Cartoonist Narayan Debnath Passes Away

Cartoonist Narayan Debnath died at the age of 97 in Kolkata on Tuesday morning, reports media.

Debnath immortalised comic characters such as Handa Bhonda, Batul the Great, and Nonte Fonte.

“He was admitted in the hospital on December 24 with kidney and lung problems,” said Tapas Debnath, Narayan Debnath’s son. Narayan Debnath is survived by two sons and a daughter, Hindustan Times reports.

Debnath was awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian award Padma Shri in 2021. A West Bengal minister last week handed over the award to him while he was undergoing treatment. Earlier, he was awarded Bangabibhsuan in 2013 and the Sahitya Academy Award.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said his passing has created an irreparable void in the world of cartoons. “I am deeply saddened by the demise of noted cartoonist Narayan Debnath,” Banerjee said in a statement.