March 6, 2001: Eminent cartoonist Mr Paresh Nath, listed with INS as the Chief Cartoonist for National Herald, and the first Indian Cartoonist to have won the United Nations Correspondents Association Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Award has launched a virtual gallery of his work in form of internationalcartoons.com. India’s first e-commerce enabled cartoon site, designed and hosted by IndiaMART Intermesh Ltd, not only exhibits the collection of Mr Nath’s versatile cartoons, but also enables visitors to receive cartoons through emails on a subscription basis and offers other ‘cartooning-on-demand’ services online to publications world-wide.
Through this site, Mr Paresh wants to provide the visitor moments of information and entertainment through cartoons. “Indian cartoons must be appreciated world-wide if they have quality and universal touch. And web is my medium to reach the masses”. Besides, the website will also attract international publications on lookout for meaningful cartoons on international and human-rights issues. “The world is full of pain and agony, for quite a few if not everyone. I wish to address the issues of population & development and interests being taken up by the UN through cartooning not only to bring a comic relief, but in form of an awareness and realisation campaign as my contribution towards a better and peaceful world”, he adds.
Internationalcartoons.com presents updated cartoons and caricatures by Mr Nath under various sections. The Global Toons section deals with the burning political issues of the world, while the National Toons highlight the political scenario in India in a way that amuses the visitor. The UN Toons, projecting the whole world as a global village, reflects issues that concern the United Nations in its pursuit to make the world a harmonious place. The Biz Bout contains corporate cartoons, representing trends in the world business, economy and trade. Parescope -a cartoon-strip from the cartoonist, extracts incidents from literature, anecdotes and theatre. Caricatures section brings out the celebrities of international and national arena ranging from various fields.
Visitors to internationalcartoons.com can subscribe to receive free cartoons in their mailboxes initially for a period of 30 days and can further subscribe on a fee basis. The e-commerce enabled website even allows visitors to request for custom-cartooning services and individual caricatures etc. Publications may also buy publishing rights for select cartoons on the website by making a payment online and can avail regular cartooning services from Mr Nath through the website.
About Paresh Nath- the Cartoonist
Belonging to the state of Orissa, Paresh is a born cartoonist, a prolific feature writer, a journalist with a keen nose for news, an art director, a researcher and script writer. His creative career gained momentum during his MA studies in English Literature and special study on American literature in Ravenshaw College. His cartoons and illustrations were being published in newspapers during his college days. He spent his earlier five years as Cartoonist in a vernacular press, the Samaj in Cuttack in south eastern part of India. Later, he worked as a freelance cartoonist for The Indian Express of Delhi before joining in 1990s as the Chief Cartoonist with National Herald.
Currently, Mr Paresh Nath’s works are reproduced in publications like BOMBAY SAMACHAR (www.bombaysamachar.com)- the oldest Asian daily published from Mumbai, newsletters of UNITED NATIONS FUND FOR POPULATION ACTIVITIES (UNFPA) (www.unfpa.org.in), CO-OP HORIZON- a fortnightly periodical by National Co- Op Union of India, NEIGHBOURHOOD FLASH – published from the capital Delhi in five different editions covering urban, metropolitan and political issues (www.nflash.com) and UT INDEPENDENT – a political publication from Delhi and other union territories. His funny, incisively wise, informative and never malicious cartoon pieces have touched millions of readers and have been reproduced in various newspapers and periodicals such as Financial Express, India Today, Illustrated Weekly, The Sun, Northeast Sun, Free Ads, Evening News, Organiser, Zero Hour, Samayukta Karnataka, The Eastern Times etc. He has also been associated to various online projects done by IndiaMART Intermesh Ltd. including MTNL’s (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd) bol.net.in/budget2001, youngstersonline.com & indian-elections.com.
Mr Paresh Nath has earned worldwide recognition for his work as the winner of the United Nations Correspondents Association Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Award for the year 2000 in cartoon competition. He was invited to participate in the contest among the professional political cartoonists throughout the world. Paresh has also won the Youth Federation Award and Delhi Sahitya Kala Parishad Award in 1987 and 1991 respectively for his cartoons.
He is a member of the panel of jurors for international poster contest of UNFPA in year 1992 & 2000. He is also an empanelled cartoonist of DAVP of information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India. Being accredited by Govt. of India, cartoonist Paresh has been proposed to be a Member, Research Board of Advisors, American Biographical Institute, North Carolina of USA.
Paresh is 35, married and has two kids. When he is not plugging away his cartoons or caricaturing a newsmaker, he writes middles and humour columns. He is also planning to write books on yoga and mysticism in near future.