ISRO chief Somanath brings humour history to space-themed cartoon exhibition in Hyderabad

For a political cartoonist, securing even a single column of space in a daily newspaper is challenging. However, ISRO Chairman S. Somanath, being a cartoonist himself, certainly has ample 'space.'

About a month ago, Kerala Cartoon Academy Chairman Sudheernath, in collaboration with the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy, organized an exhibition titled 'Cari-toon' at Darbar Hall, Kochi, focusing on space-themed cartoons. This exhibition was inaugurated by ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath, who live-drew a cartoon based on a popular Malayalam joke about a tea-seller on the moon, imagining an Indian landing on the moon by 2040.

Kerala stands at the forefront of adopting new technologies in cartoon exhibitions. From Kochi to Kovalam, Kollam to Kottayam, numerous cartoon exhibitions have been held. I had the privilege of participating in four such events. This is why Kerala’s legendary cartoonist 'Kutty' famously quipped, "The per-capita cartooning in Kerala is very high!"

The Kerala Cartoon Academy invited cartoons from across the country on the theme of 'space' and selected 90 of them for the exhibition in Kochi. The same exhibition, inaugurated by ISRO Chairman Somanath in Hyderabad at Ravindra Bharathi on September 24th, brought the excitement of the Kochi launch to Hyderabad, spreading sparks of inspiration here as well.

The exhibition was jointly organized by the Department of Language and Culture, Hyderabad Forum for Political Cartoonists, Confederation of Telugu Region Malayalee Associations (CTRMA), and the Kerala Cartoon Academy. Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao graced the event as the Chief Guest. During the event, Somanath live-drew a cartoon and shared fond memories of his youth when he used to draw cartoons. He expressed his deep appreciation for the humor in cartoons and spoke about his love for the famous 'Tintin' cartoon series, especially the space shuttle illustrations, which sparked his interest in space. He said it was these very cartoons that inspired him to pursue his passion for space. Somanath remarked that cartoons are not just jokes combined with drawings, but a form of philosophy. While cartoons may have political, critical, or satirical elements, for him, they are philosophical, revealing unseen, invisible truths. He emphasized that significant cartoons should be recorded and preserved for posterity, adding that creativity has no limits, especially when it comes to space. He also answered numerous questions from students about space exploration.

Three decades ago, during ISRO’s work on the 'Man on the Moon' project, R.K. Laxman drew a famous cartoon in which the 'common man' asks ISRO scientists, "Send me to the moon—I can survive without food, water, air, or shelter." Somanath referenced this cartoon, praising Laxman's blend of philosophical humor.

From Vikram Sarabhai to Somanath, ISRO’s journey has been extraordinary. However, in 2014, Singaporean cartoonist Heng Kim Song drew a cartoon for The New York Times depicting a rural Indian man, dressed in traditional attire, knocking on the door of the 'Elite Space Club' with cow by his side, while Westerners in suits, drinking coffee, read a newspaper with the headline 'India's Mars Mission.' The cartoon ridiculed India’s technological achievement and dismissed ISRO’s hard work, drawing sharp criticism for its racist undertones. Social media erupted with outrage, and The New York Times editor Andrew Rosenthal issued an apology, admitting their mistake.

In 2023, after the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3, Indians once again shared the controversial cartoon, but this time with pride. They sarcastically thanked The New York Times for laughing at them back then, stating that they didn’t just knock on the 'Elite Space Club' door—they kicked it open. Many challenged the publication to draw another cartoon, reflecting India’s space achievements. I reminded Somanath of this incident and presented him with my cartoon books-'Echoes of Lines' and 'Haritha Haasam'.

In addition, Principal Secretary Burra Venkatesham, Telangana Cultural Department Director Mamidi Harikrishna, Chairman Benjamin, Kerala Cartoon Academy Chairman Sudheernath, Hyderabad Forum for Political Cartoonists Honorary President Narsim, President Shankar, Secretary Mrityunjay, along with cartoonists Subhani, J. Venkatesh, Rakesh, K. Venkat, and many others, also participated in the program.

The exhibition featured over a hundred cartoons, including works by Abu Abraham, Shankar Pillai, Unni, R.K. Laxman, and Ajit Ninan.

In conclusion, the 'Space Toon' exhibition, a collaboration between the Hyderabad Forum for Political Cartoonists and Kerala Cartoon Academy, was as festive as Kerala’s Onam merging with Telangana’s Bonam!

– Mrityunjay, Cartoonist