On Saturday, Sept. 8, Indian cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was jailed on sedition charges for his drawings, many of which mock corruption in the Indian government. Trivedi, the winner of the 2012 "Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award" from the U.S.-based Cartoonists Rights Network International, turned himself in to police following a complaint about one of his cartoons. Trivedi's supporters claim that the government had blocked the artist's website in the weeks leading up to his arrest.
The arrest of Trivedi, who has refused bail and pledged to remain in jail until the charges against him are lifted, has sparked nationwide furor. It's the latest in a string of arrests concerning freedom of speech in India.
"I am proud of what I have done," Trivedi announced as he was escorted out of court. "If telling the truth makes me a traitor, then I am one."
So what exactly is all the fuss about? Here's a look at some cartoons by Trivedi and his colleague that have caused a stir in India and abroad.
In the above cartoon, which prompted his arrest, Trivedi substitutes the three lions in India's national emblem for three wolves perched above a skull and crossbones. After this cartoon was circulated on social media sites, a Mumbai-based law student and activist filed a complaint against Trivedi for what he called an "insult" to the Indian Constitution.
Aseem Trivedi
