This blog is written as part of a task assigned by Prof. Dilip Barad, Department of English (MKBU). The blog related to the flipped learning activity. In which students have to watch videos related to the novel 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness' and reflect upon the videos. For further info you can visit following blog.
Video 1:
The novel itself is very complex, It has so many major and minor characters. In the first reading we may not get which characters are important and which are not. The novel includes the five major places: 1. Khwabgah 2.Jannat 3.Jantar Mantar 4. Kashmir 5. Dandakaranya.
The novel begins at Jannat Guest House. There is a description of a that is there in first reading it looks like a tree or some surreal imagery but later we get to know that it is a description of Anjum, the protagonist of the navel. The chapter also names ‘ Where do all birds go to die?’ The old birds are referred to as people like Anjum who are thrown out from society. Another character who is described as ‘The man who knew English’ says that if we reverse the name of Anjum it is Majnu which he connects with Laila and Majnu story. Anjum denies and says that the meaning of her name means Mehfil(gathering of People). When other asks that in the gathering who is invited? She said that everyone is invited. There is a blind Imam who visits the graveyard often and talks with Anjum about the god and the existence. The views of both are different in themselves but still they talk anyway.
Second chapter is Khwabgah and that is related to the backstory of Anjum. Her father name is Mulakat Ali and mother is Jahanhara Begum. When Anjum was born she has genitals of both male and female. When mother gets know about that he goes through series of reaction. She thinks about the language. She knows Urdu language and in that language everything has a gender male or female but there are only two words for people like a child, that are Hijra and Kinner, and these two words can not make any space for living. In structuralism there is a description of how language creates reality and defines the world in which=ch we live.
The Khwabgah means a dream which is opposite of the Duniya which is the real world. Now Aftab is growing up and one day he sees a beautiful woman who is dressing up diligently and he follows her. Then he gets to know about the life Khwabgah. He starts visiting that place quite often. There he has the conversation with Bombay Silk about the reality of life. In one conversation he says that outside people are concerned about marriage, school, wife’s cheating, husband’s beating Indo-Pak war but for the transgender community all those struggles are inside and they have to fight with the inner world as well as outside world.
At Khwabgah there are many transgender people that include Bombay Silk, Mary, Gudiya, Bulbul, Bismillah(Bimla), Raziya, Nimu Gorakhpuri and the leader Kulsum Bi. The place is called Haveli which was built by Mughal emperors. In the Mughal empire the transgender community were highly respected, there were kept a caretaker of the queens. In today’s time we also find there are efforts being made to rewrite history, it has been done for quite a long time. Jahanhara begum goes to Hazrat Sarmad Saeed’ s dargah for a mannat that Aftam becomes “normal”. There we got the background story of Hazrat Saeed, he fell in love with Abhaychand and while following him he comes to India. In india he becomes the fakir and chooses his path to find the God.
In between while roaming on the street he was caught by the soldiers of Aurangazaib and brought to the court of Aurangzaib. He was asked to read the kaalima and he only read the first word “ Laillah” which means there is no God. Aurngzaid gave the order to cut his head off and when it was done he took his head as a helmet that might have fallen and went directly to heaven. There is also reference to Mulakat ali and his connection with Changez Khan who was Mongolian and against the Islam.
Another reference comes from the Ramayana, when Ram goes to the forest other people from the Ayodhya follow him to stop him from going but he said the men and women should go but he forgets to mention transgender community so they stayed there until he came back. The story moves forward and Aftab becomes Anjum and starts living at Khwabgah. At Jama masjid she finds a little baby that she adopts and names her Zainab. When Zainab felt so ill Anjum decided to go to Jama Masjid to do the Mannat for her daughter. HSe goes there with a relative, Zakir Mian. In the journey they also go to Ahmedabad, and there the 2002 riots were going on and in which the mob kills Zakir Mian and only leaves Anjum because the mob believed that killing a transgender might bring bad luck.
After this incident when Anjum was brought back and now the femininity of the Anjum was lost and she started living as a man. In the Khwabgah that was nor allowed so he leaves the place and starts living in the graveyard. In which she eventually builds a guest house that is called Jannat guest house, in which Mr. Gupta helps him.
