Grassroot Comics

Grassroots Comics: An alternative media for social change

Name: Subodh Gupta Roll no: 702165 1

Contents Serial no.

Topic

Page no.

1.

Acknowledgement

4

2.

Objective

5

3.

Comics in India

7

4.

Introduction

8

5.

Visual over Words

9

6.

Comics overcomes the illiteracy barrier

12

7.

Economical and Cost-Effective

15

8.

Band of “Barefoot Cartoonists”

18

9.

Serious issues can be presented in a lucid manner

27

10.

Comics vs. Cartoons

32

11.

Comics by amateurs, not by professionals

36

12.

Campaigns through comics

40

 Aapri Dikri ro Hak

41

 Campaign against Paedophilia

45

13.

Graphic Novel

48

14.

Anthologies

50

15.

Comic Strips

51

2

16.

Conclusion

52

17.

Bibliography

53

3

Acknowledgement I want to Thank Mr. Sharad Sharma in helping me with his kind support and resources available in successful completion of this project.

I also want to Thank Mr. Tarun Bose for his expert guidance.

Comics Courtesy: World Comics India(WCI) Name of Student-

Subodh Gupta

Roll No.-

702165

Enrollment No. -

R1222064191

Name of the Institution- Pioneer Media School Signature of Student-

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Objective In a country like India, media is seen as the fourth pillar of the democracy apart from Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. So, Media has an allimportant role to play in the welfare of the masses. But, the prevalent trend has forced us to believe that media is not fulfilling it’s role of an information provider. In present scenario, one can see mainstream media as:  Political stories dominate most of the space in both print and electronic media organization. Local issues, sufferings, problem don’t get much space as required.  Literacy is always a barrier with the print media. Though, this barrier can be averted in electronic media, but only to an extent. Thereafter, literacy factor does pops up again.  Both these mediums- print and electronic, are mostly urban-centric, rather than being rural-centric. So, they are not capable enough of raising issues of people at grassroot.  Print has limited accessibility in far-flung areas. And, if it is accessible, it’s only regional. But, there again, we need to figure out the number of people having their say in it. Their participation is limited only to problems of electricity, potholes, water etc. While, the accessibility of electronic media has also been doubted except Radio, which has its reach almost every part of the country, but it too has certain limitations, as it can only be listened, but it don’t possess any such quality like visuals, that can keep it’s audience glued to it.  In present scenario, Internet is seen as fastest evolving medium of communication. But, there is great Digital Divide between those, who use Internet and those who don’t. Its ability to share or interact with its audience is also doubted. There are concerns about uploading and downloading. Ninety-five percent of Internet users are not directly involved in uploading. This means that they accept whatever content is served to them. So, We can say, again lack of people’s participation.

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This shows, how with the mainstream media defying it’s role as a watchdog of the society, now it has become the responsibility of the grassroot media to help masses raise their issues, problems through the use of alternative mediums. There is a dire need for an alternative media. A lot of mediums can be used to fulfill the desired purpose, but it has been seen that comics as a medium has done quite well in recent past. The use of comics as a tool for grassroots organizations is a relatively new phenomenon and has been tested so far only in India, some other South Asian countries, in a few countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Further, We will see and discuss how grassroot comics as a medium has impressed everyone, how this idea of an effective alternative media have been accepted by people at various sections of society, and how it can be used as a medium in social campaigns.

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Comics in India The art began on the walls of cavemen, was sculpted into stone by Pharaohs, before it began its long journey through papyrus and newsprint, zooming right into the celluloid and digital screens of today without so much as an effort.

Welcome to the Exciting world of Comics!

Comics’ culture started in India ages ago. Comics have been used excessively and effectively to portray Indian mythological stories. After mythology, it was used for entertainment purposes. From there, it took the shape of political lampooning. Today, We can say a small, but an important part of society is using it for social communication.

India has had a rich culture of visual story telling for children through the Jataka Tales and the Panchatantra brought to life before children in the form of Amar Chitra Katha in the sixties and seventies. This is visual story telling in its most powerful avtaar as against comics generally used to entertain children which is the stuff that imported strips are made of.

Till now, comics have been used for presenting mythological ideas, humour, political lampooning etc., but, if used for social communication, it will raise its effectiveness.

Grassroots comics, i.e. comics that are made by socially active people themselves, rather than by campaign and art professionals, are genuine voices, which encourage local debate in the society. They give a first hand view – first voices – to the issues in the community.

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Introduction For years, the problems in communicating a message in an effective way have caused immense frustration to development workers across the globe.

Grassroots Comics, i.e. Comics that are made by socially active people rather than by campaign and art professionals, are genuine voices, which encourage local debate in the society. As a concept, it is something new and it will take some time to gain foothold. But, looking at the short stint, it had with the people, one is convinced that grassroot comics as a communication tool will grow rapidly in coming years.

Delhi-based cartoonist Sharad Sharma sees strong possibilities. Inspired by the example of countries like Finland, Sharma is now going ahead to tell the story in bold brush strokes. His network called World Comics India (WCI), a registered non-profit, formed in June 2002 by a group of artists, media persons and social activists has held workshops in the remote areas of tribal Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, North East, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, U.K., Tanzania, Finland, Mozambique, Lebanon and many more places.

