As the world grapples with the deadly coronavirus pandemic that has already claimed more than a million lives, we are once again brought face-to-face with our past experiences. The genre of ‘Pandemic literature’ in India accurately portrays the terrible devastation caused by the outbreak of diseases on the lives of the common people and the social and cultural context in which these events took place.

    The references to pandemics can be found in the works of some of the pioneers in Hindustani literature such as Phanishwar Nath Renu, Master Bhagwan Das, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Pandey Bechan Sharma, Harishankar Parsai and several others.

   Let’s take a look at some of the greatest works in Indian literature that explores the human tryst with pandemics, its potent power and the resilience of the human mind that eventually helps us to confront the most difficult situations.

A Life Misspent by....