Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Arrested for Cartooning

What's surprising is that, really, these are just drawings some fellow did and how can anyone in power think of a drawing as a threat, huh?

Here's a short news item from News Express Online about Indian cartoonist Aseem Trivedi's arrest because of some cartoons he drew. And now West Bengal cartoonist Ambikesh Mahapatra has been sent to jail.

I keep thinking of Boss Tweed's (1823-1878) livid anger at Thomas Nast's "damned pictures." And here we are, all these years later, learning once again that there is nothing new -- only the history you don't know.

Although I do not understand the language in the piece, the message is clear: draw controversial cartoons and you will be arrested.



First Right to express then right to draw cartoons have always been on the hitting point for people who think that indicating any type of curse like corruption is big crime. The freedom platforms in India is being in big shackles like Cartoonist Asim trivedi's arrest over some anti-constitutional cartoons, now one more cartoonist of West Bengal Ambikesh Mahapatra has to suffer and sent to jail for their cartoons.

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