Grassroots comics dramatise specific issues and bring them into the debate in the community. The comics are always related to some activity of a community group, and are rarely the work of an individual in his/her own capacity. Comics are stories, which are told visually. It is the drama of the story that engages the reader and makes the point.

Social activists too have been using it, as part of an underground movement to use the medium differently as against organised efforts, which have made comics a preserve of the entertainment industry.

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Visual over Words Many a times, it becomes difficult for a communicator to pen down his thoughts. In such circumstances, one needs to understand the effectiveness of visuals. Visuals still remain the main mode of thinking for man. Thought is associated with images and it is the combination of the two that leads to the development of art, literature, and other forms of imaginative media.

Education also uses visual story talking in big way, so much so that good literature and art almost build on the form of visuals. Even good stories in newspapers and magazines bring powerful visual images to the minds of viewer. Films, theatre, and puppetry- all can influence people in a positive manner, if handled imaginatively.

There are barriers to communication not just between two people from different countries, but also between people who don’t know how to read and write. But everyone understands the “power of visuals”.

In fact, if one goes into the history of communication, one finds that the communication in the form of pictures and illustrations was the earliest effort made by man. To this day, children learn the rudiments of languagethe alphabets and the first words- by associating them with pictures. ‘A’ for Apple brings to mind the picture of an apple and by learning to recognize the apple, the child learns to say ‘A’.

It is in this context of alternative media and its empowering effect on communities that one can see a powerful new movement that has emerged in the country- one that builds on the power of Comics. Talking about the role of Grassroots Comics, it can be a partner in the development process and can, in fact, bring to the fore developments in social sector before the public.

People from all walks of life could relate to it because these stories were told in local language and they featured local characters only.

In villages, people can choose not to learn some not-so-universal language like English. Instead, they could just read a manual on, say, the mechanics of the treadle pump, which is a comic book without any text! The farmer can just run his eyes over the frames of a comic wall poster, and be empowered about his implements, his small world.

To draw a comparison in terms of effectiveness of message communicated through text and comic, one can say that many a times, it becomes very easy to communicate through a visual instead of a half-page text.

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by K Murthy, Karnatka in a workshop in 2003

Death Penalty: Here the cartoonist has shown, what smoking can lead to.

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by Harpriya Kaur, Delhi

Unity in Diversity: Here, Very beautifully, she has shown, how we can bridge the gap between the two nations, who were parted long ago, without even using a single word.

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Comics overcomes the illiteracy barrier In the present information race, the common masses or illiterates have been left behind. The local touch and people’s involvements have been long buried in the debris of information rhetoric. While people across the globe have been thinking of alternative media that can be used imaginatively to empower communities, a new movement started taking shape with the use of Grassroot Comics for social change. As people at grassroot don’t have any medium to articulate their ideas, views, it was realized that this medium can be used effectively to do that.

The best part about this medium is that, even an illiterate can understand from the comic, what is being tried to conveyed. This way, he can inform himself through this medium. And, that’s not all, he can even assume the role of an information giver. Comics also help overcome the barrier of caste, creed, sex etc. It’s being rightly said, that a visual can speak a 1000 words.

The kind of role played by this medium in informing an illiterate is beyond anybody’s guesses.

Many people think that it would be better to have comics with no texts at all, as these would be more easily understood by illiterate persons. But, its been seen that it is better to have comics with both images and texts as the story becomes more interesting in this way. People who do not know how to read will usually find somebody to read the comics to them. This encourages debate in the society, and also increases motivation to learn reading.

Talking about his experiences, Sharad Sharma said, “In the beginning, there were some sporadic attempts to use comics differently but when illiterate women in and around Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan started using it as a tool to express social evils that plague their communities, it first became clear that comics could be powerful tool of advocacy. Also, it was being realised that here is a medium that breaks the illiteracy barrier and since it is a cost effective medium, it began to take the shape of a powerful movement.”

The following comic illustrates how can an illiterate person inform himself, through this medium.

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by Lakhindra Nayak, Jharkhand

Life is Precious: In the above comic, Lakhindra Nayak has tried to emphasise on the harmful effects of smoking, without using a single word.

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by Horlung Rephung, Manipur

Brotherhood: In the comic, the cartoonists effort is worth appreciating, how he has communicated to his audience the rationale. He has shown, how important, is brotherhood in our daily lives.

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Economical and Cost effective Looking at the conventional mediums of communication, which includes Television, Radio, Newspapers etc., one can see that there is low people’s participation. And, upon that they were very expensive to afford for someone at grassroot. But, Comics as a medium has proven that, communication is no more an expensive job.

Comics are basically seen as voices of marginalized. So, any medium involving marginalized needs to be low resource and cost-effective, so that its users has no resource problem. A comic is an inexpensive medium, which can disseminate opinions, views, and ideas even better than other conventional mode of communications.

