The cartoon

Many school or even college kids are literal. They do not 'get' satire, metaphors, analogies..etc. That has been my experience. There are exceptions, but this is generally true.

The 'debate' in the parliament about a cartoon in a textbook makes me believe that not having a cartoon is more important to the MPs than poverty alleviation, food security,education reform, or other such issues since these issues are not debated with equal vigor.

Many upholders of freedom of speech have been outraged and ask "So, are we staring at the demise of the Political Cartoon? No future Shankars, Abus and R K Laxmans?" But no one is objecting to cartoons in newspapers. I believe such cartoons are perfectly fine for a magazine or newspaper, but are out of place in a school textbook. I agree with the objections, not to the cartoon itself, but to its inclusion in a textbook.

However, is this such an earth-shaking problem to cause such a hooha? Now they are reviewing all textbooks!