The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Driving home serious messages through comics, children’s style

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Friday, Mar 14, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Driving home serious messages through comics, children’s style

Special Correspondent

Kids from Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka take part in workshop

Photo: A.Muralitharan

Unique way of expression: Kannegi Packianathan, Special Secretary to Government, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi, looking at comic strips at a residential workshop in Chennai on Thursday. —

TAMBARAM: A four-day workshop for 26 children from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka concluded on Thursday at St. Thomas Mount. But it was the beginning of an initiative, the participating children said, to raise concern and social problems through comics.

World Vision India and World Comics India came together to organise the four-day residential workshop at St.Thomas International Centre to make children express themselves through comics. The children mostly belonged to poor families and were once engaged in child labour, the representatives said.

Guided by Sharad Sharma, cartoonist from World Comics India, the students were put through the basics of drawing and in the end, were able to create comics with strong messages touching upon important issues, including education, ills of liquor, health and hygiene among others.

Kannegi Packianathan, Special Secretary to Government, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi, lauded the students for their effort. Mr. Sharma said comics were becoming a powerful medium for children and others to highlight social issues.

During the workshop, children were able to interact with people, listen to their problems and create the comics based on their observations, Mr.Sharma said.

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