Wallposter comics are inexpensively produced educational stories. These stories have been successfully used in campaigns involving human rights, health, education, corruption, environment etc. Campaigning differs from distribution within a local community to using local comics in mass distribution. Obviously, the available resources will always be the determining factor.

While, the technology involved in producing a comic is not complicated, requirements being pens, papers and access to a copying machine are usually enough. The wallposters are either made with a photocopying machine or they are screen-printed. But, One must remember that drawing well is not the most important thing when making a wallposter comic. It is more important to have a good story, with interesting and engaging characters, which the readers can identify with easily.

One can easily understand, how this cost-effective medium has helped marginalized put forth their issues before society. Same has been shown beautifully in the following comic.

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by Goldy M George, Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Save forests, Save life: The strip talks about how, the villagers protest against the World Bank’s project for urbanization in place of environment.

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by Ashraf Meerza, Lahore, Pakistan

Abhi der nahin hui (It’s not yet late): Mehak, want to go to school like her brother. But her mother strongly objects. One day, Mehak sees a village woman in a newspaper who has become a doctor. This inspires Mehak’s mother, and she tells her that she would attend the school, next day.

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Band of “Barefoot Cartoonists” In any field, it’s not possible for a professional to produce another 10 more like him. Take for instance, it’s not possible for a journalist to produce another 10 journalist, but this medium of comics has that charisma, which can lead to creation of another team of expert cartoonists. A simple training can turn a layman into an expert, who can further train many more like him.

It’s like a never-ending chain.

All those people who communicate through this medium are also learning this medium, and they are also teaching it to others. Through this medium, they also become content provider. By attending a workshop, first of all, he is informing himself about the social issues like human rights, health, education, corruption, environment etc. that needs to be highlighted. This way he shifts from being a learner to information giver, or content provider.

The best part about this medium is that, it can really get a person to speak about his her issues, problems, concerns. It can help get better out of anybody. The strength in Grassroots Comics is that they show a real, firstvoice opinion, relevant in a local setting. As grassroots comics are created by common people and activists, they give a first hand view – first voices – to the issues in the community. The comics and the stories are neither abstract nor theoretical, and they communicate a local opinion directly to both a local and to a wider audience. People from all walks of life could relate to it because these stories were told in local language and they featured local characters only. Therefore the grassroots comics are interesting also for outsiders and help them to learn how people in these particular communities look at life.

The first books, we pick up are drawing books and picture books. As opposed to text, comics also incorporate a sense of place and time. Latent talent to draw is also being harnessed through this medium, and it also comes to fore, which can be seen in form of comics.

I can tell that, through my own experiences, that I had in a workshop organised by UNICEF at Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Delhi with almost 100 children, who had come all the way from the Naxal affected areas of Chhattisgarh. I was invited there by Sharad Sharma, who was the resource person for the workshop. Earlier, many of the participants were hesitant to speak about their problems, but after a pep talk, we convinced them to talk about their issues, sufferings. And, guess what we saw was 18

really shocking! Few of the participants drew, how the prevailing conditions have made their life miserable, they have been shunted out of their houses, forced to live like refugees despite being in their country, the naxals have destroyed their schools forcing them to leave education in between. That day, I understand how powerful this medium is.

by Asha, Chhattisgarh

Pain or Solace: Here, the child has talked about the above-mentioned problems.

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Let us now hear from someone, who belongs to the same cadre. Lakhindra Nayak, a lawyer in making from Jharkhand always aspired to be a lawyer, but, ultimately land up being a cartoonist. Following is a note by him.

Quite satisfied enough with the legal practice I aspired to become a lawyer having a large clientele. I dreamt that when I would alight from my car then the clients would crowd around me. Before my dreams realised into a reality, my desire to become a big legal practitioner was dashed to the ground. In place of the black coat, which I was donning for years I took up the black pen. It did not happen suddenly, for years there was constant turmoil in my mind, then the churning process awakened the artist in me.

My involvement with the comics started in 2003, when I attended 'Comics Workshop' for the first time as a participant organised by JOHAR at Chaibasa. There I came to know about World Comics India. Though I had a very less knowledge about comics but I used to regularly read the comics drawn by professionals like Thomas Sundi. Even the comics drawn by the first time learners in the workshop were quite good. Post to the workshop, capitalising on the skills garnered I made four comics but I was not happy with my creation comparing with comics made by Thomas Sundi and other renowned comics artists. In the meantime, I was in dilemma, whether to continue with making comics or not.

The workshop held from 2 to 5 December 2003 was quite inspiring to me.

Though quite involved in developing myself as a comics' artist, I did not even thinking for a while that I have to impart comics' skills to other also. I was called to Kolkata from 3 to 9 July 2005 to train the participants in a workshop organised by CINI ASHA. But I miserably failed. Then again I went to Kolkata in a workshop held from 6th to 10th September 2005. I learnt a lot from this workshop.

The training of participants by Sharad sir helped me also, in picking up the tips and techniques. In 2006, 'Comics workshops' were organized in different colleges in Goa to impart skills to the students. I was quite hesitant enough and thought how I who belongs to Jharkhand not fluent in English can train the students steeped in westernised culture and communicate quite flawlessly in English. But when I started drawing then it broke all the barriers of language.

