An uncommon artist

Sir - On Republic Day, India lost R.K. Laxman, our well-loved cartoonist, famous for his acerbic sketches of politicians, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao and L.K. Advani. He passed away in a Pune hospital at the age of 94 ('Common Man's last triumph', Jan 28). He was born in Mysore in 1921. Besides drawing the well-known cartoon strip, widely referred to as the Common Man series, he had also written short stories, essays and travelogues, some of which have been anthologized in Laxman's book, The Distorted Mirror. He had authored three works of fiction: The Hotel Riviera, The Messenger,and Servants of India.

Laxman had received several honours, including one of Asia's topmost journalism prizes, the Ramon Magsaysay award, in 1984. There is a story that shows Nehru's admiration for Laxman. The prime minister had applauded him for a caricature and told him over the phone, 'Mr Laxman, I so enjoyed your cartoon this morning. Can I have a signed enlarged copy to frame?'

Laxman once spoke about how he came up with the character of the common man that most Indians identified with. He said : 'As I became more and more entrenched in watching and commenting on the political phantasmagoria of our country, I needed an acceptable symbol to define the common Indian in my cartoons... In the early days, I used to cram in as many figures as I could into a cartoon to represent the masses. Gradually I began to concentrate on fewer and fewer figures... Eventually, I succeeded in reducing my symbol to one man: a man in a checked coat, whose bald head boasts only a wisp of white hair, and whose bristling moustache lends support to a bulbous nose, which in turn holds up an oversized pair of glasses... He is ubiquitous... He is tough and durable. Like the mute millions of our country, he has not uttered a word in all the years he has been around.' This elucidates how much thought and research Laxman must have put into his illustrations that led to the creation of the unforgettable character of the common man.

Yours faithfully,

Somnath Mukherjee, Calcutta

Sir - The country is saddened by the news of R.K. Laxman's demise. He passed away this week following a prolonged illness. With Laxman's death, Indians have lost an artist who depicted the plight of the country's ordinary citizens and highlighted the problems one confronts in day-to-day living, such as bad roads, price rise, the rising tax burden and water shortage. The themes of Laxman's illustrations are as relevant today as they were decades ago. He was a keen observer and had the ability to show the real face of corruption through his sketches. He was a master of political satire but never crossed the line of decency. Unlike today's leaders like Mamata Banerjee, who got a citizen arrested for poking fun at her, politicians earlier had a sense of humour. They liked Laxman's illustrations and appreciated him.Laxman did not spare scheming bureaucrats, policemen and gossipy housewives either. He also had a fascination for crows. He sketched for R.K. Narayan's novels. Narayan was his brother.

Laxman felt the pulse of the aam aadmi, whose condition remains almost the samesince the time the artist had started sketching. His portrayal of the common man - clad in a shirt and dhoti, with strands of white hair, oversized spectacles and an umbrella - changed the character of Indian cartoons. While many politicians and governments have come and gone, Laxman's common man has endured the test of time. He managed to make Indians laugh without hurting anyone's sentiments. He contributed immensely to the dying art of drawing cartoons.

While my late father was an admirer of Laxman, I grew up reading Narayan's books and looking at the cartoons with my son, who became a fan of both the brothers.There will not be another Laxman. While millions will miss him, he will continue to live in our hearts through the drawings he has left behind.

Yours faithfully,

S. Balakrishnan, Jamshedpur

Parting shot

Sir - Perumal Murugan's statement on his Facebook page, 'Perumal Murugan, the writer is dead', announces the defeat of freedom of expression - a right guaranteed by the Constitution. The largest democracy seems to be going back to medieval times, thanks to the activities of some caste-based outfits which demanded the arrest of Murugan and a ban on his novel, One Part Woman. What is more disheartening is that the police, instead of controlling the situation, instructed Murugan to leave his residence. To make matters worse, Murugan was forced to tender an unconditional apology. I doubt how many intellectuals and owners of publishing houses will come forward to support Murugan. The government also did not do much to help. How much time will our democracy take to get over its infancy?

Yours faithfully,

Buddhadev Nandi, Bishnupur