It has long been an observation among certain sections of the population, particularly the upper class, English educated lot, that Indians lack a sense of humour. It never occurs to them that by that charge, they themselves too would be thus classified. It is always the ‘other’ that seems to lack it. I have never believed this. We Indians have a robust sense of humour, except when issues turn into those that could be made political capital of. Witness the rise of stand-up comedy in the country and its popularity. On the other hand, there is a decline in the art of cartooning.
The decline of political cartooning?
Though it might be a bit early to write its obituary, there are clear indications that the overall health of the political cartoon in India is on a steady decline. This is a matter of concern. The decline, readers above 35 or so may have noticed, started in the ’90s. This coincided with India’s entry on the world stage, as it were, with the opening up of trade and other barriers under the broad rubric of ‘globalisation’. While this has had beneficial effects for many industries, including the business of publishing, there has been a concomitant decline in the art of the political cartoon. A mere coincidence? Maybe not.
India has had a rich tradition of visual satire and wit in newspapers. A political cartoon is sometimes confused with a pictorial representation of the existing milieu in caricature form. It is not that. A good political cartoon expresses an opinion that crystallises the truth, yet unseen by most, of subliminal events. It captures the zeitgeist, preceding its popular acceptance. In short, it foresees the outcome of the forces at play and gets to the nub of the issue. In a manner that is concise, precise and incisive with wit and panache. It’s an original view of a commentator, that is ahead of its time (only to become self-evident later). A tall order, for sure.
This was managed by several now-deceased Indian cartoonists, notably, Abu Abraham and O.V. Vijayan. They were, however, working in different times. We now live in a country of 1.2 billion people. In the field of art and culture, we boast of thousands of good musicians, hundreds of good artists, film-makers and writers. Take a pause and try to name some good cartoonists. Go on. Take your time. Ok, how did you do? Three? Five? Eight? Not more than ten, I’d bet. If there was an international index of cartoonists-to-population ration, we would be ‘sub’ sub-saharan Africa. We are a young nation. Cartoons are about fun, humour, laughs, rebellion, angst, insurgency – all things that appeal to the youth. How then is our track record in producing good cartoonists, in the face of being a young nation, so poor?
Mulling over this decline
The long incubation period: It takes time for a budding cartoonist to get his groove. Just as it takes time for the readers to ‘get’ him and his humour. Till he becomes a daily habit, that one cannot do without. This is possible when the editor reposits faith, invests space and time in his ‘discovery’ and has the power and ability to see him through this period. But this is stymied by…
Lack of editorial authority: The editor has seen his authority erode over the decades in India. He no longer has the second most important job in the country. Decisions are made by committees with MBAs and are often on purely commercial basis. Independent voices as those of a political or other cartoonist may clash with these interests. Long-standing cartoonists with a regular reader following are known to turn into prima donnas, who may not toe the paper’s line. Then why create such Frankenstein’s monsters in the first place? This brings us to the…
Prima donnas in the field: Some have suffered from the Lata Mangeshkar syndrome, actively stifling potential talent, due to their insecurity, perhaps. They have continued to block posts much after their best-before dates.
Cartooning is a rare talent: Though this is not so rare as to explain the pitiable number of cartoonists in the country, it is still relatively rare. This is because the job of producing a cartoon calls for an unusual mix of various abilities – humour, thinking, creativity, originality, perception, general knowledge, range of interests, language skills, an ear for dialogue, IQ, brevity, the ability to think in a visual-spatial manner, and the odd drawing ability. Suffice to say, with no guarantee of making a career in cartooning, the person endowed with above skills would be more secure selling washing machines. This is mainly because of…
Poor initial payments: They are really low and not consistent enough for one to consider cartooning a real career choice. Often one sees people pursuing another career alongside, to help keep things in balance and secure, unsure as they are of the future of one uncertain career (and I mean cartooning here).
The career-isation of life(and the decline of idealism): Have you spoken to some young people today and asked them about the career they want to pursue? Chances are, the answers you got had a lot to do with the eventual monetary prospects of the careers they have given priority. The media is partly to blame here. In its intimate embrace with the corporate world, it chooses to overlook the many ills that plague corporate life, highlighting instead its glory and wonders, and the fat pay-packets of first time MBA employees.
This creates a deep impression on the young minds, unfortunately skewing their decision-making ability. My first published cartoon may not get a laugh today, but the amount I was paid for it, certainly would. For many of the young, idealism today is a refuge for the un-ambitious. There are branded goods in every corner- mall waiting to be bought. As well as the mouth-watering new car model. And the flat in a distant suburb. All on convenient EMIs. Sure, it means getting on the endless treadmill of earning and consuming. And discarding idealism or introspection. So what? The link to the poor state of political cartooning of this argument is simply this: Political cartoons have to do with idealism, integrity and passion. One laughs on seeing a political cartoon because one, in a Kant-ian sense, sees the essential truth of the comment offered. Say the word ‘idealism’ today, and you will be scoffed at. Pretense and posturing don’t work in a cartoon. A cartoon can never be a part of a PR exercise in image-building. Cartooning is a critical art form. Some film, book and art critics can be (and are) bought. A political cartoonist cannot be. The reader would immediately know.
The continuous lowering of thresholds of tolerance: Over time, our skins have got thinner and thinner. The population of holy cows in our country rises every year. I wonder if the cartoon about one such (un) holy cow I could publish ten years ago, would even risk entering my brain today. We live in a climate charged with the politics of indignation and taking offence. Everyone and his uncle is just waiting to have his idol or belief slighted. And attack the creator of the imagined ‘insult’. The law never takes its course here. No punishment ever follows, and the perpetrators bask in the orgy of media coverage that is bound to accompany the attack in these TRP-defined times. Guaranteed media coverage is the main reason to organise the attack, which is a tool for every political party to further its own divisive agenda. The pen has yet to prove its strength against the lathi. This has just made humourists take the easy way out and focus on ‘safe’ subjects.
A political cartoon is as vital to a newspaper as a truly free press is vital to democracy. At its minimum, it serves as a safety valve to release pent up anger at the outrageous acts of our ruling classes. It may even be a stabiliser in society, if humour and laughter were considered as acts that sublimated our anger. If I do not laugh, I may pick up a stone to throw. Err…well, maybe not. Not now, at least… after this down payment for the mouth-watering new car model, and the next EMI on the flat, perhaps. Hey look, there is a super sale on at the corner mall! I’m heading there right now!
The news of the political cartoon’s imminent demise, for its own sake, I hope, is greatly exaggerated.