Ram Nath Kovind's background prepares him to be President

BJP chooses Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind as presidential candidate

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has announced that one of its seasoned leaders, Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, will be the National Democratic Alliance’s candidate for the post of the President of India. Mr Kovind, one of the 11 governors who have had association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its affiliates, is a good choice. He is a trained lawyer who has practised in the Supreme Court and was a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh for two six-year terms, where he developed a reputation for hard work and honesty. Mr Kovind also has experience as governor and has had a good relationship with a chief minister who is not part of the National Democratic Alliance – a background that prepares him to be President. Further he is not involved in any controversy and his personal conduct is unexceptionable. His career may be considered by many as undistinguished, but his choice does tick a lot of boxes.

If elected, Mr Kovind will be the second Dalit to live in the palace that crowns Raisina Hill. K R Narayanan, India’s 10th President, was also the first Dalit to hold the office of President. Before becoming the President, Narayanan had an outstanding career that took him from a thatched hut in Kerala to India’s embassies in Beijing and Washington and the council of ministers. Unsurprisingly, he was a fine choice for the office; President Narayanan carried out his duties and extended the powers of the presidency with considerable ability and care for the Constitution. There is no reason to believe that Mr Kovind will not be able to carry forward this legacy.

Politically as well, Mr Kovind’s selection is a very smart choice. That he is a Dalit means that many parties will find it uncomfortable to run a sharply divisive campaign against him. Indeed, it appears that there is already some talk about whether an alternative candidate from the Opposition is, in fact, necessary. Already, many parties across the spectrum have started lining up behind him. One can argue that in choosing him for the highest position in the land, the BJP was impelled by considerations of identity and politics above all. But the counterpoint to that would be that often enough, identity politics genuinely broadens the domain of power to include hitherto marginal groups.

But it should not remain mere tokenism. The three years since the BJP took power in 2014 have seen a series of unhappy developments which together suggest a culture of impunity about anti-Dalit violence is taking hold. Whether on campuses, as seen in the events surrounding the suicide of Rohith Vemula, or on the streets of India’s towns and villages, as in the merciless flogging of Dalit men in Gujarat last year, such stories of violence and intimidation suggest that all is not well. While choosing a Dalit candidate for President is a good signal, especially when Mr Kovind has shown real commitment to the Dalit cause, the government should also bring in real change in the lives of Dalits, and ensure that law and order and the protection of the helpless are more central to its administration than has hitherto been the case.