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Now, let’s hear from the master himself. In the following write-up Sharad Sharma explains how, they went ahead training people in the art of cartooning.

Grassroots Comics have become a very powerful and at the same time inexpensive means of communication in India. The demand to train activists in the art of making comics has greatly increased in the last few years. To meet this demand, the World Comics network decided to shift its focus from general comics workshops to trainers’ workshops. The persons who had attended some of the comics workshops and continued to use comics as a tool for communication were potential participants of the training of trainers (ToT) workshops.

In 2005 a trainers’ workshop was organised in Goa. Eighteen activists, who had already participated in workshops in Mizoram, Nagaland, West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Maharasthra, attended this workshop. During the first two days, the concept of grassroots comics and its use throughout the world was discussed. Then the participants were divided into four groups. Each group gave a presentation on its understanding of the comics training and its utilization.

The entire process of identifying the issue, writing a story, illustrating it and then giving a final touch to the comics was repeated.

The next three days were meant for testing the skills of the new trainers.

They now had to organise a workshop for workers and activists from various NGOs of Goa. The trainers and trainees were divided into four batches and for the next three days, four comics training workshops were held simultaneously. The new trainers-to be successfully accomplished the task of teaching the participants amidst different cultures, languages and environment. Twenty-one comics in languages like Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, Kannad, Mizo and English were made. The new trainers seemed very confident and eager to put their new skills to practice. A similar workshop for twenty-four tutor-trainees was organised in Bhopal in 2006 with local NGO activists as test groups.

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by Rosamliana Ralte, Mizoram, Februaury’03

The agony of forest fire: The artist too belongs to the community of ‘barefoot cartoonists’. Here, he has talked about the problem of jhoom cultivation in the state.

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by Sunder Mohan, Joar, Jadugoda, Jharkhand

EveTeasing: Two boys tease a passing-by girl. She reports the incidence to police. The police takes action. Sunder Mohan too belongs to the cadre of “Barefoot Cartoonists.�

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By Hansaram, Madhya Pradesh

Child Marriage, an Offence: There is a child marriage going on in a village. One man speaks to another about this evil practice. He replies saying there is no problem and they should take part. But suddenly the Police arrives and the culprits are arrested.

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The following is an article by Alan Moir, an award winning editorial cartoonist for the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. In his article, he has talked about the concept of ‘barefooted cartoonists’ and how Sharad Sharma has contributed to achievement of this great feat.

In the ‘70s and ‘80s groups of Indian ‘unqualified doctors’ such as medical students, nurses, midwives etc. went out into the vast and teeming interior of India to offer preventative medicine and basic first aid to the countless villages, which seldom saw a doctor. It was a spectacular success and has been imitated in many parts of the third and developing world. These pioneers where nicknamed the ‘barefoot doctors’.

Over the last 5 years or so, a group of young cartoonists and illustrators are following their footsteps, going out to these endless villages with their incomprehensible numbers to help bring a basic education about current health, environmental and political crises affecting these regional areas, which they, the cartoonists, feel have been bypassed by the national and state governments focusing too much on the economic boom sweeping India.

Originally based in Delhi the idea was developed by the free-lance cartoonist Sharad Sharma, who, along with other Delhi artist and journalistic colleagues, was frustrated by the way the Indian national press in particular was ignoring the ‘Second India’, the masses still living in poverty and sometimes squalor. The artists had been finding it very difficult to get issues that might affect the poorer tribal areas published. And if they had it would be pretty ineffective as English is not widely spoken in the rural areas, which speak scores of different regional languages.

Sharad’s idea was to go out to the villages with comic wall-posters in the local language explaining issues of urgency, such as information about HIVAIDS, overpopulation, drug abuse, the environment, basic health, corruption etc., even posters about the practice still prevalent in some tribal areas of killing baby girls.

But the plan was not to do all this himself but to organize workshops to teach locals (remembering in India a ‘village’ may have 5,000 people) how to draw basic cartoons and to print comics and posters.

The idea has been a great success with workshops in many regions being attended by students, doctors, local journalists as well as the local amateur cartoonists.

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The resulting posters are not ‘professional’ in the commercial sense as we know it, but are effective, as they address pertinent local issues, corruption being a popular subject.

These cartoonists are mostly not professionals or careerists, they don’t do drawings about global or national leaders, their cartoons are purely local but of far greater and lasting importance that most of the stuff we do.

Their drawings generally don’t look great, but they communicate successfully where other media fail.

They’d be delighted to hear from Australians, and if any of you have any cartoons on the types of subjects they print, I’m sure they would value them and translate them for the regions if they use them.

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Serious issues can be presented in a lucid manner Comics is one such medium, which helps get better out of anybody. Many a times, it becomes difficult for us to express our ideas, views, stances, problems etc. due to the complexity of the topic, or other factors involved.

But, this medium has given us that power through which we can talk about all of them in a simpler and a healthier manner.

