Recently, the likes of Ratan Tata and Adi Godrej openly supported the ‘Dalit Capitalists’. Media coverage and opinion celebrated the emergence of this

Recently, the likes of Ratan Tata and Adi Godrej openly supported the ‘Dalit Capitalists’. Media coverage and opinion celebrated the emergence of this ‘new’ section of Dalits and, beholden to the logic of LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) economics, pundits praised the ‘economic reforms’ and the state’s reservation policies lavishly for ‘creating opportunities’. And Milind Kamble’s opinion — that the community has too many political leaders while it needs business leaders — was almost presented as a success formula for the future. The contrast couldn’t be starker