Quick, answer this. What was the cartoon on the front page of your newspaper today? WAS there a cartoon on the front page of your newspaper today?

The recent controversy over cartoons has brought some focus on this now-ignored art form. Cartoonists in print today are feeling the pinch, and say that the space for political cartooning in India is shrinking. Many believe that in this age of paid news, when the institution of the editor is itself in question, not much can be expected from the cartoonist who needs a lot of editorial freedom to practice his art. A cartoon after all has to be biting to be effective.

Sandeep Adhawaryu, cartoonist with The Sunday Guardian, believes that the space for editorial cartooning has been progressively shrinking. He blames this on the lack of an independent editorial policy.“Paid news is a reflection of a non-independent editorial. In this atmosphere it is difficult to publish a freewheeling cartoon.”He feels that a cartoonist today is nothing more than a “glorified illustrator” since the concept for the cartoon is usually decided by the editor. Although happy with his organisation, he says that the quality of cartoons he sees these days point out to the overall falling editorial freedom.

His views are also reflected by cartoonist Irfan Khan. He, along with three other journalists and the publisher of Mid-Day, were sentenced to four months imprisonment for a series of cartoons against then Chief Justice of India, Y K Sabharwal.

“Political cartooning is in danger… many newspapers have done away with the post of cartoonist itself”, he says.Many cartoonists feel that there is an atmosphere of rising intolerance these days and newspapers – catering to advertisers and corporates – are too scared to offend anyone. Also, while earlier cartoons used to provide some visual relief to the eyes, today photos and illustrations can do the same work.

However, it is the intolerance and the weakening of the “institution” of the editor that most cartoonists have beef with.

“Since the Nineties, papers have become more dependent on corporate and advertising”, says Manjul, a cartoonist with DNA in Mumbai, who had to leave Lucknow in the Nineties after his cartoons on Mulayam Singh Yadav had annoyed the party. Cartoonist Sudhir Tailang also blames the shrinking space of editorial cartooning on the dumbing down of the media and what he calls the trivialisation of newspapers. “The 3Cs – crime, cricket and cinema – have dominated newspapers. If a photo of Rakhi Sawant can sell a paper, why would you publish a cartoon?”

The Indian Express today is one of the few newspapers to have a front-page pocket cartoon. Even The Times of India’s pocket cartoon by Ajit Ninan is tucked away somewhere in the inside pages. The Hindu still has a three-column cartoon on its editorial page. Madhuker Upadhyay, scholar-in-residence in Jamia Milia University’s MCRC, says though, that he’s not sure if three-column cartoons are going to be back in other newspapers, especially on the front page.

Upadhyay had come out with a compilation of cartoons called ‘Drawing the Battle Lines’ after the Gujarat riots of 2002. He also organised a South Asian Cartoon Congress in Kathmandu in 2009.“Cartoons were akin to a signed editorial… but when the institution of the editor itself is going down what can be said of cartoonists”, he says.

Now “struggling” cartoonists have moved elsewhere. Some have turned to syndication, so one cartoonist, in effect, works for six newspapers. Others have moved online or to television. There are also some in the business who advocate caution in their jibes. The Hindu’s cartoonist Keshav says cartoons have changed along with journalism. “We are hired by a paper and we have to toe their editorial line.”

But even he admits that while newspapers used to take more risks earlier, tolerance levels have gone down in recent times. According to him, the quality of today’s cartoons isn’t up to the mark. “The ideas and visuals in vogue today have become crude”, he says, adding that he would like to see some subtlety and sophistication.

One of the cartoons famous for deflating egos is The Times of India’s famous Dubyaman which lampooned the post 9/11 George W Bush. Its creator, Jug Suraiya, says that the combination of political power and stupidity is a universal mentality among political leaders. That is why after Bush’s term ended, it became Duniya Ke Neta and even turned its eye on Indian leaders.

However, Suraiya himself is also a believer in restraint and self censorship.

“Good political cartooning should aim to prick inflated egos and use a needlepoint, not an axe. That will not provoke laughter, just revulsion”, he says. Suraiya adds that cartoonists too have power and if they’re not careful about it they could end up doing the same things as the people they lampoon. “I believe only in self censorship. There should be restraint… it (cartoon) shouldn’t end up offending.”

Although he says that a good political cartoon is still relevant, he still concedes that it is “not a growing industry”.

Sudhir Tailang shared his views about the industry and said that a newcomer in this field would have a hard time today.“It is impossible for a newcomer to become a Laxman today. My generation of cartoonists has been stopped in their tracks, a newcomer would become frustrated.”

However, some still hold hope. Upadhyay admits that though seeing cartoons disappear “saddens” him, he is certain that they will bounce back.Others like Adhwaryu feel that political cartooning will change its medium from print to the internet where things are likely to get better for cartoonists.

Perhaps it’s time we made a cartoon showing the travails of “the common cartoonist”.

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