Laughter is a foolproof safety valve. It allows us to let off steam and helps us cope with our stress-filled lives and retain our sanity. And when that laughter is aimed at our mighty politicians, exposing them in a comical and often ludicrous light, the vicarious thrill experienced is matched by little else. We Indians probably owe our resilience and ability to bounce back into shape after each blow or calamity to our wonderful capacity for laughter, and our ability to throw back our heads and guffaw freely.

The cartoons and caricatures appearing in this software are a fine representation of the ever-changing political climate of India - of the momentous, colorful, often trying times since we shed off the yoke of British rule down to the present. This rich tapestry of Indian politics is woven with images of the rise and fall of parties and politicians, formation of the strangest coalitions, scandals that rocked the nation, gory assassinations, the Emergency that threatened constitutional rights, secularism, anti-secularism, a move towards globalization, and finally, India emerging as an international force. All this and more, seen through my eyes.

For those of you who have lived through these significant evolutionary times, viewing these cartoons will be like going down memory lane - revisiting familiar sights and pausing, sometimes nostalgically and sometimes with trepidation, at famous landmarks. For younger viewers, it would probably be like glancing through humorous yet incisive visions of post-Independence India. Either way, I sincerely hope that my cartoons strike a chord within you, regaling you as they have Indian audiences for over half a century. Welcome to my world.