NEW DELHI: Renowned cartoonist Sudhir Tailang who used wit and humour to satirize contemporary politics, died on Saturday after battling brain cancer for over two years.
Under treatment for brain cancer since 2014, Tailang breathed his last at his East Delhi residence in Mayur Vihar. He would have turned 56 on 26 February and is survived by his daughter Aditi and wife.
Though he had been fighting cancer since 2014, he started keeping unwell after last Diwali and was admitted to Medanta hospital. He was brought home in mid January when the doctors said there was nothing more they could do.
Awarded Padma Shri in 2004, Tailang had commenced with the Illustrated Weekly of India, and later also worked with the Nav Bharat Times, the Hindustan Times, the Indian Express, and the Times of India.
Politicians including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, P V Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi were the subjects of his satirical drawings.
Born in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, Tailang was fascinated as a child by comics such as Tintin, Phantom and Blondie and this led him to drawing cartoons. His first cartoon was published in a newspaper at the age of 10 in 1970 and he got his break in 1982 when he got his first major break in Illustrated Weekly of India. In 1983, he joined the Nav Bharat Times in Delhi.
In 2009, he had come out with a book of cartoons titled “No, Prime Minister”, which carried cartoons on Manmohan Singh drawn during his first stint as Prime Minister.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi condoled the passing away of noted political cartoonist. Saddened at his untimely death, she said that “his depiction of contemporary events through cartoons and fearless commitment to the right to artistic expression will be forever remembered,” the AICC tweeted.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also expressed grief over the passing away of Tailang. “Very sorry to hear about cartoonist Sudhir Tailang. Was a big fan of his tongue in cheek humour. May he rest in peace,” Omar tweeted.
