts with China are quite similar to what it did with the West through the past two decades

— constantly reaffirm the reasons why India and Pakistan cannot be equated. Terrorism made that clear for the

West, especially after Nato set up base in Afghanistan post-9/11. China, however, continues to view Pakistan

through the lens of conventional geopolitics. While that’s Chinese policy, what’s important from an Indian

standpoint is to get Beijing to look at New Delhi through a different lens.

Time to Connect

The fact that Xi proposed the idea of developing a manufacturing partnership as a measure to reduce the

humungous trade deficit between both countries is an indication that China is, perhaps, beginning to see merit in

establishing an India-specific conversation devoid of other contentious issues.

While these are still early days to take a call on the success or failure of a policy, what’s clear is that India has

made a significant shift in favour of multi-alignment, as opposed to an equidistant, non-aligned posture — the

underlying logic being that Indian stakes are way too high for it to not find a way to be in business with everyone,

howsoever difficult the odds may be.

The Economic Times (International)

1. Slate (verb): Meaning: [Usually passive] to plan that something will happen at a particular time in the future.

(योजना बनाना)

Synonyms: Schedule, Programme, Plan, Set Up

Antonyms: Cancel, Call Off, Scratch

Example: The next conference is slated for July.

2. Cement (verb): Meaning: To make a relationship, an agreement, etc. stronger. (मज़बूत बनाना)

Synonyms: Strengthen, Reinforce, Bolster, Toughen

Antonyms: Lessen, Undermine, Weaken, Diminish

Example: The President's visit was intended to cement the alliance between the two countries.

3. Exercise (verb): Meaning: To use your power, rights or personal qualities in order to achieve something. (प्रयोग

में लाना)

Synonyms: Employ, Harness, Exert, Implement, Put Into Effect.

Antonyms: Ignore, Neglect, Avoid, Shun

Example: The CEO exercised his prerogative to select a new manager.

4. Elevation (noun): Meaning: The process of somebody getting a higher or more important rank. (उत्थापन)

Synonyms: Rise, Ascent, Promotion, Aggrandizement

Antonyms: Fall, Demotion, Downgrading, Comedown

Example: Her sudden elevation to the cabinet

5. Leverage (noun): Meaning: The ability to influence what people do. (प्रभावन क्षमता)

Synonyms: Influence, Clout, Authority, Weight

Antonyms: Weakness, Powerlessness, Impotence

Example: The right wing had lost much of its political leverage in the Assembly.

6. Devoid (adjective): Meaning: Entirely lacking or free from. (वंचित)

Synonyms: Lacking, Bereft, Wanting, Empty, Barren

Antonyms: Full, Replete, Abounding

Example: A well devoid of water is useless.

7. Parity (noun): Meaning: The state or condition of being equal, especially as regards status or pay. (समानता)

Synonyms: Equality, Congruence, Parallelism, Likeness

Antonyms: Dissimilarity, Inequality, Disparity, Variation

Example: Prison officers are demanding pay parity with the police force

8. Turbulent (adj.): Meaning: In which there is a lot of sudden change, confusion, disagreement and sometimes

violence. (अशांत)

Synonyms: Stormy, Tempestuous, Tumultuous, Chaotic

Antonyms: Peaceful, Calm, Settled, Moderate

Example: The town had remained calm since the turbulent times seven months ago.

9. Underlying (adjective): Meaning: Important or basic in a situation but not always easily noticed or stated

clearly. (बुचनयादी, मूलभूत)

Synonyms: Primary, Crucial, Elementary, Rudimentary

Antonyms: Advanced, Refined, Intricate, Extensive

Example: Unemployment may be an underlying cause of the rising crime rate.

10. Humongous (adjective): Meaning: Very big. (चवशालकाय)

Synonyms: Huge, Enormous, Massive, Mammoth

Antonyms: Tiny, Teeny, Wee, Miniature

Example: They used a humongous banana-like balloon to promote their company.