Video 2:
The first person who becomes the permanent member of the guest house is Saddam Hussain. Who works at the government hospital and he tells the harsh reality of the hospital. In the hospital most of the doctors are of a “Higher caste”so they don’t do the postmortem of the people found on the street so this work is done by the people like him. He says that the other workers are also dalit and chamar. He left that job and took another job as a security guard. There is another character named Sangeeta Mandam who exploits the guards by only giving the salary of 40%, 60% of the salary was taken by the agency and that was run by Sangeeta madam.
Then we get to know about his past that when he was a child her father was doing a business of selling the skin of dead animals and he they were chamar. Bt one day when his father was bringing that dead animal the polishman caught him and asked for the bribe, normally the matter is solved with the bribe but during hat time the negociation went wrong and policeman named Sairavat informed the mob who were coming back after the burning the Raavana statue and the father was killed in mob lynching. So he wanted to take revenge and during that time Saddam Hussain was killed by America, he saw the news on the TV and adopted the name.
The story moves further and now there are many people are at the guest house.They get to know about the place called Jantar Mantar, which is a place where there are constant protests going on. It wa built by the Raja Jaysinh. It was a time of 2011-12 and Anna hazare was protesting at that place. He is indirectly named as Tubby Old Gandhian. There is also a reference of Mr. Aggarwa that is Arvind Kejariwal. There are other protests that were going on which included Mothers of Disappeared, they are Kashmiris' wise sons who disappeared and never found. Other are manipur Nationalist, who were protesting against Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Delhi Kabadiwalas, Bhopalis for gas kand and a people who want Hindi as a national language. And there is a person who has been protesting there for like 10 to 12 years whose name is Dr. Azad Bharatiya. There are other symbolic names that also occur that are saffron Parquite and Gujarat ka Lalla. In this all protest here a little baby is found and Anjum tries to get the baby but other protest and there is a dispute among them and in between the baby is lost somewhere.
Video 3
In this chapter we find the first person narrator by the name of Biplav Das Gupta. He works in an IB and he is known as a landlord because he gives rooms on rent. With that other characters are also introduced which are S. Tillotama, who is a mysterious figure and an architect, Nagaraj Hariharan who is journalist, Musa Yeswi who is a terrorist. There are four of us in the college together and they were in the drama together. In the novel it is also criticised that Arundhati Roy tries to justify the terrorism. The story begins when Tilottamma is caught and he is in custody so she says that she knows a person who is in the IB and then Biplav arrives and free her from the custody. Tilo maries nagaraj and after five years she comes to Biplav to ask for a room. Biplav means revolution but Biplav does not believe in that he says that he is not that person to revolt he says I like working with the government. He lives alone and drunk, his wife and children might have left him because of drinking habit.
Tilo’s character is very much similar to Arudhati Roy’s character because she is an architect, she was from Kerala and her mother was Christian. Now we want to know that the baby was taken by Tilo and she gets to know about the place called jannat guest house so she decides to leave the baby there. The name she gives to the baby is Jebeen the second. Jebeen the first was the daughter of Musa who was killed in one operation by the army along with her mother. This incident gives reason to Musa to become a terrorist. Then we get to know about other characters named: Captain Amrik Sigh, Lavleen Singh(wife), ACP Pinky Sodhi and Balbir Singh. Jalil Qadri was an activist of Kashmir, when he got into the hand of Artik Singh whois a cruel officer, he got killed and the body was found in bad condition which says that he was badly tortured before killing.
When investigation was done the proof was found that Amrik Singh had killed Jalil Qadri, he was suspended and left the country in the fear of being killed by the terrorist. He moved to Canada and then to California. After some days there is news that he has killed his family and himself in California. When Biplav and Musa meet at the tilo’s apartment, Biplav asks Musa if he has killed Amri Singh, he says no. He boldly says that we were there following him. H further says that “We haven’t destroy him, he destroyed himself”, the same way “One day kashmir will make India self destruct. At the end there is a long letter that reaches the jannat guest house which connects all the stories. It was from the Revti the mother of Jebeen. She says in the letter that she was raped by the six polishmen and then a daughter was born so she does not know the real father of that girl and Udaya was a name that belonged to that girl, and because she does not have any resorses to brought her up, so she left the baby at Jantar Mantar. Now Udaya has six fathers and their mothers Revti, Tilo and Anjum.
