Lenin Statue in Belonia Town

The presence of the Lenin statue in the Indian town of Belonia has been a long-time subject of heated debate between the local Communist Party and the ruling Bharat Janatiya Party. After the BJP won seats in the area, unsettling the long-term rule of the area by the Communist Party, the celebrations that followed saw the toppling of the Lenin statue by a mob. This case study explores how public memorialization can have political ramifications and how changes in government can exacerbate these tensions.