The Hindu Editorial (Cycle of violence) – Apr 24, 2026
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The Hindu Editorial (Cycle of violence) – Apr 24, 2026:
- cycle (noun) – a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order; sequence, pattern, round, loop.
- violence (noun) – brutality, bloodshed, ferocity, assault.
- persistence (noun) – the fact of continuing in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition; continuance, perseverance, staying power, tenacity, resoluteness.
- hostilities (noun) – acts of warfare or aggression; conflicts, fighting, armed conflict, combat.
- respite (noun) – a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant; break, pause, interval, relief.
- despite (preposition) – in spite of, regardless of, notwithstanding, undeterred by.
- change of guard (phrase) – a situation in which a person or group in authority is replaced by a new person or group; transition of power, replacement, substitution, handover.
- ethnic (adjective) – relating to a population subgroup with a common national or cultural tradition; racial, cultural.
- quagmire (noun) – a difficult, complex, or hazardous situation from which it is hard to escape; entanglement, mess, predicament, dilemma.
- untangle (verb) – resolve, clear up, sort out, unravel.
- given (preposition) – taking into account; considering, bearing in mind, in view of, keeping in mind.
- intransigent (adjective) – unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something; uncompromising, inflexible, stubborn, obstinate.
- ethnic divide (noun) – a separation or division between different ethnic groups; ethnic split, racial segregation, cultural gap.
- divide (noun) – a difference or separation between two groups; breach, gap, gulf, split.
- hostile (adjective) – showing or feeling opposition or dislike; unfriendly, antagonistic, aggressive, confrontational.
- resist (verb) – oppose, fight against, defy, object to.
- normalisation (noun) – the process of bringing or returning something to a normal condition or state; stabilization, restoration of order, settling down, regularisation.
- empathy (noun) – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another; compassion, sympathy, feeling, sensitivity.
- ethnicise (verb) – to interpret or present a situation in ethnic terms or along ethnic lines; racialise, segregate by ethnicity, divide by race.
- compound (verb) – to make a problem or bad situation worse; worsen, aggravate, exacerbate, intensify.
- the government of the day (phrase) – the political party or coalition currently holding power in a country or state; ruling government, current administration, regime, ruling party.
- nip in the bud (phrase) – to stop or destroy something at an early stage before it can develop into something bigger; halt, suppress, check, put an end to.
- descent into (phrase) – a gradual deterioration or decline into a worse state; decline to, slide into, drop into, deterioration into.
- ethnicised (adjective) – made to be about ethnicity; racialised, culturally divided, segregated.
- civil society (noun) – society considered as a community of citizens linked by common interests and collective activity; public sphere, non-governmental organizations, citizen groups.
- subsequent (adjective) – coming after something in time; following, ensuing, succeeding, later.
- normalcy (noun) – the condition of being normal; normality, regular state of affairs, routine, stability.
- finds oneself in (phrase) – to discover that one is in a particular, often unexpected or difficult, situation; end up in, land in, be situated in, be caught in.
- relatively (adverb) – comparatively, fairly, reasonably, somewhat.
- moderate (adjective) – holding less extreme political views or policies; reasonable, mild, temperate, balanced.
- such as (phrase) – for example; like, namely, to illustrate, including.
- sought past tense of seek (verb) – attempt to find or do something; try, attempt, aim, strive.
- nominal (adjective) – existing in name only or being a very small gesture; token, symbolic, titular, superficial.
- gesture (noun) – an action performed to convey a feeling or intention; token, signal, sign, expression.
- rise above (phrase) – to not allow oneself to be constrained by a negative situation; overcome, transcend, ignore, brush aside.
- fray (noun) – a situation of intense activity, typically incorporating an element of aggression or competition; battle, fight, conflict, skirmish.
- the going tough (phrase) – a situation where progress is difficult or conditions are hard; hard times, difficult circumstances, challenging situation, rough patch.
- flare up (phrasal verb) – to suddenly burst out; erupt, explode, break out, burst out.
- following (preposition) – coming after or as a result of; after, in the wake of, subsequent to, succeeding.
- alleged (adjective) – claimed, supposed, purported, unproven.
- involvement (noun) – participation, engagement, association, complicity.
- Kuki (noun) – an ethnic community native to the northeastern states of India, primarily living in the hill districts of Manipur.
- extremist (noun) – a person who holds extreme or fanatical political views, especially one who resorts to extreme action; radical, fanatic, militant.