Through this medium, we can talk about those serious issues in the most lucid manner, which at times are difficult to discuss. In those areas, where it is difficult for the development workers to bring about necessary changes in the attitude, mindset of the locals due to some traditions, social taboos, reservations etc. In those circumstances, comics as a medium can prove to be extremely helpful. Looking at the complexity of the issue, he can use this medium to raise his voice for or against it.

Different from other mediums, like print or electronic, where, one has to go in a straight forward manner, in order to make it understandable to its audience. At times, there will be pressure from various sides, like organizational, personal, professional etc. regarding the use of a particular information or where its about taking a stance. But, In Comics, one can refrain himself from taking a particular stance, as Grassroot Comics are nothing, but first hand view – first voices – to the issues in the community, so they take due care in raising the problems, sufferings, issues of that community. Being produced in or by a community, they don’t fear any antisocial elements that can be a threat to the residents. Therefore, this medium can be used effectively to talk about all those issues, which mainstream media refrains from.

As compared to other mediums, where the audience is on mercy of information giver or content provider i.e. mainstream media, who provides information according to his own wish, it’s different here. Comics is a medium, where the information giver or content provider thinks, this is his problem, which is being neglected by the mainstream media, so he uses this medium to talk about his issues, or the issues or sufferings of the community.

Let’s see some illustrations to understand the concept in a better manner:

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by Ms. Dhirjyu Jyoti, from Assam

Aggression is no solution: Here, she has tried to show, how some anti– social elements who blow up a bridge, in protest against the government, later on realize that this way they have created problems for their people.

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by Asim Sindhi, Lahore, Pakistan

Who’s Offence???: Ahmed, as a male has all the right to date a girl but puts all restrictions on his sister. One day, when she goes out to fetch water, she stops to give directions to a stranger. One of the villagers sees her and informs Ahmed about it, distorting the facts at the same time. Infuriated by this, Ahmed attacks his sister and kills her in the name of ‘honour’.

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by Rupali Kundan, Kolkata

Once a Month: Here, the artist has talked about the problem of menstruating with teens. Though, it is difficult to sketch it, but she has done it beautifully.

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by Ajit Singh, Rajasthan

Veil System: A lady is unable to inform her father-in-law about the theft of their luggage because of the veil system. Both regret the incidence and the old tradition.

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Comics vs. Cartoons Through alternative media and its empowering effect on communities, one can see a powerful new movement that has emerged in the country — one that builds on the power of comics. To understand this movement better, we must know what comics really mean. Comics are nothing, but visual stories.

It is the drama of the story that engages the reader and makes the point.

While Cartoons are simply a satire/comment on an individual or an event.

Comics are basically multi panel stories, whereas, Cartoons are mostly single panel.

Sometimes, telling a story in four panels may seem impossible, but the results are striking. For example: A 14-year-old girl, who after being trained in comics told a story in four panels — the first panel shows a man drinking, in the second he is shown smoking a cigarette, in the third he goes off to sleep and leaves the live butt in the home, and the fourth shows the home being razed to the ground. This was used as a tool in the campaign against alcoholism in Tamil Nadu.

While making a comics, one must make a point that, it is more important to have a good story, with interesting and engaging characters, which the readers can identify with easily. While, In Cartoons, It’s more important to have identifiable characters, with strong idea.

The way cartooning has evolved in a country like India and in the other parts of the world, its been seen that it has remained only in the hands of a few who use it for lampooning political personalities, for criticising the powers that be, in a lighter vein. On his experiences, Sharad Sharma said, “Common people have this misconception that, if you are a cartoonist, then you must be working with a newspaper, or a magazine. But, this kind of attitude is harmful. One should see it beyond the political and editorial work. Comics can play an important role in development sector too. So, there is a dire need to bring about a change in the attitude of the masses.”

But one thing is certain — both adults and children enjoy Comics, and when a powerful story is told through sketches, the message is all the more powerful. And so Comics can be a partner in the development process and can, in fact, bring to the fore developments in the social sector before the public.

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Following illustrations can be seen to have better understanding about the differences in style of Cartoons and Comics.

Cartoon format

Above shown cartoons are the works of Surendra, a political cartoonist with an Indian national daily, The Hindu.

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Wallposter Comic format

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by Fulgens Tigga, Sarguja, Chhattisgarh How to prevent Malaria: People fall ill due to mosquito breeding in stagnant water. A social activist explains the villagers about the preventive measures. The villagers fill up the potholes with mud and breed Gambuzia fish in the water around handpumps.

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Comics by amateurs, not by professionals As against the mainstream media, where all jobs are performed by professionals, technicians, artists etc., and there is very less scope for intervention from amateurs, this medium gives full liberty to an amateur to try his hand over this art.

Grassroots Comics, i.e. comics that are made by socially active people themselves, rather than by campaign and art professionals, are genuine voices- people voices, which encourage local debate in the society. What makes these comics different from professional material, is the fact that they are made mainly for local distribution. The grassroots comics, especially wallposter comics, emerge as a medium, which is available to groups and individuals, who normally have little or no access to media. The comics are pasted up in meeting places, bus stops, shops, offices, schools, on notice boards and electricity poles, etc. The readers usually know the organization/individuals, who has put up the comics.

