The Times of India printed this 8-column illustration by Neelabh Banerjee in late July, to accompany a story titled “The Lost Supper” on the plight of the common man in the face of galloping food prices.
The illustrator put R.K. Laxman‘s man from Matunga where Jesus sat in Leonardo da Vinci‘s original. But following complaints from Christians, The Times published an apology three days later.
Allwyn Fernandes, the Times of India‘s former chief reporter in Bombay and now director of media practice and social engagement practice at R&PM: Edelman, joins issue with the protestors.
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By ALLWYN FERNANDES
I know this is going to upset many, but I must raise it.
Ancy D’Souza has written a letter to Jaideep Bose, editor of The Sunday Times of India, protesting against the cartoon titled “The Lost Supper” in the issue dated July 25, 2010.
You can see the cartoon here.
Ancy (and many others who share his sentiments on Facebook) says that the cartoon has hurt the religious sentiments of Christians deeply by projecting R.K. Laxman’s Common Man as the centre of The Lost Supper, with politicians of all hues sitting around him.
The cartoon symbolises the situation in India today, especially over the past year, as food prices spiral upwards and politicians serve up empty promises, the common man is left empty-handed and with an empty stomach.
But Ancy sees it differently: “You have made mockery of our religious beliefs. Kindly apologize for the blunder you have created or else we may have to plan a very stringent course of action,” says his letter to Jaideep Bose.
But is the cartoon really offensive and has it made a mockery of our religious beliefs?
If Ancy visits my home, above my dining table is a painting from the Philippines titled “Table of Hope.” It depicts Jesus at the table, with a lot of ragged and dirty street urchins around him instead of the apostles. There is also a cute little urchin hiding under the table!
Everyone who has dined at my table has marveled at the artist’s depiction of what Jesus would do today—round up and invite us to his table not priests, bishops and cardinals in pink fancy wear, not even us Catholics praying in churches.
No, he would round up the urchins, the poor and the hungry at our railway stations and bus stands and in our schools and break bread with them. Yes, there is deep hunger even in Mumbai — thousands come to school hungry even in our Catholic schools because their parents have no jobs or the money to give them a proper meal.
That picture was not given to me by an atheist or agnostic, but by a solid SVD priest, Fr Franz-Josef Eilers, secretary of the office of social communications of the federation of Asian bishops’ conferences.
I believe that the Sunday Times of India cartoon, by using a scene that symbolizes Christianity’s most solemn moment, depicts the picture in India today very powerfully.
What are we protesting against?
Did not Jesus say “whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me”? Did He not say, and have countless artists down the centuries not portrayed good being done to the poor, the hungry, the sick, the tired and the dispossessed as being done to Jesus himself? Then how are our sentiments hurt?
That Common Man in the cartoon, dispossessed of his meal, represents Jesus himself. And around him in the cartoon you see politicians of all hues, fussing around him.
Was everyone around the last Supper pure of heart? Did you not have a Judas whom countless artists have painted with his thirty pieces of silver? And did not Peter refuse to let Jesus wash his feet? And then deny he knew Jesus at all thrice before the sun rose, this same Peter on whose rock He would build His Church?
Didn’t those 12 men that we believe were round the table with Jesus at his last meal not human beings, with all their human failings – just like those depicted in the cartoon?
It is time to take a broader view.
That cartoon is something I would enlarge and put up in every church and use for reflection of the hunger that exists in our country today – hunger of every kind, while the politicians huff and puff without purpose around the hungry Common Man at the centre of it all.
Also read: The newspaper cartoon that offended Christians
Newspaper cartoon that’s offending Israelis
Newspaper cartoon that’s offending Aussies
External reading: A day in the life of The Times of India
churumuri 
>But is the cartoon really offensive and has it made a mockery of our religious beliefs?
Here lies the rub. Debating if something was offensive or not! What if it was?
As Philip Pullman said: nobody has aright not to be offended
People have right to expression. People have right not to express anything. People have a freedom to read anything they want, and they have freedom not to read something that they don’t like.
Why should there be any Ban on other’s freedom to read, what you don’t like?
Bans are meant for only things that may cause public unrest – like call for arms, call for violence etc. Otherwise, he is free to express his protests.
Don’t understand why TOI had to apologize. Each time we do that, we strengthen the intolerant elements.
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On target, as always, Allwyn.
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No doubt, all the seculars, intellectuals and free-thinkers have gone into hiding in the caves.
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We should stop capitulating to such bullshit – there was no need for TOI to apologize.
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My brother is a converted xtian and he felt quite outraged at the piece.
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The rule of law must prevail. TOI has insulted the great Christian religion. It was necessary to uphold secularism in this Country during tough times. The death of Graham staines is still fresh in the minds of Christians in India
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newspapers like the ToI should grow a spine.
one would think that the role of newspapers should be to offend readers out of our complacency !
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Religiously committed people are born to be offended. It does not matter what you do.
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It is easy to get carried away by the whirlwind of controversy and be forced to support it. Predictably, this leads to mass knee jerk reactions, and protest letters that are not well thought out, let alone well crafted.
Fernandes’ response on the other hand speaks of a carefully worded and balanced rebuttal, in the face of angering people of his own faith.
Everyone has a right to be offended by everyone else. It is what a free country affords you. But along with the right comes a duty to express dissent in a mature manner free of physical and veiled threats.
It is hard to teach respectful dissent to a person after they have crossed a certain age. Why else would parliamentarians throw mikes and paper weights at each other, and poor Indians have to watch this on world news no matter where in the the world they are?
Let us teach our kids to be aware of their rights, so as to not be victims of anything, and at the same time express respectful dissent.
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Fernandes’ piece is well worded & does look at the issue with maturity – as expected. Everyone has a right to his/her opinion – offence is also their right – but in my opinion: I think the “Lost Supper” representation is in keeping the spirit of the current state of mankind and also the spirit of Jesus. (Note: I am not a Christian, but have read the religious versus not only of Christianity, but of the other two prominent religions of the world. Also note, i am an atheist)
IMHO – Jesus’ sole interest was the betterment of mankind. He wished that everyone lived a life of peace, prosperity and content. For me, Jesus is a representative of you, me – the common man! So, the Lost Supper just sums it all up!
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The same TOI suggested Bharat Ratna for MF Husian for the naked Saraswati piece.
By their double standard, our media fundos, political leaders showing a farce going on in name of secularism.
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It’s highly intolerant of those who think this illustration in any way hurts religious sentiments. It was a creative artist who visualised this in the first place which now has become a religious symbol.
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