Political Cartoons:

Cartoonist Leslie Illingworth's                              Cartoon: Free India, May 20, 1947

Author’s Description: Gandhi, and a group of protesters, including a US sympathizer, are holding placards demanding that the British get out of India. All around them are the bodies of those who have died of hunger or civil war

Personal Opinion: This Political cartoon shows the opinion of Winston Churchill on freedom of India. The author might have created this cartoon just to show the opinion of Winston Churchill as it looks like the Opinion of Churchill was based on current happenings in India. This cartoon was created at the time when Churchill was the leader of opposition in 1947. Churchill being in the opposition leader one could understand why he would like India to be freed. Also we can see what Gandhi actually did for Indian Independence. He just demanded Swaraj or ‘Independence’. He never demanded for total independence, he just demanded the Indians under British Colony ruling India freely, until violent youth started the demand of Poorna Swaraj or total Independence. All he did throughout the struggle for Indian independence is make homemade cotton cloth like in this picture is not seen raising any slogan except continuing his demand for Swaraj even after looking at the situation around him where dead bodies are lying here with Vultures feeding on them and there with British officials mistreating Indian lady on the back. It can give the reader a view of Independence struggle by Gandhi and his followers which was only to raise slogans.

Cartoonist Leslie Illingworth's                              Cartoon: New Indian policy, March 31, 1942

Authors Description: Three hunters, riding on elephants marked "Congress", "Moslems" and "Princes" are hunting a tiger marked "Indian disunity". Sir Stafford Cripps is waving a flag marked "New Indian policy", and is shouting "Now's your chance".

Personnel Opinion: This cartoon shows how Indian disunity played a great role in India becoming a colony of Britain and partition of India. This cartoon was created five years prior to Indian Independence when Britain declared India will get complete independence after World War II was over. This cartoon not only shows us the reason for Indian partition but also reason for India becoming colony of Britain. As Independence was approaching British officials declared that current Indian Princes and Muslim league can have separate nations if they want and Indian National Congress will get separate nation. India was not united even at the times of Independence. We see that three Indian groups hunting the national animal Tiger on three separate elephants and British official waving Flag that New British Policy written on it and shouting Now’s Your Chance. The words Now’s Your Chance can signify that British took over India because of disunity of Indians and now it is the good chance for Muslim League, Princes and INC to get benefits from this disunity. As the Independence Day came closer INC and Princes joined hand to form one nation India and Pakistan was formed under the leadership of Muslim league.

 

US Imperialism Cartoon:

Cartoon: The White(?) Mans Burden

This Political cartoon is very important in depicting imperialism by the Unites States of America. It shows Uncle Sam is being carried on the back of a dark skinned native; the cartoon makes us ask, who is bearing the real burden? In this cartoon, rather than accepting a burden of responsibility, these symbols of civilization are placing a burden on the “less civilized” peoples of the world. The true “White Man’s Burden” is exploitation, not selfless laboring on behalf of the less fortunate which can be seen not only in this case and the US but by many Colonial Empires in many parts or world.