One must not underestimate the knowledge of the common man about his own community, most probably he knows much better, what is right or wrong, than any well-meaning outsider. By anchoring the grassroots comics to the community activists and to their NGOs, the messages in their stories can help raise a debate within the community. Their impact in the local debate is quite strong. So, this shows how important is it to breed amateur cartoonists, in small parts of the country, because in those regions, they are better equipped with information, sufferings of the locals. And, through this medium, they can talk about them all.

Talking about the same, Sharad Sharma, World Comics India said, “While, in training process, the trainers concentrate on showing the participants how to visualise the story, make the story in a logical sequence, and make it easy to read and to understand correctly. The trainers must also boost the participants’ confidence in their drawing. Many of the participants in our comics workshops have never made comics before, but most of them are eager to give it a try. The results have been very encouraging. The comics have been successfully used in campaigns involving human rights, health education, corruption, environmental concerns etc.�

In beginning, lot of people tends to talk about those issues, which have been taken up by mainstream media only, but they do not relate to their problems.

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So, sometimes, it becomes difficult for the trainer to get the participant out of that frame of mind, where media has tried to portray larger than life image of society. Through this medium, one can help a person believe, that he also has a story to tell. Sometimes, seeing others prepare comics, they get motivated to draw their own comics in the spirit of competition.

On his experiences, Sharad Sharma said, “Recently, in a workshop in Kolkata, there was a 10-year old girl who was working with her family in a brick factory, used to travel almost 250 kms everyday for the workshop.

When asked about her issue, she had nothing to tell, except dolls, Kings, Queens, trains etc. But, after a pep talk, she came up with a comic that was brilliant, which relates to her issue. This is called “Power of Comics”.”

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by Pradeep Dangi, Madhya Pradesh

Mockery of the faith: In a village, a pandit spreads a rumour that the idol of goddess is drinking milk. People started offering stone idol tonnes of milk. Finally, Pandit was thrown out of the village, when he was caught fooling the villagers in the name of Devi.

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by Vanlal Chhandama, Mizoram Fruitless Seed: Being an amateur, he has successfully raised the local problem in a very beautiful manner.

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Campaigns through Comics Any group with an identity, a message and a target audience can produce and use Grassroots Comics as a communication tool. Comics can also be used as a medium for successful campaigning on an issue, that’s a deterrent to growth of a society. Grassroots comics are best suited for local Campaigning and peer communication in local languages. The comics have been successfully used in campaigns involving child rights, girl education, health, corruption, environmental concerns, farmer’s issues etc.

There are different levels of campaigning with grassroots comics, from peer group distribution within a local community to using local comics in mass distribution. Obviously, the available resources will always be the determining factor. Grassroots Comics made for a local audience can also be used for mass distribution. This was the case in the Barmer Girl Child Campaign, in which the comics were made by villagers and activists in Barmer, but the Comics were later distributed in a large part of Rajasthan, because the messages were relevant for the whole area. A first voice communication by a community member has much more credibility and impact than a slick presentation by a communication professional.

Comics can definitely play an important role in campaigns, as it is an attractive medium. Due to involvement of locals in the campaign with local language and lot of local cultural information, it becomes easy for activists or development workers to communicate their ideas to large part of society.

It being a more visual medium, it is easy and faster means to communicate.

The comics being prepared in local dialect holds an advantage for the locals also. This way, they are able to relate to the characters of the story and thus, they pick up the message very easily.

In past few years, World Comics India (WCI) too has used Comics for successful campaigning in various regions. Let’s study few of them: 1.

2.

Girl Child Campaign in Barmer, Rajasthan (Aapri Dikri Ro Hak) Campaign for Child Rights, Goa

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Aapri Dikri Ro Hak (Rights for our Daughters) Following is a note from Sharad Sharma, World Comics India on the Girl Child campaign in Barmer, Rajasthan.

Barmer is in Western Rajasthan, in a very harsh desert area. At the first comics workshop in Barmer in 2005, seventy participants turned up, but they were all male. Clearly this was not acceptable. A local activist said: “What to do? People don’t want to send their daughters”.

However, somehow the local organisers managed to find some school girls to fill up the gap. The deplorable situation of the women in Barmer strengthened our commitment to work for the empowerment of women there, and it also gave direction to the six-day workshop where comics on discrimination against girls, eve teasing, female foeticide, widow marriage and related issues were developed. Later, the comics were exhibited in a tent at a busy cross-section of the city, drawing the attention of thousands of people. Many identified themselves with the problems raised in the comics.

Whenever, we visited Barmer we found amazing interest and excitement about the Comics. Follow-up workshops were organised by World Comics India within a few months, and this time, girls from remote villages participated. The overall theme was “Rights for the Girl Child”.

When we were distributing the comics in the villages, we saw some boys raising the slogan “Long Live Comics Power”. They had not participated in any of our workshops but had learned how to make wallposter comics by watching others drawing. Within a span of a few months, over 300 wallposter comics were developed in this difficult area where children took to them as entertainment. A campaign called “Rights for our Daughters”, popularly known as “Aapri Dikri Ro Hak” was launched, and it took the wallposters to hundreds of villages. Different ways for creating awareness of the plight of girls were used, from door-to-door campaigning to cyclists moving out to reach the villagers, and to torchlight processions. Comics were distributed everywhere.

