In Touching Grass, Sanitary Panels goes beyond viral moments to offer a raw and powerful critique of authoritarianism, the great injustices of the world and the many social ills of our times. These resonant and deceptively simple comics and political cartoons are a mirror to the world we live in. Through her pressing political art, Rachita Taneja, aka Sanitary Panels, explores the myriad of injustices we face today – casteism, Islamophobia, transphobia, economic inequality and climate anxiety, among others. She examines the perpetual paradox of staying informed and being politically active while not being overwhelmed by algorithmic systems designed to overstimulate and exhaust us. Sanitary Panels insists we rise through the fog of doomscrolling, brain rot, and hopelessness towards a world that is more equal, liveable and just. At its heart, Touching Grass offers something precious: hope. Hope found in community building and solidarity, and in the fierce, unwavering spirit of ordinary people who refuse to give up. This book of comics is a reminder that while the world may be on fire, we are never truly alone.

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