->Whiteguru at 07:39, 1 January 2022

2022-01-01T07:39:22Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian cartoonist}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Keshava Shankar Pillai
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1902|07|31}}
| birth_place = [[Kayamkulam]], Kerala
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1989|12|26|1902|07|31}}
| known_for = ''[[Shankar's Weekly]]''<br />[[Children's Book Trust]]<br />[[Shankar's International Dolls Museum]]
| alma_mater = University Science College, Trivandrum
| occupation = [[cartoonist]], writer
| years_active = 1932–1986
| awards = [[Padma Vibhushan]] (1976)
}}

'''Kesava Shankar Pillai''' (31 July 1902 – 26 December 1989), better known as '''Shankar''', was an Indian [[cartoonist]]. He is considered the father of political cartooning in India.<ref>{{cite book |last=Khorana |first=Meena |title=The Indian subcontinent in literature for children and young adults |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GSjcQ7Sm5E4C&q=Keshava+Shankar+Pillai&pg=PA210 |year=1991|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=0-313-25489-3}}</ref> He founded ''[[Shankar's Weekly]]'', India's ''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]'' in 1948. ''Shankar's Weekly'' also produced cartoonists like [[Abu Abraham]], Ranga and Kutty, he closed down the magazine during the [[Indian Emergency|Emergency]] of 25 June 1975. From then on he turned to making children laugh and enjoy life.

He was awarded the [[Padma Vibhushan]] in 1976, the second highest civilian honour given by the [[Govt. of India]].<ref>[http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmavibhushan_awards_list1.php?start=150 Padma Vibhushan Awardees]</ref> Today he is most remembered for setting up [[Children's Book Trust]] established 1957 and [[Shankar's International Dolls Museum]] in 1965.<ref name=tri>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020802/ncr2.htm Tribute to Shankar] [[The Hindu]], 2 August 2002.</ref>

==Early life and education==
Shankar was born in 1902 at [[Kayamkulam]], Kerala. He attended schools in Kayamkulam and [[Mavelikkara]]. The sleeping posture of one of his teachers in the classroom was his first [[cartoon]] which got him into trouble. He was encouraged by his uncle who saw in him a great potential as a cartoonist.<ref>{{usurped|[https://archive.today/20130103014144/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2007/10/15/stories/2007101550010100.htm Fifty and counting!]}} [[The Hindu]], 15 October 2007.</ref> After schooling, he studied painting at Ravi Varma School of Painting at Mavelikara ([[Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts]]).

Shankar took keen interest in dramas, scouting, literary activities etc. He amazingly did good campaign for the collection of funds towards flood relief. This concern for the poor and the distressed people continued all through his life and reflected in his cartoons.

After graduating from the Maharaja's College of Science (now University College), [[Trivandrum]], in 1927, he left for Bombay (now [[Mumbai]]) for higher studies and joined the Law College, but quit his law studies midway and started working.

==Career==
Shankar's cartoons were published in ''[[The Free Press Journal]]'' and ''[[The Bombay Chronicle]]''. [[Pothan Joseph]], the editor of the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' brought him to Delhi as a staff cartoonist, in 1932 and continued as its staff cartoonist till 1946. Thus he and his family settled in [[Delhi]] finally.

Shankar's cartoons attracted even [[Viceroy]]s like [[Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon|Lord Willington]] and [[Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow|Lord Linlithgow]]. [[Mahatma Gandhi|Gandhi]] wrote a postcard to Shankar questioning one of his cartoons on [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah|Jinnah]]. There were other occasions too when Congress leaders disputed Shankar's cartoons.<ref>Ritu Gairola Khanduri. 2014. [http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/authors/246935 Caricaturing Culture in India: Cartoons and History of the Modern World]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref> During this time, Shankar had a chance of training in London for about 14 months. He spent the period in various Art schools, using the opportunity to study the advanced techniques in cartooning. He also visited [[Berlin]], [[Rome]], [[Vienna]], [[Geneva]] and [[Paris]]. When he returned to India, the country was in the thick of freedom struggle. The dawn of independence also favoured Shankar's dreams for a separate periodical. The idea came true when Pandit [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] released ''[[Shankar's Weekly]]'', edited by Shankar himself. However his cartoon also remained neutral often critical to his work, notable a cartoon published on 17 May 1964, just 10 days before Pandit Nehru death, showed an emaciated and exhausted Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, with a torch in hand, running the final leg of a race, with party leaders [[Gulzarilal Nanda|Gulzari Lal Nanda]], [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]], [[Morarji Desai]], [[Krishna Menon]] and [[Indira Gandhi]] in tow, to which Nehru remarked, "Don't spare me, Shankar".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121107104521/http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/05/stories/2009080550130200.htm ‘Don’t spare me, Shankar’: Cartoon exhibition pays tribute to a pioneer] [[The Hindu]], 5 August 2009.</ref>

Shankar loved kids and organised Shankar started the Shankar's International Children's Competition in 1949, and as a part of it, the Shankar's On-the-Spot Painting Competition for Children in 1952. He instituted an annual Competition for Writers of Children's Books in 1978. Beginning with English this competition is now held in Hindi too. It later began drawing children from all over the world. Annual awards from ''Shankar's Weekly'' were presented by prime ministers.

