The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has condoled the passing away of eminent cartoonist, Shri R.K. Laxman.
In his message, the President has said, "I am extremely saddened to learn about the passing away of Shri R.K. Laxman.
I feel personal loss because I was both an avid follower and subject of his cartoons. India will miss the genius who made the common maninto a national icon.He conveyed important social messages using humour as a tool and reminded the public that people in authority are fallible and human.
Honoured by the Government with a Padma Vibhushan, Shri Laxman was a conscience keeper to the nation through his cartoons. His death leaves a void in the world of creativity and social commentary which will be difficult to fill”.
This release issued at 2340 hrs.