Mission Delhi – Om Prakash Ram, Sector 43, Gurgaon Mission Delhi by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 2020June 2, 20200 One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Om Prakash Ram, 35, is feeling lonely these days. Not because he lives alone in a small jhuggi — a jhuggi that he built for himself from scratch — but “because all my neighbours, including Santosh and Rajeev, have left for their villages.” Those men lived in the adjacent jhuggis. They were labourers employed in construction jobs, and were instantly out of work when the corona-triggered lockdown began in late March. “Some of them went away many weeks ago, by walking and in trucks, others went away recently by train,” says Mr Ram, talking on WhatsApp video from his home in Gurgaon’s Sector 43 in the Greater Delhi
Living History – Asavari Joshi, DLF Phase 4 Corona Window by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 2020June 2, 20200 Life during Corona. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The lockdown is easing, but not the coronavirus. Even so, this “mahamari” too will one day become yesterday’s news. That doesn’t change the fact that we are living through a crisis the like of which hasn’t been seen in generations. One day, a century later maybe, when the longest-living among us too would begin to die, newspapers would commemorate the event as the passing away of the last of the people who lived through the world-altering Covid-19 pandemic. In brief, big-time history is happening now. And we are trying to prepare a part of its first draft by putting a set of questions about ‘daily life these times’ to people from diverse backgrounds. Today, it’s Asavari
City Series – Medhavi Kumawat in Jaipur, We the Isolationists (349th Corona Diary) Corona Diary by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 20200 Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Medhavi Kumawat] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see my beloved niece’s beautiful little face. She is indeed the most peaceful sight to the eye, and to not just mine, you will want to just gaze at her for days if you ever meet her. I see how her tiny hands reach out to the expanse of everything she encounters, how much she loves to experience. Oh look, there she is jumping around, making everybody laugh and fall in love with her more and more. Her dense curly hair bounce over her face and shoulders, oh dear Lord please help her with all that beautiful mess. She has made me learn what love
City Series – Aradhana Nayak in Bhubaneswar, We the Isolationists (348th Corona Diary) Corona Diary by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 20201 Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Aradhana Nayak] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see how the stars and the moon are shining even in the darkest hours. I'm taking a walk through the mountains early morning, breathing the pure air. There is so much greenery. Peacocks are dancing. Seconds are passing by, minutes are rolling on and hours are moving on, while I'm bleeding my words in order to stay alive in this phase of uncertainty. Monsoon has arrived. I'm sitting by the window, patiently waiting for the roses to be smelt again, for the ice to melt again and for the love to wake again. I'm staring at the empty streets and missing the last
City Series – Priyakshi Sharma in Jorhat, We the Isolationists (347th Corona Diary) Corona Diary by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 20200 Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Priyakshi Sharma] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see a slow montage of something hopeful, something intangibly warm, from a past life. Here's me playing cricket with my cousins in the afternoon July sun. I am happy. Here, I am a teenager discovering the salty air and wet sand of a seashore for the first time. I see my sister brushing my hair lightly, as I hum a song under my breath. Now, my friends and I are sneaking into a class we are late for, for the third time in a week. Here is my beloved, planting a kiss on my forehead, before we part for the day. And then,
City Series – Sundaram Thakur in Delhi, We the Isolationists (346th Corona Diary) Corona Diary by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 20200 Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Sundaram Thakur] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see a different world which now knows how to appreciate even from a distance, which knows how to be patient to the odds that life presents to it. I see friends being more than just friends, even if they do not share the same platter of food and the same mug of iced tea anymore, they still manage to pump each other up when dismay arrives, by recreating virtual meetings into the real ones. I see a world longing for love, for pride, for acceptance, for acknowledgement, and I hope the longing ceases to exist, for this thirst needs to quenched. I wish
City Series – Rupali Rohilla in Delhi, We the Isolationists (345th Corona Diary) Corona Diary by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 2020June 13, 20200 Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Rupali Rohilla] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see myself looking into my own reflection, it does not look like myself, the hair does not look so appealing, nor does my lips. What has happened to my face, my terrible terrible face...and suddenly the mirror is what I starts to hate. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I close my eyes in my self-isolation from Corona... and I see...” Not more than 100 words. With a horizontal-sized selfie, along with your city name... please mail to me at mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com.
City Series – Vasudha Dixit in Delhi, We the Isolationists (344th Corona Diary) Corona Diary by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 20200 Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Vasudha Dixit] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see me and my friends huddled together with hot cups of coffee and chai and biscuits of course! What's a steaming cup of tea without biscuits to dip them into and some gup-shup served by the side. It was a busy day at school with back to back teaching slots and notebook corrections. We have all laboured through the day, excited about our occasional Friday get together after school. Lunch was the usual...butter naan and shahi paneer with some daal makhni ordered from our favourite take away. The kids are together in the next room. Jumping, playing, fighting. The naans have made them
City Series – Anita Dutt in Zahora, Andalucia, We the Isolationists (343rd Corona Diary) Corona Diary by The Delhi Walla - June 2, 2020June 12, 20200 Our corona diary. [Text and photo by Anita Dutt] I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona... and I see my mind surrendering to stillness in chaos. Finally, the veil of mass illusion lifted? Through cycles of creation and destruction, the earth seeks balance and does not discriminate - So, all is as it should be. On my travels, having witnessed vast Amazon rainforest destruction firsthand. I can only conclude - that as a specie we have been ‘Mind Hacked’ and disturbingly, it seems our Collective-Exploited-Colonized-Mindstate has placed us ALL in this Ecological Emergency. A simple yet complex and overwhelming Human Identity Crisis. Optimistically, perhaps guided by Mother Nature, another way is possible. “We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of