Sunday, November 4, 2001		VIP Toon Tales

THE late Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Abdullah, was in Delhi in 1978. He found time to address the mediapersons at the Press Club of India. Known as the Lion of Kashmir, Sheikh Abdullah was having an informed that with the office-bearers of the club, before he was taken to the assembled gathering. It was during this time that I made a line sketch of the Sheikh and waited for a while he still he finished his tea. As I moved towards him, one of his followers stopped to just take a look at the picture. He was not happy since he felt it was a ‘Cartoon’ and asked me not show it to Sheikh Saab.

I was very disappointed and I was not able to decide what I should do. Ultimately, I decided to go ahead and placed the sketch before him for his autograph. His reaction was spontaneous. He was too happy to see him seek ‘caricaptured’ and said: "I like it — much to the displeasure of the person who had objected to the drawing. He later signed over it with his comment: "Good luck and God Speed".