Indian cartoon likens police to KKK

Recent attacks on Indian university students in Melbourne have made news headlines over here. Even more recently, Indian student Nitin Garg has been murdered. In the wake of that killing, the above cartoon was published a couple of days ago in the Delhi Mail Today. It shows a person in a Ku Klux Klan hood wearing a police badge, with the following caption: "We are yet to ascertain the nature of the crime." The cartoon has caused lots of controversy & has been condemned by Australian police & political leaders as being deeply offensive. The view is that it is outrageous & inappropriate to liken the police to KKK.

The cartoonist, R Prasad, had told the media that his cartoon depicted an official acceptance of racism by failing to act against racially-motivated attacks. When asked why his cartoon showed Australian police as KKK members, he said that this was a "terribly wrong interpretation" & cartoons were always exagerrated. Mr Prasad added that cartoons offer "an artist's comment on news". He also then said that "the hood or the cloak of the Ku Klux Klan is a globally known and recognised cultural signifier that represents racism & that "the police badge on the cloak is a symbol of official acceptance of racism by not acting against race attacks".

My view: Hahahahaha!!! Very smart & witty, Mr Prasad. I like the cartoon, & I think it is funny. I'm not offended by it, & I don't see what is so offensive about it. And I don't think criticisms levelled toward the cartoonists are fully justified. Mr Prasad, the cartoonist, is fully entitled to his opinions. As a cartoonist, it his job to, as he said, offer an "artist's comment on news", & often such cartoons depict news/recent happenings in a humorous light. Mr Prasad is not saying all the police force are part of the KKK. He is just offering his view of the recent happenings in Melbourne, & of how thinks the police are handling the investigations. If he doesn't think the police are doing enough, & has some basis to support his viewpoint, then he as a cartoonist is entitied to depict his views creatively/artistically. Some people need to get a grip.....they are so sensitive. It's only a cartoon!!! In any case, there are bound to be some police in Australia & any Western country who are racist & hold white supremacist views. So tell me then, what is so wrong about this cartoon???