- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
RENOWNED Indian cartoonist CJ Yesudasan on Wednesday (6) passed away due to post-Covid-19 complications at a private hospital in Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala. He was 83 and is survived by wife and three children.
Yesudasan, who was fondly called as ‘Cartoonist Yesudasan’, had recovered from Covid a week ago but was affected with post-infection complications. He was admitted in hospital where he breathed his last early in the day.
Yesudasan had received the best cartoonist award from the government of Kerala several times in his career. He also bagged top honours like Swadeshabhimani Award, B M Gafoor Award, V Sambasivan Memorial Award, P K Manthri Memorial Award and N V Pylee Award.
Born in Bharaikkavu in Kerala’s Alappuzha district in 1938, Yesudasan had worked as a cartoonist with Malayala Manorama for a long time. In the beginning, he had also worked with Janayugom and Shankar’s Weekly.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death of Yesudasan and said the field of cartoons has lost a unique talent. He said the late Yesudasan, through his cartoons, not only reflected the political developments of a period, but also boldly recorded his views and anyone who peruses his work can see the political history of Kerala.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan also expressed his condolences and said the cartoonist left a mark on the political history of Kerala and India through his work. He said Yesudasan popularised the art of cartooning and wrote the first pocket cartoon in Kerala. He criticised, made people laugh and made them think through his work, Satheesan said in his message.
Yesudasan showed his talent through the dialogues he penned for K G George’s famous satirical film ‘Panchavadipalam‘, Satheesan said and added that his creations will not die with him.
Yesudasan’s last rites will be held on Thursday (4) at a church in Kochi. His mortal remains will be kept at the municipal town hall in Kalamassery in Kochi on Thursday morning for the public to pay their final tributes.
