Recommendation 1 from ‘Foreign Policy’
Article Name:‘All in the family’
By: ‘Endy Bayuni’
The article states that the First Lady of Indonesia has emerged as the front runner for the 2014 presidential elections despite the fact that president has denied that anyone from the family will be contesting elections, as it will accuse him of nepotism. The constitution was amended in 2002 to prevent anyone from serving as president for more than two consecutive terms, as Suharto had served as an authoritarian leader for more than three decades. Further, the article states that there could be two reasons for the first lady to be nominated .i.e. she has been the main force behind many of the big political decisions of the president and also that she has been one of the main factors in the growth of the party.
Summary:
The article wants to make a point that politics or running for various posts in the government shouldn’t be made a family business. The writer knows that the first lady is a potential candidate possessing many reasons. However, the writer also makes aware the reader about the problem that Indonesia has faced before democratic reforms took over. Writer also tells the reader that problems still exist and some even believe that the magnitude of the program could even be bigger now. And the fear of the writer could be that if nepotism comes in again, problems will even be bigger.
Learn Words from the article:
Purge: Wash out
Bid: Offer
Defying: Challenging
Recommendation 2 from ‘The Times of India’
Article Name:‘Power to persecute’
By: ‘Rajesh Kalra’
The article states that even today there are many ancient laws that do not help the citizen in any way and are also not in accordance with the changing times. Article cites the recent incident at a party in Mumbai that was raided and somehow police invoked the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949, which enabled the police to hit anyone. Further, there are rules that make being gay is a punishable offence and the article states that such rules dictate the laws even today, which is absurd.
Summary:
Absurd indeed! Who are you, me or anyone of us to say that any person cannot be gay and that he should be punished. No wonder half of things in India go on behind closed doors because there is no social support for people like many of us who would want to choose their own sexual orientation.
Learn Words from the article:
Implication: Inference
Vengeful: Unforgiving
Persecute: Hound
Punishable: Something that carries a punishment
Recommendation 3 from ‘The Times of India’
Article Name:‘It’s all fixed’
By: ‘Jug Suraiya’
The article is a hilarious conversation between Jugular Vein and Mr. Fixit. The conversation is basically based on question that what exactly is happening to cricket, as there are so many scandals hovering over it. Mr. Fixit replies that IPL is not cricket, its T20 in which T stands for Tamasha and basically everything that happens is all fixed from the beginning just like in novels and movies.
Summary:
As someone had said, “Entertainment, entertainment and entertainment”. After reading the article it is correct to say that the tamasha of T20 is just to entertain and has nothing to do with cricket. And the tenet everything is fixed, perhaps stands true for international cricket as well. This is the reason fixing has turned out to be such a big industry.
Learn Words from the article:
Allegations: Accusations
Fisticuffs: Fights