The events across Tamil Nadu, surrounding the aspiration of Dalits to raise the flag of a party that represents their aspirations, raises interesting questions: How does one reconcile the fact that even with a government of a “social justice” platform under Stalin, local DMK members—whether in Usilampatti, Morur or Pudu Viraalippatti—do not stand down against the broader diktat of oppressor castes? How to perceive the temerity of high-level police officials who manufacture legal pretexts to thwart Dalit aspirations, while serving under a DMK-led government that has positioned itself as a progressive one, in a political climate where the VCK is an integral part of the alliance?