This political cartoon comments on a reported sexual harassment case involving a student at a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jamui, Bihar. The cartoon uses the phrase “Jungle Raj”, a politically charged expression historically used in Bihar’s political discourse, to create its central irony.
A reporter holds a microphone toward a politician, who appears visibly uncomfortable and says, “जंगलराज वाली बात डिलीट कर दो, मैं भूल गया था कि हमारी ही सरकार है” — roughly, “Delete the ‘Jungle Raj’ remark; I had forgotten that it is our government.”
The cartoon’s satire focuses on how political rhetoric can change depending on who is in power. A phrase that may be used to criticise an opposing government can become uncomfortable when a similar incident occurs under one’s own administration.
Rather than debating the political label itself, the cartoon highlights the inconsistency that can arise when political parties or leaders discuss law-and-order and public safety differently depending on their position in government.
The reported student harassment case provides the immediate context, while the cartoon expands the issue into a broader commentary on political accountability. Its punchline suggests that responsibility for incidents affecting citizens should not depend on which party happens to be governing.
The visual joke is deliberately uncomfortable: the politician's concern is not only about the reported incident but about the political language used to describe it. That contrast gives the cartoon its satirical edge.
Cartoon by - Kirtish Bhatt
