Cheshire Cat was a humour publication in IIT Kanpur, launched in 1976 by a bunch of comic journalism enthusiasts, led by Mahadevan Ramesh. Some of the people who have been associated with the Cheshire Cat in the past include – Deepak Khanna, Mahadevan Ramesh, K. S. Balaji, David Thomas, P. R. Reddy, M. Vedhanayagam, K. Surinder Lal, Ajai Banerjee, A. P. Mukherjee, Satish Kaul, Sunil Gupta, Girish Pande and Probir D Satish Kaul, Sunil Gupta, Girish Pande and Probir Dutt.
The content was a satirical take on the happenings in the campus. The publication was hugely successful and was well received by faculty and student community alike. With this series, we hope to archive some of the finest articles of Cheshire Cat and introduce the campus community to the IITK of not-so-distant past.
A Violent Vision
The professor droned on and on
We the class, fitfully dozed.
Scarce fifteen minutes had been gone
And most eyes where already closed.
Suddenly the door was shouldered open.
Swiftly entered three pistol waving men.
Professor X did blink, his mouth fell open.
Perhaps he thought he was asleep and dreamt
Lulled asleep like his class by his monotonous monologue.
But no, the men were real, real L.A.B.L. men.
They bound him and pronounced him guilty
Of the worst crime against humanity
And the famed L.A.B.L. fraternity.
Sentenced to death he was hanged from the nearest fan.
The class, awake by now, cheered to a man
The League Against Boring Lectures had struck again according to plan
.
Or had it?
The Professor still taught.
The class still slept.
It was still very hot
I blinked, realized I had dreamt
Silently cursed
And fell asleep again.
****
The Cheshire Cat, IIT Kanpur, March 01, 1976
