This Article is From Jul 31, 2009

Kerala CPM feud a treat for cartoonists

Kerala CPM feud a treat for cartoonists
Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM may have removed Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan from the politburo with the hope to control the open war between him and state's party chief Pinarayi Vijayan. But then the two top comrades are keeping the cartoonists of the state busy.

Suijith has got VS Achuthanandan's expression right in the very first attempt. The cartoonist says practice has made him almost perfect. The Chief Minister of Kerala is portrayed as Ginie in his cartoon for the day refusing to bow down to this Adam who resembles Pinarayi Vijayan, the state's CPM chief.

"We must thank VS and Pinarayi Vijayan for giving us more and more work and ideas day after day," says Sujith.

Nearly 200 freelance cartoonists all across Kerala have been hired by newspapers and magazines since April, mainly to draw out the big political story. The central committee's decision to remove the chief minister from the politburo for not toeing the party line on the SNC Lavalin Scam, gives more reason for these creative minds to peep into the rift tucked under the red blanket.

"The Malayali eats and drinks politics and loves humour. For example the traditional 'Chakyarkoothu' is an art form of narration humourous style so generations are used to this humour," says P P James, Political Analyst.

V S Achuthanandan's hands as we see are tied at the moment, but even without saying anything the factional war in the CPM is provoking funny strokes sending a strong political message. What else can we expect from a land that boasts of cartoonists like Shankar, Abu Abraham and OV Vijayan.
.