Aseem Trivedi's Cartoons Against Corruption

Aseem Trivedi's Cartoons Against Corruption is a cartoon based campaign by political cartoonist Aseem Trivedi to support anti corruption movement in India, best known for sharp hard hitting anti corruption cartoons. Crime Branch, Mumbai banned the website of Cartoons Against Corruption during the hunger strike of Anna Hazare in December 2011.

Ban on the Aseem Trivedi's website

On the very first day of the hunger strike, Crime Branch (Mumbai) ordered BigRock, the host of www.cartoonsagainstcorruption.com to block the cartoon website and the website was suspended with in 24 hours. The cartoonist was not even served a prior notice either by Crime Branch or by the website hosting company.

Aseem Trivedi Cartoon

Indian Parliament by Aseem Trivedi

Sex in India

Indian Constitution by Aseem Trivedi

Debate in the Parliament about Aseem Trivedi

These anti corruption cartoons also provoked an MP, Ram Kripal Yadav, to initiate a discussion in the Rajya Sabha, labeling the cartoons as an “insult to the Indian Parliament.” RJD MP Ram Kripal Yadav raised the issue in the upper house of the Parliament on the same day, when Rajniti Prasad, another MP of his own party, tore the Lokpal Bill copy in the same house.

Protests against the ban of Aseem Trivedi

Supporters of the artist’s right to freedom of expressions continue to issue harsh critiques against Mumbai Police and the domain holder, Big Rock, for taking down the website without giving Trivedi any chance to defend himself or contest the ban. Arvind Gaur, a core member of India Against Corruption raised his voice supporting the objectivity of the cartoons. He said, “I have minutely observed the cartoons made by Aseem Trivedi who has raised a voice against corruption through this medium of Art. He has not tried to make a fun of the constitution or nation rather he has very perfectly tried to show the anger and the rage of the common people of India who are dying because of the unrestricted corruption in the nation. According to me, putting a ban on Aseem’s cartoons is not only a ban on his cartoons rather it is a restriction on media and social networking sites on their working.” Many writers, artist and activist gathered at Rajghat, New Delhi to protest against the undemocratic ban on the Cartoons Against Corruption.

Save Your Voice

The experience has turned him into a sort of full-time activist. He has floated a body against censorship. After the ban on Cartoons Against Corruption, cartoonist Aseem Trivedi started 'Save Your Voice,' a movement against internet censorship along with his journalist friend Alok Dixit and started protesting against internet censorship in India.

Awards for Aseem Trivedi

Aseem Trivedi has been selected for the "Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award" of Virginia based Cartoonists Rights Network International the award for launching the Cartoons Against Corruption website, in an effort to mobilize his fellow citizens against India’s pervasive political corruption. He is sharing the award with Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat, who was abducted and badly beaten in August, 2011 amid the Syrian regime’s crackdown. Ali Ferzat is in the Time magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.