Cop-scribe war in Bastar spills over on canvas
The ongoing tussle between the police and journalists in Chhattisgarh’s conflict zone of Bastar over the arrest of two local freelance scribes on charges of having nexus with the Naxals, has spilled o
The ongoing tussle between the police and journalists in Chhattisgarh’s conflict zone of Bastar over the arrest of two local freelance scribes on charges of having nexus with the Naxals, has spilled over on canvas. Caricatures lampooning each other have gone viral in social media, triggering a cartoon war between them.
It all started when human rights activist and cartoonist Aseem Trivedy uploaded 10 “anti-cop” cartoons in his Facebook page to lend his support artistically to Bastar journalists demanding release of two arrested local scribes, Santosh Yadav and Somaru Nag, and enactment of a law protecting their fraternity.
The graphics vividly depicted alleged attempt by the Bastar police to gag the local media who covered insurgency in a very challenging situation.
In a cartoon captioned “Journalism in Bastar”, the artist depicted a journalist walking on a tightrope while holding his pen apparently to describe the job of Bastar scribes as tightrope walking.
Another caricature titled “NOT SAME AS” depicted how pen is under the threat of gun, signifying journalists in Bastar caught in crossfire between rebels and the police.
A cartoon lampooning Bastar inspector general of police S.R.P.Kalluri, the IPS officer perhaps feared the most by Maoists, seemed to have angered the cops the most, apparently leading to circulation of anti-scribe caricatures in the social media.
Captioned “Remove SRP Kalluri” the satirical art described how the “super cop” was trying to dictate the media.
The anti-scribe cartoons that went viral alleged nexus between journalists and Maoists.
The cartoon illustrating a journalist eager to embrace a gun-wielding rebel has perhaps offended the media men the most. They took up the matter with the state government suspecting hand of Bastar police in the “anti-scribe” cartoons.
Bastar police however categorically denied the charges. State home minister Ramsevak Paikre later tried to sooth the ruffled feelings of the scribes with assurance of a probe into it.