O P I N I O N S

Ground zero
Jibe for jibe, Amritsar remained a golden fight
Raj Chengappa
Three days from now the 1.95 crore voters in Punjab will exercise their options for the 13 Lok Sabha seats that are being contested in the state. If national attention remained focus right through the campaigning process it was because the Congress party, in a move that surprised the ruling SAD-BJP combine in the state, decided to field its stalwarts, including the redoubtable former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

Fifty Fifty
Left or right, matter of instinct vs influence
Kishwar Desai
Scientists are already ahead of the pollsters. They are examining whether we are genetically programmed to vote for the left or right wing parties. One theory is that our attraction to socialism or capitalism is written into our DNA. Thus instead of subjecting us to long-winded election campaigns perhaps the winning formula for the parties would be to find a way to flip the switch in our brains.

ON RECORD
‘Time for Indian comics to find global pull’
Vandana Shukla talks to Jatin Varma, founder of Comic Con India/ Golden Kela Awards
Jatin Varma, founder, Comic Con India (International Comics Convention), Twenty Onwards Media, Gold en Kela Awards and Pop Culture Publishing, belongs to the class of young entrepreneurs who introduced many ‘firsts’ to India. His love for humour led to the success of the first-ever Comic Con India. The 28-year-old is an economics graduate and has studied at the University of Washington. He left the US, foreseeing opportunities in India to establish his own independent business in his atypical, fun way.

Fifty Fifty
Left or right, matter of instinct vs influence
Kishwar Desai

Scientists are already ahead of the pollsters. They are examining whether we are genetically programmed to vote for the left or right wing parties. One theory is that our attraction to socialism or capitalism is written into our DNA. Thus instead of subjecting us to long-winded election campaigns perhaps the winning formula for the parties would be to find a way to flip the switch in our brains. Depending on which way it goes, people who cannot bear dynastic rule might suddenly fall in love with Rahul, and those who would like to see Narendra Modi defeated might find themselves shouting ‘Har har Modi’ and selecting the lotus.

But Indians have other reasons for making their choices as well. Apart from the admitted lure of freebies, Indians also vote as a ‘family’. Often one member, usually the patriarch, decides which way the family votes will flow, and the rest follow. This trend might be changing though in urban upper-income groups where electoral choices are (at last) discussed at the dining table — and the vote of a family can be split in different ways. In lower-income groups and rural areas, however, collective voting still applies, as does tradition. But here, too, with younger and more educated voters as well the spread of television and mobile phones, the rule of ‘tradition’ is declining.

Groupism, however, is still crucial in the villages where communities continue to dominate over individual identities. Whilst in the past this meant more power to the community, unfortunately now the collective can be exploited by unscrupulous elements, usually the local don or a mafia-type character. Or even a politician, such as Ajit Pawar, a minister in Maharashtra, who allegedly threatened an entire village by saying he would cut off their water supply if they did not vote for his sister! One has heard of brotherly protection but this was really overwhelming. We do hope Supriya Sule (who does not seem like she needs any covering fire as Sharad Pawar’s daughter) was suitably touched by her brother’s words.

This also means that often the ‘secret’ ballot, which is possibly the most important part of a democratic process, is an open secret. Further, with frequent pre-poll exercises conducted by parties and the media, the electorate might have got used to revealing what their possible choice would be. This might not always be a good thing because it also leaves them open to other corrupt practices. For instance, there are many conspiracy theories doing the rounds about the sudden wiping out of lakhs of names from the electoral register in Maharashtra. And it is questionable whether the names were removed at the behest of some powers-that-be. Will this removal of names then give a ‘surprise’ result?

And then, according to some reports, in a few parts of India there is still an expectation of money in return for votes. This is a worrying trend because by now the Election Commission should have had a more stringent system in place to ensure no money or favours were given in return for votes. But will voters, who have got far too accustomed to monetising their vote, be able to resist temptation?

Of course, ultimately one hopes that with every election things will improve and some of these mal-influences on the voter might disappear (except the genetic predilection which, if discovered to be true, we are stuck with!).

On the other hand, could Indians generally be more inclined to vote for right-wing parties? At least in the UK, latest surveys show that the ethnic minorities here (even the second and third generation) are leaning towards the Conservative party, headed by Prime Minister David Cameron. Of course, Cameron has re-invented the party quite substantially and made it much more acceptable to the liberal middle classes. To some extent, Modi by shifting the focus away from old right-wing values to new and modern development issues is undoubtedly following the same successful strategy. The Conservatives have also succeeded in reviving the economy and suddenly the UK is full of good news — employment is on the rise, so is the GDP — and so apparently the economic mess that the socialist Labour left behind, through profligate spending, has been cleaned up by the right-wingers!

