Mumbai: Late cartoonist R.K. Laxman, nicknamed ‘common man' for his illustrations of issues faced by common men, wanted to be part of the Indian Army, reveals a visitor's diary of an army school.
The legendry cartoonist had visited the artillery school in Maharashtra's Deolali, evident by its visitor's diary, where he drew a cartoon. The cartoon depicting his signature Common Man with checked jacket, dhoti, Gandhi glasses and a number of hairs on almost bald head expressed his desire to join the army.
The words on the cartoon read, “I wish I had joined the Army. It is so nice here.” The visitor's diary marks the date of his visit as June 10, 1998.
He defied politicians, leaving them read faced with his cartoons, exposing the hypocrisy and corruption rooted in politics.
Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman was a son of the school teacher and younger brother of eminent novelist R.K. Narayan.
The artist who presented the problems of the common men in a most peculiar way drew his last breath on January 26 this year. He was aged 93 at the time of his death.
