Friday, February 16, 2024

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness Arundhati Roy

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This Blog is a part of a Thinking Activity given by Dilip Barad Sir (Click here) HOD of the Department of English, MKBU. In this Blog I am going to give answers to some of the questions related to 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness' and other information from this novel.

ARUNDHATI ROY:-

Arundhati Roy was born on November 24, 1961, in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. She is a famous Indian writer and someone who stands up for what she believes in. Her most famous book is called "The God of Small Things," which won awards in 1997. Besides writing, she is also very active in fighting for the environment and for people's rights. Because of this, she has faced some legal troubles. (Tikkanen)

THE MINISTRY OF UTMOST HAPPINESS:-

"The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" is a novel written by Indian author Arundhati Roy, published in 2017. The book is a sprawling narrative that weaves together various characters and storylines to depict the tumultuous landscape of contemporary India. At its core, the novel explores themes of social injustice, political upheaval, and the search for identity and belonging. It follows the lives of several characters, including Anjum, a transgender woman living in Delhi; Tilo, a woman with a mysterious past; and Musa, a Kashmiri freedom fighter. Through their intersecting stories, Roy paints a vivid portrait of the complexity and diversity of Indian society, while also delving into issues such as caste oppression, religious strife, and environmental degradation. The novel has been praised for its lyrical prose, richly drawn characters, and its incisive commentary on the state of modern India. (Open AI)

Here is the introductory video of 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness available on YouTube.

1) HOW IS THE INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES TO THE OTHER WRITERS IN THE NOVEL CONNECTED WITH THE CENTRAL THEME OF THE NOVEL?

In the novel Arundhati Roy gives little lines before the chapters which are like references to the other writers somewhat connected to the novel's main themes. Let us try to understand with the help of information in Dilip Barad sir's Blog and Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, or How to Recruit Art and Intertexts in the Battle against “Stupidification” article by Catherine Pesso-Miquel.

  • I mean, it's all a matter of your heart...(यानी सारा मामला दिल का है...)

Nâzim Hikmet

This quote comes before the 1st chapter title 'Where Do Old Birds Go to Die?' The first quote, "I mean, it’s all a matter of your heart," comes from Nâzim Hikmet’s poem “On the Matter of Romeo and Juliet.” In Arundhati Roy’s writing, she connects Romeo and Juliet to the Arabo-Persian story of Laila and Majnun, showing how stories and cultures blend across borders. She highlights how authors from different places inspire each other, ignoring boundaries and claims of superiority. Anjum, one of her characters, plays with words, hinting at her gender and promoting inclusivity. In Anjum’s cemetery, those rejected elsewhere find acceptance, contrasting with how cemeteries in India are often segregated spaces for minorities. Ironically, Anjum’s cemetery symbolizes the diverse, inclusive India of the past. 

  • In  what language does rain fall over tormented cities? (बारिश किस भाषा में गिरती है यातनाग्रस्त शहरों  के ऊपर ?)

Pablo Neruda

This quote comes before the 3rd chapter titled 'The Nativity'. The second quote from Pablo Neruda, a poet who faced exile and allegations of assassination under Pinochet's regime, evokes the defiant funeral procession that followed Neruda's coffin despite Pinochet's refusal to authorize a public funeral. This act of resistance is reminiscent of the fervent protests during the burial of Kashmiri martyrs in Roy's writing. These burials serve as protests against the indifference of occupying forces, who leave corpses unburied along the Line of Control in Kashmir. Beyond Kashmir, the novel explores themes of mourning and disposal of the dead, symbolized by the tragic fate of vultures and the treatment of Untouchable cow skinners by Hindu mobs.

Roy quotes from Neruda's last book, "Libro de las Preguntas" (The Book of Questions), focusing on a question about rain falling on tormented cities, echoing the torment depicted in India's diverse landscapes. This attention to language and diverse cultures is reflected in Roy's narrative style, which includes formal experiments like mock multiple-choice questions and reading comprehension passages.

  • Death flies in, thin bureaucrat, from the plains - (मौत एक छरहरी नौकरशाह है, मैदानों से उड़कर आती हुई -)

Agha Shahid Ali

This quote comes before the 7th chapter named 'The Landlord'. The third quote comes from the first line of a poem by Agha Shahid Ali, a Kashmiri poet who experienced the pain of his homeland's suffering from a distance after moving to the USA. The poem reflects the intrusion of death, depicted metaphorically as a thin bureaucrat, into Kashmir. This quote sets the tone for the section narrated by "The Landlord," a character representing the cold and cynical authority of the State. Agha Shahid Ali's poetry, particularly his collection "The Country Without a Post Office," has been a source of comfort and inspiration for many Kashmiris. His voice echoes in the works of Kashmiri writers who have drawn from his words since his death in 2001. In Roy's novel, the presence of mourners fleeing from gunfire at a funeral, leaving behind countless shoes, vividly portrays the violence and tragedy experienced in Kashmir. 

