On the outskirts of the quiet Nurpur Jattan village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district is a modest yellow structure. Mounted upon it is a statue of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar in a glass enclosure. On March 30, the statue was desecrated, triggering immediate outrage among villagers and members of Dalit groups. The statue was repaired within a few days, but the wounds of Punjab’s Dalit community remain raw. Last year, the same statue of the icon of the Dalit rights movement was vandalised.

Source: The Hindu April 12, 2026 02:19 UTC