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Bring in the experts: on Jayalalithaa’s death

currentaffairsfunda.com/2019/01/07/bring-in-the-experts-on-jayalalithaas-death/

By vis001 January 7, 2019

Bring in the experts: on Jayalalithaa’s death

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Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa’s death does not deserve to be clouded by murky conspiracy
theories
The philosopher Karl Popper argued(तक िदया) that conspiracy(सािजश/मं णा) theories are
often(अ सर ) premised(आधािरत) on the notion that events are manipulated(चालाकी से/तोड़ना-
मरोड़ना) by sinister(बुरा/अशुभ ) groups, shaped(आकार ) by a distrust(अिव वास) of the notion of
randomness(अिनयिमतता) and a yearning to explain phenomena(घटनाएं/पितभास) in terms of
an underlying or intentional order. From the birth of history, the death of famous people has
provided(पदान ) a breeding ground for conspiracy theories. Clearly, the
unfortunate(दभ ु ा यपूण) and untimely(असामियक/बेव त) passing away of Jayalalithaa has
become a playing ground for such ‘theorists’. Astonishingly(आ चयजनक प से,), more than a
year after she died, two Tamil Nadu Ministers have called for a probe into her death by a
special investigation team. Meanwhile, the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice
(retired) A. Arumughaswamy, constituted(गिठत) in September 2017 to probe her illness and
death, is well into a third extension(िव तार) of its tenure( कायकाल ). If it sometimes appears(
पकट होता है) as if the Commission is shooting blindfolded(आँख बंद) in a dark room with
blanks, that is because it is unclear if its principal focus is the issue of the
“circumstances(पिरि थित/हालत) and situation(ि थित) leading to her hospitalisation(अ पताल
में भती होने )”, “subsequent(बाद मे/ं आगामी) treatment” and “unfortunate demise(िनधन”)” or a
larger conspiracy into her death. Both issues could be related, in theory. But if the main task
is to determine(िनधािरत/तय करना) whether the former Chief Minister received
adequate(पया त) medical attention before she was admitted in hospital and during her 75-
day stay there, then this can only be settled by independent medical experts.

Inquiry into Jayalalithaa’s death: Politics of probe

The corporate hospital she was treated in has filed a petition(यािचका/िसफ़ािरश) before the
Commission seeking the constitution of a medical board comprising( शािमल/दािखल करना)
experts(िवशेष ञ) in a range of specialities to examine the case records and the
interventions(ह त ेप/ यवधान) made by its doctors. This is an eminently(अ यंत/उ लेखनीय )
sensible(समझदार/बुि मान) suggestion, given the complex(जिटल) and debilitating(दब ु ल)
matrix of conditions(पिरि थितयों) that Jayalalithaa suffered(पीिड़त) from. Only a complete
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understanding of her overall medical condition can result in a fair conclusion about the
treatment she got. The importance of doing this is all the greater, given reports of
critical(मह वपूण/संकटपूण) errors in the recording of depositions of doctors before the
Commission. One of them has gone as far as to say his application to correct errors( िु टयों)
has failed. The conspiracy angle has been given a new and perplexing(हैरान करनेवाला) lease
of life with the Commission’s counsel(परामश/सलाह) accusing(आरोप लगा) the hospital and
the State’s Health Secretary of “conspiracy” and “collusion(िमलीभगत)” in providing
“inappropriate(उपचार) treatment”. It would be improper(अनुिचत/अनुपयु त) to suggest that
the Arumughaswamy panel is conducting the probe(जाँच ) in anything but a fair manner, but
it is essential(आव यक) that it also gives the impression(पभाव/धारणा) that it is doing just that.
After all, there is no getting away from the fact that the setting up of an inquiry commission
had a clear political motive(राजनीितक मकसद) — it was a condition that needed to be
satisfied to unite the warring AIADMK factions. Chasing elusive(पकड़ में न आने वाला/मायावी)
conspiracies will not enhance the Commission’s image; taking the help of competent
experts will.

