A journalist’s job is more than just simply reporting stories. It’s about capturing moments in history, turning them into tales that last forever, and making sure no one forgets, writes AQDAS SAMI.
Asad, a senior journalist, does this beautifully in his debut book, “The Saviour”. In its pages, you’ll find a powerful story about one of the toughest times the world has faced — the Covid-19 pandemic.
This book is like a light in the dark, carefully recording all the struggles and challenges of the pandemic. It brings to life the stories of people who might have been forgotten.
Set in Delhi, Asad’s book focuses on neighbourhoods like Okhla, Jamia Nagar, and Shaheen Bagh — places where people showed incredible strength and bravery like in other areas of Delhi and across India, even when times were tough.
As you journey through its six chapters, you’ll uncover a rich tapestry of human emotions that tug at the heartstrings. It’s like reliving those scary moments we all went through during the pandemic. For folks like me, and even for the author himself, this book brings back memories so vivid they’re etched into our minds forever. They’re the kind of memories that change us, deep down inside.
The book weaves together the stories of Covid victims. As you read, their tales touch your heart, revealing the difficult challenges families endure amid the storm of destruction and sorrow. You might feel that as if it just happened yesterday.
But in the midst of all the sad stories of loss and hardship, the author shows us something else — something that fills us with hope. It’s the incredible kindness and bravery of the people.
Even when everything seemed dark and hopeless, some people were like a guiding light, showing us that compassion and courage can shine through even the darkest of times.
Yet, there’s another side to the story — a troubling truth that this book bravely uncovers. There were people who stepped up as heroes during the Covid crisis.
While the horrors of the corona outbreak may now be a thing of the past, the trail of death and devastation it left has scarred the psyche of Delhi’s devastated citizens. The extent of the miseries unleashed by the killer second wave of has been widely catalogued. What is lesser known, however, is the heroic and valiant fightback by common citizens in certain Delhi colonies. Faced with a deadly but unseen enemy amid deepening gloom when death came unannounced, claiming lives in droves, public-spirited residents to the occasion to help the Corona victims and their families and friends running from pillar to post to secure a hospital bed, medicines and the life-saving oxygen in very short supply at great risk to their own lives.
Unsung, passionate and expecting no rewards, they tended to the sick, infirm and the dying. Many citizens supplied food kits, medical equipment and free oxygen, even before the government streamlined supply. Rising above petty considerations, many of Delhi’s denizens volunteered to take the dead for cremation simply because it was the right thing to do. Also, many who were attacked by the virus survived the pandemic.
But as you turn the pages of this book, you’ll see a different picture emerge. It’s a picture of human strength and unity, where stories of Covid-19 victims are intertwined with tales of unsung heroes — the Corona Warriors of Okhla. Some people from South East Delhi and its neighborhood who risked everything to help those in need, showing us what true humanity looks like even in the toughest of times.
With its wealth of references, personal stories, and gripping narratives, Asad’s book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the massive impact the second wave of Covid-19 had on society. It’s a reminder of the incredible resilience of humanity, and how some people emerged as heroes when Delhi needed them the most. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that these people who risked their lives to help Covid hit families were the real warrior.
Asad has an MA in International Journalism from City University, London. In the UK, he worked in community newspapers. In India, he worked with leading national dailies, including The Hindustan Times, The Pioneer and Mid-Day, and others. In spare time, he also teaches journalism to students.
(The reviewer is an award-winning documentary maker and alumnus of India’s premier media institute, MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.)
