List of Idioms and Phrases from The HINDU editorial: “Street power: On the Kolkata protest”

List of Idioms and Phrases from The HINDU editorial: “Street power: On the Kolkata protest”

The protest in Kolkata has become a rallying cry for those who feel marginalized by the current political system. The breakdown of trust between the government and the people has led to increasing tension, and many are calling for reforms to stem the rot in governance. However, some critics argue that the government’s response has been little more than tokenism, as the creaking infrastructure continues to fail the public.

Efforts to break the logjam between protestors and authorities have been slow, and the situation seems to be escalating. Activists have vowed to take the movement to another level if their demands are not met, while the government has yet to respond meaningfully. Many protestors have had to resort to civil disobedience as their only option for being heard.

The onus now falls on the government to address the concerns of the protestors and prevent further unrest. If the administration under-performs in resolving the crisis, it risks losing even more public trust.

1)  Rallying cry

• Meaning: A phrase or slogan used to unite people in support of a cause or action.

• Example: "The protesters' rallying cry, 'We demand justice,' echoed throughout the city."

  2) Breakdown of trust

• Meaning: A situation where confidence between two or more parties is lost, leading to tension or conflict.

• Example: "The breakdown of trust between the workers and management led to a strike."

  3) Stem the rot

• Meaning: To stop a situation from becoming worse or to halt a decline.

• Example: "The government introduced reforms to stem the rot in the healthcare system."

  4) Tokenism

• Meaning: Superficial or minimal efforts made to give the appearance of addressing an issue without real commitment.

• Example: "The company’s diversity initiative was criticized as mere tokenism, with no real impact on hiring practices."

  5) Creaking infrastructure

• Meaning: A system or structure that is under strain and struggling to function properly due to age or inefficiency.

• Example: "The city's creaking infrastructure is struggling to handle the rapid increase in population."

  6) Break the logjam

• Meaning: To resolve a situation that has reached a stalemate or impasse.

• Example: "Negotiations were initiated to break the logjam and restart the stalled project."

  7) Take to another level

• Meaning: To improve or intensify something to a higher or more advanced stage.

• Example: "The team’s innovative strategies took the business to another level."

  8) Resort to

• Meaning: To adopt a course of action, often as a last option or when other methods have failed.

• Example: "The students resorted to peaceful protests after their demands were ignored."

  9) Onus

• Meaning: Responsibility or burden placed on someone to act or make a decision.

• Example: "The onus is on the government to resolve the crisis before it escalates further."

 10)  Under-performs

• Meaning: To perform below expectations or required standards.

• Example: "The hospital under-performs due to a lack of resources and staff."