- Situation: NDA-RSS relationship on the roll, some go so far as to say it’s at its best since the 2014 election victory.
- Complication: Youth wing has been able to draw attention and grow in strength, but wooing Dalits has become vital.
- Play-Out: Hence the sudden focus on Dr Ambedkar. The Nagaur conclave gave pride of place to the Constitution maker.
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Reports on the three-day conclave of the RSS in Nagaur in Rajasthan last week focused on the decision by the Sangh to give up khaki shorts from its 90-year-old uniform and go for ‘modern’ trousers. The decision was newsworthy for more than one reason. The BJP-Sangh parivar is indeed upbeat that, after the JNU case, its youth organisation, the ABVP, has galvanised itself, rallying around the flag of nationalism. Perhaps dropping shorts might be a way of encouraging youth, who might find them risible, to join them. Alok Kumar, the Sangh’s Delhi head, scoffs at...
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