Cartoonist-turned-activist Aseem Trivedi, just out of the Bigg Boss house speaks to Subhash K Jha about his plans for opening a school for activism.

From an obscure cartoonist in Kanpur to a nationally know figure, how do you see your journey?
I feel a huge sense of responsibility. I can't afford to be irresponsible in my conduct. I've to be very careful. People are looking towards me to take forward my promise for change.

I don't know how much strength I have for this struggle ahead. But whatever strength I have is going into my mission. Just before I went into the Bigg Boss house I wanted to start a school of activist in my home-town Kanpur. I intend to carry that idea forward.

What would this school be about?
There is a lot of unorganized activism among the young. They need to be motivated. They need to understand how to harness their passion for change. Look at the mediums of protest: dance, music, street-plays, online protests, sports, cinema.

We have schools to teach youngsters everything. Why not a school of activism? I intend to open a school of activism completely free of cost. It will be funded by those who can afford to give money for this.

Even at Bigg Boss I found 2-3 celebrities who are willing to work with me. If known faces agree to join my campaign the aam junta would be doubly motivated. Celebrities don't know their power for change. Campaigning for politicians during elections is not enough.


Members of the Republican Party Of India (RPI) stoned the television channel Colors' office in protest against your participation in Bigg Boss. Your comments?
That's what I've heard! I need to understand the issue. People don't need to be told who is wearing the colour black and who's sporting the colour white in this conflict.

I survive on the confidence that those who're throwing stones at me today will join my mission to cleanse this country of corruption. The sun spreads its radiance to every corner. I am not talking about myself as the sun. I am talking about my idea and ideology.

I am fully confident that those who oppose my campaign will be with me eventually. I also feel that these opposers are not all motivated by politics. Some of them genuinely believe I am wrong.

You were charged with sedition. That's the gravest of crimes?
(ponders) I was accused of insulting the country. See, it's a cartoonist's job to mirror social reality. The motive for doing what one does has to be taken into consideration. Do you see the irony of it?

Agar main desh ko saaf karna chahta hoon to main desh-drohi ho hi nahin sakta (if I want to cleanse the country how can I be a traiter? ). I certainly do. Scams of millions are on. A majority are without water, food and proper education.

Go to the hospitals in non- metropolitan cities and see how difficult the situation is. In my opinion a political cartoonist is not a desh-drohi. The scamsters are the real desh-drohis.


Your journey in the last few months has been tumultuous. How do you look back on the events that have gone by?
I am only 25. And I feel I am 50. I am not going to let my fire for change die down. I promise you I'll continue my campaign. I don't know how much of my life is left. But whatever it is, I want to devote the rest of the life to my country.

After all these unexpected twists and turns in my life during the past few months I feel it's my duty to completely give up a personal life and devote myself to the country.

In any case I don't have any personal considerations to sacrifice. My only mission in life is to carry a campaign against corruption in our political life as far as it can go.

Tell me about your home life?
My parents. And my cousins. All together we're 8 brothers and sisters. They will all be happy to see me for Diwali. They thought I'd be in the Bigg Boss house for Diwali.

And girlfriend?

Yes I have a girlfriend (clams up shyly). I am a small-town boy from Kanpur. Talking about such things things don't come naturally to me.

What are your concrete plans?
I am convinced that any ideology needs a political platform to be carried forward. I don't know what is the status of India Against Corruption, which was shaping into a political party. I have to get back to civilian life to find out.

But I feel any individual party or group that is into social protest through drawing cartoons or going on hunger strikes or playing protest music or doing street theatre... they are all worthy of getting the maximum support from all of us. I am with any protestor.


Will you work with Anna Hazare Saab?
That I was doing even before Bigg Boss. I will certainly work with him. I am not aware of the developments within Anna Saab's ranks. I am one with all who believe in a corruption-free nation. If we want real freedom we all need to come out of our comfort zones.

Frankly I was zapped to see you in Bigg Boss?
(laughs) My only motive was to put my ideas forward. I don't think such ideas were ever put forward in the history of Bigg Boss. I wanted to create a socio-political awareness through that one-hour platform that Bigg Boss provides on camera with people from different walks of life coming together for a healthy discussion.

I had a single-point agenda, namely to put my ideas across on corruption, the Lok Pal bill issue, etc. Bigg Boss was a medium for me to make myself heard. I didn't go in there to make money-I have no personal needs.

And as an activist I am used to doing my work with meager funds. Neither did I go in there to win Bigg Boss. Am I a fool to think I stood a chance with so many celebrities in there? How effective I was in this endeavour, I don't know. I am just out of the Bigg Boss house feeling disoriented.


You seemed to have forged quite a bonding with hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani?
Jee han bilkul. Hum donon ke beech mein ek bhai-bahen ka rishta ban gaya hai. She's so honest. I remember being quite confused initially by the kind of people I encountered in Bigg Boss. I found a friend in Sapnaji. You won't believe this.

After one day I had nominated her for eviction. How was I to know what she or anyone else was all about? I didn't know anyone in there. She is true to her word and unshakeable in her faith.

I got to know that she has always been associated with social issues. We will be working together when she comes out of Bigg Boss.

Will you remain a cartoonist at heart?
Always.