The School of Communication (SOC), a constituent of Manipal University, organised a programme titled ‘The Common Man – A tribute to R.K. Laxman’ on its premises here on Friday.
Many cartoons drawn by the legendary cartoonist were displayed at the exhibition. There were also photographs of Laxman, portraying various phases of his life. Many students and other people came to look at the cartoons and the photographs on display.
James Vaz, layout artist of the Kannada weekly ‘Taranga’, inaugurated the programme by drawing a caricature of Laxman. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vaz recalled that he had participated in a workshop in Nagpur in 1996.
The Department of Kannada and Culture had sent him to attend this workshop, which had Laxman as a resource person.
He felt that Laxman was a reserved person. Laxman’s answers to the questions put to him at the workshop were to the point. He told the participants in the workshop that he liked the crows and found them to be intelligent, Mr. Vaz said.
Presiding over the function, Vinod Bhat, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Manipal University, said that newspapers had their outlook or ideology. Some newspapers even had political allegiances. Despite all these, the cartoonists were neutral and criticised everybody. Cartoons were an attractive part of the newspapers.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was impressed by a cartoon of his drawn by Laxman during the India-China war in 1962. It showed Pandit Nehru sitting and looking at a rose plant with the book ‘Discovery of India’ near him, Prof. Bhat said.
