There would be hardly any person who hasn’t come across a comic book in his life and got transported to a new world of fable and fantasy. A Suppandi, Tintin, Archie or Phantom would be familiar characters to most people. And all who have watched Taare Zameen Par can recall the child protagonist Eshaan Awasthy being transported to a fantasy land where he is either conquering the planets as a space jet pilot or conjuring various illusions at the breakfast table. And better still, we can even recall the way he puts his thoughts on paper, creating myriad drawings which lead to the climax of the movie. This trait is noticeable among a lot of young children, to whom you hand over a blank paper and some crayons, and you have a sample of original modern art.

So, the talent for art could be termed as a basic instinct that is inherent in human beings. Examples may be cited from the prehistoric caves and the marvellous cave drawings etched out on the walls of the prehistoric dwellings of the Upper Palaeolithic period, which have helped the archaeologists decipher the mysteries regarding the lives of people before history was penned.

Hence, banking on this basic instinct of every individual to feel, think and draw, Sharad Sharma, a journalist by profession, started a modest venture a few years back and founded an NGO by the name of World Comics India (WCI) and worked relentlessly to give voice to the voiceless. WCI is a collective of cartoonists, media persons and grassroots activists who promote comics as a communication tool and a mode of self-expression in remote and inaccessible areas of South Asia and other countries. It has also worked in collaboration with World Comics Finland, which has worked in various African and Latin American countries.

‘Grassroots Comics’ might sound alien to most people, except a few who have gone through the one or two news items on this medium. So some explanation is in order.

Comics, as we know, are stories which are told pictorially. They comprise stories on heroism, adventure, humour, etc., done by professional artists. But, unlike such mainstream comics, the grassroots comics are made by socially active people who have a story to tell and issues to raise. They are inexpensively produced by the application of simple techniques and are usually made for local distribution, so that the people can relate to the stories that are made. These locally made comics, which are pasted on walls, shops, community notice boards, markets, etc., more often than not, lead to debates in the community, with a resultant positive change.

Comics prepared on various themes involving human rights, health, education, corruption, environmental concerns, etc., can be prepared and used for holding campaigns. Wall poster comics have made their presence felt in Western Rajasthan, where a girl child campaign was held, along with an accompanying bike rally. Similar campaigns have been done in Goa against the ills of tourism, in Madhya Pradesh on farmers’ issues, in Sri Lanka, etc. Workshops to impart training on grassroots comics have been held in various places like Jharkhand, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Nepal, Pakistan, etc.

Comics are produced in different formats – wall poster comics, printed wall posters, booklets and strips. One doesn’t necessarily have to be an artist, but he just needs to have a good story. Because this genre of communication concentrates more on the story than the art. As every human can draw, he can easily draw rough caricatures which would be polished by comic trainers. One such group, ‘New Ways’ strives to promote this new medium in Assam.

The concept of grassroots comics was essentially introduced in the rural pockets to give the people a medium to express their concerns, as the reach of mainstream media is relatively low or nil. But today, the medium has spread its roots even in the urban literate societies. There have been many an instance where wrongdoers have mended their ways after reading these comics. A series of comics made on a certain theme could be put together and used extensively to form a campaign.

Comics are usually meant for light reading and they have the potential to say serious things in a light-hearted manner. Grassroot comics as a concept and a medium, is gradually gaining ground throughout the world, with its spread in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

‘New Ways,’ consisting of journalism students from Gauhati University, trained by secretary general, WCI, Sharad Sharma, have undertaken a few grassroot comics workshops in collaboration with NGOs like Mushroom Development Foundation (MDF), to train villagers of Sonapur in mushroom cultivation, and also the Voluntary Health Association of Assam (VHAA) to prepare comics against the ill-effects of tobacco, which was later followed up with comics display in public places like schools, colleges, the zoo and Gauhati University. They have also taught school students and children of shelter homes to put their thoughts on paper. They have worked in Lower Assam as well, and everywhere, people have appreciated this new medium, and expressed the need for more such initiatives. In a disturbed state like Assam – crippled with problems like insurgency, floods, corruption, drug abuse, etc., this medium could be used to bring attention to the issues that trouble its denizens. Grassroot comics essentially made by the people and for the people, has the ability to touch base due to its local character.

Sushmita Lahkar