The Hindu : National : Collection of cartoons on Nayanar released

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Friday, Jul 23, 2004

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National

Collection of cartoons on Nayanar released

By Our Special Correspondent

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh handing over the first copy of a compilation of cartoons on former Kerala Chief Minister E. K. Nayanar by cartoonist Yesudasan to CPI (M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet in New Delhi on Thursday. — Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI, JULY 22. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, today presented to the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Harkishan Singh Surjeet, the first copy of a collection of cartoons on "his comrade in arms" and former Kerala Chief Minister, E.K. Nayanar.

The book release function at the Prime Minister's 7 Race Course Road residence saw speakers pay glowing tributes to Nayanar in a lighter vein with the cartoonist, Yesudasan, describing him as the "Charlie Chaplin of Indian politics," who had the most "cartoon-friendly face."

Lived upto Gandhi's call

Dr. Singh admitted that his interaction with Nayanar was limited when compared with many of those present, including the former Kerala Chief Minister, P.K. Vasudevan Nair, and several CPI(M) members of Parliament. He recalled Nayanar as an individual who belonged to "that band of leaders in India who lived out Gandhiji's call to be the change that you want to see."

Remembering his "comrade in arms," Mr. Surjeet said he had devoted his life to the people. "He was firm in his conviction and I am proud to have been his associate for so many years."

Seven Kerala MPs had a first-hand experience of what commoners call the "high-handed" ways of security personnel. Invited to attend the book release function, the MPs were made to go through the drill that normal invitees are subjected to primarily because the securitymen were not familiar with any of them though one was a former Chief Minister.

Though they managed to attend the function, the MPs registered their protest by refusing to partake of the tea that had been arranged on the lawns of the Prime Minister's residence. After the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, T.K.A. Nair, assured them that he would look into the matter, the MPs relented and broke bread.

Besides Mr. Vasudevan Nair, the other MPs were Sebastian Paul, P. Karunakaran, Lonappan Nambadan, C.S. Sujatha, P. Sathidevi and K.S. Manoj. According to Mr. Paul, it was not so much the security drill but the manner in which the personnel spoke to them that was objectionable. There was some mix-up over a car that was to ferry the MPs from the main gate to the Panchavati complex, where functions are held.

The members enquired about the same with the security personnel in English upon which they were asked to speak in Hindi. When the MPs said they could speak only in English or Malayalam, a security personnel is said to have commented that they ought to know Hindi as it was the "national language."

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