The Thorat committee has said there were too many references to former PM Indira Gandhi. It has recommended 40 deletions and modifications to cartoons especially depecting politicians in the textbooks. The committee was set up after the row over BR Ambedkar's cartoon. A cartoon in the eleventh standard political science textbook was able to disrupt parliament. The caricature in question had Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pundit Nehru and many MPs as characters where the legendary cartoonist Shankar tried to depict the state of the parliament and democracy in India. Indira Gandhi, in the foreword to Shankar’s book, wrote about how much Pt. Nehru liked and appreciated Shankar’s cartoons.

Cartoons have long been a tool of representing witticism and satire. At times, they offer a rare insight into a particular issue. But, in the end, they are funny and meant to be laughed at. The political class, too, wants the cartoons out of textbooks.

Do you think our politicians are losing their sense of humour?