Ever since a professor went to jail for sending a cartoon of Mamata Banerjee, cartoonists are in demand in TV news channel studios. After that came the controversy over cartoons in text books. Then came the case of Aseem Trivedi who was charged with sedition for his cartoons.
Cartoons are generally looked at, laughed at, and forgotten. Newspapers come up with cartoons every day.
Aseem Trivedi got his chance to be hero and he grabbed it with both hands. He did not wait for police to come and pick him up in Kanpur. He came to Bombay and surrendered. When the police said in court they did not want him for investigation or questioning, he did not apply for bail. He imitated Anna Hazare. He was happy to be in jail. He was the talking point on TV channels. He did well considering the competition from protestors in Madhya Pradesh and Koodankulam. Somebody filed a PIL and got him bail.
Journalists and cartoonists debated Aseem Trivedi’s cartoons. Some said his cartoons were bad. Two cartoons were said to be offensive. Someone had filed a police complaint against them in December 2011.
Aseem Trivedi appeared on Times Now. There were two other cartoonists and Mayank Gandhi. There were many questions to Aseem Trivedi. Before he could finish his answers there were further questions. Aseem Trivedi said to Arnab Goswami “I have heard you. Now you have to hear me.” Arnab Goswami had bitten off more than he can chew. After sometime Aseem Trivedi left Times Now and appeared on Headlines Today.