• Latest
  • Trending

Choice of Kovind: BJP’s bid to hit many birds with one stone

June 23, 2017
India’s New Parliament House dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi

India’s New Parliament House dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi

May 31, 2023
Flight

Sri Lanka plans to start Colombo-Istanbul direct flights

May 31, 2023
Exchange Rate

Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

May 31, 2023
Flight

World’s best airline for 2023 named by AirlineRatings.com

May 31, 2023
Source - Bloomberg

Sri Lanka rupee’s recent rise may face challenges as experts foresee a potential 16% drop ahead

May 31, 2023
Sri Lanka passports

Sri Lanka to revise penalty for overstaying foreigners

May 31, 2023
Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait

Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait

May 31, 2023
Sri Lanka seeks ’Superstar’ Rajinikanth’s help to boost tourism

Sri Lanka seeks ’Superstar’ Rajinikanth’s help to boost tourism

May 30, 2023
Sri Lanka passports

Sri Lanka to initiate new online passport application system

May 30, 2023
India makes available to Lanka credit facility of US$ 1 billion till March 2024

India makes available to Lanka credit facility of US$ 1 billion till March 2024

May 30, 2023
National Fuel Pass

Fuel quota for National Fuel Pass system increased

May 30, 2023
Cabinet nod to revive suspended Colombo LRT project

Cabinet nod to revive suspended Colombo LRT project

May 30, 2023
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NewsIn.Asia
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    India’s New Parliament House dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi

    India’s New Parliament House dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi

    Flight

    Sri Lanka plans to start Colombo-Istanbul direct flights

    Exchange Rate

    Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Source - Bloomberg

    Sri Lanka rupee’s recent rise may face challenges as experts foresee a potential 16% drop ahead

    Sri Lanka passports

    Sri Lanka to revise penalty for overstaying foreigners

    Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait

    Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait

    Sri Lanka seeks ’Superstar’ Rajinikanth’s help to boost tourism

    Sri Lanka seeks ’Superstar’ Rajinikanth’s help to boost tourism

    Sri Lanka passports

    Sri Lanka to initiate new online passport application system

    India makes available to Lanka credit facility of US$ 1 billion till March 2024

    India makes available to Lanka credit facility of US$ 1 billion till March 2024

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    Flight

    World’s best airline for 2023 named by AirlineRatings.com

    Mars

    Mars bar plastic wrapper swapped for paper

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan

    Erdogan wins Turkish election, extending rule to third decade

    Lankan President’s Japan visit will have a salutary effect on relationship

    Lankan President’s Japan visit will have a salutary effect on relationship

    Joe Biden’s advisers say he doesn’t want to drag Pacific allies into ‘headlong clash’ between US and China

    Joe Biden’s advisers say he doesn’t want to drag Pacific allies into ‘headlong clash’ between US and China

    Cristiano Ronaldo

    Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Sajdah’ goal celebration goes viral

    US dollar notes

    ‘The mother of all crises.’ A US debt default would ricochet around the world

    Tsunami

    Scientists warn climate crisis could trigger giant tsunamis from Antarctica

    Emirates

    All Emirates passengers can now avail of free Wi-Fi connectivity onboard

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Samahan

    Amitabh Bachchan expresses confidence for Sri Lankan herbal drink Samahan

    ‘Money Back Guarantee’ to mark cinematic debut of cricketing legend Wasim Akram and wife Shaniera

    ‘Money Back Guarantee’ to mark cinematic debut of cricketing legend Wasim Akram and wife Shaniera

    The gran who couldn’t: Indu Balachandran’s latest book is for readers of all ages

    The gran who couldn’t: Indu Balachandran’s latest book is for readers of all ages

    The Weeknd

    The Weeknd is the world’s most popular artist, Guinness World Records says

    Naatu Naatu has millions of views on YouTube and is a viral sensation over social media

    Watch: Oscar winning song Naatu Naatu

    Naatu Naatu has millions of views on YouTube and is a viral sensation over social media

    Indian song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’ wins Oscar award for best song

    Naatu Naatu has millions of views on YouTube and is a viral sensation over social media