The overwhelming support inspired us to launch a bigger campaign so that even more youngsters would be involved. We arranged a motor cycle rally in January 2006, which took us from Barmer to Jodhpur with stop-overs in the 41

roadside villages. We distributed wallposter comics, strips and comic books at every stop. What made our campaign material so special and attractive, was the fact that it was produced by the local people themselves.

The bike rally is over, but the campaign “Rights for our Daughters” still goes on. More comics are created all the time. Six months after the rally, Hansaram of Haathma village said: “A wind of change is blowing in the area, and this year many more girls are enrolled in the schools.”

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by Hiraram Sankhala, Barmer, 2005

Such an Effort: In a village, Meena’s father decides to sell his property in order to make up for dowry for her marriage. But, the head of the village opined to talk to groom’s family, in order to get rid of this social taboo.

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by Kabbu, 12 years, Barmer, 2005

Don’t do this: In a village, two young sisters Shanti and Intri are married off early because their father wants to save money. After some time, Intri becomes pregnant and develops severe complications. Her parents realise that they should not have married off their daughters at such a young age.

Their mother shares her experience with other women and they promise her that they won’t commit the same mistake.

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Campaign against Paedophilia Following is a report from Sharad Sharma, World Comics India on the Comics campaign against ills of tourism in Goa: In Goa, tourism is increasingly important for people’s livelihoods. At the same time, it has created a lot of new problems as people from poor areas migrate to Goa in search of work. These people, both adults and children often fall prey to exploitation. Some of the children have even become victims of paedophilia.

An impressive campaign to raise the awareness of these problems was launched in 2006 by a Goan movement called Metamorphosis and UNIFEM. World Comics India was called to conduct comics workshops in five colleges. The workshops covered serious issues like displacement, migration, prostitution and child abuse. The problems were first discussed, and then described in stories, made by the participants. They were coached in sketching and drawing and completed their comics within three days. As an outcome of the five workshops, 200 wallposter comics and 50 comic booklets were developed.

In different parts of Goa, the students then divided themselves into groups and distributed the comic material among the people. The wallposters were pasted up in hotels, roadside food stalls, bus stops, beauty parlours and barber sho ps. All the comics were also displayed in an exhibition organised at Kala Academy in Panjim.

In the second phase of the campaign forty participants were selected for training of trainers (ToT) workshops. Later, these new trainers formed a group called Goenkar Changemakers. They have conducted workshops for the children in migrant communities, in schools and shelter homes.

The Goenkar Changemakers even got support from the State Government’s Child and Women Welfare Department to exhibit the comics in sixty remote villages of Goa. The success of this campaign was largely due to ownership.

The students who pasted all poster comics in the streets had a strong sense of involvement since they were themselves the creators of the campaign material.

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by Arpana M Latkar, Goa, 2006

The end of innocence: A man promises a job to a girl and lures her to a city. She finds herself forced into prostitution. She pleads with her tormentors but they keep on plundering her body. She asks whether it is right to trust people who pretend to be nice.

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by Sapphira, Goa

Be Alert: Here the artist has tried to show, how your vigilance can help save a child’s future.

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Graphic Novels We have seen Cartoons or Comics used for political lampooning, editorials, entertainment, social messages etc. But, off-late, alternative uses of this medium have also been looked at.

Graphic Novels is one such alternative use, that we are talking about here. It helps bringing reality into fore. The characters and the protagonist may be alien and unknown but the medium is such that you find yourself passing through those streets, those droplets of experience and those moments of madness. It is a medium, which till now, you have passed on to children, thinking you have grown up and they would cherish it now. The role we have seen Comics playing cannot be just ignored. It is happening like this: a few artists across the globe have invested all their energies in evolving a new genre - a combination of reportage and illustrations - which is now evoking immense response. It has been termed as Comics or Graphic Journalism.

There is an entire spectrum of stories - from holocaust to repression in Iran – which are being turned into an illustrious part of this new genre.

The best part about such works of illustrated reportage is that the tension between the written word and the image can be used to highlight uncertainties, ambiguities and ironies that no other media can either explore or has chosen not to explore. And perhaps more importantly, they add to the options available to readers, who have lately demonstrated a hunger for voice and meaning in news coverage. All over the world, ambitious artistwriters have discovered that the cartoons on which they were raised make the perfect medium for exploring consciousness, the ideal shortcut - via irony and gallows humour - from introspection to the grand historical sweep.

Art Spiegelman, whose pathbreaking work Maus uses cartoon conventions to narrate his father's experience during the holocaust. Combining brilliant story-telling techniques with symbolism of characters, he paints a vivid picture of those times. So Jews become mice and Nazis are depicted as cats.

This work won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. He along with his wife now edits the renowned graphic arts journal RAW. There is a common thread running through all these works: of honesty and vulnerability. They don't portray their protagonists or for that matter other characters as heroes. They are ordinary, very ordinary and yet in their ordinariness, there is hidden a certain degree of heroism, which one can't help but notice and bask in its brilliance.

