From financial crises to the woes of householders, from political instability to rampant corruption, Laxman's cartoons capture the entire gamut of contemporary Indian experience. Hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time, this is a treasure house of humour from one of the most striking voices commenting on Indian socio-political life today.
'For half a century, the Times of India has thoughtfully provided an antidote to all the bad news brimming on its front pages. It's a sketch, a single box, inked by R.K. Laxman, the country's sharpest cartoonist and political satirist. Each morning, Laxman's frazzled character, known as the Common Man, confronts India's latest heartbreak with a kind of wry resignation. Meek, doddering, and with a moustache that bristles like an electrocuted mongoose, he's a witness to everything: scheming politicians, rapacious bureaucrats and gossiping housewives. What's common about this character is that like most Indians, he sees his country being forced through endless indignities by its leaders and yet doesn't even whimper in protest.
Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman (24 October 1921-26 January 2015) was born and educated in Mysore. His journey as a cartoonist started early, with contributions to college magazines, his brother R.K. Narayan's books, publications such as Koravanji, and also Gemini Studio. After graduation, he joined Blitz in Mumbai, then the Free Press Journal and, six months later, Times of India, where he enjoyed a long and prolific career. His contributions to various institutions and organizations were on social issues and specific subjects. He created India's most beloved and iconic cartoon character, ""The Common Man'.
Laxman wrote and published several short stories, essays and travel articles, some of which were published in the book, Idle Hours, later retitled The Distorted Mirror. He also wrote two novels, The Hotel Riviera and The Messenger, and a work of fiction Servants of India, all published by Penguin Books. The Tunnel of Time, Laxman's autobiography, is also available from Penguin Books, as are several collections of his cartoons in the series The Best of Laxman and Laugh with Laxman.
R.K. Laxman was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1973 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2005. The universities of Mysore, Marathwada and Delhi conferred honorary Doctor of Literature degrees on him. He was recognized with many awards, including Asia's top journalism award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, in 1984, and CNN-IBN TV18's Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism in 2008, among others.
To continue Laxman's legacy, in 2017 his only granddaughter, Rimanika Laxman, launched ""The Common Woman', conceptualized as the granddaughter of 'The Common Man'. In 2018, his daughter-in-law Usha Srinivas Laxman published a book on him titled Timeless Laxman. His family have also created an animated version of ""The Common Man'.
Just over a century ago the art of cartooning came to India from England and struck roots. Although other forms of art like sculpture, poetry and painting had flourished in our country for centuries, the art of graphic satire and humour was unknown. Of course both satire and humour did exist in folklore and popular poetry, poking fun at the follies of men and monarchs; the funny antics and humorous articles of the court jester were really satirical comments used to gently bring a wayward king and his band of courtiers back on track.
The role of today's cartoonist is not unlike that of the court jester of yore. His business in a democracy is to exercise his right to criticize, ridicule, find fault with and demolish the establishment and political leaders, through cartoons and caricatures.
When the British ruled, the freedom allowed to the press was limited. The role of editorial comments and cartoons was largely confined to tackling social evils like child marriage, child labour and the dowry system, or praising the efforts of the reformers. They hardly ever touched on political subjects.
Some years later the Indian cartoonist began to make timid forays into political matters. But he confined himself to attacking symbols-John Bull, for instance. When our struggle for independence from imperial domination began to gather momentum, the cartoonist gained the courage to depict real characters: the political leaders, and the viceroys and governors who were the guardians of imperial authority. Enslaved India was symbolized by an image of a suffering Indian woman called Bharat Mata-a semi-divine being adorning a crown with flowing black tresses wearing a carefully draped sari. The lady did indeed serve the purpose of inspiring patriotism in the heart of the people, inviting them to free themselves from the shackles of British imperialism.
When the British left, our leaders, who had fought for independence, settled down to draw up a respectable Constitution which would ensure freedom and equality for people who had been denied democratic liberty for centuries. India was declared a sovereign secular republic in which every citizen would enjoy liberty, equality and fraternity.
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