An editorial cartoon can condense the metaphorical thousand words into a single potent picture. Being keen observers, cartoonists are in R. K. Laxman’s words, “the court jesters of lore” whose sole aim is to use humour to represent the shortcomings of society and to provoke discussions about various concerns that are plaguing the common man.
This paper, titled as ‘The Goan common man : Analysis of Sawkar’s pocket cartoons’ was presented at the seminar on Tradition, Continuity and Change, Goan Society in Transition(s).
The story behind the article
The first thing I look at when I pick up a newspaper is the editorial cartoon. And hence, it was an honour to be able to analyse the Goan society as it transitioned through time through Sawkar’s sketches.
I’ve always liked Sawkar’s style of cartoons and his sense of humour. While I diligently combed through the newspaper archives at Central Library, Panjim, and contacted journalists who worked with Sawkar, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about his initiation into cartooning and his journey with the press in Goa that spans more than 3 decades. I’ve had the opportunity to interact with him virtually and what amazes me is the fact that he continues to capture the very essence of the Goan common man even though he lives thousands of miles away from the state.
Cartoonists like Sawkar are unsung heroes and they deserve to be given due recognition for their tireless work which is often undervalued and underappreciated. This paper is, in my way, an homage to this extremely humble and talented cartoonist.
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