Congress veteran's British era wagon miniature model reminder of freedom struggle's tragic episode

Hundred men gasping for breath in a closed wagon, fighting and lethally injuring each other for space near the hole on the metal wall of the wagon, where the air rushed in, and finally, most of them losing the battle to survive, are stark reminders of the sacrifices India made on the way towards winning freedom. C R Sunil, a native of Cherai in Ernakulam, with his dexterous hands, has now recreated a miniature form of the coaches involved in the Wagon tragedy as a tribute to those martyrs and as a piece of art. More than the history, what strikes one instantly are the minute details Sunil has reinvented in his creation. 

The sixty-year-old Congress Block Committee President in Cherai took more than a year, by devoting almost an hour every day, out of his busy schedules as a public figure, to complete the miniature replica bit by bit. Interestingly, Sunil never had any formal training in art or craft work. "Earlier, I made a miniature of Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple. For creating such replicas, I draw heavily from my experience in constructing traditional houses using materials from demolished traditional structures in Kerala," he says. 

"By the grace of God, the measurements and proportionality have always come out well," Sunil, who is an ardent believer, says. He adds he had made a self-discovery of his crafts skills years ago while helping out his daughter with various school projects and models for exhibitions. He had, in fact, made the miniature to be featured at the Kochi Biennale but was denied entry. Set on two tables in his room, the 10-foot-long model features an uncanny resemblance to the original wagon involved and the ambience of the incident. Meanwhile, the assiduous attention to detail is strikingly evident. 

104 years ago, on November 19, 1921, as many as 70 prisoners were massacred when they travelled in a closed wagon of a goods train from Tirur in Malappuram, Kerala to Podanur near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. They were prisoners arrested as part of a crackdown on the Malabar rebellion against the British. They were among the 100 freedom fighters locked inside the wagon by a British sergeant. The train started at 7.15 pm from Tirur railway station and by the time it reached Podanur around noon the next day, 64 prisoners had lost their lives. Six of the 36 survivors perished at the hospital. 

Sunil used tin sheet for the wagon and a wooden plank for the floor of the coaches. The human figures were made using plastic toys. The frozen movements of the uniformed men, including the bend of the knees on the aiming rifle, the position of the prisoners lying partly out of the wagon, among others have been meticulously captured. 

While the wheels and track are made of cast iron, multi-wood has been used for sleepers, and metals for ballast. There are loco pilots and assistants on the train. The uniform has been made out of flex board material. Tiny bamboo sticks were used for lathis. He even stitched the shoulder flaps to the uniform. 

The steam engine was modelled on the real engines of the colonial era. He even placed a bell on top of the engine, with a rope running down to the cabin. The coal chamber, the grass on either side of the track, the gun, the cap, and the design of the train are among the multitude of features Sunil so immaculately reproduced. 

"I decided on Wagon tragedy as the subject for this project, since it's a deeply ingrained episode of freedom struggle in India," says Sunil. A steadfast enthusiast of Thrissur Pooram, Sunil is now scouting for a theme for his next project. He is also engaged in professional landscaping. His wife is Seema Sunil, a home maker and his daughter Nandana Sunil is a painter and an artist. She is pursuing nursing at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Kochi.