    Naatu Naatu: The RRR song primed for Oscar history

    Keanu Reeves

    11 of the best films to watch in March

    Netflix. Image credits - Souvik Banerjee @rswebsols / Unsplash

    Netflix cuts prices for subscribers in more than 30 countries

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Mars

    Mars bar plastic wrapper swapped for paper

    Emirates

    All Emirates passengers can now avail of free Wi-Fi connectivity onboard

    Exercise. Image credits - Victor Freitas @victorfreitas / Unsplash

    5 healthy habits that are easy to add to your day

    Global concern over babies born too soon

    Global concern over babies born too soon

    Nigerian chef Hilda Effiong Bassey

    Nigerian chef cooks for 100 hours in world record attempt

    Batik Air

    Batik Air reinstates daily services between Colombo and Kuala Lumpur

    Confucius tells us how to set ourselves free with ritual

    Confucius tells us how to set ourselves free with ritual

    Sri Lankans enjoy a walk in the beach

    My trip to Sri Lanka restored faith in fellow humans: Australian tourist

    The flavours of Sri Lanka

    The flavours of Sri Lanka

    The Issue of same-sex marriage reaches a critical juncture in India

    The Issue of same-sex marriage reaches a critical juncture in India

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Whatsapp

    WhatsApp introduces new feature to edit sent messages

    WhatsApp

    WhatsApp will allow users to lock and hide conversations

    Whatsapp. Image credits - AARN GIRI / Unsplash

    WhatsApp announces multi-device feature to support more than one phone

    Apple store in Mumbai

    Apple says ‘Hello Mumbai’ at first India store launch

    WhatsApp

    WhatsApp to introduce five new features in 2023 

    OpenAI has created ChatGPT, a start-up focused on artificial intelligence and its potential use cases. (Image source: OpenAI)

    ChatGPT banned in Italy over privacy concerns

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    India’s New Parliament House dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi

    India’s New Parliament House dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi

    Flight

    Sri Lanka plans to start Colombo-Istanbul direct flights

    Exchange Rate

    Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Source - Bloomberg

    Sri Lanka rupee’s recent rise may face challenges as experts foresee a potential 16% drop ahead

    Sri Lanka passports

    Sri Lanka to revise penalty for overstaying foreigners

    Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait

    Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait

    Sri Lanka seeks ’Superstar’ Rajinikanth’s help to boost tourism

    Sri Lanka seeks ’Superstar’ Rajinikanth’s help to boost tourism

    Sri Lanka passports

    Sri Lanka to initiate new online passport application system

    India makes available to Lanka credit facility of US$ 1 billion till March 2024

    India makes available to Lanka credit facility of US$ 1 billion till March 2024

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    Flight

    World’s best airline for 2023 named by AirlineRatings.com

    Mars

    Mars bar plastic wrapper swapped for paper

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan

    Erdogan wins Turkish election, extending rule to third decade

    Lankan President’s Japan visit will have a salutary effect on relationship

    Lankan President’s Japan visit will have a salutary effect on relationship

    Joe Biden’s advisers say he doesn’t want to drag Pacific allies into ‘headlong clash’ between US and China

    Joe Biden’s advisers say he doesn’t want to drag Pacific allies into ‘headlong clash’ between US and China

    Cristiano Ronaldo

    Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Sajdah’ goal celebration goes viral

    US dollar notes

    ‘The mother of all crises.’ A US debt default would ricochet around the world

    Tsunami

    Scientists warn climate crisis could trigger giant tsunamis from Antarctica

    Emirates

    All Emirates passengers can now avail of free Wi-Fi connectivity onboard

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Samahan

    Amitabh Bachchan expresses confidence for Sri Lankan herbal drink Samahan

    ‘Money Back Guarantee’ to mark cinematic debut of cricketing legend Wasim Akram and wife Shaniera

    ‘Money Back Guarantee’ to mark cinematic debut of cricketing legend Wasim Akram and wife Shaniera

    The gran who couldn’t: Indu Balachandran’s latest book is for readers of all ages

    The gran who couldn’t: Indu Balachandran’s latest book is for readers of all ages

