Cynically Yours...

The Naxalite vs. The State

2010-05-25T09:00:00.002+05:30

Humans Create the First Synthetic Life

2010-05-24T10:36:00.003+05:30

The Maoist Menace

2010-05-24T10:16:00.000+05:30

Jharkhand: BJP, JMM to Share Power on Rotation

2010-05-21T08:43:00.008+05:30

Starvation Deaths in India

2010-05-19T11:39:00.001+05:30

Chinese Investment in India

2010-05-17T11:40:00.002+05:30

T20 World Cup 2010

2010-05-15T12:58:00.002+05:30

India - Census 2010

2010-05-11T09:30:00.002+05:30

Times Square Terrorist Attack

2010-05-10T10:19:00.006+05:30

The Life Beyond Copenhagen

2009-12-18T12:01:00.003+05:30

Bifurcation of India

2009-12-11T10:45:00.005+05:30

IDP Resettlement in Sri Lanka

2009-12-10T16:40:00.007+05:30

These Indian ministers are very generous, your Excellency. All of them have cancelled their visits to the Maoist-infested areas in India, just to come here and advise us on how to resettle the internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka.

2009-12-07T10:40:00.003+05:30

Task Force For Tribal Areas

2009-06-29T14:01:00.002+05:30

Tribals In Maoist Infested Areas

2009-06-29T13:57:00.004+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated July 2, 2009]

Police Torture in Lalgarh

2009-06-25T11:33:00.002+05:30

Lalgarh Crisis

2009-06-24T19:41:00.002+05:30

An Interesting Ad

2009-06-16T17:31:00.006+05:30

[Courtesy: Goodwilltreaty.org]

Not a cartoon this. A GoodWillTreaty.org advertisement. Look at the ad and you will know why I've posted it. Your eyes zoom right to the center, cutting through the noisy clutter around. Just the effect the ideator intended it to have on the reader.

Wonderful piece of work.

East Midnapore Situation

2009-06-16T11:10:00.003+05:30

Mamata to Launch 'Jaago Bangla'

2009-06-13T13:22:00.001+05:30

Student Unions Clash in W.B.

2009-06-11T10:29:00.003+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated June 12, 2009]

Aila Aftermath

2009-05-29T09:15:00.006+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated June 18, 2009]

Education in West Bengal

2009-05-28T10:43:00.004+05:30

Mayawati, After 2009 Polls...

2009-05-21T11:29:00.003+05:30

West Bengal: Post-poll

2009-05-21T11:14:00.003+05:30

Business After Poll Results 2009...

2009-05-20T11:07:00.007+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated May 24, 2009]

Where The Mind Is Without Fear...

2009-05-08T12:18:00.004+05:30

Loksabha Polls and Bengal

2009-05-07T09:41:00.003+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated May 18, 2009]

Power-cuts in Kolkata

2009-05-05T09:08:00.001+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated May 21, 2009]

Power-cuts in Kolkata

2009-05-04T12:36:00.001+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated May 6, 2009]

Minister is Assembly

2009-02-27T09:25:00.000+05:30

Shhh...the Question Hour, he says, is a 'chaos hour'. Hence, he chooses to meditate rather than asking questions in the house...

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-02-24T09:38:00.000+05:30

Lawyers and Police Clash in Chennai High Court

2009-02-23T12:43:00.000+05:30

I choose 'Right to life'...

Swat Valley

2009-02-20T09:16:00.000+05:30

I'm sure he will oblige...

US aid to Pakistan for 'war on terror'

2009-02-18T13:09:00.001+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated April 16, 2009]

Ruckus at UP Assembly

2009-02-12T09:23:00.000+05:30

Accidentally enough, these kids got exposed to the live telecast of the Assembly session...

India's $10 Laptop

2009-02-10T10:11:00.000+05:30

Poor HRD Minister! He had started believing in his own pre-poll gimmick...

New Cartoon

2009-02-06T09:14:00.000+05:30

Chattisgarh govt. suggested you form a Marathi Salwa Judum, apparently with your good-for-nothing Shiv Sainiks. I feel, sir, that this profile can at least be of some challenge for them...

New Cartoon

2009-02-05T12:45:00.000+05:30

Dad, was he in the incubator too?

Sri Lanka and Mullaittivu Crisis

2009-02-04T15:16:00.000+05:30

Well done, boys! Despite political differences, you have provided the civilians with the best possible option...

