The selected cartoons appeared first in other publications, either in print or online, or on social media, and are credited appropriately.
In today’s featured cartoon, Sandeep Adhwaryu alludes to criticism of the Karnataka government for leaving out Jawaharlal Nehru’s picture from a full-page newspaper advertisement honouring freedom fighters on the eve of India’s 75th Independence Day, while also referring to the Statue of Unity, built as a tribute to Sardar Patel and the under-construction Statue of Equality, meant to be a tribute to Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
E.P. Unny comments on the power dynamics between Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and his deputy, Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the backdrop of cabinet expansion in Maharashtra where the deputy CM has kept key portfolios (home and finance) with himself.
R. Prasad, referring to the attack on Salman Rushdie in New York last week, draws on how people from all walks of life are expressing solidarity with the best-selling author, albeit in hushed tones — reminiscent of the aftermath of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting when supporters coined the phrase “Je suis Charlie (I am Charlie)” to express support for the French satirical magazine.
Sajith Kumar, while alluding to PM Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech about how the next 25 years are crucial in India’s path to becoming a developed nation, comments on the “bulldozer politics” dominating the political discourse in the country.
Kirtish Bhatt takes a dig at the government’s “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign to mark 75 years of Independence in the backdrop of a surge in prices of daily consumables. In the illustration, a woman pointing to the tricolour atop her home, can be heard saying: “The flag is in place. Had freedom from price rise been achieved, we could’ve celebrated that too.”