    The Weeknd

    The Weeknd is the world’s most popular artist, Guinness World Records says

    Naatu Naatu has millions of views on YouTube and is a viral sensation over social media

    Watch: Oscar winning song Naatu Naatu

    Naatu Naatu has millions of views on YouTube and is a viral sensation over social media

    Indian song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’ wins Oscar award for best song

    Naatu Naatu has millions of views on YouTube and is a viral sensation over social media

    Naatu Naatu: The RRR song primed for Oscar history

    Keanu Reeves

    11 of the best films to watch in March

    Netflix. Image credits - Souvik Banerjee @rswebsols / Unsplash

    Netflix cuts prices for subscribers in more than 30 countries

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Mars

    Mars bar plastic wrapper swapped for paper

    Emirates

    All Emirates passengers can now avail of free Wi-Fi connectivity onboard

    Exercise. Image credits - Victor Freitas @victorfreitas / Unsplash

    5 healthy habits that are easy to add to your day

    Global concern over babies born too soon

    Global concern over babies born too soon

    Nigerian chef Hilda Effiong Bassey

    Nigerian chef cooks for 100 hours in world record attempt

    Batik Air

    Batik Air reinstates daily services between Colombo and Kuala Lumpur

    Confucius tells us how to set ourselves free with ritual

    Confucius tells us how to set ourselves free with ritual

    Sri Lankans enjoy a walk in the beach

    My trip to Sri Lanka restored faith in fellow humans: Australian tourist

    The flavours of Sri Lanka

    The flavours of Sri Lanka

    The Issue of same-sex marriage reaches a critical juncture in India

    The Issue of same-sex marriage reaches a critical juncture in India

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Whatsapp

    WhatsApp introduces new feature to edit sent messages

    WhatsApp

    WhatsApp will allow users to lock and hide conversations

    Whatsapp. Image credits - AARN GIRI / Unsplash

    WhatsApp announces multi-device feature to support more than one phone

    Apple store in Mumbai

    Apple says ‘Hello Mumbai’ at first India store launch

    WhatsApp

    WhatsApp to introduce five new features in 2023 

    OpenAI has created ChatGPT, a start-up focused on artificial intelligence and its potential use cases. (Image source: OpenAI)

    ChatGPT banned in Italy over privacy concerns

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
NewsIn.Asia
No Result
View All Result
Home Around South Asia

Choice of Kovind: BJP’s bid to hit many birds with one stone

Editor by Editor
June 23, 2017
in Around South Asia, India, Top Story
Reading Time: 3 mins read
2 0
A A
Share on WhatsApp

By choosing Ram Nath Kovind as its candidate for the Indian Presidency, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), spear headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has hit many birds with one stone, writes P.K.Balachandran in Daily Express

The choice of a Dalit – a member of India’s “lowest” caste, previously considered “untouchable” but now considered politically very “potent” – ensures victory in a political culture where no political party will dare reject a Dalit candidate off hand.

The “Dalit card” which can cut across political parties, comes in handy at this point of time when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is slightly short of votes in the electoral college comprising elected members of parliament and the provincial legislatures.

ADVERTISEMENT

The NDA has 48.10% of the votes, and the opposition, including the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), has 51.90%.

The BJP’s election managers led by Amit Shah hope that Dalits across the party divide, and political parties wedded to “social justice”, will defy any diktat to vote for a combined opposition rival candidate and support Kovind instead.

Indeed, Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, who heads the anti-BJP Janata Dal, a party wedded to social justice and the upward mobility of Backward Castes, has already pledged support to Kovind.

A section of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kzgagam (ADMK) led by former Chief Minister O.Panneersevam, has also come out in support of Kovind. It is likely that the AIADMK faction which is in power in Tamil Nadu, and led by Chief Minister Edapadi Palaniswamy, is  expected to go along with the BJP simply because the weak regime needs the goodwill of the Central government headed by strong man Narendra Modi to survive.

Actually, Kovind is a Dalit only in name. He is, in fact, a long standing activist of the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization which underplays caste inequalities and is working to melt all caste identities to form a single “Hindu” identity. The RSS provides the BJP its ideological gravitas.