  • Then, as she had already died four or five times, the apartment had remained available for a drama more serious than her own death. (क्योंकि वह पहले चार या पाँच बार मर चुकी थी, अपार्टमेंट उसकी मृत्यु से भी ज़्यादा गंभीर किसी नाटक के लिए उपलब्ध था।)
Jean Genet
This quote comes before the 8th chapter titled 'The Tenant'. The fourth quote is by Jean Genet, known for his novel "Notre-Dame-des-Fleurs," written during his time in prison in 1942. Although surprising at first, there are many connections between Genet's literary world and "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness." Genet's life experiences and his works place him among the "Unconsoled" and the "Indeterminate," with his novel's blend of eroticism and religion earning him a spot among both believers and blasphemers.
Genet's troubled youth, his suffering in prison, his activism for oppressed groups like Afro-Americans and Angela Davis, and his outrage over events like the Shatila massacre resonate with Arundhati Roy's themes. Moreover, Genet's narrative experimentation, with fluid genres and perspectives that defy categorization, likely inspired Roy's own quest for complexity and resistance to simplification. In "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness," Roy combines comedy, political satire, elegy, tragedy, poetry, realism, and magic realism, all with shifting points of view. This blend reflects Genet's pursuit of narrative originality and refusal to conform to traditional storytelling conventions.
  • And they would not believe me precisely because they would know that what I said was true. (और वे मेरी बात पर सिर्फ़ इस वजह से यक़ीन नहीं करते थे की वे जानते थे कि मैंने जो कुछ कहा था वह सच था।)
James Baldwin
This quote comes before the 9th chapter titled 'The Untimely Death of Miss Jebeen the First'. The fifth quote is from James Baldwin's essay "Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region in My Mind," which discusses race relations in the USA, still relevant today. When applied to caste relations in India, Baldwin's reflections remain pertinent. The quote addresses the denial people face when confronted with the horrifying actions humans inflict on one another. Arundhati Roy highlights similar denials in India, where caste is often sidelined or ignored by intellectuals and scholars, despite its pervasive influence. She criticizes the privileged who presume caste has been eradicated simply because they haven't experienced it firsthand, likening it to presuming smallpox has vanished.
Roy's choice to quote Baldwin instead of Martin Luther King, who admired Gandhi, reflects her criticism of Gandhi's deification and sanitized portrayal. She acknowledges that caste discrimination is distinct from racial discrimination but insists they are comparable in their targeting of people based on ancestry and alleged impurity. Baldwin's insights about dehumanization in racism and casteism resonate in India, where victims internalize their inferiority. Baldwin urged his nephew not to accept the false narratives constructed by white people, emphasizing their inhumanity and fear, and rejecting any assumption of inferiority.
  • Then there was the changing of the seasons. ‘This is also a journey,’ M said, ‘and they can’t take it away from us.’ (फिर मौसमों में परिवर्तन हुआ।  'यह भी एक यात्रा है,' एम ने कहा, 'और इसे वे हमसे छीन नहीं सकते।')
Nadezhda Mandelstam
This quote comes before the 10th chapter titled 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness'. The final quote used by Roy is from Nadezhda Mandelstam's memoir, "Hope Against Hope," recounting the tragic fate of her husband, Osip Mandelstam, during Stalin's purges. Nadezhda played a vital role in preserving Osip's literary legacy by memorizing his unpublished poems and smuggling them out of the USSR for publication. Her memoirs depict the absurdity, cruelty, and randomness of life under Stalin's regime, reflecting on themes of hope, despair, and human dignity in the face of oppression.
Nadezhda's reflections on whether to howl or remain silent amidst oppression resonate with Roy's portrayal of human suffering and resilience. Roy's depiction of extreme torture in the Shiraz cinema and the martyred bodies of youths reflects a similar sense of cold rage and dark humor. Despite the bleakness, Roy also emphasizes the idea of "hope against hope," finding inspiration in Mirza Waheed's motif of yellow flowers symbolizing the intertwining of hope and grief.
The "Russian connection" in Roy's work can be contextualized within the influence of the Indian Communist Party, fostering cultural exchange with the USSR and facilitating access to Russian literature through translation into Indian languages, particularly in West Bengal. Even characters like Revathy, raised by her Communist grandfather, symbolize this connection, growing up surrounded by books from People's Publishing House and Soviet Bhumi. (Pesso-Miquel)

2) WHAT IS THE SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE OF VULTURE AND GUI (DUNG BEETLE) IN THE NOVEL?

By referring these two Vulture and Gui Kyom in the novel Roy tries to give us a look towards the world which we never might have thought to look at. She uses the references which normally don't see in the novel anywhere for giving a message.

