What is it with Indian political parties and cartoons? We have second cartoon row in a month.
What: This cartoon was first published by legendary cartoonist Shankar in 1949. It depicts newly independent India's impatience with drafting of constitution. Two identifiable figures in the cartoon are Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, noted legal expert and chair of constitution drafting committee and Pandit Nehru India's first prime minister. This cartoon was one of the many cartoons introduced in federal government prescribed high school political science textbooks. This was part of wider effort to make social sciences appear less boring to students. This week some political parties demanded that this cartoon should be removed from textbooks as it insults Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who is elevated to nearly demigod status by his followers. HRD minister Kapil Sibbal promptly agreed with this claim, appologised to parliament and ordered withdrawal of the cartoon. Here is a story in The Hindu about the controversy.
Why its here: First of all, the textbook writers say (and I tend to agree) that in this cartoon the joke is on Nehru rather than Ambedkar. It shows that Ambedkar is making valient effort of jockeying the snail that the constitution drafting committee was turing out to be and at the same time keeping parliamentarians (who are agitated by the snail's pace) at bay. But still there no stopping for Nehru, who was known for impatience. How this cartoon derides Ambedkar is beyond me. Secondly, the cartoon has been part of the textbooks since 2005. Why this sudden flare up? Even more importantly, the cartoon was originally published in 1949, when both Nehru and Ambedkar were alive and very influencial. There is no record of either of them objecting to this cartoon either in public or in private. Both had great belief in freedom of expression and at least Nehru (I am not sure about Ambedkar) was a fan of Shankar's cartoons.
What: This cartoon was first published by legendary cartoonist Shankar in 1949. It depicts newly independent India's impatience with drafting of constitution. Two identifiable figures in the cartoon are Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, noted legal expert and chair of constitution drafting committee and Pandit Nehru India's first prime minister. This cartoon was one of the many cartoons introduced in federal government prescribed high school political science textbooks. This was part of wider effort to make social sciences appear less boring to students. This week some political parties demanded that this cartoon should be removed from textbooks as it insults Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who is elevated to nearly demigod status by his followers. HRD minister Kapil Sibbal promptly agreed with this claim, appologised to parliament and ordered withdrawal of the cartoon. Here is a story in The Hindu about the controversy.
Why its here: First of all, the textbook writers say (and I tend to agree) that in this cartoon the joke is on Nehru rather than Ambedkar. It shows that Ambedkar is making valient effort of jockeying the snail that the constitution drafting committee was turing out to be and at the same time keeping parliamentarians (who are agitated by the snail's pace) at bay. But still there no stopping for Nehru, who was known for impatience. How this cartoon derides Ambedkar is beyond me. Secondly, the cartoon has been part of the textbooks since 2005. Why this sudden flare up? Even more importantly, the cartoon was originally published in 1949, when both Nehru and Ambedkar were alive and very influencial. There is no record of either of them objecting to this cartoon either in public or in private. Both had great belief in freedom of expression and at least Nehru (I am not sure about Ambedkar) was a fan of Shankar's cartoons.
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