The famed political cartoonist Manjul has a very powerful cartoon in his Mumbai Meri Jaan, series in the March 6 edition of ‘Mid-Day’. There are two frames. In the first frame there is the idiot box (TV) blaring “Friends! I’m here to ask for something!” There are four respondents: one apparently the hoi-polloi (the daily wage earner, the migrant, the unemployed???) who says “ask for me life”; the second, obviously a ‘bhakt’ replies with an unthinking “sure”; the third, with his hands folded, all dressed up but with a cricket bat under his arm (a celebrity??) says “please do”; and the fourth without doubt belonging to the corporate sector saying, “why not”. Moving on to the second frame the idiot box booms “Stop applying your brains till further orders” and pat comes the four responses “never had it”; “of course”; “already did!!” and “masterstroke”. In typical brilliance, Manjul’s cartoon says it all! It sums up the state of the nation today, in the wake of the terrible pandemic COVID-19!

The pandemic has already taken the lives of thousands all over the globe, with many more times that number who are affected. In India, there are already four thousand three hundred positive cases and the death toll (as of today) touching 111. Medical experts expect that over the next few days the cases and the deaths, in India will be exponential. The first case in the country, of this corona virus was reported as early January 30. There were global alarms and fears that this virus would reach pandemic proportions even as it kept galloping through nation after nation. However, the Government of India and their cronies, continued to be absorbed in its own agenda: spewing hate speeches, engineering riots, toppling Governments, organizing jamborees and the like. They showed an absolutely callous approach in responding to this terrible calamity with needed sense of urgency and professionalism

Finally, only around the middle of March, the Government ‘woke’ up: first calling for a voluntary curfew on March 22 which ended in many road shows in several parts of the country. Then, on the March 24, with just about a four hours’ notice, the Prime Minister announced a ‘lockdown’ of the whole country of 1.3 billion people for a twenty-one-day period, which is scheduled to end on April 14. The abrupt announcement of the ‘lockdown’ has had a severe impact on millions of the poor and marginalized sections of society and particularly on the daily-wage earners, the migrants and the unemployed. The sudden suspension of all public transportation, particularly the trains and buses meant that large groups of them had to walk hundreds of miles to return to their native places. Many of them even died on the way. In some places they were stopped by the ‘authorities’ and remanded to detention centres and at least in one place, ‘disinfectant’ was sprayed on them.

The sad and cruel fact remains that India, as of today, does not have the wherewithal to counter this pandemic. The WHO prescribed Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) , the N95 masks so essential for doctors, nurses and other caregivers are virtually non-existent; there is a criminal shortage of ventilators, sanitizers, testing centres/ kits, hospital beds, isolation wards, intensive care units and other necessary medical equipment, if this pandemic accelerates in the next few days and weeks. Strangely enough India was exporting, till a March 24 ban, some of these essentials.  Government officials have still not held a Media Conference on the pandemic till today!

On the ‘voluntary curfew day’ (March 22) the PM had suggested that the people end the curfew with clapping etc. Once again for April 5 he suggested that candles and diyas and flashlights are lit, whilst all other lights are switched off. Both the ‘dramas’ were obviously ‘populist acts’ and given the frenzy in certain areas, would have certainly earned him some ‘brownie points’, sadly these are not the gimmicks which are expected from the leader of a nation in this time of crisis. On both days, there were huge crowds everywhere, serenading as though they were victory processions; on the first day, it was beating steel plates and drums, whistling and shouting; on the second day, besides the lights, there was a huge display of fireworks everywhere; almost a Diwali celebration. A BJP leader in Uttar Pradesh, Manju Tiwari, decided to be different. In a video that has been widely shared, the BJP leader is seen firing a shot in the air to the sound of cheering. In a place in Rajasthan, a house caught fire because of the carelessness of others. The responses by and large could be categorized as acts of idiosyncrasy, sycophancy and ludicrousness! Of a behavior highly irresponsible in these serious times.

The irony of these acts were that whilst there was seemingly all-round adulation (thanks to the ‘godified’ media we have in the country today) the stark reality remains that millions of our fellow country women and men have to eke out a survival; given the situation today, they really don’t know from where their next meal will come. The ‘celebrations’ (without social distancing), the loud clapping, the fireworks were certainly not sensitive acts to the plight of a sizeable section who are suffering. One cannot deny the fact that this is the way that fascism works, this is how it spreads its devious tentacles. Fortunately, there are still a fairly large group of thinking citizens in the country: who among other engagements, write, sketch, compose, sing and are also active on social media. There are several who are unable to accept the nonsense that has gripped the nation.

More than twelve years ago, the well-known American poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote an incisive poem (based on a similar work written earlier by the Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran) ‘Pity the Nation’. It is so apt for us in India today! The poem runs thus:

“Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars

Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves
Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerers
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
With force and by torture

Pity the nation that knows

No other language but its own
And no other culture but its own
Pity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed

Pity the nation oh pity the people

Who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away
my country, tears of thee

Sweet land of liberty“

Voltaire, the French philosopher puts it succinctly, “it is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere”; but Manjul’s cartoon says it all! Yes! Pity the Nation of Idiots!

