Fly escapes...:Cartoonscape — The Hindu, August 29, 2016

Cartoonscape — August 29, 2016: Cartoon from 'The Hindu'...

Fly escapes sledgehammer!

As are most of the cartoons occupying edit page of the Hindu, the one by Keshav on ‘sedition charges’ (The Hindu, August 29) was also thought-provoking and carried a message which need to be pondered over by not only the users of sledgehammer for killing the fly implied in the cartoon, but also by those who waste newsprint, prime hours of telecast time and other resources on relatively trivial issues on an ongoing basis.
In the classic example of the ‘sledgehammer being used to kill a fly’, mostly the fly escapes, sometimes injured, but the surface which bears the shock gets broken or, if it is a gadfly which is targeted, the surface bleeds.
As a nation, we need to change our way of thinking and our approach to issues, from that towards Kashmir to handling issues relating to meat and stray dogs consistent with the changing times and the long way the world has moved during the recent decades. Infusing more pragmatism, compassion and respect for the ‘other view’ and democratic processes will help.

M G Warrier, Mumbai

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