Most commentary on the Ambedkar-Nehru cartoon has focused on how Indian society in general and our policymakers in particular are becoming more intolerant. Freedom of expression is undoubtedly a cherished ideal bequeathed to us by the framers of the Constitution, but that freedom cannot exist in a vacuum. Shankar wanted to portray Jawaharlal Nehru’s frustration at the slow pace of the Constituent Assembly proceedings. But his portrayal of Nehru wielding a whip on B R Ambedkar was in extremely bad taste. It is not about our inability to spot humour in the cartoon strip. If Nehru and Ambedkar were politicians of the same stripe, the cartoon would have merely been amusing. But the fact that Nehru was an upper-caste man and Ambedkar a Dalit cannot be overlooked. The oppression of Dalits has historically assumed a violent form in our country and, even today, in spite of the rise of a fierce Dalit identity, biases against Dalits continue. It is with this in mind that opposition to the cartoon seems justified — the act of imminent violence, otherwise humorous, acquires sinister overtones if looked at comprehensively. To say Ambedkar himself did not respond to the cartoon only hints at his generosity of spirit.
Vikram Johri, Mumbai
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