Politically incorrect

A political cartoon is worth a thousand words. But these thousand words cost Ambikesh Mahapatra, a professor in West Bengal, dear. He was arrested for circulating an ‘anti-Mamata Banerjee’ cartoon on the internet. Mahapatra is facing charges under Section 66 of the IT Act, 2000 and Section 500, 509 and 114 of the IPC for “defaming” the Chief Mnister.

Political cartooning has a long-standing history in India. It has played a great role in the freedom struggle too. Even after years of Independence,  political cartooning maintained a space for itself in mainstream journalism. Considered one the most free forms of expression, cartoons are also accepted by Indian politicians in the right spirit. Obviously Mamata Banerjee doesn’t belong to the same ilk.

Metrolife spoke to a few prominent political cartoonists of India to know their views about the controversy and intolerance towards a joke. Sudhir Tailang, who has drawn 10 prime ministers and more than 100 other political leaders, says the arrest for circulating a cartoon is “quite shocking in the largest democracy of the world. Political cartooning has survived only in democracies. In countries which have dictatorships like China or Russia, only social cartooning is practised. So it is quite shocking that a leader is so offended and disturbed by a cartoon leading to such a reaction,” says Sudhir, a Padma Shri Awardee.

Irfan Khan, a well-known freelance cartoonist who was sentenced for four months by Delhi High Court in 2007 over making a cartoon of then Chief Justice of India, feels that limits should not be crossed from either side even as most politicians take cartoons in a good spirit. “The cartoon on Mamata Banerjee is not even a proper cartoon. It is more of a graphic. But whatever it is, I don’t understand the arrest and condemn it. Freedom of expression should be there though neither party should cross their limit.”

Banerjee’s strong reaction of arresting a person for circulating a cartoon is not understandable, especially when political leaders have appreciated the cartoonists’ sense of humour - even for their own caricatures. Sharing one such anecdote, Sudhir says, “Once I got a call from Arjun Singh when he was a Union HRD Minister. He told me that he was very angry with me. I asked him, ‘why are you angry with me?’ He said, ‘because you haven’t drawn me for the last six months.’ So, politicians have accepted cartoons as part of the democratic discourse.

“Atal Bihari Vajpayee loved my cartoons. When he was a party president, I made his cartoons everyday for a week and very was a particularly hard-hitting one. He called me up said ‘Ab to maaf kar do, bohot ho gaya.’  He has an entire book of 150 cartoons alone on Dr Manmohan Singh.

What makes a cartoon non-offensive is its funny nature and the fact that it expresses the hardest message in a hilarious way. Therfore, a number of politicians, without feeling offended, have hung hard-copies of the cartoons on them in their living rooms or even bedrooms.

Another cartoonist Neeraj Gupta says the incident of the arrest is very unfortunate as well as absurd. “If she cannot take one cartoon in a positive way, she can never be a good administrator,” expresses Neeraj, who has been doing political cartooning for around 15 years.

“Once I made a cartoon on Jaswant Singh when he was the Finance Minister. The cartoon appeared on the day of General Budget and elections were also nearing. I showed him as an armyman  throwing gifts from a fighter plane. He appreciated the cartoon and has a hard copy hung in his room,” Neeraj shares. Sudhir has dared Mamata Banerjee by drawing a cartoon on her after the controversy erupted. “I dare her to arrest me.”

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo has always been one of the favourites of cartoonists who love to draw her because of her mannerism. “I love Mamata Banerjee. She is a darling of cartoonists and I have drawn her over 100 times. She is one politician who has inspired all cartoonists,” says Sudhir, who made his first cartoon in 1970.

“The politicians should feel flattered and happy when their cartoons appears in national newspapers. It means that the leader has made it big. Mamata Banerjee should be happy that she is a big politician now,” says Sudhir.

Cartoonists have received appreciation and acceptance from politicians and bureaucrats far more prominent than Mamata Banerjee, barring a few exceptions. “Recently, I made a series of cartoons on Sharad Pawar showing him withholding tonnes of wheat in his office but not distributing it to the poor. My editor told me that Sharad Pawar is very angry and keeping a watch on the cartoons very closely. So I had to made the cartoons a bit less sarcastic,” shares Irfan.

Sudhir says, “Democracy keeps evolving but we are going backward. I hope it is just one off incident and will not be repeated.” We hope so too.