Kerala controversy over cartoon criticising bishop reflects social crisis | The Indian Express

Kerala controversy over cartoon criticising bishop reflects social crisis | The Indian Express

Written by S Gopalakrishnan |Updated: June 14, 2019 8:13:16 am

The writer works as content head of Radio Mango, Dubai

Kerala controversy over cartoon criticising bishop reflects social crisis

Any refusal to introspect may only deepen the crisis. How is it that a society which prided itself on nurturing art forms such as Chakyar Koothu and Ottan Thullal, in which satire is the dominant idiom, which celebrated writers including Sanjayan, VKN and Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer, and prided in cartoonists like Abu, Kutty and O V Vijayan, became intolerant of criticism?

On Wednesday, the Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi, an autonomous body, was asked by the state government to review its decision to award a cartoonist because of objections from a section of the Christian clergy.

Cartooning does not fall under the category of absurd-art. However, as Kerala celebrates the centenary of the first cartoon in Malayalam this year, the discipline of cartooning is facing an absurd situation. On Wednesday, the Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi, an autonomous body, was asked by the state government to review its decision to award a cartoonist because of objections from a section of the Christian clergy. The cartoon chosen for the award is on a controversial bishop, Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of rape.