Rabha Divas Begins with Ink and Irony: A Cartoonist’s Protest

As Assam quietly ushers in Rabha Divas today — the day of remembrance for the revolutionary artist and thinker Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha— one voice has already pierced the ceremonial calm with sharp wit and sharper truth: the pen of Nituparna Rajbongshi, one of Assam’s most renowned editorial and political cartoonists.

In a series of searing, satirical cartoons released in the early hours of the day, Rajbongshi has delivered a visual protest that not only honours Rabha's legacy but reclaims it from appropriation, tokenism, and amnesia.

Goat Curry and Hypocrisy: When Satire Feeds on Ritual

In one striking cartoon, a man with the label “Rabha Divas Udjapan Committee” on his shirt serves food while proclaiming:

"There are two sacrificial goats in this state — one black, one white.
If you want the best for the people, sacrifice both."

The next line stings with bureaucratic cynicism:

"In Rabha’s name, we’ve sacrificed the two goats from the collection fund. Here, have your share of mutton curry — for the people’s welfare."

Peering in from the background is a mysterious figure — possibly Rabha himself — muttering:

"Biren Bhatt, how many nights now?"

A line loaded with meaning, it hints at backroom politics, shadowy deals, and the nightly erosion of Rabha’s ideals.

Rajbongshi’s reinterpretation of Rabha’s famous “two goats” poem — originally scrawled on a college wall during the freedom struggle — is nothing short of genius. Rabha had written those lines to warn that India’s freedom might merely change the colour of the rulers, while the poor remain sacrifices on the altar of elite politics.

When the Trees Bleed

Rajbongshi's protest doesn't stop with politics — it enters the forest.

One cartoon shows a tree mid-chop, bleeding like a martyr, its final words echoing across the panel:

"This is my last song...
My life's final act on stage...
For your glorious development."

These visuals are direct attacks on deforestation and the state's blind pursuit of development, highlighting the hypocrisy of invoking Rabha’s name while decimating the very nature he revered.

The Forgotten Revolutionary

Born on January 31, 1909, Rabha was more than a performer. He was a multi-hyphenate genius — actor, composer, poet, dramatist, dancer, filmmaker — and above all, a revolutionary Marxist who sided with the oppressed. Known as the “Sainik Silpi” (Soldier-Artist), he stood with farmers, labourers, and tribal communities, disillusioned by the Congress’s indifference post-independence.

He once famously said, “True art must awaken the people.” Yet today, his art is celebrated, while his politics is buried.

His Tandava performance in Varanasi earned him the title “Kalaguru” from Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
, but his poetry — like the “two goats” — remains a haunting commentary on power and betrayal.

Rabha died on June 20, 1969, and the day is marked as Rabha Divas — a day often reduced to photo-ops and floral tributes, ignoring the fire that once lit his soul.

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