Sumati Saxena Lal writes in the preface to her novel Ve Log (2021):
हमारा गाँव हमारी कल्पना में बसा है। हमने कोशिश की है कि वह पाठकों को विश्वस्नीय लगे। अपनी इस उम्र और स्वास्थ्य में हमारे लिए किसी वास्तविक गाँव का अनुभव बटोर पाना संभव नहीं था फिर इस महामारी का आतंक ।
(My village is located in my imagination. I have tried to make it appear credible to my readers. In this age and fragile health condition, it was impossible to experience village life first-hand and then write about it—the pandemic acted as a source of terror too.)
This terror is not simply about falling prey to the pandemic, but also inscribes the crises of the literary imagination during the said period. While numerous people lost their lives, others were thrown out of their jobs due to the ruthless imposition of the lockdown. These very villages provided refuge to migrant labourers (and others) who had returned to their homes, rekindling ties to their villages. Unfortunately, Sumati Saxena’s narrative does not take into account this alternative frame of reference. Her confession, instead, reeks of a patronizing attitude towards the village and its inhabitants. Languishing at the limits of big cities, the villages are still shrouded in darkness.