The Anatomy of a Cartoon – Satish Acharya

Yesterday, the cartoonist Satish Acharya took the social media by storm with his cartoon depicting a boyish Modi look-alike in shorts being dragged into a classroom by a Kejriwal look-alike teacher. If a picture tells a thousand words, this cartoon spoke millions. In terms of story-telling, opinion-forming, and entertainment value, the cartoon ticked all the boxes.For a political cartoon to hit the mark, it must employ the right mix of irony, caricaturing, and symbolism. But, above all, it must be timely and capture the current mood, event, and zeitgeist. Satish Acharya scored a bull’s eye on all of them.I think the cartoon’s depiction of irony – the difference between the current way of things and the way things were in the past – stand out in this cartoon. Few would have missed out the recent visit of Modi to a hastily constructed fake classroom in Gujarat with fake windows to showcase BJP’s new found interest in promoting education. I doubt if any viewer failed to make the connection that Kejriwal’s brand of politics – focus on health, education, and basic services – is compelling Modi and his party to change track from its politics of Hindu-Muslim polarization, atleast for the time being. But , BJP is not entirely comfortable with this track change. And, that is beautifully captured in Modi’s caricature who comes across as a visibly distressed, petulant, and uneasy whiner unhappy at being dragged into a class room much against his wishes. Notice how the Modi look-alike is digging in his heels – an excellent depiction of resistance, a “non-movement” through a few quick lines in a cartoon.The cartoon also scores very high on symbolism and labelling. The use of WhatsApp on a phone in BJP’s backpack highlights the power that the party derives from its infamous IT cell. The symbiotic relationship between BJP and WhatsApp – in its pocket – is really fantastic.But, perhaps, the use of words “Education is important” is the killer. The labelling not only points towards the universally accepted significance of education in a nation’s progress but also cheekily alludes to Modi’s educational credentials that continue to be a source of much debate and scrutiny. It seems to be saying to him: Yes, education is an important and desirable attribute in our leaders. All in all, a brilliant cartoon – Content Credit to Sir .~ GS Seda

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