Cartoons are probably the best and first read parts of a newspaper or for that matter for most publications. But after that first glace that often brings a smile on our face and a thought to our minds we forget the cartoon and the cartoonist. Over a period of time, we instinctively know the style of a cartoonist and his / her favorite characters, some of which are real life and some representative. I never gave a thought to the fact if these Cartoonists were formally trained in the art of drawing cartoons. For no reason I always thought that all these people are born with this talent of expression.

Then, one fine day I got to know about the Indian Institute of Cartoonists (IIC), based in Bangalore, through an exhibition that they did of the works of some famous cartoonists from across the country. IIC aims to promote the art of Cartooning in India. Brochure of the institute describes a Cartoon very well ‘A cartoon is a rare and brilliant creation of art that wraps aesthetics, portraiture and comment. While tickling the funny bone of the reader a cartoonist moulds public opinion, drawing his attention gently to the follies of our leaders and people around us’.

IIMc is located off MG Road, if you take the lane next to Kids kemp, it is about 50-100 meters down that road on the right hand side in the basement of a building called Midford Garden. You can visit it to view the cartoons, to read the literature about cartoons. IIC plans to have a cartoon library which will have cartoons and cartoons related literature, along with a museum of original cartoons and clay n wax models of cartoon characters. They would be organizing various cartoon competitions at various levels apart from regular exhibitions and cartoon related events across the country. Membership of IIC is open for anyone who wishes to be a part of its journey.

I was lucky to get a re-print of Ranga’s portraits of famous personalities, autographed by the personalities themselves, compiled under the title of ‘Profiles in lines’.

Did you know that David Low is considered to be the father of Cartooning and K Shankar Pillai that of Indian Cartooning?

Image Credit: Indi.Ca

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It is very urbane to speak English in India. Even day to day communications of most of us have English words in them. Perhaps this is one of the reason why, we are able to steal the thunder of China in the outsourcing side of things.

But frankly speaking, how many of us know our local language well enough? In fact we sometimes play game like “local language hour” where we speak only in local language, how sad?

Let’s take a look at a few facts:

• Schools which don’t teach in English medium are considered low standard.
• People speaking their vernacular are tagged as regional fanatics (they perhaps are when they over do)
• Kids are taught to speak English, parents talk to them only in English
• School and college students hardly know their native language and don’t even bother to refer a dictionary
• Government forms are mostly printed in English and a local language form is presented only on demand

While there may be few states practising protection of their native language by going to extreme extent like having all sign boards in their language, few are too lax and leaving everything in English and treating something written in local language as un-cool.

It is important to strike a right balance.

The right point to start this is at home. Children anyway are taught English in schools, parents should take extra care that their children know and read about their language. Simple ways are to talk to them in your language, let them watch their favorite cartoons in local translation. For little older a local language newspaper or a magazine can do the needed.

Take a look at people of any country, French, Chinese, German or Spanish, they may live in an English speaking country but they make sure that their language is something that their generations don’t forget. They never shy away from speaking in their language.

Even as I write this post, I was wondering if  this post could be made available to readers in their own languages. Today’s translation technologies work to translate content into Hindi, but certainly they would work for all Indian Languages in the future.

I am not sure if there is a conclusion to this, I want to leave it open for your thoughts.

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