New Cartoon

2009-02-03T09:32:00.000+05:30

The other cadres in the village are equally lost about what a 'blog' is...I'm not sure, but it can be somekind of an ultramodern party office...what do you think?

(Read story here)

New Cartoon

2009-02-02T12:13:00.000+05:30

I insist you shift to that corner of the club, comrade! This facility is for us...and an ordinary member like you better not dare cross the line next time!

(Read story here)

New Cartoon

2009-01-27T10:12:00.001+05:30

You're too impatient. Someday, every single household of our village will shine with electric lamps, just like these statues...

New Cartoon

2009-01-27T10:03:00.001+05:30

Are you totally out of your mind, cadre? When I said tricolor, I meant our party-flag...not these disgusting pieces of crap!!

Republic Day: post 26/11

2009-01-27T09:52:00.001+05:30

[Published in Kolkata Mirror dated May 6, 2009]

Ek je chhilo raja, tar bhari dukh...

2008-05-09T15:42:00.001+05:30

This is one of those times when I wish everybody reading this post understood Bengali. Hold on, I am not going to script this post in Beng-lish. I'm going to give you people a link, which has a very very special song - "Ek je chhilo raja, tar bhari dukh.."

This, from the soundtrack of Bengali movie Goopi Gayen Bagha Bayen, has always been one of my most favorite songs (and if you are a Bong who has listened to this track n-times, the statement would fail to surprise you anyways). The lyrics were written by Satyajit Ray, the ace director himself. Sung by Dr. Anup Ghoshal, this song is to me, one of the most soulful songs I've ever heard. I don't know why, but today I just felt like googling for it. And guess what, I was in for a pleasant surprise!

The song is about this King who is always unhappy. Despite of having iron-chests packed with valuables, he is anything but happy. The fear of being looted off his valuables keeps him confined among the fortified walls of the palace. Day by day, the confinement becomes unbearble. In his lonesomeness, the King sheds tears. He laments in want to break free. Then one fine morning, he does break free. He decides to get rid of all the vanity of valuable belongings. He decides to chuck all those kingly powers - the powers that enabled him to punish just anybody under the Sun. And finally, standing in the meadow, the King fills his lungs with fresh air. After much agony, he had ultimately found peace and tranquility.

Pheww...gave it my best shot! But the song merits a lot better. And I'm rest assured that many of you would have narrated it much better. In that case, I would be thankful if you take the pain of posting it in as a comment.

Put your headphones on, friends...for it's time to enjoy the nostalgic masterpiece...

Here's the link: http://www.satyajitray.com/downloads/music/index.php

P.S. - All the eight songs from the film are listed here. Thanks a ton guys!

New Cartoon

2008-04-30T19:03:00.001+05:30

I'm rather optimistic about this one! Government says the last one showed us as a flood-hit region...

New Cartoon

2008-04-28T17:07:00.000+05:30

This gentleman claims he is a pickpocket and wants to know which of his former aides are holding Ministries in the Government...

New Cartoon

2008-04-28T15:00:00.001+05:30

I understand, my respected Principals, but the Ministry feels this discussion on sex-education will do just fine without the audio for your students...

Indian Premier League

2008-04-28T13:35:00.000+05:30

New Cartoon

2008-04-22T19:04:00.001+05:30

Inflation and the condition of poor is giving me sleepless nights...how come they expect us to wake up early to attend these debates?

New Cartoon

2008-04-11T20:30:00.001+05:30

Look at that poor guy! Only evolution can help him...

New Cartoon

2008-04-10T16:55:00.000+05:30

According to Intelligence Reports, we have only this much space to offer for the relay...not an inch extra!

New Cartoon

2008-04-07T15:37:00.000+05:30

"...No Honking Day tomorrow to curb sound pollution. Please cooperate to make it a grand success...!!"

New Cartoon

2008-04-07T15:20:00.000+05:30

Good luck, is it? Then how is it that you're in such a sorry state?

New Cartoon

2008-04-03T19:43:00.001+05:30

Starving, are you? I fully empathize! But you can put an end to this, my dear fellows...this is high time you exercised your democratic rights and brought our party back to power...

Tibet Issue

2008-04-03T18:52:00.000+05:30

Misuse of Public Fund

2008-03-24T19:50:00.001+05:30

New Cartoon

2008-03-13T22:28:00.000+05:30

New Cartoon

2008-03-13T22:24:00.000+05:30

Women's Day

2008-03-11T13:41:00.001+05:30

Stop memorizing your Women's Day speech when the maid servant is around! You surely don't want to spoil her with ideas of women empowerment and liberation, do you?

