Of moving ahead and moving on

Vastavikta Bhagat

We at SEA believe that the pandemic has a granularity of meta, non-linear narratives that become useful in making sense of the relational complexities of the pandemic and society. Thus, we set out to collect stories of fears, joys, agilities, fragilities, friendships, networks, collectives, home, work, infrastructures, entrepreneurship, privileges, marginalizations, migrations, desperation, gender, equity, etc. The glossary as a method became useful to reflect on this granularity of experiences and account for slippages during these times. We draw on multiple readings to bring out the nuances and patterns of social life produced in a pandemic. This we hope would allow us to collectively reflect on the restructured ideas of the self, the collective, society, space, and time. On resillience and old age in the face of the pandemic.

Padmakar is 87 years old. He and his wife came to their son’s house during the first lockdown, since it was difficult for them to manage without going out of the house in Dombivli, where they live. It was a hurried decision that didn’t give them as much to think or plan and pack. The lockdown kept extending and they didn’t know for how long they would have to stay. There was not much to do at their son’s house. Saraf is an artist but had stopped any form of sketching or painting many many years back although his eye still never missed beautiful strokes. Through the lockdown, he started sketching small pictures from his older paintings, newspaper/ magazine pages, pamphlets and photographs. Eventually this became an everyday ritual for him. It started taking up most of his day, kept him engaged and he started making bigger drawings, portraits of everyone from the family. He used his wife’s walker as a support for his board, borrowed stationary from his grandchildren and his mini studio kept swelling through the months. Now it didn’t matter how many lockdowns were extended, his daily schedule was set, it kept him active and productive. He still continues to sketch, hoping to start painting again soon.

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