How RK Laxman’s Common Man Reminds us of Iconic Voice of the Everyday Indian’s Struggles and Triumphs
RK Laxman’s portrayal of the “Common Man” in his “You Said It” series embodied the resilience and daily struggles of ordinary Indians. From influencing social justice movements to symbolizing national pride in events like Chandrayaan’s success, the Common Man remains a powerful representation of the public’s role in shaping India’s destiny.
The Common Man of Indian author and columnist RK Laxman was perhaps the first of its kind. The non-living representation of the common man. It continued to taste success for decades.
The hopes, compromises, struggles were very well depicted by the iconic character in the series You Said It, in the national newspaper Times of India.
Not long ago, this common man was seen with the Kolkata police. The administrative service facing severe admonition for the irresponsible and soul-lesss tackle of the Junior doctor’s rape and murder case.
A Common Man is what makes a country a country or else it stays a mere geography. The participation of a common man in creation and proliferation of a civilization has the equal amount of necessity as the presence of an able and strong leader.
If it weren’t for the two lakh people walking behind Bal Gangadhar Tilak during the Non-Cooperative Movement, the path for Britishers departure wouldn’t have gotten paved.
Common Man has made his presence felt on various occasions from the successful Chandrayaan mission celebrations as if it were a personal achievement of each citizen.
After the Balasore triple train tragedy on 2 June 2023 the locals were the first to arrive to give help to the accident victims.
Some examples of still not extinct brotherhood and the common man’s vital participation in the events.
The policies and laws implemented by the governments are directly proportional to the common man and it is apparent the common man gets affected.
The common man frets on petrol price hikes, gets dissatisfied with whole grain black marketing.
The latest Suo Motu cognizance is the result of the constant rallies and protests throughout the country demanding justice for the rape victim and the guarantee that these kind of incidents would not get repeated by strict law implementation and creating a safe environment for the women both within and beyond the threshold of homes.
Our President Smt. Draupadi Murmu too gave her valuable speech prioritizing the need to create a safe environment for women to feel secure everywhere.
It would not be wrong or exaggerating to say the common man has the capacity to be the real harbinger for justice and equality for the society to prosper together.