Important Vocabulary

1. Manipulated(चालाकी से/तोड़ना-मरोड़ना)
Synonyms: employ, shape, wield, feel, finger
Antonyms: destroy, idle, leave alone

2. Conspiracy(सािजश/मं णा)
Synonyms: plot, scheme, sedition, treason, cabal
Antonyms: faithfulness, honesty, ignorance, loyalty

3. Premised(आधािरत)
Synonyms: announce, assume, begin, commence, introduce
Antonyms: calculate, complete, conclude, die, disbelieve

4. Shaped(आकार )
Synonyms: build, carve, construct, embody, fashion
Antonyms: demolish, destroy, dismantle, raze, ruin

5. Constituted(गिठत)
Synonyms: create, establish, aggregate, complement, complete
Antonyms: destroy, ruin, break, disarrange, disperse

6. Tenure( कायकाल ).
Synonyms: administration, occupation, ownership, regime, reign
Antonyms: misconception, misunderstanding, release

7. Astonishingly(आ चयजनक प से,)

Synonyms: absolutely, awfully, certainly, decidedly, deeply
Antonyms: commonly, doubtfully, dubiously, indefinite, little

8. Circumstances(पिरि थित/हालत)
Synonyms: assets, capital, chances, class, command
Antonyms: debt, poorness, poverty

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9. Essential(आव यक)
Synonyms: crucial, fundamental, imperative, indispensable, main
Antonyms: auxiliary, extra, inessential, minor, needless

10. Petition(यािचका/िसफ़ािरश)
Synonyms: application, prayer, request, suit, address

11. Comprising( शािमल/दािखल करना)

Synonyms: amount to, compose, constitute, contain, cover
Antonyms:abandon, destroy, exclude, neglect, ruin

12. Sensible(समझदार/बुि मान)

Synonyms: astute, down-to-earth, intelligent, judicious, logical
Antonyms: excited, foolish, idiotic, ignorant, imbecile

13. Eminently(अ यंत/उ लेखनीय )

Synonyms: extremely, highly, remarkably, conspicuously, exceedingly
Antonyms: unimportantly, unremarkably

14. Improper(अनुिचत/अनुपयु त)
Synonyms: awkward, erroneous, false, ill-advised, imprudent
Antonyms: OK, acceptable, accurate, appropriate, correct

15. Elusive(पकड़ में न आने वाला/मायावी)

Synonyms: ambiguous, fleeting, illusory, incomprehensible, puzzling
Antonyms: definite, honest, intelligible, stable, understandable

Credit To The Hindu News Paper

Jayalalithaa’s death does not deserve to be clouded by murky conspiracy theories

The philosopher Karl Popper argued that conspiracy theories are often premised on the
notion that events are manipulated by sinister groups, shaped by a distrust of the notion of
randomness and a yearning to explain phenomena in terms of an underlying or intentional
order. From the birth of history, the death of famous people has provided a breeding
ground for conspiracy theories. Clearly, the unfortunate and untimely passing away of
Jayalalithaa has become a playing ground for such ‘theorists’. Astonishingly, more than a
year after she died, two Tamil Nadu Ministers have called for a probe into her death by a
special investigation team. Meanwhile, the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice
(retired) A. Arumughaswamy, constituted in September 2017 to probe her illness and death,
is well into a third extension of its tenure. If it sometimes appears as if the Commission is
shooting blindfolded in a dark room with blanks, that is because it is unclear if its principal
focus is the issue of the “circumstances and situation leading to her hospitalisation”,
“subsequent treatment” and “unfortunate demise” or a larger conspiracy into her death.
Both issues could be related, in theory. But if the main task is to determine whether the
former Chief Minister received adequate medical attention before she was admitted in
hospital and during her 75-day stay there, then this can only be settled by independent
medical experts.

Inquiry into Jayalalithaa’s death: Politics of probe

3/4
The corporate hospital she was treated in has filed a petition before the Commission
seeking the constitution of a medical board comprising experts in a range of specialities to
examine the case records and the interventions made by its doctors. This is an eminently
sensible suggestion, given the complex and debilitating matrix of conditions that
Jayalalithaa suffered from. Only a complete understanding of her overall medical condition
can result in a fair conclusion about the treatment she got. The importance of doing this is
all the greater, given reports of critical errors in the recording of depositions of doctors
before the Commission. One of them has gone as far as to say his application to correct
errors has failed. The conspiracy angle has been given a new and perplexing lease of life
with the Commission’s counsel accusing the hospital and the State’s Health Secretary of
“conspiracy” and “collusion” in providing “inappropriate treatment”. It would be improper to
suggest that the Arumughaswamy panel is conducting the probe in anything but a fair
manner, but it is essential that it also gives the impression that it is doing just that. After all,
there is no getting away from the fact that the setting up of an inquiry commission had a
clear political motive — it was a condition that needed to be satisfied to unite the warring
AIADMK factions. Chasing elusive conspiracies will not enhance the Commission’s image;
taking the help of competent experts will.

4/4