He also founded the [[Children's Book Trust]] in Nehru House on [[Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg]] in New Delhi in 1957. Later in 1965, the [[Shankar's International Dolls Museum|International Dolls Museum]] too came to be located here. Thus Nehru House became a 'must visit' item for kids going to New Delhi. It has now a children's library and reading room, known as Dr. B.C. Roy Memorial Children's Library and Reading Room and Library and a Doll development and production centre.

==Personal life==
The name of Shankar's wife was Thankam. He had two sons and three daughters. The [[Government of India]] released two postal stamps in 1991, depicting two of his cartoons. He was a member of Kerala Lalit Kala Academy. He also published an autobiographical work, 'Life with my Grandfather'in 1965, a [[Children's Book Trust]] publication.

==Legacy==
In 2002, 'A Symphony of Dreams', an exhibition to commemorate his birth centenary year, was organised at the [[Lalit Kala Academy]], [[Delhi]].<ref name=tri/> In May 2012, a cartoon of [[Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar]] sketched by him in 1949 caused "furor" in Indian Parliament, in reaction to its inclusion in [[NCERT]] education material, resulting in resignation of concerned NCERT personnel.<ref>Ritu Gairola Khanduri. 2014. Caricaturing Culture in India: Cartoons and History of the Modern World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref> Individuals claiming to belong to "Republican Panthers" indulged in vandalism to protest against the cartoon. These vandals damaged an office in the [[University of Pune]].<ref name="TOI20120513">{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-12/india/31679218_1_ncert-shankar-pillai-cartoon|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126150420/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-12/india/31679218_1_ncert-shankar-pillai-cartoon|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 January 2013|title=Ambedkar cartoon row: Ex-NCERT adviser office attacked|last=Shaikh|first=Asseem |date=12 May 2012|access-date=13 May 2012|work=[[The Times of India]]|location=Mumbai}}</ref>

==Honors and awards==
*[[Padma Shri]], 1956
*[[Padma Bhushan]], 1966<ref>[http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmabhushan_awards_list1.php?start=790 Padma Bhushan Awardees]</ref>
*[[Padma Vibhushan]], 1976
*[[Order of the Smile]] (1977), an honour from a committee of Polish children
*[[D. Litt.]] (honoris causa) by the [[University of Delhi]].

==Bibliography==
* Shankar (1937), ''[http://www.worldcat.org/title/101-cartoons-from-the-hindustan-times/oclc/029066618 101 Cartoons from the Hindustan Times]''. Dehli: Printed at the Hindustan Times Press. One hundred and one cartoons from the Hindustan Times; With a foreword by Jawaharlal Nehru.
* Shankar (1965), ''[http://www.worldcat.org/title/life-with-grandfather/oclc/000725537 Life with grandfather]''. New Delhi, Children's Book Trust. Written and illustrated by Shankar: An orphan Indian boy being raised by his grandparents tells stories about his life.
* Shankar (1983), ''[http://www.worldcat.org/title/dont-spare-me-shankar-jawaharlal-nehru/oclc/010778956 Don't spare me Shankar: Jawaharlal Nehru]''. New Delhi: Children's Book Trust. Reproduction of 400 selected cartoons from the Shankar's weekly, 20 June 1948 – 17 May 1964.
* Khanduri. 2014. Caricaturing Culture in India: Cartoons and History of the Modern World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/authors/246935

==Further reading==
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=dUoQ6aDF0KQC&pg=PA149&dq=Keshav+Shankar+Pillai#v=onepage&q=Keshav%20Shankar%20Pillai&f=false K. Shankar Pillai] ''Our Leaders'', Volume 11. [[Children's Book Trust]], {{ISBN|81-7011-955-3}}. ''P 149-174''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*Shankar at [https://web.archive.org/web/20091024171407/http://www.childrensbooktrust.com/founder.htm Children's Book Trust]
*[http://www.islamicvoice.com/february.2001/child.htm The Ingenious Cartoonist with an Aching Heart] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829140120/http://www.islamicvoice.com/february.2001/child.htm |date=29 August 2010 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090502023427/http://www.childrensbooktrust.com/dolls.htm Shankar's International Dolls Museum]
*[http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n50-1485 Shankar's Works at WorldCat]

{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1960–69}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Cartoonists from Kerala}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Literature & Education}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, K. Shankar}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Alappuzha district]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Journalists from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian cartoonists]]
[[Category:Indian magazine editors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian journalists]]
[[Category:Indian male journalists]]
[[Category:Indian political writers]]
[[Category:University College Thiruvananthapuram alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education]]

K. Shankar Pillai - Revision history

->Whiteguru at 07:39, 1 January 2022