Ludhiana-based industrialist Ranjodh Singh’s book Corona Story records the trajectory of the pandemic

Minna Zutshi

At the time when Covid-19 has adversely affected the economy, businesses, education, in fact, the entire life, it is not easy to make sense of it. The whole thing seems meaningless and bizarre. With businesses collapsing and new normal emerging, the perturbed individuals are trying to grapple with it. While some have fallen into the trap of dejection and despair, others are trying to internalise the new normal and weave their routine and daily life around it. Amidst this chaos, some have discovered their hitherto untapped talents, and in the process learnt valuable lessons in humanity, kindness and courage.

Ludhiana-based philanthropist-industrialist Ranjodh Singh has come up with a book, Corona Story. The book, penned in Punjabi language, is the daily diary of the lockdown, starting from Janata Curfew on March 22.

“I started writing about what is happening around us – the climatic changes, the Covid graph, the type of activities that are being undertaken, how the entire world came in the clutches of corona,” says Ranjodh. For the first few days, he went about looking for “books to read” in his personal library. Photography, reading, writing, nature watching – not a moment was misspent.

Ranjodh’s book describes, records and even tries to make sense of life in the pandemic. The book ends on a thoughtful note: “Today is 15th August, the day of Independence but it seems the year 2020 has been engulfed by corona….We feel shackled again…..Wearing mask…..Hiding face from God. In hospitals, corona patients are struggling….”

He continues: “Jeevan tey maut di khed vich Corona Story nu khatam kar riha haan (In this play of life and death, I am ending Corona Story). Prevention is the only cure till some vaccine is developed.”

The book Corona Story is slated for online release on September 5.

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