Meet S Tariq, a Kashmiri artist who embodies the bohemian style

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag: Jammu and Kashmir is blessed with a great number of good talented flourishing cartoonists with social environment and political awareness. They typically combine artistic skill, exaggeration and send-up in order to question authority and draw attention to social ills and other things. A good cartoonist makes you think about current events, the best cartoonist can change your mind on an issue without you even realizing how he or she did it.

(In 2018 Tariq made a cartoon on Dr Farooq Abdullah that went viral and was shared by thousands of users on social media.Omar Abdullah also shared this cartoon on his Twitter handle,later Omar former Chief Minister of J&K offered Tariq signed copy at his residence in Srinagar)

S Tariq a columnist cum artist hails from south Kashmir’s Anantnag District had worked with several media outlets since he started to choose the work in journalism field. He started his career in 1997 with the Daily Alsafa newspaper as associate editor before joining the Alsafa he was working as freelance columnist with other regional media outlets in Kashmir valley. He later joined Kashmir Images as political cartoonist and Bureau chief of south Kashmir.

(On 4th May ,2019 Tariq made a cartoon on doctors commission for Kashmir Images which later went viral on social media ,several politicians including the ex Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh also shared the cartoon on his wall on Meta )

According to S. Tariq he was inspired by a cartoon of Bashir Ahmad Bashir in 1998 which was published in Srinagar Times, BAB’S cartoons had an impact on society and his cartoons was forcing government to take actions.

Talking to Arising state S Tariq said that it is not an easy job to capture real life events and turn them into a cartoon. And to be a cartoonist it definitely takes time to be a good cartoonist, one should have a knack on the subject and what they want to portray via their drawing. Along with that they have a comic perception, sense of humor and the utmost important quality is that they should have a good hand in drawing it.

My first cartoon was published in Daily Alsafa in 1998 after that the journey of making cartoons in the newspaper continued. S tariq has made thousands of cartoons till date and each and every day his cartoons on political social and environment were published in Kashmir newspapers.

Cartoons add special value to newspapers. That is why, despite advances in photography and animation technologies, cartoons still command their own place in newspapers, he said.

S Tariq’s cartoon column titled “IT’z IT” became popular among readers in Kashmir valley. The cartoonist tried to bring out the issues of a common man and also issues of ongoing political developments for over 24 years. His cartoons are not only carried by Kashmir Images but also other media outlets in Kashmir valley.

In 4th May 2019, S Tariq made a cartoon on Doctors commission for Kashmir images which later had gone viral on social media, several politicians including the Ex prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh has also shared that cartoon on his wall on social media Facebook.

In 2018 he made a cartoon on Dr Farooq Abdullah that cartoon also went viral on social media and shared by thousands of users on social media including his son Omar Abdullah also shared that cartoon on their twitter wall. Later the Ex chief Minister of jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah offered him the signed copy at his residence in Srinagar.

Talking to Arising state S Tariq said that political cartoons are requisite for print media communication as they play an important role in our daily lives. Political cartoons are satirical and make an observation about a situation on a political issue or event. A good political cartoon makes you think about current events, but it also tries to sway your openion towards the cartoonists point of view.

S Tariq received several appreciation awards for his cartoons on social political environment and development from different organizations, in 2019 he received an appreciation award from the international human rights council on a cartoon which provides the awareness of COVID19. Besides this he also received several other appreciation awards from different organizations on their cartoons. He said

Tariq is also giving his presence on political debates in several national news channels; they are inviting him as political Analyst in debates. He is also a member of “Indian toons” Indian toons is a union of cartoonists on national level. S Tariq was the former president of Anantnag Working Journalists Association.

According to S Tariq his cartoons were shown in several exhibitions in Srinagar and Jammu. The Cartoons add special value to newspapers. That is why, despite advances in photography and animation technologies, cartoons still command their own place in newspapers, he said

Cartoons are a unique form of journalism which contrasts with conventional forms of communication. The images can cast a powerful interpretation on the day’s news. He said