An Animated History of India Through RK Laxman’s Common Man

We’ve animated RK Laxman’s ‘Common Man’ cartoons for you. Take a look.

India lost a prolific and unique record-keeper of modern history on 26 January 2015, the day RK Laxman passed away.

Today we revisit some of the creations by the ‘Common Man’ himself, that were drawn at crucial junctures of India’s history since 1947.

And hey, we've animated them just a little bit. Because ideas are forever, and so is RK Laxman’s craft.

March 1950

The bloody cost of Partition

February 1951

Kashmir, unsolved since 1947

April 1960

China, Nehru’s blind spot

January 1965

Laxman’s tribute to the Republic Day parade

May 1974

Pokharan I: Indira makes India nuclear

1975

In the ‘70s, Indira Gandhi’s son Sanjay was her big weakness

December 1984

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy

May 1991

The Ram Mandir movement and the rise of the BJP

July 2000

Sonia rules the Congress even today from 10 Janpath

December 2002

Laxman spotted the rise of Narendra Modi early

2004

Rahul taking the plunge into politics

October 2002

Final Comment

(This piece has been reposted from The Quint's archives for RK Laxman’s death anniversary. This article was originally published on 26 January 2016)