When I started thinking about the future of India, I got only questions, not answers. Questions about how the economy would fare, how we would compete with China, whether more people would be left unemployed, what the impact of climate change would be. But, more importantly, whether we would still be remembered as the land of Gandhi, especially with the kind of environment that is prevalent in India today.
Since my childhood, the country has seen improvement in some spheres. The infrastructure, for example, is better. Still, the kind of freedom one enjoys has deteriorated. Certain films of my childhood―like Sarfarosh―could not have been made today. In my own profession, a cartoonist like R.K. Laxman with his simple and plain brand of humour might have survived, but not someone as fiery as Abu Abraham.
The world used to know us as the land of Gandhi. The country reflected everything he stood for―unity, non-violence, and respect for others. It is no longer so. Today, each one stands for his or her own religion and caste. Trolling and trashing others are rampant on social media. The future is murky and the crystal ball yields no answers. There are only questions….
Alok Nirantar is a political cartoonist. Nirantar has conducted several exhibitions of his cartoons, two of which were inaugurated by R.K. Laxman | INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @CARTOONISTALOK