The pandemic has brought into being a new wave in literature, now referred to as ‘pandemic literature’. This genre explores the emotional and social upheaval caused by the global crisis, diving into themes like survival, loss, inequality and the breakdown of social structures. It serves as a way to understand the human experience during such turbulent times.
When I read Severance by Ling Ma, I was struck by its sharp, satirical take on how a global pandemic disrupts work and society. It felt eerily familiar, blending humour with the harsh realities of a collapsing world. On the other hand, Sarah Zettel’s A Song for a New Day drew me into a dystopian future shaped by a health crisis. The book made me reflect on how our choices, even in dire times, shape the world we live in. Pandemic literature, as I see it, doesn’t just focus on the chaos – it also tells stories of survival, strength and the tough moral decisions people must make in the face of uncertainty.
Closer to home, I found similar themes in Indian literature. Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness and Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island have always stuck with me for their depiction of crises, both real and imagined, and how they ripple through individuals and communities. Recently, Pravin Kumar’s Hindi novel Amar Desva felt particularly moving.
Pravin Kumar
Amar Desva
Rajkamal Prakashan, 2021
Set in a small Indian town grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, it captures the struggle of ordinary people facing not just a health crisis but also the social and economic collapse that followed. Reading it, I couldn’t help but reflect on the hope that shines through even in the darkest of times.
Kumar’s Amar Desva and Kabir’s famous Nirgun song ‘Jahnva se aayo Amar Wah Desva’ may seem different, but they both explore struggles and hope in unique ways. Kumar tells the story of a small town by the Ganga, where people face poor governance, corruption and a collapsing system during the pandemic.
Despite the hardships, the community’s strength and determination shine through as they fight to survive. Similarly, Kabir’s ‘Amar Desva’ speaks of an immortal land, not as a physical place, but as a state of peace and truth. Kabir urges people to look within, let go of desires and discover the divine within themselves.
It’s possible that Kumar was inspired by Kabir’s philosophy when naming his novel, as both works reflect the human journey toward hope, determination and a higher truth, even in the face of adversity.
The characters in Amar Desva are deeply connected to the realities of small-town India. Shailendra Amrit, a lawyer, and Dr B.P. Mandal, a doctor, represent integrity in a system that often fails its citizens. Kajrauta, a labourer, embodies the struggles of the working class, while Ramayan, a compounder, exposes the darker side of human ambition.
Takiyo Hashigawa, a Japanese professor, offers an outsider’s perspective on the chaos within the town. These characters’ paths intersect, reflecting the interconnectedness of lives in small communities. Their stories illustrate the realities of living in a country where the very systems meant to protect people often break down.
The Ganga river, which flows through the town, serves as a powerful symbol throughout the novel. Traditionally seen as a source of life and spirituality, the river also represents the decay and death the town faces during its struggles.
The small town in Amar Desva faces inadequate medical facilities, a lack of resources and poor governance, which only worsen as the crisis deepens. Shailendra Amrit and Dr Mandal try their best to help their community, but they are constantly hindered by the systemic failures around them.
This creates a sense of helplessness, as the characters realise they are powerless against larger forces that are supposed to protect them.
Moral dilemmas that the characters face really bring the story to life, showing the tough decisions people must make when everything around them falls apart. The pandemic isn’t just a background event; it’s what drives the whole plot. With the town’s infrastructure crumbling, people are left to figure things out on their own.
One of the key characters, Ramayan, is especially complex. He takes advantage of the situation to further his own interests but still shows moments of kindness when it truly counts. Then there’s Dr Mandal, who experiences a personal tragedy with the death of his son to the virus. His grief adds a layer of emotional depth to the story, showing how the pandemic affected not just communities, but families, too.
Kumar intertwines magical realism with the otherwise grim reality of the pandemic-stricken town. Through the character of Hashigawa, a Japanese professor, and the haunting myth of the cheetah with bat skin, the novel introduces elements of mystery and the surreal.
These motifs aren’t just fantastical for the sake of it; they add layers of depth and symbolism, inviting readers to look beyond the surface and consider the deeper meanings behind the events unfolding in the town.
This blend of magical realism takes the reader’s mind to works like Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, where the boundary between the real and the magical is blurred, making the extraordinary seem like part of everyday life.
Similarly, in Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore, the lines between reality and fantasy often shift, creating an atmosphere of surreal wonderment that mirrors the emotional turmoil of its characters. In both novels, just as in Amar Desva, the magical elements aren’t just there for whimsy; they serve to illuminate the complexities of human nature and existence.
In Amar Desva, the unresolved nature of these magical elements leaves room for multiple interpretations. There are questions that remain unanswered, and that ambiguity only adds to the richness of the narrative. The reader is left to ponder the significance of these elements, much like in works by authors like Isabel Allende (The House of the Spirits), where the interplay of reality and the supernatural leaves lingering questions about the meaning of life and history.
Through these layers of symbolism and magical realism, Kumar not only writes a story but also challenges us to think beyond the conventional, expanding the boundaries of what literature can express.
Translating Amar Desva into English would enable a broader audience to engage with the challenges faced by small-town India and connect with the universal fight for survival during times of crisis.
Drawing from Kabir’s philosophy, the novel highlights that life, no matter how challenging, is a journey of transformation and rebirth. Kabir teaches us that adversity, though overwhelming, also presents opportunities to grow, question, and rebuild, making Amar Desva a powerful reminder that even in the deepest struggles, there’s always room for hope.
Ashutosh Kumar Thakur is a Bangalore-based management professional, literary critic and curator.
