Dear Prof. Shabeer !!
Greetings from Ravi S from Coimbatore. Well, I have seen your blogs and posts in the histoblog website.
Well, in the History of Indian Independence, the sorrowful incident of WAGON TRAGEDY has not been given the prominence and has never been in the limelight. It is nothing short of Jalianwala bagh massacre or Chauri chaura incident.
Well, the time has come for all of us to pay homage to the victims of Wagon tragedy and the apt time is NOW.
How ?
It has been announced in the recent railway budget that train no. 22609 / 10 Mangalore - Palakkad INTERCITY express would be extended to Coimbatore jn. This may be done on any date when the new railway time table comes to effect from 1st July 2012.
As a matter of Coincidence, this train 22609 / 10 after it gets extended to Coimbatore would halt both at TIRUR ( it is already halting here) and PODANUR jn both of the places which were silent witness to the WAGON TRAGEDY in the year 1921.
So, it would be apt to name this train 22609 / 10 MANGALORE - COIMBATORE intercity express as MALABAR KRANTI Express ( kranti ---> revolution) and pay homage to the 64 victims of WAGON tragedy. Also, paintings relating to this incident can be kept in the AC coaches of this train so that the new generation of people travelling by this train can have an idea of how painful was the path towards Independence.
I have already written a letter in the Hindu, readers Column, Coimbatore edition. Please click the hyperlink below.
text of my mail Published :-
Why not Malabar Kranti Express?
It would be in the fitness of things to name the Coimbatore - Mangalore Central inter-city express (22609/10) as Malabar Kranti Express.
The Inter-city express (daily) 22609/10 being operated between Palghat Junction and Mangalore Central is being extended to Coimbatore Junction as per the proposals of the railway budget presented this year.
It would improve the connectivity between Coimbatore and Malabar region which have long years of traditional linkage as both were part of the Madras Presidency of the British Raj, much before the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu were carved out.
As a matter of coincidence, this train (like many other trains too) would halt both at Tirur and Podanur Junction, which were both witness to the gruesome incident in which 64 out of the 100 odd prisoners, who revolted against brutalities of British police in Malabar region, were transported in a closed freight wagon and suffocated to death in 1921.
Made to board the closed wagon at Tirur, these prisoners were destined to reach prisons located in Coimbatore and Bellary but many of them had reached their heavenly abode, asphyxiated to death inside the wagon.
Downplayed by merely describing it as a 'wagon tragedy' in 1921, this horrendous incident is beyond any realms of imaginations at a time when we crib about bad air-conditioned coaches, stained bed rolls, stinking toilets, jammed windows during train journeys. Though a small wagon replica model is placed at Tirur in Malappuram district in memory of this event, there has been no effort to honour these souls who were denied even the right of dignity in death.
Southern Railway can consider naming this train as Malabar Kranti Express (reminding people of the struggle in Malabar region against British rule) to honour those unfortunate souls and also place paintings narrating this event prominently in the coaches of this train.
Ravi S,
Coimbatore.
It would be in the fitness of things to name the Coimbatore - Mangalore Central inter-city express (22609/10) as Malabar Kranti Express.
The Inter-city express (daily) 22609/10 being operated between Palghat Junction and Mangalore Central is being extended to Coimbatore Junction as per the proposals of the railway budget presented this year.
It would improve the connectivity between Coimbatore and Malabar region which have long years of traditional linkage as both were part of the Madras Presidency of the British Raj, much before the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu were carved out.
As a matter of coincidence, this train (like many other trains too) would halt both at Tirur and Podanur Junction, which were both witness to the gruesome incident in which 64 out of the 100 odd prisoners, who revolted against brutalities of British police in Malabar region, were transported in a closed freight wagon and suffocated to death in 1921.
Made to board the closed wagon at Tirur, these prisoners were destined to reach prisons located in Coimbatore and Bellary but many of them had reached their heavenly abode, asphyxiated to death inside the wagon.
Downplayed by merely describing it as a 'wagon tragedy' in 1921, this horrendous incident is beyond any realms of imaginations at a time when we crib about bad air-conditioned coaches, stained bed rolls, stinking toilets, jammed windows during train journeys. Though a small wagon replica model is placed at Tirur in Malappuram district in memory of this event, there has been no effort to honour these souls who were denied even the right of dignity in death.
Southern Railway can consider naming this train as Malabar Kranti Express (reminding people of the struggle in Malabar region against British rule) to honour those unfortunate souls and also place paintings narrating this event prominently in the coaches of this train.
Ravi S,
Coimbatore.
Please take steps to spread this idea with prominent politicians in Kerala especially Shri. E. AHMED, present minister of external affairs (state) Govt. of India, who was earlier, Minister of State for Railways, Govt. of India.
Before the train 22609 / 10 Mangalore - Palakkad intercity express starts running its extended run to Coimbatore jn, the naming of this train CAN be done on the date of its extension.
thank you & regards,
Ravi S
(Coimbatore)
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