The front page of Deccan Herald became forlorn that year. Mr Citizen was no longer there to start the day for us. He was, no doubt, his creator’s masterpiece. Although the cartoonist B V Ramamurthy did sketch other things as well. Why, he launched my very first article in this newspaper nearly 28 years ago.
It was called “The selling of education.” And, there was this amazing picture splashed across five full columns telling the story of Karnataka’s commercialised school system much more eloquently than my 1500 word essay. With a few deft strokes of his pen, he had captured the sordidness of it all.
The buck-passing bureaucrat coolly pointing at the dhoti-jibba towel clad proprietor of a school. That worthy menacingly pointing at a harassed headmaster; who, in turn, pointed at the teacher, who again, accusingly pointed at the parent. The buck naturally stopped at a bewildered child – the ultimate scapegoat. Finally, there stood a smug managing trustee of the school, one foot crossed over the other, an elbow resting casually on an iron safe where the donations were stashed, while a sorrowful Gandhi viewed the scene from his perch on the wall.
Professionally he was world class. Personally, he maintained a remarkably low profile. He never indulged in the popular scribes pastime of stretching the grapevine in a newsroom where gossip flew faster than news. He was a man of few words. But quick to see the funny side of any situation. I once told him how my college-going daughter always started the day with Mr Citizen. She would open the front page of the newspaper, smile and rush off to catch the bus. And, years later, she was still doing the same, I said, in some far off American city where she would go online every night to read what Mr Citizen had to say. Although he had fans in high places, this little tribute from a young admirer apparently made him happy.
“I want to give one of my sketches to your daughter,” he said. “Choose anything you think she will like.” It was a beautiful gesture.
Yes. The newspaper does look forlorn without this little man starting the day for readers with their morning cup of coffee. I am sure his creator would have felt proud to know that he is missed in a far away continent as well.