But whether this is the only reason why ethnics in the UK are attracted to the Conservatives or whether they are genetically programmed for it—we shall wait for the scientific community to tell us. But it does look like they are also doing what their Indian cousins are moving towards, quite decisively, in this election season in India.

ON RECORD
‘Time for Indian comics to find global pull’
Vandana Shukla talks to Jatin Varma, founder of
Comic Con India/ Golden Kela Awards

Jatin Varma, founder, Comic Con India (International Comics Convention), Twenty Onwards Media, Gold en Kela Awards and Pop Culture Publishing, belongs to the class of young entrepreneurs who introduced many ‘firsts’ to India. His love for humour led to the success of the first-ever Comic Con India. The 28-year-old is an economics graduate and has studied at the University of Washington. He left the US, foreseeing opportunities in India to establish his own independent business in his atypical, fun way. He made it profitable within four years. In 2007, he launched Twenty Onwards Media, an alternative media house that promotes out-of-the box ideas, ranging from publishing to films to live events. In 2009, he decided to introduce the Golden Kela Awards — India’s first award for the worst movies and actors, a kind of Rasberry awards of the West.

How has Comic Con contributed in making the Indian comic industry transition to a more modern era?

We have made a huge contribution towards promoting and sustaining the Indian comic industry. We have helped creators and publishers connect directly with their fans and vice versa. It’s also become a great platform for exploring the market and launching new products. At the 1st Comic Con India (CCI) in 2011, the footfall was about 20,000 and sales touched Rs 25 lakh in two days. At the 4th Comic Con India in 2014 — with a ticketed entry — the footfall touched 40,000 and sales almost Rs 2 crore in three days. In Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, the same story was replicated. The next four years are going to be even more crucial as we move from an introductory phase to expansion. We want to expand the comic industry and evolve the pop culture element of the event.

Great comics enjoy universal appeal. When will India find that voice?

The search is on since the first CCI. I am hopeful that this will happen sooner than later. Something will break boundaries and connect with audiences around the world. It’s just a matter of time.

Why have Indian publications failed to acquire the scale and popularity of Spiderman and Superman of Marvel and DC Comics?

I don't see the situation as a failure. One needs to add the context and see things in a perspective. The distribution and retail setup is restrictive and not conducive for promoting it here. A new publisher struggles to reach out to the reader because the distribution model is completely broken. If a regular publisher faces so many hurdles, you can imagine the problems faced by a comics’ publisher, who is selling something which is still considered niche. A Superman or Batman has been there for over 70 years and has a huge lead when it comes to building an audience. They have now evolved beyond comics and become a permanent fixture in popular culture. That is yet to happen with most Indian characters. Though we live in a much more connected world, I feel its only a matter of time that an Indian character or story reaches out to an international audience.

Hindi comics remain confined to small towns and English fails to acquire a pan- Indian appeal.

Most smaller publishers put out books in English as it allows them to sell across India. The distribution network creates a lot of hurdles for them to reach out to consumers. About Hindi comics, I feel the publishers would be best suited to answer the question.

How many new comics you launched survived?

We have had a few — say two-three smaller publishers — not survive after their launch, but most are surviving. We hope that in the coming years they are able to move beyond just sustaining and expand dramatically.

Does the presence of celebrities like David Lloyd, Waid, Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon undermine the relevance of Indian comics?

Not at all. In fact, their presence gives our industry more credibility. We are essentially putting Indian creators on the same platform as the international ones. I am hoping that as we plan to bring in international guests to each of our events, we might actually see a collaboration happening in the future as well.

Do Indian publishers lack a strong digital strategy to popularise comics among the young?

I don't think they lack a digital strategy. Most are adept at using the social media to connect with their audience. However, when it comes to digital editions of their comics, most already have them out there on various platforms. The Indian audience hasn’t really caught on in a big way to this bandwagon yet. They might be consuming a lot of content for free online, but they are not yet spending on it in a big way. Just like retailers convinced consumers of shopping online, we will get them spending on the content online as well.

Is self-publishing opted by many?

Well it’s feasible now as you can easily list yourself on an online marketplace, create an audience via social media and also sell digital editions. It’s not easy convincing an existing publisher to take up your project, so with the options available right now, there are many who are trying their hand at it.

When will India have its indigenous mature publication in political humour?

I hope soon. We certainly have a lot of content ready for it, especially when it comes to the political space.

Many comic lovers feel Comic Con has become more about greater footfall and revenue generation. How will it create fresh opportunities for the young?

Increasing revenue and footfall has been our goal from day one. We are running a business and the only way a business is sustainable and successful is if it’s profitable. We make no bones about our event being a pop-culture event. This year, we will be expanding the scope of our events like never before. We will have a lot on offer for fans across various cities, where we are currently present. With respect to upcoming writers and artists, we already have a slew of things that we do, from heavily subsidised artist tables, to sessions and publicity around them.