A statue of Bhagat Singh erected atop a residence at his ancestral village, Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshahr ahead of his martyrdom day. Photo: Sarabjit Singh

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Khatkar Kalan, March 21An increasing following for Bhagat Singh as the youth icon is evident from the fact that the residents of his ancestral village have started installing his statues atop their houses here.Two houses from this village have got erected nicely painted statues of the martyr and one can see residents passing by these houses bowing before their revered hero as they move ahead to their destinations.Satnam Singh, a farmer whose house falls on the back of the museum at Khatkar Kalan, says, “I got the statue installed last week. I got it made and tastefully painted from an artisan in an adjoining village. I have brought up my children telling them the heroic deeds of Bhagat Singh for the country begin their day. We had his portrait in the living room of our house, too, but my family insisted that we could put up his statue too.”The statue of the freedom fighter atop the house of Bhag Singh is even more depictive. Here he has a pistol in one hand and the Tricolour in the other. Sarpanch Sukhwinder Singh of the village said, “There are about 430 families in the village and all have appreciated the move.”