Video 4
The last chapter is named as Guih Kyom, a dung beetle. There we get to know that Tilo has started teaching children at a guest house. And there are graves of other people, one is of Ahlam Bazi and there is a description that she changes her sleeping position as they further start talking. Then we also get to know about the lines” How to tell a shattered story, by slowly becoming everybody, no by slowly becoming everything.” Musa was killed in the encounter. At night Anjum was not able to sleep so she and Udaya Jeneem go to take a round in the city in between Udaya wanted to urinate so she does while Anjum stays with her. And while returning there is a dung beetle lying on his back, looking at the sky like if heaven falls he would save the world. And now the Udaya Jebeen is here everything would be alright. The novel ends with a hope that the time wl change.
Video 5:
In this video various themes of the novel are discussed.
The nature of the paradise:
The Jannat guest house is a reflection paradise. It says that there is no paradise in heaven, we have to make the earth heaven. And everyone can coexist peacefully together if we have mutual understanding.
The Importance of Ambiguity and Diversity:
In the novel we find the stories of so many cultures and identities that live in India, as well as the problems they face. The problem is even relevant in our culture as well. Like if a person is vegetarian then he/she must have a problem eating with non vegetarian people. In the religious context Hindu community shares the prashadi( blessed food) to everyone whereas in Christianity the wine is shared and in Muslim community they share meat so that it is not taken as blessed food.
Cost of Modernization:
It can be a synonym of development or progress. Now when development happens many people who live on streets and slums lose their homes. When roads are built farmers lose their land. Roy argues about sustainable development that sustains longer and holistic.So the cost of modernization has to be paid by marginalized people.
Boundaries between life and death:
Musa and Revti are dead but they are still alive in the hearts of people. The concept of reburying also applies here that many people are reburied to another place after once being buried at one place. Jannat itself is a name that suggests where people go after death but this guest house is different.
How and Why stories are told:
In these lines it says , ” How to tell a shattered story, by slowly becoming everybody, no by slowly becoming everything.” The novel includes so many topics to discuss upon The transgender community, rights of Kashmiris, Maoist and Naxalites. In one story many stories are interwoven. It also represents how shattered India is. Why is also an uninteresting question, the literature is like an acid that a writer has to vomit. It is like giving birth to a child. It is a painful process but it has to be told and Roy told her story.
Social Status of Contemporary India:
The novel gives readers a broad picture of life in today's India, covering topics like the lives of Hijras, the changes in big cities due to development, and the conflict in Kashmir. These topics might seem very different at first, but they are connected. Many of them link to Roy’s critique of modern capitalism, and they all focus on the struggles of people who are marginalized or forgotten.
Corruption, Political Violence and Capitalization
The novel shows the political and social struggles in modern India, it focuses more on the Kashmir conflict. Roy writess how different groups, including the Indian army, leftist activists, and Kashmiri militants, exploit the situation for personal and financial gain, despite claiming moral or religious motives. The army faces harsh criticism for fueling the conflict for profit and harming innocent Kashmiris, while leftist journalists and Kashmiri businessmen are also shown to benefit from the ongoing unrest.
Resilience and Hope:
In the novel we find the problems in modern India , it also shows that hope and strength are very important. The characters face a lot of unfairness and violence, but they stay strong because of their beliefs and love. In Kashmir, people risk their lives to bury their dead, showing that even in hard times, life continues. The story of Udaya Jebeen, a baby who represents new beginnings, shows how hope can grow even after bad things happen. The book ends by saying that, no matter what, things can get better if people don’t give up.
Gender Identity and Social Division:
The novel tells the story of Anjum, a transgender woman who was born intersex. She grows up facing discrimination but also finds strength in her identity as a Hijra, a trans woman in Indian society. Anjum’s experience shows the struggles of living in a society that divides people by gender, religion, and nationality, but it also highlights her resilience and uniqueness. For example, Anjum survives a massacre because folklore says harming Hijras brings bad luck. Through Anjum’s life, Roy challenges ideas like the gender binary and shows that people can embrace both masculine and feminine traits, just like Hindus and Muslims, or Indians and Pakistanis, can coexist peacefully.
Social Hierarchy Vs. Social Inclusivity:
In the novel Roy shows how India’s rigid social hierarchy, based on caste and religion, causes violence and loneliness, while inclusivity brings peace and happiness. Biplab, an IB officer, highlights this isolation, his class and caste make him selfish and distant, even in his personal life. In contrast, Anjum, a transgender woman, builds a loving community by accepting everyone, regardless of caste, religion, or background, at her funeral home, Jannat . Anjum’s inclusive actions create a space of belonging and hope for the marginalized, showing that kindness and unity can overcome the divisions that cause so much suffering in society.
Religion and Power:
Roy showed how religious conflicts, especially between Hindus and Muslims, bring violence and division in India. She criticizes Hindu nationalism, showing how extremist leaders like Gujarat ka Lalla blur the lines between religion and politics, leading to the oppression of minorities. Similarly, Roy highlights how Islamic extremism in Kashmir causes internal conflict, as radicals kill moderates within their own community and show a narrow vision of freedom. By showing the harm caused by mixing religion and politics in both faiths, Roy warns that such extremism threatens peace, unity, and individual freedoms.
Video 6
Symbols
Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed
Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed was a holy man who originally came from Armenia. He traveled to India, converted to Islam, and fell in love with a Hindu man Abhaychand. He was executed because he had doubts about his religion. Even though many visitors don’t know his full story, his shrine symbolizes a love that doesn’t care about religion or identity, welcoming all people, no matter their background. His life shows how love and spirituality can be more important than strict rules.
The Old Man-Baby
This old man became famous for protesting against corruption in India. He used a hunger strike to bring attention to the anger and frustration of poor people who were being pushed out of their homes. Many people thought of him as a symbol of hope. But, over time, his protest was taken over by the wealthy and by people with different political ideas, making it less about real change. The old man’s body looked weak, but his protest was supposed to bring new hope.
The Shiraz Cinema
The Shiraz Cinema represents India's attempt to spread its culture, especially in Kashmir. Some Muslim separatists shut it down, thinking it was a tool for spreading Indian culture. But after that, the Indian Army turned it into a place where they tortured people, which made things worse. This shows how one problem can turn into something much bigger when different sides fight against each other.
Jannat Guest House and Funeral Parlor
The Jannat Guest House is very important because it represents a safe space for all kinds of people, those who are poor, of different religions, or rejected by society. It is a place that shows the potential of India if it accepted all people. The house is also near death, which makes it a symbol of paradise and reminds us that life is fragile and uncertain.
Duniya and Jannat
"Duniya" means "world" and "Jannat" means "paradise." In the story, these words represent the difference between the real, harsh world and a better place where people live peacefully. The novel shows that both "world" and "paradise" are not exactly what they seem. Sometimes, what people think is paradise can also be violent or dangerous.
Motherhood
Motherhood is a big theme in the novel, and different characters experience it in different ways. Some characters, like Anjum, want to be mothers but struggle with it because of their difficult circumstances. Motherhood also connects to the idea of "Mother India" in Hindu tradition, but the characters who are part of other religions find it harder to connect to this idea. In the end, the story suggests that motherhood, like nationality, can be about being inclusive and understanding others.
Bodies, Refuse, and Internal Organs
In the novel, bodies and waste are important symbols. In India, the Dalits are in charge of cleaning waste and disposing of dead bodies. The novel shows how this is unfair. It also uses the idea of bodies to represent how people, like the characters, resist being controlled by the government or society. The body is also a symbol of inner conflict, where characters feel torn apart inside due to trauma.
Gujarat ka Lalla
Gujarat ka Lalla is a nickname for a politician Narendra Modi, who represents the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. The character is based on Narendra Modi, who was involved in a violent anti-Muslim riot in 2002. His rise to power symbolizes the growing danger of Hindu nationalism, which makes life harder for people from other religions and backgrounds.
The Color Saffron
Saffron is a color that represents Hindu extremists in the novel. It’s the color worn by supporters of the political leader who promotes a Hindu nationalist agenda. The saffron color represents violence and the trauma faced by people who survive religious violence, like Anjum, who witnesses and survives a massacre.
Vulture
The vultures in the novel symbolize the dangers of modernization and how it harms both the environment and society. In the story, the vultures die because of a drug used in cows to produce more milk.. The vultures are also a symbol of those who challenge the dominant culture, but they are being silenced and are dying out.
Guih Kyom, the Dung Beetle
The last chapter is written in his name. The dung beetle at the end of the novel represents hope. Even though it seems like a tiny, weak insect that can’t do much, it plays an important role in keeping the environment clean and helping plants grow. This little beetle symbolizes the idea that even small, seemingly powerless actions can make a big difference in saving the world. The beetle shows that hope can come from the most unexpected places.
Words: 3768
References:
Roy, Arundhati. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Hamish Hamilton, 2017.
