Where have you seen newspaper cartoons recently? In the newspaper, online, or the paper used to wrap bhelpuri by the thelawala?

From being a favourite read every morning on the front page of every newspaper, English and vernacular, cartoons, in the form we have seen over the years have diminished visibly.  Yet, in an age of short reads, these editorial cartoons represent an underdog story that continues to influence audiences and has the potential to do so in future years.

Cartoonists in India have influenced the sociopolitical environment for several decades through their creativity and thought. These cartoons influenced public opinion on a plethora of issues across regions, regimes, and leaders. Though unspoken of widely, cartoons have had a significant role to play in the Indian political scenario. E.P. Unny, a renowned cartoonist claims that the rise of cartoons as a platform for social commentary grew quite successfully without the aid of any institutional support, suggesting the crucial role of cartoons in public socio-political opinion. “From the 1960s to 1980s, cartoons had pride of place as the most striking visual editorial comment on the day’s news,” adds Mr. Unny. From covering post-independence elections, Indo-China and Indo-Pakistan wars, the Emergency, globalization of the Indian economy, and key social and cultural developments, cartoons, and cartoonists ensured they made their presence felt across all strata of readers. Therefore, editorial cartoons hold an innate influence on the population, whose mindful utilization can promote an active political environment in the country (Unny, 2025).

Let us now examine one important aspect of cartoons, against the backdrop of Indian politics. An article by Moushumi Bhattacharjee in Pulse India by TOI (addresses one of the core roles of these cartoons, which is to “...hold leaders accountable,” which is how the cartoons transformed into a tool/voice that questioned and commented over the years. Many a time, through a caricatured portrayal of leaders/ public figures highlighting an individual trait, the cartoonists made them even more popular among the readers. The cartoons were a much-awaited part of a newspaper every morning, sometimes more important than the headlines. Infusing humour, the cartoonists cultivated a questioning mindset, critical thinking, and the importance of holding people in positions of power, accountable, a crucial ingredient for democracy (Bhattacharjee, 2021).

Why have cartoons been effective in capturing the reader’s attention? Any visual media, both print and digital, holds the potential to influence the reader in a certain way, which depends on the positioning, colour, size, and where it is positioned. In the context of editorial cartoons, how they are presented, the context encircling them, and the creativity, impact the reader. This is best explained by framing theory by Chong & Druckman, which suggests that the way any information is conveyed, leads to meaning construction which impacts the process of understanding and responding to that information (Chong & Druckman, 2007).

To ensure this mode of expression not only survives but thrives, several measures can be taken. The editorial cartoons can be strategized and promoted to benefit the public through effective dissemination of information, as well as a medium of expression of public opinion and critical voice questioning practices. This can happen with a collective effort of the media houses, government, and the larger society. The apex press associations can play a pivotal role in creating employment opportunities and encouraging cartoonists to come forward and express their work, which can potentially have a widescale positive impact. The journalism fraternity and its heads of publications must encourage more young people pursuing journalism to consider becoming cartoonists by incentivizing deserving individuals. Next, they can create an ecosystem that fosters thinking and debate and promotes a creative, bold thought process (Gade, 2020).

Governments and politicians can be more engaging and inject humour in response to cartoons that criticize them, thereby creating a healthy debate ecosystem. This, in turn, will encourage people to use this mode of criticizing and airing their thoughts and avoid any form of conflict to drive attention to their point of view/demands.

On the other hand, Cartoonists need to revisit their drawing boards and rewrite how to adapt to technological changes, engage with, and influence the online community, especially the younger generation. (R Rangaraj, 2017). Moreover, though cartoons give room for creative and artistic freedom, as society’s ideologies evolve, may not sound, or portray acceptable to all and may result in negative thinking or instigating an individual or groups unintentionally. Hence the regulatory body needs to set out guidelines regarding colour, exaggeration of human figures, contexts, etc. as part of the cartoons, i.e. expression of any part, group, or individually represented as part of the cartoon needs to be mindfully represented within the framework of ‘what is’ and ‘what isn’t’ offensive or defaming as put forth by the body (Suresh, 2017).

In summary, be it black and white, or colourful, these cartoons, have been a part of the country’s nostalgic past, and have a great potential to continue to be an integral part of the present, now more than ever we need these cartoons amongst other forms of expression of public opinion, because a well-crafted visual can bring about a conscious change required to advocate a thinking, engaging mindset amongst people. They also help in conveying that we must develop the healthy practice of laughing and develop the ability to see humor even in difficult moments. Fostering such a mindset is crucial, now more than ever, to espouse an active, vibrant, sociopolitical environment, where harmony amongst differences is preferred, a truly democratic society, absence of fear, better conflict resolutions, and what better way there can be than to use humor and ‘satire to aid the daily happenings of the country. To question, to voice out, and to laugh out is the need of the hour.

Authors: Sai Abhijeet Ratnaparke, Undergraduate Student, FLAME University; & Prof. Moitrayee Das, Faculty of Psychology, FLAME University.