Hindutwites discourage the taking up of issues of caste discrimination and caste conflicts because these issues jeopardize Hindu unity by stressing internal differences. The RSS believes that differences among Hindus will be exploited by non-Hindus to weaken them and Hindu-majority India.

Kovind’s RSS  or Hindutwa links will not be generally publicized in order not to drive away hard core Dalit voters or social justice campaigners. But they will be stressed in gatherings of the upper Hindus castes. The majority community should say that Kovind is actually one of them though born in a “Dalit” family.

The BJP-NDA will also exploit some discrepancy in Kovind’s caste status and identity.

The Koli sub-caste to which Kovind belongs, has different statuses in different provinces of India. Kolis are Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, but are classified as “Other Backward Castes” in Gujarat.

In Gujarat, the Kolis are a powerful political force accounting for 18% of the population. There are other provinces in North and Western India where Kolis are present such as Maharashtra some of whom are Buddhist converts. In fact, there is an all India Koli organization, the Akhil Bharatiya Koli Samaj, of which Kovind is President.

Therefore, Kovind will help the BJP-led NDA tap into the Other Backward Classes category  also. As a category, the OBCs are the majority grouping in India. If the Dalits are 15% reservation in government jobs, educational institutions and elected bodies, the OBCs are given 27%.

The BJP will also exploit a tendency among India’s Dalits to move up the Hindu social ladder by adopting the dominant Sanskritic culture and adopting Brahminical values. The Dalits are not in revolt against the Hindu caste system, but want an honorable place in it.

“There is no rush to get out of the system.There is, on the other hand, a rush to get into the system” said former Delhi University sociologist Prof. Jit Singh Uberai.

Therefore ,while leftist Dalits totally oppose the caste system and decry Hindu values, the majority of Dalits in India want to be in the Hindu fold and observe its norms.

The post independence system of giving the Dalits 15% reservations in government jobs, and educational institutions to Hindu Dalits, and the denial of these to the Dalits who had converted to Christianity or Islam, has helped Dalits  remain in the Hindu fold, largely.

(The featured picture at the top shows BJP’ Presidential candidate as an Hindutwa man)    

Related Posts

India’s New Parliament House dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi
Culture

India’s New Parliament House dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi

May 31, 2023
Flight
Around South Asia

Sri Lanka plans to start Colombo-Istanbul direct flights

May 31, 2023
Exchange Rate
Around South Asia

Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

May 31, 2023
Source - Bloomberg
Around South Asia

Sri Lanka rupee’s recent rise may face challenges as experts foresee a potential 16% drop ahead

May 31, 2023
Sri Lanka passports
Around South Asia

Sri Lanka to revise penalty for overstaying foreigners

May 31, 2023
Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait
Business

Lankan economists call for revival of road, rail bridge across Palk Strait

May 31, 2023
  • Electricity

    Power cut schedule for today in Sri Lanka: Uninterrupted power supply

    60241 shares
    Share 24119 Tweet 15051
  • Registration open for National Fuel Pass

    6641 shares
    Share 2694 Tweet 1645
  • Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    1855 shares
    Share 749 Tweet 461
  • WATCH : Yohani’s first live performance in India

    790 shares
    Share 329 Tweet 192
  • Power interruption schedule released: Check your area power cut time

    742 shares
    Share 320 Tweet 176
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

© 2022 All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
  • Around The World
  • Breaking News
  • Business
    • Exchange
  • Climate Change
  • Governance
    • Crime
    • Diplomacy
    • Defense
    • Human Rights
    • Politics
    • Strategic Affairs
  • Lifestyle
    • Books
    • Entertainment
      • Arts
      • Cinema
      • Gaming
      • Music
      • Movie
      • Series
      • TV
    • Health
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
  • Culture
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender
  • Development news
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • History
  • National
  • Offbeat
    • Media
    • Music and arts across South Asia
  • Recommended
    • Headlines
    • Highlights
    • Top Picture
    • Top Story
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Cricket
      • LPL
      • IPL
    • Tennis
    • Formula 1
    • NBA
  • Tech
    • Instagram
  • United Nations
  • Weather
  • World
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United States
  • Videos

© 2022 All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist