Thinking Activity- 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness' by Arundhati Roy

This blog is written as response to the thinking activity given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir on the novel 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness' by  Arundhati Roy. The activity was given at the Department of English, MKBU.

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.

1) How is the intertextual references to 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  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. 

2) What is the symbolic significance of Vulture and Gui Kyom (Dung Beetle) in the novel?

The symbolic significance of the Vulture and the Dung Beetle (Gui Kyom) in Arundhati Roy's "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" is deeply layered and profound.

1. Vultures:

   Vultures represent the marginalized and the discarded in Indian society, particularly the Dalit (untouchable) community.

  They are associated with the Dalit community, who were traditionally tasked with the grim work of removing and disposing of dead cattle, a role that was seen as impure and dehumanizing.

   The tragic fate of the vultures in the novel, as their population declines due to the use of a veterinary drug, reflects the dehumanization, neglect, and persecution faced by the Dalit community throughout history.

   Vultures are seen as sacred in Zoroastrianism, where they are believed to carry the souls of the dead to the heavens. This sacred symbolism is inverted in the novel, where vultures are persecuted and their vital role in the cycle of life is disrupted.

   The vultures' struggle for survival mirrors the ongoing struggle of the marginalized communities in India, who are forced to exist on the fringes of society, constantly fighting for their rights, dignity, and very existence.

 The decline of the vulture population also symbolizes the breakdown of the traditional systems and rituals that once provided a dignified means of disposing of the dead, leaving behind a vacuum that the characters in the novel strive to fill.

2. Dung Beetle (Gui Kyom)

  The dung beetle, or Gui Kyom, is a symbol of resilience, transformation, and the cyclical nature of life.

    It is associated with the character of Saddam Hussain, a Dalit man who works as a cow-skinner and a funeral attendant.

   Saddam's ability to transform dung into valuable fertilizer reflects the idea of creating something valuable and life-giving from what is considered worthless or discarded by society.

   The dung beetle's role in the ecosystem, breaking down waste and contributing to the cycle of life, mirrors Saddam's role in handling the disposal of the dead and giving them a dignified resting place, ensuring their return to the earth.

  The dung beetle's resilience and ability to thrive in adverse conditions symbolize the resilience and survival instincts of marginalized communities in the face of oppression and discrimination.

  Saddam's character, like the dung beetle, represents the inherent worth and dignity of the Dalit community, who are often relegated to the margins of society and deprived of basic rights and opportunities.

Through the symbolic use of the vulture and the dung beetle, Arundhati Roy powerfully critiques the systemic oppression, dehumanization, and marginalization of the Dalit community in India. These symbols serve as powerful reminders of the ongoing struggle for social justice, dignity, and inclusion, and the crucial role that the marginalized communities play in the larger tapestry of Indian society.

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.

In "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness," Arundhati Roy deliberately shifts the spotlight away from the center stage and toward the back alleys, hidden corners, and the margins of society. This strategic decision to center the periphery rather than the privileged mainstream significantly enriches our understanding of the complex social, political, and existential realities that are often ignored or marginalized in dominant narratives.

1. Challenging the Mainstream Narrative:

   Roy resists the temptation to focus on the elite, the powerful, and the well-connected, who typically dominate the center stage of literary and political discourse.

   Instead, she gives voice and agency to those who are relegated to the sidelines - the Dalits, the transgender individuals, the residents of conflict zones, the urban poor, and other marginalized communities.

   By foregrounding these peripheral characters and their experiences, Roy subverts the conventional power structures and hierarchies that tend to marginalize certain segments of the population.

2. Revealing the Margins:

   The novel's exploration of the lives and struggles of those on the margins provides a glimpse into the realities that are often obscured or overlooked in mainstream representations.

   Through the stories of characters like Anjum, Saddam Hussain, and the residents of Jannat Guest House, Roy unveils the complex, nuanced, and multifaceted experiences of those who exist on the fringes of society.

   These narratives challenge the simplistic, homogenized, and often romanticized depictions of marginalized communities, offering a more authentic and comprehensive understanding of their lived experiences.

3. Intersectionality and Complexity:

    By centering the periphery, Roy embraces the inherent complexity and intersectionality of identity, highlighting how various axes of marginalization, such as caste, gender, class, and religion, intersect and shape the lived realities of her characters.

   The novel's refusal to flatten or simplify these experiences encourages readers to grapple with the multifaceted nature of oppression and the diverse ways in which individuals navigate and resist it.

   This approach disrupts the tendency to treat marginalized communities as monolithic, static, or easily categorizable, fostering a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of their struggles and resilience.

4. Challenging Power Structures:

  By shifting the spotlight to the margins, Roy challenges the dominant power structures and the systems of privilege that perpetuate the marginalization of certain groups.

   The novel's exploration of issues like caste discrimination, religious intolerance, gender-based violence, and state-sanctioned violence against minority communities exposes the deeply entrenched inequalities and injustices that pervade Indian society.

   By centering the perspectives and experiences of those who are directly impacted by these structural inequities, Roy invites readers to confront and critically examine the mechanisms that sustain such oppression.

5. Aesthetics of Resistance:

   Roy's decision to center the periphery is not merely a thematic choice but also an aesthetic one, as it is reflected in the novel's narrative structure, language, and literary techniques.

   The novel's fragmented, nonlinear structure, the interweaving of diverse narratives, and the incorporation of unconventional literary forms like mock multiple-choice questions mirror the complexity and heterogeneity of the marginalized experiences it portrays.

 This experimental approach to storytelling challenges the conventions of traditional literary forms, serving as a mode of resistance against the hegemonic narratives and structures that often suppress the voices of the marginalized.

By privileging the periphery over the center, Arundhati Roy's "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" offers a profound and transformative perspective on the social, political, and existential realities that are often obscured or misrepresented in mainstream discourses. This decision to shift the spotlight empowers the marginalized, amplifies their stories, and invites readers to engage with the complex, nuanced, and intersectional nature of oppression and resistance in contemporary India.