MERRINEWS.COM Why can't cartoonists have all the fun! Sajith Kumar 23 April, 2012 On the hot debatable topic 'Do cartoonists have the right to offend people'? Sajith Kumar of Financial Chronicle who won third prize in Maya Kamath award for 'Excellence in Political Cartooning - 2011' speaks his mind out.

I HAVE been fascinated by the art of cartooning from the early years of my life. The days marked by idealism and big ideas to change the world, at the core, I think this is what makes one a cartoonist. A picture is worth a thousand words, though a cliched definition of cartoon, I believe is a mighty sword with which we can cut people to size however mighty they may be. Also as an individual who's sensitive to issues happening around him, what better tool can one ask for to engage creatively with his environment. Cartoonist is the child who tells the world the emperor is naked. Without him, the emperor would have never realised he's living in a false world. The same holds true with democracy too. Cartoonists constantly remind the politicians about the people whom he's representing. Like the voice of the voiceless, cartoonists play a pivotal role in a functioning democracy. How fearless a cartoonist can go about with his work, is one big litmus test any democracy should pass. A free cartoonist is the face of a strong democracy. Indian cartooning had come strong from hard times like emergency, when the cartoonists were censored and humour was considered a national threat! Corrupted by power, a few men took the country for a ride. The legendary cartoonist Shanker, had to shut down his weekly, and equally great cartoonists like Abhu and Vijayan were asked to keep silent, which they never did. So the arrest of the professor in Calcutta, brought back the memories of those dark days. From the day one she took office in Writers building, Mamata Banerjee had worked really hard to lose all the goodwill she had earned so far. So let the 'poribortan' begin within Mamata, people of West Bengal are praying for it. Political intolerance towards cartoons, is a sign of bad times to come. And I believe it’s a cartoonist’s duty to prevent it from happening. There are lines which cartoonists should not cross, like provoking religious sentiments and many such issues. All sensible cartoonists follow an unwritten code of conduct, which prevents them from doing any indecent work. Vengeance should not be a cartoonist’s motto, his mission is to uphold truth. Cartoonists provoke, his satire can be hard hitting and there is high chance the subject barks back, but there the cartoonist wins as his cartoon's purpose is met! My cartoon readers are from all shades, a work liked by some shouldn't necessarily evoke similar reaction from others. Many times hardliners of various parties have called me up to protest my views, but they've never threatened me and I am really happy my work base is not Kolkata but I will surely work towards correcting Didi, checking her misadventures and reminding her she is a mere CM in our strong democracy!