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This is an archive article published on September 16, 2013
Politickle lines
City-based illustrator Suraj Sriram's book Excuse Me,Can We Have Our Country Back? makes a satirical statement on the countrys politics and the common man's struggle
4 min read
In fluid,yet bold strokes,a black-and-white cartoon consists of three figures. A bureaucratic judge,a balding and bespectacled lawyer and a smirking and cocky accused. The judge asks,”So,what are these mitigating circumstances I should consider to reduce his sentence?” The lawyer replies,”Your honour,my client built the illegal structure with such poor material,that the civic authorities will need to spend very little money to demolish it.” This cartoon is made by Pune-based artist Suraj Sriram and is a part of his latest book Excuse Me,Can We Have Our Country Back? (Niyogi Books,Rs 450).
Sriram,who used to work as a freelance cartoonist in Mumbai (under the pen name Eskay) from late ’70s to early ’80s,showcases in a satirical and tongue-in-cheek manner,the state of Indian politics and the struggle (and sometimes the lack of it) of the common people. The book contains smartly written one-liners,poems,anecdotes and of course,cartoons. “There is a very thin line between humour and sensitivity. And every editorial cartoonist has to balance that. It comes only with experience,” says Sriram,adding with a smile that no proper names are mentioned in his book — even though it chiefly deals with socio-political issues so that he “can’t be sued by anyone”. “But anyway,editorial cartoons no longer are given the kind of space they used to be given,” he says.
Sriram,who was with the Indian Navy,moved to the US in 1985. There,he worked as a freelance cartoonist and taught at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. After 20 years of absence,he returned to the India,warmly greeted by the irony that nothing had changed in terms of social and political issues that grip the the nation. His first book,titled,Indira Gandhi – The Final Chapter,was published in 2011,and chronicled “Lady G’s” most tumultuous last years,including an interesting collection of the etchings that made Eskay a beloved cartoonist of his time.
“I would look forward to RK Laxman’s cartoons in the paper every morning,” says Sriram,talking about his first encounter with the art. “One day,I decided to try copying one of them. That’s when I realised I could draw,” he says with a laugh. Through his illustrations in new book,Sriram has pointed a humorous finger at the political tamasha of our country often tackling subjects such as dynasty politics,development,pollution,police and governance,corruption,right to education and the power of youth,among others.
Sriram has penned down his versions (satirical,of course) of iconic poems such as Rudyard Kipling’s If,Martin Luther King’s I have a dream (Sriram has titled his version as I had a nightmare) and a Hindi version of the popular American thanksgiving song This land is your land,among others. “I want today’s youth to come out of their apathetic stance and be nationalists,more than anything else. I want everyone to take my Hindi version of This land is your land and make it into a youth anthem — playing it in colleges and schools,” he urges.
Sriram is currently working on a book of illustrations and cartoons on the life a former American President and another book,which will contain cartoons inspired from all walks of life. “My second book will contain little stories from mythology,history,folklore and culture,among other things. It will be my swansong,” he says with a smile.
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