Writer’s Corner: Meet Bengaluru cartoonist Rachita Taneja behind Sanitary Panels, who turned stick figures into some of India’s most fearless political satire
Rachita Taneja has come out with a book of her comics recently, Touching Grass, which is a compilation of comic strips selected from the past 12 years, interspersed with essays.
Rachita Taneja's (left) comic strip Sanitary Panels , which will hit its 12th year this June, had its roots in social media work that Taneja had been doing for non-profit groups. Cartoons have long been a part of Indian public expression – tackling every topic under the sun. Older readers may be familiar with classics such as R K Laxman’s Common Man. As artistic traditions go, they have not stayed in the past in Bengaluru. One of the most prominent cartoonists of this generation is Rachita Taneja, better known as the cartoonist behind the well-known comic strip Sanitary Panels.
A native of Bengaluru who returned to the city after completing her education in communications, Taneja, with an activist bent, did not shy away from work – from working for Greenpeace to co-founding the Internet Freedom Foundation.
The comic strip, which will hit its 12th year this June, had its roots in social media work that Taneja had been doing for non-profit groups. She said, “I very much enjoyed meme culture and the internet in general, the medium of visual communication… I wanted to combine all of these things. I ended up with the comic. I didn’t anticipate that it would become what it is today.”
The art style of these comics is rather distinct, with very recognisable stick-figure line work that has defined the comic since its early days. Taneja frankly recalls that the simple style originally came about as she was not familiar with drawing. She said, “Stick figures were the easiest way to express myself visually. I know how to draw somewhat now, but the stick figure style has now become my signature. Some of my early inspirations were XKCD, which is a stick figure comic.” (XKCD is a long-running online comic strip that is known for the vast array of topics it touches on).
Taneja added, “The reason it works really well – and this is the same with satire in general – it disarms you, and it is a foot in the door. If someone does not want to engage with a subject, doing it with something as disarming as satire or a stick figure is a good way to initiate a conversation.”
There are many of these subjects that a casual web scroller might not be engaging with – Taneja does not hesitate to tackle controversial topics, from issues of patriarchy to those dealing with political figures. In the online environment today, that can often be a recipe for harassment from those who disagree. Taneja said, “Being on the internet and having a political opinion is seen as controversial, unfortunately, especially if you are a woman or belong to a marginalised community. I made my peace with the fact that there was going to be pushback. Initially, being trolled and harassed did affect me – but unfortunately it is now so commonplace that it is part of being online.”
The day-to-day routine of an artist like Taneja is split between schedules and inspiration – she does a regular Sanitary Panels comic for the Newsminute connected to their reportage, as well as other comic strips when a topic strikes her. She has also come out with a book of her comics recently, Touching Grass, which is a compilation of comic strips selected from the past 12 years, interspersed with essays.
She also has a few perspectives on making a living as an artist for aspiring cartoonists. “You need to work towards it. I feel lucky that I got into making comics pretty early, when there was less noise on the internet. I would say consistency really does help. There are ways to monetise being a cartoonist, but even senior editorial cartoonists have to look at ways to monetise their work other than being a political cartoonist.”
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