Kerala CM slams erasing of mural at railway station, alleges Sangh Parivar hand
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 7: A controversy has broken out in Kerala over erasing of a new wall painting at a railway station depicting the 1921 wagon tragedy as part of "Mappila (Muslims) rebellion" with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Wednesday alleging that the Sangh Parivar was behind it.
Describing the erasing of the painting at Tirur station as "extremely heinous", he claimed it was an 'insult' to the country's freedom struggle.
"Indian Railways, which is a PSU, has succumbed to Sangh Parivar's interests and erased the painting", Vijayan alleged in a Facebook post.
When contacted, Railway sources denied the charge and said it was painted over in view of calls from various people criticising the subject chosen for the mural under a beautification programme.
It was perceived to be not in accordance with the beautification plan of the railways, since it depicted a "tragic event", the sources said.
The painting was half way through when a fresh coat of paint was applied over it on directions from officials of the Palakkad Railway Division to restore the wall to its original state, they added.
BJP state general secretary A N Radhakrishnan termed the railway's decision as a 'welcome step' but said his party had no role in it.
"BJP has nothing to do with the decision. As far as I have understood, the Railways have taken a stand against demonstration of communal violence," he told PTI.
The objection raised by local people might have persuaded them to take such a stand, he added.
The wagon tragedy took place on Nov 21, 1921 when 67 prisoners from the Malabar region, arrested for participating in the Mappila Rebellion against the British rule, died of suffocation while being brought to Tirur in a windowless wagon of a train.
Vijayan said the erasing of the painting was "an insult to the history of Indian Freedom struggle and can only be viewed as an anti-national act".
Using their power at the centre and various states, the RSS was attempting to 'distort' and 're-write' history of the country's freedom struggle, he said.
Now they were "allergic" to hear about the freedom struggle, Vijayan said alleging that whenever the RSS got an opportunity, it had 'slogged' for the Britishers.
"It is not surprising that these type of people are scared to think of the 'golden milestones' of the history of the freedom struggle," he added.
Besides Tirur, Kannur and Palakkad stations in the division had been chosen for beautification works with paintings of art, culture and historical events.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
