Comic strips from India delight art lovers
The small exhibition room was packed with art-lovers who had come to witness the comically distorted drawings commenting on the passing world and conveying political commentary on Pakistan and India.
Charged with emotions, the comics were exactly what cartoon drawings should be like, hilarious in their own way, dead on with facial expressions and body language, clear and delivering powerful statements.
And the balloon-enclosed speeches in texts accompanying the cartoons indicated the characters’ unspoken thoughts. The comics came with titles like “friendship”, “witch-hunting”, “aggression is no solution”, “pain of being illiterate” and “save forests “ besides several other headings.
“Cartoons have proved to be a powerful tool,” said the Delhi-based cartoonist, Sharad Sharma accompanying the exhibition. “As a powerful medium of visual communication, comics cross all borders of language and creed. They speak voluminously a language that WCI, in association with World Comics Finland had channeled as an easy-to-learn skill for the people of India. These people had stories to tell, issues to raise and information to highlight.”
Most of these comics were the works of uneducated and illiterate Indian people belonging to the poor communities. There were works by some children who had never held pencils in their hands before. Such people had no access to mainstream media and were unable to make their voice heard, Sharad said.
“Illiterate they may be, but these people have come to realize the power of humor - the power of comics - to convey their impressions.
“They have used these comic posters for rallies and various other campaigns to create awareness about HIV/AIDS and girl child rights and fight drug addiction. And best of all the text accompanying the cartoons come in all languages from Urdu, Mizo to Hindi, Teligu, Marwari, Bhojpuri and Tamil for greater influence,” said the 34 year-old cartoonist.
Sharad said he was mostly working in the militancy-affected areas such as Tamil Nadu or far off places like the Rajasthan desert where, he said, people needed a source through which they could express their thoughts.
“WCI has conducted workshops in Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Manipur, Assam and Karnataka besides many more where people have had the opportunity to touch upon issues like gender-equity, alcoholism, education and health,” he said.
“WCI had held such exhibitions in the UK, Nepal, Finland and West Africa. The organization is working in 22 states of India.