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In this direction only, a woman from Iran created an ideal case for fatwa.

Marjane Satrapi, 35, grew up in Iran during the Islamic revolution. Now living in Paris, her autobiographical work, Persepolis, on her years spent in Iran, combines political history and memoir. Through this, she portrays her country's 20th - century upheavals through the story of her own family.

Satrapi uses a very unique drawing style in telling her story. She paints a thick, inky black-on-white composition. Persepolis was first published in France. Its English edition comes with an introduction expressing the author's desire to show Americans that Iran is not only a country of fanatics and terrorists.

A piece from Art Spiegelman’s work Maus

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Anthologies Anthologies refer to Compilation or collection. Here are few Anthologies on Comics:-

 Voices from the field people’s comics- This book is a compilation of Grassroot Comics prepared during a number of workshops conducted

by Sharad Sharma and his fellow trainers. This book is an amazing collection of 130 Grassroot Comics drawn by amateurs in 13 states in India. As, these comics have been prepared by amateurs, thus they are people’ - first voices. The issues ranges from Corruption to HIV, Malaria to Urbanisation, Human Rights to Education etc.  Half World Four Frames- This book has been compiled by Sharad Sharma. This book is a unique effort in itself, as it is a Gender book.

This book shows women in different positions, from being an aware citizen to strong women, from empowered to unite. The unique thing about this book is that, the comics have been picked from material produced during workshops in 3 countries namely India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. So, the ranges of issues widely are the issues of women in South Asia. This boo is also different from others,as the comics have been converted into strip form, instead of traditional panel form.  Grassroot Comics -a development communication tool- This book has been written by Leif Packalen and Sharad Sharma. This book is a compilation of the two cartoonists experiences, and a trainers guide for all those amateurs, who have realized the power of this medium.  Positive Frames reflections from the street- This book is an amazing effort by World Comics India and Plan International (India). This book carries almost 70 comics only on the issue of HIV/AIDS, drawn by the participants in a workshop. Looking at the comics, one can see the enthusiasm in the children on the issue like HIV/AIDS. 50

Comic Strips The idea behind Comic strip culture has been imported from countries like US & UK, where people love to read strips like Calvin and Hobbes, Wizard of ID, Denace the Menace etc. that are being published in a small column almost by all newspapers.

While, In India, we have culture of political and editorial cartoons. But, the problem with them, as compared to strips prevalent in West are, Political and editorial cartoons dies after a certain period of time, but strip has life.

While, Many of Indian English dailies give space to such strips, like Calvin and Hobbes, Tarzan etc. imported from West, but, the problem with these strips is, that they cater only to the audience, who read those newspapers, or who know English. So, what about, people at Grassroot? Why, they have been neglected every time?

But, seeking a solution to this problem, Sharad Sharma Said, “Now, We have taken up the responsibility of providing non-english strips to regional media. What else can be better, than this? Grassroot Comics are people’s own voices, talking about their issues, sufferings, achievements etc. These Comics have been produced in number of workshops. Converting them from their traditional multi-panel form to strips, we provide these comics to regional newspapers, which give them space on regular basis under the name of Jan-Man. This strip service is also an amazing example of crossculture exchange. When a person in Rajasthan will read a strip prepared by some amateur in Mizoram, then this way, he will be able to develop a better understanding about that region.”

by Praffula, Rajasthan 51

Conclusion So far, we have seen, how Mainstream media has neglected the needs and desires of the people, upon the political stories, which dominate most of the space. So, definitely there is a need of an alternative medium, which can help marginalized talk about their problems, sufferings on wide range of issues like health, education, environment, rights, social taboos etc.

Thus, We can say that, Grassroot Comics are fast emerging as an alternate medium of communication for the marginalized. In this, World Comics India has definitely contributed a lot, and is still working on making this medium accessible to all, even in the remotest part of the country. But, still there is need for many more cartoonists like Sharad Sharma, who can take responsibility of taking this medium to farthest point possible.

It’s also high time, that Mainstream media also realize the need for pushing up Grassroot stories more and more.

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Bibliography  Voices from the field people’s Comics: Edited by Sharad Sharma and Rohini Singh, New Delhi, 2004.  Half World Four Frames: Compiled and Edited by Sharad Sharma, New Delhi, 2007.  Packalen Leif and Sharma Sharad; Grassroot Comics- a development communication tool. Finland, 2007.  Positive Frames Reflections from the street: Edited by Sharad Sharma and Vinayakan, New Delhi, 2005.  Comics for All: World Comics India Bulletin, issue 2004  Comics for All: World Comics India Bulletin, issue 2005  Comics for All: World Comics India Bulletin, issue 2006  Noronha Federick, Using Comics for Development Reporting, thehoot.org, 2004 http://thehoot.org/story.asp?storyid=Web210214207159Hoot112107 %20AM1151&pn=1  Moir Alan, Band of Barefoot Cartoonists, abwac.org.au, 2005 http://www.abwac.org.au/downloads/Inkspot44.pdf

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