*Fr Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights and peace activist/writer.

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Image Courtesy: Guwahati Plus

Over the last few weeks, cartoonist Nituparna Rajbongshi has been facing a huge backlash over his set of cartoons. The Assam based political cartoonist, in his recent work on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, depicted the Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in a nude caricature. The cartoon showed Sonwal holding a Hindu Bangladeshi on one hand and a native Assamese being clinched on the other hand.  His work of art opposed the bill recently passed in Lok Sabha.

The state of Assam has witnessed huge protests against the Bill in the last few weeks. The Assam government’s step to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is also facing criticism by civil society members, students and political groups. In solidarity with the natives and their protest, Rajbongshi published a series of cartoons on his social media account and his personal blog. His cartoons have created unrest amongst the Right-wing groups and he has been attacked on social media ever since. After a mass complaint registered by the right wing groups across the state his cartoons were deleted by Twitter. The cartoonist received an email from Twitter for “violating” the rules. The artist has also been issued a warning by Twitter and asked not to post more such content, the consequence of which will be the permanent removal of his account.

Speaking to the Indian Cultural Forum, Rajbongshi said, “Creative actions can influence a lot of people. Those in power will try to silence people by any means because a cartoon can have a great impact on the conscience of the people. People came out in support, the moment people attacked the cartoons and it was mass reported to Twitter. Soon after, the trolling started.  These cartoons or any other art form —be it a drama or movie or painting or any other form of art— can influence people in the most effective way; it is the voice of the masses. As this is the voice of the masses, these people always try to suppress these views as they help in questioning the reality.”

The Bharatiya Jananta Yuva Moracha, a youth wing of BJP in Tinsukia district in Assam, has also registered an FIR against the person who shared Rajbongshi’s cartoon on his social media page. On January 10, sedition cases were also filed against known public intellectuals Hiren Gohain, Akhil Gogoi and Manjit Mahanta in Assam for protesting and speaking out against the bill.

The Cartoonists Rights Network, International has also extended its support to Rajbongshi.

Rajbongshi also said that the attacks are not going to stop him from drawing his cartoons and that the question of stopping doesn’t exist even if they try to supress his voice or attack him, because he feels that cartoons are the voice of the masses.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on December 8, 2019. The bill seeks to amend the existing Citizenship Act (1955). Minorities (read: non-Muslim migrants) from neighbouring countries namely, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, can apply for citizenship via relaxed norms compared to the existing ones. The cut-off date for accepting non-Muslim migrants is going to be 2014. Problem arises because the bill is conflicting with the Assam Accord of 1985, according to which, any person who came to Assam after midnight of March 24, 1971, is identified as a foreigner. People in Assam are calling this as an unconstitutional move that violates the principles of citizenship as embedded in the Constitution of India. The fear in Assam and several indigenous communities in the North-East is that it would lead to grave demographic changes. Furthermore, it tries to amend the citizenship laws of India based on religion.

Courtesy: Indian Cultural Forum
 

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Censorship has been in the news again following Rwanda passing a new law. Shutterstock

Political cartoons are powerful spaces in which negotiations of power and resistance are expressed. They provide insights into power relations, key social issues and events. By mocking or ridiculing the excesses and failings of elites, cartoonists can hold leaders accountable.
While the intent – and reception – of cartoons can mobilise critiques of leaders and excesses of power, they can also be divisive and regressive. This is particularly true when cartoons fail to consider local history, cultural norms, and cultural or religious difference. Recent years have witnessed many of these controversies. These include the publication of editorial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten which eventually led to protests around the world, including violent demonstrations and riots in some Muslim countries. Or the reaction by women’s groups to South African cartoonist Zapiro’s depictions of former South African President Jacob Zuma “preparing to rape” the “Lady of Justice”. They said it was insensitive in a country where rape is a daily occurrence.

Rwanda has huge sensitivities when it comes to political cartoons. Prior to the 1994 genocide, when an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the space of 100 days, a cartoon strip in the Kangura newspaper was seen as a propaganda tool to promote division and hostility. This has meant that in recent years, cartoonists remain cautious of crossing official and unofficial lines when covering political issues.

While all journalists try to balance tensions between free speech and causing division, this is particularly fraught for cartoonists. Their work can challenge us to question ourselves, provoke empathy for others and often relies on an emotional reaction – one not always intended to elicit laughter – to convey their argument.
 

Role of political cartoons

Political and editorial cartoons are a key indicator of the democratic health of a country. They are the “canary in the coal mine”, providing a public display of opposition and dissent. They use a unique art to raise questions and speak a truth to power in ways denied to others. In this role, political cartoonists highlight abuses and excesses of power, and hold governments and leaders accountable.

Witness, for instance, South African cartoonist Zapiro’s many depictions of former President Zuma with a shower faucet attached to his head. These were drawn in the aftermath of Zuma’s rape acquittal. During his court case, Zuma admitted he showered after having unprotected sex as a means to prevent the spread of HIV. Long after the trial, the cartoon continued to act as constant reminder of the rape case, a motif the cartoonist used to question the legitimacy of Zuma’s leadership.