- trigger (verb) – cause an event or situation to happen or exist; precipitate, prompt, elicit, spark.
- valley (noun) – a low area of land between hills or mountains.
- renewed (adjective) – resumed or repeated after an interruption; revived, re-established, restarted, resurrected.
- lead to (verb) – result in, cause, bring about, give rise to.
- disinformation (noun) – false information which is intended to mislead; fake news, propaganda, falsehood, deceit.
- rumour-mongering (noun) – the act of spreading unverified information or gossip; gossiping, spreading tales, fear-mongering, spreading hearsay.
- add fuel to the fire (phrase) – to make a bad situation worse; exacerbate, aggravate, compound, worsen.
- hardening (adjective) – becoming more severe, strict, or uncompromising; stiffening, solidifying, strengthening, toughening.
- harden (verb) – make or become more severe, strict, or uncompromising; solidify, toughen, stiffen, reinforce.
- stance (noun) – position, viewpoint, standpoint, perspective.
- persistent (adjective) – unrelenting, enduring, continuous, unceasing.
- resignation (noun) – departure, stepping down, quitting, abdication.
- curb (verb) – restrain, keep in check; control, limit, restrict, contain.
- passage of time (phrase) – the progression of time; course of time, moving forward of time, tick of the clock, marching of time.
- restore (verb) – bring back to a former condition; reinstate, re-establish, return, bring back.
- spell (noun) – a short period of a particular activity; period, phase, stretch, term.
- President’s Rule (noun) – the suspension of a state government and the imposition of direct Union government rule in a state under Article 356 of the Constitution of India.
- apparent (adjective) – clearly visible or understood; obvious, clear, evident, noticeable.
- promote (verb) – encourage, further, advance, foster.
- governance (noun) – administration, management, rule, leadership.
- due (adjective) – expected or planned at a certain time; expected, scheduled, anticipated, awaited.
- however (adverb) – nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, still.
- inadequate (adjective) – insufficient, deficient, poor, scarce.
- genuine (adjective) – authentic, real, actual, sincere.
- peace-building (noun) – the process of achieving stability and harmony in a post-conflict situation; conflict resolution, peacemaking, conciliation, restoring harmony.
- thoroughgoing (adjective) – comprehensive, complete, exhaustive, all-encompassing.
- carrot and stick (phrase) – a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to induce behavior; reward and punishment, incentive and deterrent, persuasion and coercion, promise and threat.
- empower (verb) – give authority or power to do something; authorize, entitle, permit, allow.
- advance (verb) – move forward in a purposeful way; progress, proceed, develop, push forward.
- engage in (phrasal verb) – participate or become involved in; take part in, join in, partake in, be a part of.
- political variables (noun) – factors or elements within the political environment that are liable to vary or change; political factors, political dynamics, political elements.
- hardline (adjective) – uncompromising and strict in policies; strict, inflexible, tough, uncompromising.
- position (noun) – stance, viewpoint, standpoint, perspective.
- influence (noun) – impact, power, control, sway.
- pro-active (adjective) – forward-looking, anticipatory, taking initiative, pre-emptive.
- actor (noun) – a participant in an action or process; participant, player, figure, contributor.
- ease (verb) – alleviate, relieve, mitigate, soothe.
- tension (noun) – strain, stress, anxiety, apprehension.
- supplement (verb) – add to, augment, enhance, complement.
- strategy (noun) – a plan of action designed to achieve an overall aim; plan, tactic, scheme, blueprint.
- security agencies (noun) – government organizations responsible for intelligence gathering and national security; intelligence services, law enforcement agencies, defense organizations, security forces.
- crack down on (phrasal verb) – take severe measures against something; clamp down on, come down hard on, take strong action against, suppress.
- hardline element (noun) – an uncompromising or strict faction within a larger group; radical faction, extremist wing, uncompromising group.
- wanton (adjective) – deliberate and unprovoked in a cruel or violent manner; malicious, unjustified, unprovoked, senseless.
- short of (phrase) – without going as far as; stopping before, excluding, except for, lacking.
- measure (noun) – a plan or course of action taken to achieve a particular purpose; action, step, procedure, initiative.
- convulse (verb) – shake, agitate, disrupt, disturb, bother, rock, stir, unsettle.
- recurring (adjective) – occurring again periodically or repeatedly; repeating, cyclical, periodic, recurrent.
- reprisal (noun) – an act of retaliation; retaliation, counterattack, revenge, vengeance.
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