In "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness," these two have special meanings:

1. Vulture: The vulture represents death and destruction. It's often seen in scenes of violence or after disasters, like riots or natural events. Vultures eat dead animals, showing how life and death are linked. They remind us of the harsh parts of life and how people can be cruel to each other. Vultures can also show how those in power can take advantage of others, like when they benefit from people's suffering. In this Novel the reference of Vulture not only gave the social meaning but also gave the insight that how the species which making our surroundings clean are dying slowly because they eat the dead cows and animals and the people who are caretaking the cows are giving them the medicine which can be prove dangerous for Vultures after they eat dead skin or other organs. So, Roy also gave us an idea of how these small steps are necessary to understand and if Vultures didn't exist who would eat that dead body and everywhere there would be dead bodies. With this she also refers to the event where Dalit are resisting the about it and denies to clean the area because of it. 

Dr. J. Lindsay Oaks, an assistant professor of veterinary medicine at Washington State University who was the primary author of the report, said the devastation of vulture populations was the first clear case of major ecological damage caused by a pharmaceutical product. There has been growing concern among scientists and environmentalists about the ''vast amount of drugs that end up in the environment one way or another,'' he said, but no effect of this magnitude. (Gorman) 

2. Gui Kyom (Dung Beetle): Gui Kyom, the dung beetle, is different from the vulture. It stands for strength and change. Dung beetles are known for turning waste into something useful, like making soil richer for plants to grow. In the story, Gui Kyom is linked with Anjum, a transgender woman who finds beauty in unusual places. This shows that even in tough times, there's still hope and a chance for things to get better.

Here is an animated video available on Ted for better understanding of this.

These animals in the book help us understand big ideas like life, death, and how society works. The vulture reminds us of the hard parts of life, while Gui Kyom gives us hope that things can improve, even when they seem tough.

3) INSTEAD OF PRIVILEGING THE CENTER STAGE, "THE MINISTRY OF THE UTMOST HAPPINESS" SHIFTS THE SPOTLIGHT TO THE BACK ALLEYS AND HIDDEN CORNERS, GRANTING AGENCY TO THOSE TYPICALLY RELEGATED TO THE SIDELINES. ANALYZE HOW ROY'S DECISION TO CENTER THE PERIPHERY ENRICHES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND EXISTENTIAL REALITIES OFTEN IGNORED BY MAINSTREAM NARRATIVES.

Arundhati Roy's book "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" is special because it focuses on people who are usually ignored or left out of stories. Instead of talking about the most important or popular characters, Roy tells the stories of those on the sidelines - like transgender people, hijras, and Dalits. By doing this, she shows that everyone's experiences are important and that society is made up of many different kinds of people.

Roy's choice to highlight these marginalized groups lets her explore important social and political issues. Through the eyes of her characters, she talks about things like discrimination based on caste, tensions between religions, and how people are treated unfairly by those in power. By connecting these stories, Roy shows how these problems are all connected and make each other worse. This helps us understand how society works and why some people face more challenges than others.

In addition to discussing big issues, Roy also looks at how people see themselves and fit into society. Her characters often have multiple identities and belong to different groups. Roy shows us how they figure out who they are and where they belong, even when society tries to push them away.

Roy's book helps us see the world in a different way. By focusing on the stories of those usually ignored, she gives us a better understanding of society and the problems it faces. She challenges us to think about injustice and inequality and encourages us to see the value in everyone's experiences.

Let us see some examples of it...

  • Anjum: Anjum is a transgender woman who creates her own community in a cemetery in Delhi. Her story explores the challenges faced by transgender individuals in Indian society, including discrimination, violence, and the struggle for acceptance. Anjum's narrative sheds light on the resilience and agency of transgender individuals, as well as the complexities of identity and belonging.
  • Tilo: Tilo is another central character who is involved in various political and social movements throughout the novel. Her story intersects with those of other marginalized characters, highlighting the interconnectedness of their experiences. Tilo's journey reflects the broader political and social landscape of India, including issues such as religious tensions, political corruption, and environmental degradation.
  • The Hijras: Throughout the novel, Roy explores the lives of hijras, a marginalized community of transgender individuals in South Asia. She delves into their rituals, traditions, and struggles for acceptance in society. The hijras in the novel serve as a symbol of resilience and resistance, challenging gender norms and societal expectations.
  • The Kashmir Conflict: In the world where talking about Kashmir starts a war, Roy addresses the Kashmir conflict, a longstanding political and territorial dispute between India and Pakistan. Through the perspectives of various characters, including Kashmiri militants and ordinary citizens, she explores the human cost of the conflict and its impact on the lives of those living in the region.

These examples explain how "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" centers the experiences of marginalized characters and explores the social, political, and existential realities that they face. By giving voice to these characters and their stories, Roy challenges mainstream narratives and offers a more inclusive and nuanced portrayal of Indian society.

WORKS CITED:-

Words: 2724
Photos: 6
Videos: 2

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