[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-137166-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":85,"doc-detail-137166-en":135},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":78,"head_meta":80,"extra_data":82,"updated_unix":84},105,"en","comics-cartoons-and-the-politics-of-censorship-in-digital-india","Comics, Cartoons and the Politics of Censorship in Digital India","","Comics and cartoons in India function as visual narration that critiques socio-political realities, evolving from colonial-era satirical traditions into contemporary newspaper cartoons and digital web satire. In the digital sphere, artists expand reach through social media, yet encounter new forms of censorship and cyber bullying. Case examples show editors rejecting political cartoons and courts scrutinizing webcomics, illustrating how cartoonists negotiate power structures, dissent, and visibility across media formats.",{"@graph":14,"@context":77},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/comics-cartoons-and-the-politics-of-censorship-in-digital-india/137166/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/comics-cartoons-and-the-politics-of-censorship-in-digital-india/137166.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Ivy","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-18","2026-08-22",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",15,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69,73],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"How did Indian cartooning develop into a tool for political critique?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It emerged from vernacular adaptations of British satire and later took the form of newspaper cartoons, comic periodicals, and postcolonial street imagery. The tradition helped artists and common citizens express disappointment and disapproval toward the nation-state.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What changes when political cartoons move from newspapers to social media?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Social media gives cartoonists a dynamic platform to publish quickly and reach large audiences. At the same time, it creates new censorship-like pressures and exposes creators to hostile reactions and cyber bullying.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Why was a political cartoon rejected in the print context?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"A cartoon addressing Chinese influence in India was rejected by a newspaper editor as “very defeatist” and because it did not meet the paper’s “editorial standards.” The incident reflects how mainstream print standards can limit certain political frames.",{"name":74,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":75},"How have legal institutions reacted to digital webcomics?",{"text":76,"@type":64},"A webcomic artist faced criticism and legal action, including a notice from the Supreme Court over a petition alleging contempt related to a sketch. The dispute involved claims about how the artwork implied bias toward a ruling party.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":79,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":81,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":83,"site_id":7},137166,1787400904,{"code":4,"msg":86,"data":87},"success",[88,92,96,100,105,110,115,119,124,127,131],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},8,30,"research-report",{"id":120,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":122,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":126},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":128,"slug":130},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":133,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":134},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":86,"data":136},{"doc_id":83,"user_id":137,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":138,"doc_module":4,"category_id":116,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":139,"file_id":140,"file_url":141,"file_type":142,"file_size":143,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":106,"language":144,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":145,"faqs":146,"seo_title":147,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":84,"read_time":55},549758252649,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/8000253669c5317157?_k=1778319167496531819","Comics, Cartoons and the Politics of Censorship in Digital India  \nDebanjana Nayek  \nPublished by Critical Collective, 2022.  \nThe culture of cartooning emerged in India in the 1870s when several local newspapers and periodicals began producing vernacular variants of the British satirical magazine, Punch. The figure of Mr Punch appeared in regional versions with narratives that engaged with the politics of colonial India. This brought together the medium of graphic narration with the culture of caricature and critique of the socio-political milieu of the country. Later, this style of graphic satire evolved in the form of newspaper cartoons, comic periodicals and even graffiti in postcolonial India. In 1951, R. K. Laxman created the “Common Man” for The Times of India, giving Indians an ordinary individual from the middle class who acts as a silent spectator and critiques the system. This history has established the visual medium as a tool in the hands of artists, as common citizens, to express middle-class sentiments of disappointment and disapproval on matters that affect the nation-state.  \nWith the growing power of the digital world in the 21st century, the ‘Common Man’ has gradually transcended beyond the newspaper to occupy the newsfeeds of social media networks. This new-age citizen is represented by several digital artists. Some like Satish Acharya, Manjul, Siddhesh Gautam and Aroop Mishra employ critical perspectives on national politics. Others like Rachita Taneja and Harshveer Jain probe into an array of power structures. Besides making anti-establishment comics, they also discuss body and gender politics in mainstream society. Acharya, Manjul and Mishra have worked both in print and online news platforms, but they also regularly share their cartoons on social media. Acharya, whose work manifests a prompt response to every significant political event in the country, reveals: “Social media has given them (i.e., cartoonists) a dynamic platform to post their work and reach a large number of readers/viewers. And, in spite of hostile reactions from organised cyber bullying, cartoonists have been brave up till now.” [1]  \nThis sums up the dual aspect of cartoons in a digital age. While this space provides a substantial amount of liberty to cartoonists to create and share their work with a wide audience, this also generates its own censorship and bullying. Acharya’s own experience with the print edition of a newspaper exposes the kind of censorship cartoonists often face.  \nFig. 1. Satish Acharya’s rejected political cartoon. Image courtesy: CartoonistSatish.Com, August 12, 2018.  \nThe above cartoon, on the spread of Chinese influence in India, was rejected by the editor of a newspaper who felt that it was “very defeatist and the China problem is being overplayed”. [2] The editor further asserted that this particular work did not pass the“editorial standards” of the paper [3] and hence, it was turned down. It must be noted that the issue was a developing concern for the Indian government as it was being reported in the papers and on television. Then, how does a cartoon ‘overplay’ the already known news  \nof conflicting countries? The answer lies in the power that a cartoon possesses in making an impact on its readers. A graphic rendition of the India-China conflict could potentially magnify the situation, affecting the reader much more than a written or verbal description.  \nThis case uncovers the limitations dominant in the print medium and in mainstream culture. Based on such experiences, many cartoonists have shifted to the digital realm to publish their works. Acharya shares his cartoons every day on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, which critically evaluate the government, their policies, the opposition parties and leaders. His digital cartoons reflect a concern for the social, political and economic issues of the country. It is a voice of dissent that comes from a ‘common man’ and at the same time, it also inspires ot","cbCaik9SSXawsArO","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaik9SSXawsArO","pdf",423746,"English","# Historical Roots of Indian Cartooning\n## From Punch to Newspaper Satire\n# Digital Transformation and the “Common Man”\n## Social Media Platforms for Cartoonists\n# Censorship Mechanisms in Print and Online\n## Rejection of Political Cartoons\n## Legal Action and Court Scrutiny\n# Case Studies: Satish Acharya and Rachita Taneja\n## Critiquing Government Policies\n## Taboo Topics and Power Structures","[{\"question\":\"How did Indian cartooning develop into a tool for political critique?\",\"answer\":\"It emerged from vernacular adaptations of British satire and later took the form of newspaper cartoons, comic periodicals, and postcolonial street imagery. The tradition helped artists and common citizens express disappointment and disapproval toward the nation-state.\"},{\"question\":\"What changes when political cartoons move from newspapers to social media?\",\"answer\":\"Social media gives cartoonists a dynamic platform to publish quickly and reach large audiences. At the same time, it creates new censorship-like pressures and exposes creators to hostile reactions and cyber bullying.\"},{\"question\":\"Why was a political cartoon rejected in the print context?\",\"answer\":\"A cartoon addressing Chinese influence in India was rejected by a newspaper editor as “very defeatist” and because it did not meet the paper’s “editorial standards.” The incident reflects how mainstream print standards can limit certain political frames.\"},{\"question\":\"How have legal institutions reacted to digital webcomics?\",\"answer\":\"A webcomic artist faced criticism and legal action, including a notice from the Supreme Court over a petition alleging contempt related to a sketch. The dispute involved claims about how the artwork implied bias toward a ruling party.\"}]","Comics, Cartoons and the Politics of Censorship in Digital India | PDF"]