Women's Day

2008-03-10T16:45:00.000+05:30

For the upcoming elections, the party will project you not as my wife, but as a representative of the modern, independent, successful, confident and multitasking women of today...

New Cartoon

2008-03-06T14:32:00.001+05:30

Fake Currencies

2008-03-04T13:06:00.000+05:30

The minister is livid with the quality of our fake currencies and wants to give the next big order to our competitor! He believes the other racket is replicating the originals much better than we do...

Some of the older ones...again

2008-03-04T11:37:00.000+05:30

His condition is worse than our's...Let's send him some help through the CM Relief Fund.

Wow! Look at the drought-ridden woman...! For a figure like that, I can skip my meals daily...

You're not a terrorist, are you? Then why did you pass through that metal-detector? It's meant for the terrorists, not for you dumb fellows!

Gave it a try...

2008-03-03T19:36:00.000+05:30

The Common Guy meets the Common Man

2008-03-03T15:47:00.001+05:30

Last Saturday, the common guy went out in a nearby marketplace. There was this popular bookstore, and he only came to know about it from some of his common friends.

'How would it feel like to be surrounded by hundreds of books with unfamiliar titles?' - he wondered. So he decided to get a feel of the bookshop. The only company he had was another common man.

Books of all sizes and categories were carefully and gloriously displayed on the racks. Within a few minutes of entering the store, he finds out that it was not turning out to be any better than what he had anticipated. Hundreds of books...hundreds of titles, and hundreds of authors whom he hadn't heard of before. No wait...some of the books looked familiar to him. Yes, he recalled, many of his friends read these books with great interest. He always had a tough time making a head and tail out of what the author was writing about, especially the English ones. Every single reader of these wonderful books owed a hearty salute, the common guy felt. These books have never been his cup of tea.

But he prefered staying in. It was pretty cozy inside the shop!

Hey, wait a moment! - he thought. There was a book lying in one of the racks. He picked it up...and the uneasy feeling was gone in a jiffy. The title of the book read - The Best Of R.K. Laxman. Every single page of that small book had works of the great cartoonist, and each of them showed why Laxman is, even today, the best in the business.

Do you have more of these? - he asked, and the boy showed him a entire series of Laxman books. For the next few minutes he was happily lost in Laxman's cartoons. He had to buy one! The temptation was simply maddening! He grabbed one and proceeded towards the cash counter. Just as he reached for his wallet, he felt a hand on the left shoulder. It was the 'company' he had entered the shop with.

"Let me gift this as your birthday present, allright?". The common guy was flattered and embarrased.

So there he was...leaving the shop with a smile and The Common Man Stands In a Queue in a gift wrap - thanks to Laxman and of course...Tareq Bhai!

So peepaaal, here is the gift...

My New Cartoons

2008-02-26T12:06:00.000+05:30

No need to be afraid of the MNS and keep the shutters

down...It's Valentines Day...So, open your shop and let us vandalize it...!

[Drew it the night before Valentines Day and was supposed to post on the Vday. But just got lazy :( Anyways...Hope you people like it]

Save the Tiger

2008-02-25T13:16:00.000+05:30

Tigers - one of the most beautiful and endangered members of the cat family are witnessing a sharp decline in their presence. The other day, I was shocked to read how the inhabitants of a village in West Bengal had tortured a Royal Bengal tigress, who accidentally strayed into the locality. The villagers chased her; beating, bruising, and burning the royal creature here and there. Such was the degree of torture that finally when captured by the forest officials, she had lost her capability to stand on her feet!

Be it a lack of awareness, or be it a fright of their own lives and belongings, tigers should be protected. Is the government serious enough in their efforts? (They actually manipulated the census report conducted on tigers!).

I couldn't help creating this poster...I don't want our next generation to see this gorgeous animal stuffed in museums, or, only have Nat Geo books to tell them about how tigers once ruled the Jungles...

Some of my works so far

2008-02-06T17:45:00.000+05:30

The CEO is totally out of his mind! After the success of

hands-free cellphone accessories, he now wants us to

invent hands-free pens...! And wished me luck with a

'hands-free handshake'...

We won't allow this...the leftovers belong to the street dogs

and that's how it should always be...How can you be so cruel!!

For security reasons, he denied to take the holy-dip in public.
Hence this arrangement...!

Everything was according to the IPC - 'Ireful Public Conscience'...!

Let's see...who delivers the final blow...!

There are acres of useless sports sites...
won't they be just perfect for the Book Fair?