Last two days have been hectic, talking to worried friends, journalists and cartoon lovers.
I realised that I didn’t get enough time to thank you properly.
That post sharing my pain, concern, frustration, apprehension was my individual voice. I shared with cartoon lovers like you because I thought those concerns are shared by you as well and they will affect you as well.
You supported me. You stood by me and my voice became your voice.
The kind of support I have received from cartoon lovers, journalists and cartoonists made me numb.
Many cartoonists expressed their solidarity through fantastic cartoons. I’m touched by their gesture.
Lots of people have come up with different ideas to take my independent voice to reach the audience. Some suggested subscription-based/ donation-based platform (sharing the link to subscribe at the end) Some suggested a blog/website(which I already have)
Thank you all for your love, respect, concern and care. You have proved that independent voice is crucial for our country, for our democracy. You have become my strength.
It wasn’t easy for me to take this issue to public. Like most of the cartoonists, I prefer working quietly in my own space, focusing on my work. But I have been going through this turmoil for many weeks and was hoping the situation will change. I loved the space and audience that Mail Today provided. I used to receive lots of appreciation from journalists/cartoon lovers in Delhi. So, I didn’t want to lose that space, so I remained patient and optimistic. Apart from the risk of losing a regular income source, I was worried about complaining about someone from my own journalism fraternity. It was indeed uneasy. But I had to fight for my right as a cartoonist.
On the other hand, this incident gave me the first-hand experience of how the ‘lie-factory’ works. The ‘lie-factory’ came up with a post alleging that the China cartoon was rejected by the editor because it’s copied from a 1959 cartoon about communism(The 1959 cartoon had a huge hand and my cartoon had a huge claw, that’s it!). And the ‘lie-factory’ had enough workers to spread that lie on social media. These people also give me more courage, more strength to draw cartoons fearlessly.
Continuing my cartooning journey without worrying about distractions would be the best way to pay gratitude for your support.
Thank you!
If you want to support my cartoon subscription service or donate here’s the link
