Shekhar is a full-time cartoonist for a leading Telugu daily for a decade before working for other dailies for 15 years. His friends and fellow cartoonists recently organised the Silver Jubilee of Shekhar's professional life. All the political cartoonists in the State turned up for the event.
Born into a backward caste family, Shekhar says he had 'tasted' the caste discrimination quite early in his life. "It hurt me more than anything else in my life. Even after getting recognition as a cartoonist, I still faced the discrimination. They would still compare my work with those of upper caste and try to look down," he says. His wife Chandrakala interrupts our conversation to feed him the liquid nutrients through the synthetic pipes doctors inserted in his nostrils. Born into a small farmer's family, Shekhar was exposed to Left politics while he was in college. "I used to write slogans on the walls for their student organisation and also started to draw. I refused to accept a government job as I wanted to become a cartoonist," he says.
Shekhar drew over 40,000 cartoons, with all of them championing the cause of common man. In ICU for the last three weeks, Shekhar never stopped sending his daily dose of cartoons for the paper he is working for. He now longs for the release of his sixth book, published by Malupu, and slated for May 3 release at Saraswata Parishad Hall in Boggulakunta.
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