Punjab’s Dalits power politics with the purse
The construction of the expansive Shiromani Shri Guru Ravidass Mandir in Punjab signifies a shift in the Dalit community's economic and political assertiveness. Historically marginalized, the community is leveraging wealth from migration and remittances to challenge traditional social hierarchies and land-ownership patterns.
Why it matters
This shift highlights the evolving socio-political landscape in India, where economic empowerment is enabling marginalized groups to assert their identity and influence regional politics.
Grey monsoon clouds hang low, almost touching the white domes and arched gateways of the Shiromani Shri Guru Ravidass Mandir.
The religious complex, spread across 11.5 acres, marks the skyline along the Grand Trunk Road in Chak Hakim village, Phagwara, in Punjab’s Kapurthala district.
The Guru Ghar, as it is known among followers, is dedicated to the 15th-century saint-poet Guru Ravidass. It serves as a place of worship but has also become a symbol of the Dalit community’s rising economic, religious and political assertiveness, reflecting its gradual shift from historical marginalisation.
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