Elsewhere, we see heads of state being ridiculed by being compared to animals: US President George W Bush as an ape, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a poodle, former Zimbabwean elites as snakes. All these images raised questions about the credibility of powerful office-holders.
 

Control

Restricting and intimidating political cartoonists is often a key part of broader efforts to curtail press freedoms and free speech.

As elites seek to maintain control, political cartoonists face threats and intimidation for their work. In recent years, we have seen court cases against cartoonists all over the world, including in Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey, and Serbia. In the US contracts have been terminated amid suspicions of political influence.

In the case of Rwanda, the media landscape is marked by restrictions on press freedoms and various forms of censorship. It is classified by the Freedom in the World report as “not free”, alongside countries including Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela. Reporters without Borders ranks Rwanda as 156th in the world for Press Freedoms, comparable with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But the country’s context is important, the memory of the 1994 genocide remains strong and is ingrained in the national psyche.

Prior to and during the genocide, sections of the print and broadcast media were pivotal in promoting and deepening ethnic division and hostility. Central to such divisive tactics was the presentation of sections of the population as sub-human – as cockroaches – who needed to be exterminated.

It is therefore understandable that, as the country rebuilds, sensitivities remain around representation of individuals or groups which humiliate or degrade them.
 

Fine line

The critical voice of the political cartoonist can provide a vital safety valve for a society. They can give expression to frustrations, grievances and opposition. But cartoonists need to remain sensitive to local political and social histories.

It’s a fine line between balancing the need to protect free speech and these concerns. Political cartoonists need to continue to speak truth to power, but in so doing must ensure they do not cause division and hostility which may threaten the most fundamental of rights – the right to life.

Daniel Hammett, Lecturer in Development and Political Geography, University of Sheffield
 

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Drop the cartoon and carry a photo!

That’s how my cartoon column with Mail Today ended yesterday.

That’s how the editor looked at a cartoon and cartoonist’s opinion.

That’s how the editor chose to shut a voice!

The cartoon he rejected was about how China is surrounding India by spreading influence in countries like Maldives and others. The editor said the cartoon is ‘Very defeatist and the China problem is being overplayed’

I thought it’s how a cartoonist looked at the growing influence of China around Indian interests.

So I said it’s debatable and cartoonist’s opinion should be valued.

And in response, he asked the news desk to drop the cartoon and carry a photo.

I have been battling to protect my freedom, to protect the sanctity of a cartoon column, for many days. May be for the editor it’s just three column space, but for a cartoonist it’s a whole world. A world where the cartoonist is free to express his opinion. A world to challenge his own creative boundaries. A world to voice protest, criticise, lament, cheer etc.
-First they rejected a cartoon showing cow saying ‘The editor is not too happy with the cartoon with cow’
-For a cartoon on lynching I received this message ‘There’s a bit of an issue. India Today Group has decided not to come out with any community based cartoons.’
-For one cartoon on Modi, they asked ‘if I can replace Modi’s character with any general BJP character’
-And then ‘ Editor is not comfortable with Muslim angle in the cartoon’
-And  ‘editor didn’t like the demonetisation link with 100% electrification’
-And more of ‘this doesn’t make sense’, ‘this is unacceptable’ etc etc.
(And many of these rejected cartoons were used by  other clients and some of them went viral, shared/retweeted by even many journalists)

It was very difficult to do a cartoon, as too many barriers were installed around me.

Out of desperation, I approached many senior journalist friends for feedback. They sympathised with me, some asked me to wait, some asked me to stay strong.

Giving up is easy in such situation as I’m a freelance cartoonist contributing to other clients too.  I thought I need to fight for my right. I thought I need to do justice to the cartoon space that goes with my name.

But at the end, I was rudely reminded that, that space is owned by the editor, the paper.

And they could just drop my cartoon and carry a photo!

Of course, there’s a strange relief. Now there’s a thought that when I sit to draw a cartoon, I don’t have to worry about, what my editor thinks/says about the cow in the cartoon, lynching in the cartoon, Modi in the cartoon or a Muslim/Hindu guy in the cartoon!
But this humiliating experience is hurting.

As a cartoonist I expect my editor to respect my opinion and also trust the boundaries I have drawn for myself. Cartoonists are not bound to mimic editor’s voice. Cartoonists are supposed to and expected to express independent voice.

Of course, editor is within his right to differ with a cartoon and inform the cartoonist. But he should be open to discuss, without being dictatorial.

My cartoons used to appear in Op-ed page of Mail Today, where I thought some of the columnists enjoyed more freedom than my cartoons!

Luckily I have few other clients, where the editors respect my opinion and trust my cartoons, even when they don’t agree with me. Hope we will have more such large-hearted editors.

And I also have social media, where independent voice gets an audience.

Ironically, the personal website of BJP chief Amit Shah carries most of my cartoons featuring him, many of them are very critical of him!

As famously quoted, when they are asked to bend, they chose to crawl!

This is an unedited reproduction of the writer’s post from his website, cartoonistsatish.com

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