Tolerant Nehru had asked cartoonist Shankar not to spare him – his words became a benchmark for free expression in independent India as Nehru frequently got lampooned in the Shankar’s Weekly.
But that’s passé now, as proscription of art, attack on artist and legal action for creative expression have somehow become the order of the day. Kerala Media Academy has now joined hands with the Ernakulam Press Club to protest one such attack on cartooning and an exhibition of cartoons by 55 cartoonists from various parts of the country to protest the Tamil Nadu government’s slapping of a case against cartoonist G. Bala is under way at the Press Club art gallery.
The exhibition, which began on the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, has a section comprising several hard-hitting cartoons by Bala himself, with his controversial cartoon – depicting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and two officials covering their nakedness with currency notes when someone self-immolates in front of them – which instigated the case against him taking the centrestage.
Most cartoons on show express solidarity to Bala while some contemplate the sorry state of free expression in the times that we live in.
The exhibition, titled ‘Don’t scare me’, has several cartoons telling the authorities that they will not be cowed down by oppressive actions.
There’s a cartoon where the pen resembles missiles. Another one has the police looking over the cartoonist as he draws sitting in a cage. But several of them take on the authorities with panache, choosing to be optimistic about creative freedom winning the decisive battle that’s on.
The exhibition will be on till November 16 when a seminar on ‘Varayum Vakkum Vilangum’ on the freedom of creative expression will be held at Ernakulam Guest House. Cartoonist Bala is slated to take part in the seminar which will be inaugurated by former judge of the Supreme Court Cyriac Joseph. Media Academy chairman R.S. Babu will preside over.
