In Punjab, open wounds from hit jobs on Ambedkar statues

On the outskirts of the sleepy village of Nurpur Jattan in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district stands an unassuming yellow structure. In a glass case, Dr. A statue of Bhim Rao Ambedkar is mounted. The desecration of the statue on March 30 sparked immediate outrage among villagers and members of Dalit groups.

The statue was repaired within a few days, but the wounds of the Dalit community in Punjab are still fresh. To prevent the incident from recurring, two police officers are on duty 24 hours a day. Dalits saw the attack on the statue as another act of provocation aimed at breaking the social fabric of Punjab for the sake of political and monetary gains. Last year, the same statue of the icon of the Dalit rights movement was vandalized.