The True Face of Democracy
I HAVE never been a fan of democracy and what happened yesterday (this has happened again and again in different matters, in different styles, at different times) needs no proof that Indian democracy is nothing but crowd behaviour.
A simple, innocuous looking cartoon published almost 63 years ago - on Aug. 28, 1949, depicting Dr. Ambedkar, Nehru and a laughing crowd, held up the whole day of both houses of parliament as a section of parliamentarians felt it derogatory, wanted it's immediate removal and punishment to the guilty. The cartoon had reappeared in XI Class text book of Political Science published by NCERT. in 2006. The New York Times had then commented that :Indian democracy has come of age".
THE matter was first raised by Republican Parti of India (Athavale) in first week of April this year, almost six years of its publication by NCERT but raised in the Parliament only yesterday. All political parties, irrespective of ideology, criticised it so much so that even the arrogant Kapil Sibal was made to apologise for its publication though he was not the minister of concerned department in 2006.
THE cartoon was the creation of the great cartoonist Shankar Pillai (some people call him the father of Indian cartoon art), Padmashree and Padmavibhushan who even did not spare British rulers during pre-partition days. He, single-handedly published Shankar's Weekly, one and the only cartoon magazine of his times. Pt. Nehru was so impressed with him that he had requested Shankar not to spare him (Pt. Nehru). Shankar had caricatured all great men and women of his times. When the original caricature was published, Dr. Ambedkar was alive. But he was a man of true democracy advocating right to expression. He hated eulogizing leaders but his followers don't.
THE question is : why now, after almost six years' of its reprint? When the cartoon was first published, almost all dalits were pro-Congress and most of them were illiterate. But now. not only they are much aware, dalit politics is at its peak. Hence, the reaction of parliamentarians is understandable. They are for votes - hell with democracy.
A simple, innocuous looking cartoon published almost 63 years ago - on Aug. 28, 1949, depicting Dr. Ambedkar, Nehru and a laughing crowd, held up the whole day of both houses of parliament as a section of parliamentarians felt it derogatory, wanted it's immediate removal and punishment to the guilty. The cartoon had reappeared in XI Class text book of Political Science published by NCERT. in 2006. The New York Times had then commented that :Indian democracy has come of age".
THE matter was first raised by Republican Parti of India (Athavale) in first week of April this year, almost six years of its publication by NCERT but raised in the Parliament only yesterday. All political parties, irrespective of ideology, criticised it so much so that even the arrogant Kapil Sibal was made to apologise for its publication though he was not the minister of concerned department in 2006.
THE cartoon was the creation of the great cartoonist Shankar Pillai (some people call him the father of Indian cartoon art), Padmashree and Padmavibhushan who even did not spare British rulers during pre-partition days. He, single-handedly published Shankar's Weekly, one and the only cartoon magazine of his times. Pt. Nehru was so impressed with him that he had requested Shankar not to spare him (Pt. Nehru). Shankar had caricatured all great men and women of his times. When the original caricature was published, Dr. Ambedkar was alive. But he was a man of true democracy advocating right to expression. He hated eulogizing leaders but his followers don't.
THE question is : why now, after almost six years' of its reprint? When the cartoon was first published, almost all dalits were pro-Congress and most of them were illiterate. But now. not only they are much aware, dalit politics is at its peak. Hence, the reaction of parliamentarians is understandable. They are for votes - hell with democracy.
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