A steamroller, driven by cruel industrialists, crushes the demands of workers and farmers who try to hold their political representatives accountable. The politician watches the spectacle, indeed enables it, wielding an axe labelled ‘Public Safety Bill.’ Before and after India’s independence, Chittaprosad fearlessly critiqued those in power using caricatures drawn with ink and brush. The cartoons referred to contemporary events such as the Public Safety Act of 1946, a version of a preventive detention law that was enacted to suppress the Quit Kashmir Movement in the name of ‘public order’. Chittaprosad’s expressive forms, however, make the figures and incidents scarily relatable even in our present times.
Chittaprosad
Untitled
Brush and ink on paper
Enquiry Form
Chittaprosad
Untitled
Brush and ink on paper
Image Request Form
Images from DAG’s Museum Collection are accessible to artists, educators and researchers for non-commercial, educational use. Submit your details below to request access to use this image.