The document summarizes a webinar on the COVID-19 pandemic and literary responses on social media. It discusses how epidemics have impacted humanity throughout history. It outlines the objectives of studying contemporary literary works responding to the pandemic on social media. Examples are provided of microfiction and free verse posted on Facebook addressing themes like lockdowns, migration, and government policies. The responses often relate to current events and challenge societal values. Literary forms emerging on social media are considered significant reflections of the present climate.

1. National Webinar
Epidemic and Literature
Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar
University, Bhavnagar
Date: 16-17 May, 2020.
Aahuti Dhandhukia
Asst Prof (English), Government Engineering College, Bhavnagar
Research Scholar (PhD), M K Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar

2. Title: The COVID-19 Pandemic
and Literary Responses on
Social Media

3. Inevitability and Challenges of Epidemic
Epidemics are inevitable reality and have ravaged humankind from prehistoric(3000
B.C.) to the present.
Pandemics are highest level Global Health Emergency. They account for major cause
of death, disability and ill-health.(WHO). WHO has declared COVID-19 as
Pandemic on March 11 ,2020.
COVID-19 has devastated present systems of all spheres.
It has also challenged our existing values.
The Ideal of Indian culture अतिथि देवो भव:। is at stake.
The perception of Haptics in communication has been altered.
It is relevant to study epidemic and literature to read, relate, review and reinterpret
the values established by Literature and Humanity.

4. Objectives
• To study the regional responses to the global
phenomenon of COVID-19 pandemic through literary
responses.
• To study contemporary literary writing on epidemic as
posted on Social Media during ongoing pandemic.
• To examine the range of diverse concerns addressed in
literary responses on social media.
• To examine the linkage between current socio-political
events and their representation in literary responses.
• To examine the literary forms explored on social media to
the current Corona Crisis.

5. Significance of Studying Literary Responses on
Social Media
• CVID-19 is ‘privileged pandemic’ to invoke literary
responses on social media.
• Social media literary responses reflect current
literary consciousness and contemporary climate.
• They represent current socio-political events.
• Many of them are impromptu composition.
• “Hashtag” and “Comments” are special features.
• ‘Social Media Friendly‘ new literary forms have
emerged and becoming popular.
• To pay keen attention to literary writing on social
media to validate it as ‘literature’.
Literary Responses
from two Facebook
Group posted
between 25th
March,2020 to 15th
May, 2020 are
considered for
study.

6. Diverse Concerns addressed
• Lockdown and isolation in home quarantine
• Juxtaposing the affluent and the daily-wagers
• Reverse Migration by Labourers
• Stigma attached to Corona infection
• Rising death toll and degenerating decency of death
• Enormous hunger and food robbery
• Vulnerability of the old, the poor and the labourers
• Lack of Co-ordination and ruthlessness of administration

7. Literary Responses posted in ‘Striaarth’
Swapnil Mehta with #Corona_Effect
• The parody on “The parrot is Neither Hungry Nor thirsty”
echoes the anguish of isolation of the affluent. ( 19 Apr)
• Advertisement regarding hiring a person to with handsome
salary to talk with corona-survivor( 4 May)
• Maltreatment and old couple confined in store-room.(6
May)
• The imagination of the dialogue between two mango on
mango trees- lockdown experienced by mango-tree. ( 20
Apr)
• Migrating labourer’s perception of ‘Flower-showering ‘ as
God’s Grace is sarcastic attack on government policies in
pandemic. (4 May)
• The dialogue between Pluto( Yama) and dead labourer
crashed under railway track ( 9 May)
• Corona testing an( old man dies before detecting corona-
negative(8, May)
Micro-fiction
• Derived from flash-fiction
• Extremely brief in word-
count
• ‘size of the story in word –
count’
• Traditional aspects of
story- telling
• Abrupt beginning and end
• Value of every single word
• Dramatization and vividity
• Modern and social media –
friendly literary form

