Former student sparks panic at school in Kerala brandshing air pistol; arrested
Thrissur (Ker), Nov 21: A former student of a private school in Thrissur sent students and staff into a panic on Tuesday, when he arrived there brandishing a "gun" -- but with the police responding to emergency calls promptly, he was apprehended before he could injure anyone with the air pistol.
The student, identified as Jagan, entered the Vivekodayam school in Thrissur in the morning and proceeded to the staff room, where he took out the weapon from his bag.
The tresspasser then moved through various classrooms, terrorising both students and staff members -- in an episode that brings to mind the hundreds of horrific school shootings in the United States of America in which many children have died.
Jagan fired a few rounds inside the school, according to the school staff, but the police -- who rushed there after receiving calls for help and subdued the 'shooter' -- said nobody was injured.
Acting swiftly, police caught hold of the gun-wielding man when he tried to escape, and arrested him on the school premises.
The charges filed against him include sections 448 (trespass) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Police said Jagan, who is from Thrissur himself, has some mental issues, and the magistrate has issued relevant orders for his medical examination, based on his parents' request.
A police officer told PTI that Jagan had recently purchased the "baby toy air pistol" from a local shop, which he used to terrorise the students and teachers at his alma mater.
District Collector V R Krishna Teja, upon being informed, immediately arrived at the school to assess the situation, and assured parents that it was an isolated incident.
"A young person has come to the school. He was a bit unsteady and used his pistol and fired two or three rounds. That's what the school authorities have told us. He was taken into custody.
"It's an isolated incident, and an investigation is on. There is no need to worry. We are all here. He will be produced before a doctor," Teja told the media.
Television channels telecast visuals of the accused sitting inside the staff room waving about the air pistol he had taken out of his bag.
A teacher said that Jagan was a former student who had previously caused disturbances and had left the school.
"Earlier, he had used abusive language towards his teachers. Today, he came and asked for a hat that was confiscated when he was a student here," a teacher told the media.
Jagan's confrontational behaviour extended to the police station as well, where he was seen shouting at officials.
Police said that he has a track record of being kept under preventive detention by the Mannuthy police for creating public nuisances in the past.
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Ramadan, Lent coincide this year, happens once in three decades: How it happens, when it will occur
This year, Ramadan and Lent are reportedly being observed during the same period, a calendar overlap that happens only once in roughly 30 to 33 years.
According to a post by ‘That Dubai Page’ on Instagram both are important periods of fasting in Islam and Christianity respectively, but they follow different calendars, which is why their dates usually do not align.
What is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day period in the Christian liturgical calendar observed before Easter.
It is marked by fasting, prayer, repentance and self-examination.
The duration of 40 days reflects the time Jesus is believed to have fasted in the wilderness. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends before Easter Sunday, and the feast mass is celebrated on Saturday.
The exact dates change every year because they are linked to Easter, which is calculated based on the Christian liturgical calendar.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer and spiritual discipline. From dawn to sunset each day, adult and able-bodied Muslims abstain from food and drink. The fast is broken at sunset.
Unlike Lent, Ramadan does not follow the Gregorian calendar.
According to admiddleeast.com , Ramadan depends on the sighting of the new crescent moon, known as the hilāl, which signals the start of the new lunar month.
Religious committees in many Muslim-majority countries meet after sunset on the 29th day of the preceding month, Sha‘ban, to look for the moon.
If it is sighted, Ramadan begins the next day. If not, Sha‘ban is completed as a 30-day month and Ramadan starts after that.
While Saudi Arabias announcement is widely followed, each country makes its own official declaration.
Why dont they always overlap?
The Islamic lunar calendar has around 354 days, which is about 10 to 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar.
Because of this difference, Ramadan shifts earlier by about 10 or 11 days each year. Over time, it moves through all seasons.
Lent, on the other hand, is tied to Easter and the Christian liturgical calendar. Since the two religious observances are based on different systems for calculating dates, they rarely fall at the same time.
How often does the overlap happen?
The overlap happens in cycles of approximately 30 to 33 years. When it happens, Ramadan and Lent may coincide for a few consecutive years. After that, they do not align again for decades.
Following the current cycle, major overlaps are not expected again until the 2050s.
