The Big Story: Finding the words

In Parliament on Thursday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh was on the defensive. He spoke against attempts to "create an impression" that the National Democratic Alliance was anti-Dalit and he said the Centre had directed states to take stern action against "anti-social elements", even gau rakshaks, who have attacked members of the Dalit community. But he added that crimes against Dalits had fallen overall since the NDA came to power and the Sangh Parivar worked tirelessly for tribal and Dalit communities, so the current fuss was really about tarring the NDA government.

Once again, the Bharatiya Janata Party has shown itself inadequate to the task of speaking to Dalit constituencies in any meaningful way. As commentators have observed, this is a new moment in Dalit politics, energised by a fresh wave of mobilisation and an unwillingness to accept the status quo. It has been apparent across states in recent months. In Hyderabad, where Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide gave rise to student agitations across campuses; in Lucknow, where a BJP leader's comment against Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati led to angry demonstrations; and in Gujarat, where Dalits protested against the excesses of gau rakshaks by dumping cow carcasses outside a collectorate. A growing Dalit unity has been witnessed in the campus protests and the massive rallies in Gujarat.

The old politics of patronage and so-called upliftment, of winning gratitude by parcelling out quotas cornered by the Dalit elites is rapidly getting dated. The BJP does not have a new plan. From former Human Resources Development minister Smriti Irani's tone deaf response to the Vemula protests, to party chief Amit Shah's assiduous attempts to dine with Dalits, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's belated warning against "fake gau rakshaks", BJP leaders are floundering in their search for a response. It does not help dispel the impression that this government is indifferent to Dalit concerns.

The Big Scroll: Scroll.in on the day's big story

Anita Katyal on how Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks about gau rakshaks was really aimed at a foreign audience.
Darshan Desai on why the new Gujarat chief minister may be just the person to reach out to the state's angry Dalits and Patidars.
Jyoti Malhotra on how the BJP's Dalit leaders are uneasy and afraid to speak after the new unrest.
Shoaib Daniyal argues the Dalit agitation is likely to hurt the BJP electorally in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, if not in Gujarat.

Political pickings

1. Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar reverses predecessor Smriti Irani's policy, lets Indian Institutes of Management choose their own chiefs.

2. The Aam Aadmi Party has reportedly made overtures to Manipur's famous crusader against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, Irom Sharmila.

3. The Bulandshahr teenager who saw her mother burnt to death writes to Uttar Pradesh Cheif Minister Akhilesh Yaav in blood, demanding justice.

Punditry

1. In the Indian Express, Muzamil Jaleel on whether the parties meeting to discuss Kashmir are willing to hear out Kashmiris.

2. In the Hindu, J Balasubramaniam and AR Venktachalapathy on the stand off over Dalits participating in a religious festival in Tamil Nadu.

3. In the Economic Times, Neerja Chowdhury argues against the idea of a new Parliament building.

Giggles

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Chitrangada Choudhury investigates how five people were killed in alleged firing by security forces in a village in Odisha, and local villagers have no hope of justice:

Faced with criticism over the deaths, the government conceded that Dhobeshwar and Bubudi were “innocent people”, not Maoists. But it never took the villagers’ or Rahula’s accounts seriously, nor did it conduct an independent investigation into how the deaths occurred. This February, an inquiry by the Odisha Police’s Human Rights Protection Cell reproduced the exact account put out by the SOG team, and exonerated them. It ended by saying “... it is possible that the deceased may have died due to bullet fired by LWE Activists”. With the help of lawyers and activists, Rahula is challenging this conclusion at the Odisha State Human Rights Commission.