Indian cartoonist Bala G. is vowing to continue his work, despite the fact that he was arrested earlier this month for defamation and obscenity after drawing three local officials in the buff. The cartoon in question was a commentary on…
Tag: india
Trivedi Calls Out Indian Government on Continued Exploitation of Sedition Law
Indian political cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, who was arrested and charged with sedition in 2012 before the charges were ultimately dropped, has warned in a new interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the state of free expression in his country…
Cartoonist Uses Webcomics to Combat Inequality in India
Rachita Taneja is a Bangalore-based cartoonist who has been using webcomics to address political issues in India since 2014. Taneja’s highly accessible webcomic, Sanitary Panels, started as a political pursuit to speak out against 66A of India’s IT Act (a…
Report Highlights Cartoonists Under Threat Worldwide
Two years after the attack on Charlie Hebdo staff, the world’s free expression focus has largely shifted away from cartoonists. That certainly does not mean the danger has disappeared, however, as a recent 30-page report from the French nonprofit Cartooning…
India’s Madras High Court Refuses to Ban Controversial Novel
A two-judge panel at the Madras High Court in India last week rejected petitions to ban author Perumal Murugan’s novel One Part Woman, which has been the target of public protests including a book burning last year. Rightwing nationalists from…
Sedition Laws a Legacy of Colonialism Worldwide
For many Americans, the criminal offense of sedition–that is, criticism of the government–probably conjures up the notorious but short-lived Sedition Act of 1798, which played an important role in the election of 1800 but was allowed to expire the following…
Indian Cartoonist Censored in City-Wide Clean-Up
Under the pretense of a city-wide beautification effort, Indian political cartoonist Satish Acharya has had one of his recent cartoons removed from a public display in Kundapura. Acharya is a self-taught cartoonist who tackles a variety of topics, including political…
Indian Cartoonist Orijit Sen on Being a “Voice of Dissent”
Indian cartoonist Orijit Sen is no stranger to censorship. The artist, whose work has been repeatedly pulled from Facebook, recently spoke with Tehelka about why it is important that his “voice of dissent” rubs some people the wrong way and…
Kanika Mishra: Social Media as a Vehicle for Free Speech and Empowerment
Known for her cartoons on social and political issues in India—especially those that relate to Indian women—cartoonist Kanika Mishra has gained significant recognition for her use of social media as a vehicle for freedom of expression. Earlier this year, Mishra…
Two Indian Men Arrested For Sharing Satirical Image
Two young men from the Khargone district in Madhya Pradesh, India, have been arrested for distributing obscene material over the internet. They face a possible three to five year jail sentence. 22-year-old Shaquir Yunus Banthia and 21-year-old college student Wasim Sheikh were…