8. CoronaVirus Personified
Swapnil Mehta
In his micro-fiction Swapnil Mehta has also personified CoronaVirus not as
mythical Daitya( Demon) but as a character with human qualities.
The dramatic scenes are imagined in which there is encounter and dialogue
between CoronaVirus and narrator of micro-fiction.
• Employing the parody of Hindi film ‘Deewar’ conveys effectives conveys victory of
‘mask’ over ’many’ with Corona.(4 May)
• Corona is defeated against ‘alone’ narrator and challenges to come in crowd. –
United we Fall, Divided we Stand.(3 May)
• The Dialogues between several coronas – Boss Corona, the old Corona,
WuhanVirus, AmericanVirus, the poor Virus whose voice is crushed in discussion to
prepare strategies against govt health policies.( 11 May)

9. Striaarth
Mukund Pandya
Mukund Pandya has written in free verse and in
micro-fiction.
• The man trying to escape from killing silence
without and within. (24 Apr)
• Micro-fiction with the pun on “ Adhar”, though
migrants have Adharcard , there is no support.(3
May)
• Dead Labourer’s dialogue with Chitragupta
refers to crushing under railway-track and he
has just become a figure( 9 May)
• Blood oozing feet of migrants breaking pride of
road( of government and of Progress) (11 May)

10. Literary Responses in
Gujarati Lekhak Mandal
Tanmay Timir
• In free-verse he compares himself like ‘timid’ ant locked inside and those who
do not follow lockdown are called the ‘brave crows’. Vivid description of how
family members ‘pass” time in lockdown and then he turns to seeing ant-like
thousands workers migrating by walk. (27 Mar)
• In free-verse juxtaposes a migrant labourer’s dejection travelling in Shramik
train on borrowed money with flower- showering on hospitals by
government.(5 May)
• In free -verse expresses that history will not see lockdown as partial, half,
complete but as leaving people locked inside and visualizes that after long
strict lockdown ‘many doors would never open’(7 May)

11. Literary Responses in
Gujarati Lekhak Mandal
Manishi Jani with #India_Lockdown
• In free verse he looks at longer queues of migrating, walking workers
appearing like multitude of ants and asks the scathing questions whether it is
virus sticking to eyes causing illusion of ant-queues Or is it ‘ raj-rog” with pun
on ‘raj’. ( 3 Apr)
• Posted on Candle-lighting event, he has used metaphor of two edged
burning candle for daily wager who has lost livelihood and scarcity of food at
home.(5 Apr)
• Nails of the leaders are clutches in guise of political policies appearing
colourful and lucrative but smothering the people. (10 Apr)

12. Linkage Between Literary Responses on Social
Media and Journalistic Reports
• Many Literary Responses in both Facebook
Groups are triggered by current events and
news coverage on
• Phases and Types of Lockdown
• Mass reverse migration of Laborers
• Candle-lightening at night on 5 April
• Press –briefing by government
• Expanding Corona-Test
• Flower-showering on hospitals from sky
• Labourers crushed sleeping on railway track
Gujarati Newspaper photo
29/03/2020
Mass reverse migration of
labourers from Delhi

13. Limitations of This Study
• The literary responses posted in Facebook Group are
considered ‘post’ and yet to validate as ‘published Literature’.
• Literary responses from two Facebook Groups are studied
having researcher’s access to them
• Literary responses are still ongoing process and being posted.
• They may be lacking in wide, global scale and scope but have
intensity of edge.

14. Conclusion
• COVID-19 will be historical global phenomenon to rethink about our
Values and Way of Life.
• There is need to consider literary responses on social media as
Literature.
• Literary Responses to Epidemic on Social Media are significant as
they are the reflection of current climate.
• Impromptu writing is full of imagination and creativity.
• Micro-fiction as literary form may not be Exploring but Revealing
• Micro-fiction is social media-friendly literary form which like needle
pinches us to draw a few blood-drops to diagnose inner maladies
and plague inside of humanity.