Modi Government Blocks Manjul, Satish Acharya Instagram Accounts
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indian government has blocked at least two Indian editorial cartoonists’ Instagram accounts under a rule meant to protect the public from threats of national security, public order, or criminal activity. The cartoonists, Satish Achary and Manjul have both posted cartoons critical of the current government’s efforts to trim the national voting rolls.
India is currently is going through an nationwide effort to clean up voter rolls. Critics of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) argue that the effort is disenfranchising voters by placing burdensome requirements on legitimate voters, and that SIR is creating central databases that override or obstruct decisions by local election officials.
Manjul’s cartoon was published Sept. 24 and Acharya posted his on the 25th. By the 28th their Instagram accounts were blocked. As of this writing, both cartoonists’ other social media accounts, X, Youtube, Facebook, and Threads do not appear to be affected. Both Facebook and Threads are owned by Meta, the same company that owns Instagram.
The Kerala Cartoon Academy, a professional organization for cartoonists in the state of Kerala, has released a statement of support for Manjul and Acharya.
The ban imposed on the cartoons of prominent cartoonists Manjul and Satish Acharya on social media in India is condemnable. Several other cartoonists have faced similar bans, and the fact that they have not come forward with public protests is also a matter of concern. Cartooning is an art of criticism. The Kerala Cartoon Academy expresses concern over the growing trend of gagging criticism in contemporary times. All this is happening in a country where Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru once famously told cartoonist Shankar, ‘Don’t spare me, Shankar.’ The Cartoon Academy is deeply concerned about this issue. The bans must be revoked immediately. Upholding freedom of expression and democratic values, the Kerala Cartoon Academy declares solidarity with Manjul and Satish Acharya.
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