In the flatlands near Pune, where the Bhima river winds through Maharashtra's arid terrain, a modest obelisk stands as a defiant symbol. Erected two centuries ago by the British East India Company, the Jaystambh—or Victory Pillar—commemorates a skirmish that reshaped India's history. But for millions of Dalits, formerly known as "untouchables", it represents something far more profound: a rare triumph over the suffocating grip of caste oppression. On January 1st 2026, the 208th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, an estimated 700,000 pilgrims converged on the site, their chants of "Jai Bhim" (Victory to Bhim, a nod to B.R. Ambedkar, the Dalit icon and architect of India's constitution) piercing the dawn air. Yet, as in years past, the event barely registered in the national consciousness, prompting questions about whose histories India chooses to remember—and whose it prefers to forget. A Clash of Empires and Castes The battle itself, fough...