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Review: The Phoenix Rises: Lockdown Chronicles edited by Amit Dasgupta
An anthology that approaches the lockdown and the pandemic from different angles
A lot has changed too fast. Lockdowns implemented in varying degrees across the world have transformed how we deal with our lives. The experience has been unlike any other in recent memory, just like the Covid-19 pandemic itself. Someone had to think of a book that captures the experiences of people who have lived with the draconian lockdown in recent months. The Phoneix Rises: Lockdown Chronicles edited by Amit Dasgupta, an anthology in which writers from different walks of life have approached the theme from different angles, is that publication.
The slim volume of writings, many of them short, has several stories and ideas that are instantly relatable. There are exceptions too, such as veteran seaman Beetashok Chatterjee’s piece on seafarers who have been meeting the everyday challenges of their profession in a redefined new world.
The need of the hour is for nations to keep aside their differences and come together to combat the global medical emergency. In his piece, Jug Suraiya notes, “For the first time, humanity is facing a fight to the finish, which does not divide it into opposing factions but unifies it against a common foe.” We know who the foe is. What we do not know is how to stop it from infecting people, which can prove fatal.
Healthcare specialists in many countries are working overtime in research labs as the search for a reliable vaccine continues. Meanwhile, doctors and their support staff have emerged as the real heroes. In a heartfelt tribute to the profession, Nikita Bathla tells the reader, “We bid farewell and distance ourselves from our families, not wanting to expose our loved ones to our occupational hazards. We realise we are not prepared; we are reacting.”
Producing an anthology in which all the contributions are uniformly good is impossible. That is the problem here, too, since some pieces do not have much to say while the others state too much of the obvious.
What makes it readable nonetheless is the presence of pieces marked by the imaginative presentation of thoughts. Antara Dev Sen takes off with a charming little story revolving around her daughter and proceeds to reflect on the pandemic. She makes a satirical reference to Ma Corona: “Anyway, I have to go. Time for my Corona puja. Women across Bihar, Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are single-handedly warding off COVID-19 by their diligent worship of Ma Corona or Corona Mai. I need to do my share.” Humankind surrenders to God when everything else seems powerless.
Years from now, readers of history will reflect on the ongoing pandemic just as we do about the Spanish Flu today. Defining 2020 as a ‘decisive watershed in the human story,’ Anjum Katyal says the pandemic has been “a truly universal experience, affecting everyone... right from celebrities in their mansions to the homeless on the streets.” It is clear that each one of us must exercise caution if we wish to avoid infection. United States President Donald Trump who pretended to be ‘macho’ and indifferent tested positive like other ordinary mortals.
In an introspective essay, Jael Silliman reflects on her life in badly-affected New York and asks when India will relax its “draconian lockdown of 1.3 billion people.” Relaxation has already taken place, of course, although we are still waiting to see what happens after schools and cinema halls, where maintaining social distance is difficult if not impossible, start functioning normally.
Dilip Bobb, in his insightful piece, believes that “With billions around the world in some kind of lockdown, this is the largest psychological experiment ever undertaken.” Experts have been pointing out that the pandemic will have an impact on the mental health of patients and others too. Bobb believes that ‘a number may emerge stronger and more resilient’, a possibility that should please everybody.
The Phoenix Rises is part of an emerging genre of writing that records the impact of the pandemic. Given the times, we can expect to read more such anthologies with new insights and personal narratives soon.
Biswadeep Ghosh is a journalist, author, and teacher. Among his books is MSD: The Man, The Leader, the biography of former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni.
