The Ministry of Utmost Happiness as a Political Archive.pptx

If fiction can be a way to resist political power, then ‘The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’ works like a record of real events, showing the struggles of marginalized people and criticizing government oppression, communal violence, and social injustice in India.

1. Fiction as Resistance: The Ministry of Utmost Happiness as a Political Archive ´ Presented By :- Jatin Varu

2. Hypothesis Research Question If fiction can be a way to resist political power, then ‘ The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’ works like a record of real events, showing the struggles of marginalized people and criticizing government oppression, communal violence, and social injustice in India . How does Roy mix real events with fiction to create a strong political message?

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 05 04 02 06 03 Introduction of Author Blurring Fiction & Non-Fiction CONCLUSION Introduction of Novel Refrences Political Archive

4. Introduction of Author Full Name: Suzanna Arundhati Roy Born: November 24, 1961, in Shillong, Meghalaya, India Profession: Author, political activist, and public intellectual Famous For: Wrote The God of Small Things (1997), which won the Booker Prize Advocates for human rights, environmental issues, and social justice Political & Social Activism: Criticizes inequality, fascism, and government policies Involved in protests like the Narmada Bachao Andolan and against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) ( Bhattacherjee)

5. Introduction of Novel Author: Arundhati Roy Published: 2017 Genre: Political fiction, literary fiction Themes: Identity, marginalization, love, resistance, political turmoil Setting: Various locations in India, including Delhi and Kashmir Plot & Key Points: The novel follows the lives of marginalized individuals in India. Main characters: Anjum: A transgender woman who leaves her home and starts living in a graveyard. Tilo: A free-spirited woman involved in the Kashmir conflict. The story explores issues like: Gender identity and LGBTQ+ struggles Caste and religious discrimination Communal riots and political oppression The Kashmir conflict and state violence The novel mixes fiction with real historical and political events

6. Arundhati Roy’s novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017) brings together different marginalized people in India. It reflects her belief that personal experiences are closely linked to politics. The novel covers various issues, including queer rights, the 2002 Gujarat riots, caste discrimination, Bhopal Gas Tragedy , the Emergency, and Anti-corruption Movement. Through her storytelling, Roy highlights the political and social problems of India. The story is harsh but closely reflects real-life events. It blends literature with politics, showing the changes in Indian democracy, the rise of right-wing ideologies, the struggles of marginalized people, and the violence in Kashmir. Novel as a Political Archive (Siddiqui)

7. The Emergency of 1975 The novel refers to the Emergency of 1975, which was declared by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It caused political instability and restricted people's freedoms. Public gatherings were banned, police could search homes without a warrant, and people could be arrested without any charges. The novel describes the Emergency as a time when civil rights were taken away, newspapers were censored, and thousands of men, especially Muslims, were forcibly sterilized in population control camps. Prisons were overcrowded due to mass arrests. (Maurya and Kumar)

8. Arundhati Roy highlights the impact of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in her novel. The disaster took place on December 2, 1984, due to a gas leak at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal. She gives a voice to the victims—those who died, those who were injured, and those still suffering from its aftereffects. In the novel, Anjum encounters a group of fifty protesters at Jantar Mantar fighting for justice for the tragedy’s victims Bhopal Gas Tragedy (Maurya and Kumar)

9. The Gujarat riots 2002 The 2002 Gujarat riots broke out after the Godhra incident, leading to three days of violence between Hindus and Muslims. Arundhati Roy includes two characters from her novel, Anjum and Zakir Mian, in the events of the riots. She describes how mobs in Ahmedabad, armed with swords and tridents and wearing saffron headbands, attacked Muslims. The violence was not only directed at Muslims but also at their places of worship. Many Hindus also lost their lives, but their stories are often overlooked. (Maurya and Kumar)

10. Narendra Modi & Gujarat Politics :– Modi is alluded to as "Gujarat ka Lalla" , seen as both a mass leader and complicit in the 2002 Gujarat riots. He won the 2004 Gujarat elections, focusing on development. BJP’s Defeat in 2004 General Elections :– The Congress-led UPA replaced the BJP-led NDA. Anjum celebrates BJP’s loss, blaming them for the riots. Critique of Leadership :– Manmohan Singh is depicted as a puppet of Sonia Gandhi, leading to disillusionment. Communal Politics & Hindu Nationalism :– The novel critiques Hindu nationalism, linking Modi’s rise to communal violence and political opportunism. Gujarat & General Elections 2004 (Maurya and Kumar)

11. Anti-corruption Movement of 2011 In 2011, Anna Hazare started a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar to protest against corruption. His movement gained support from people across the country. The novel refers to him as an elderly Gandhian who was once a soldier and later became a social worker. It describes how, in interviews, he smiled and talked about his simple life in a temple room. He also explained that a Gandhian practice helped him stay strong during his fast. (Maurya and Kumar)

12. Concusion Arundhati Roy’s novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is a political novel that examines the social and political conditions in India. By placing Anjum at the center of various events, Roy highlights the struggles of people affected by significant incidents in the country. Through her storytelling, she brings attention to the suffering of marginalized communities and those impacted by political turmoil. Additionally, the novel subtly criticizes the political climate of India, using real events and figures to convey its message.

13. Bhattacherjee, Urnesha, Tikkanen, Amy. "Arundhati Roy". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arundhati-Roy . Accessed 7 March 2025. "Bhopal gas tragedy: 15 shocking photos from 1984 - India Today." India Today, 2 December 2014, https://www.indiatoday.in/india/photo/bhopal-gas-tragedy-30th-anniversary-warren-anderson-374007-2014-12-02 . Accessed 8 March 2025. "Emergency in India: How the Press was affected in 1975-77." Times Now, 26 June 2018, https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/emergency-in-india-how-the-press-was-affected-in-1975/246017 . Accessed 8 March 2025. Lancy Lobo. “Adivasis, Hindutva and Post-Godhra Riots in Gujarat.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 37, no. 48, 2002, pp. 4844–49. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4412907 . Accessed 8 Mar. 2025. Maurya, Prashant, and Nagendra Kumar. "Political overtones and Allusions in Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness." Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 10, no. 3, 2019, pp. 829-839, https://doi.org/10.5958/2321-5828.2019.00137.2 . Accessed 8 March 2025. References

14. Roy, Arundhati. Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Penguin Random House India Private Limited, 2017. Accessed 8 March 2025. Siddiqui, Mariyam Ilyas. "The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness: Roy's Attempt To Represent India's Struggle With Social Issues." Quest Journals, 23 July 2018, https://www.questjournals.org/jrhss/papers/vol6-issue6/E06062124.pdf . Accessed 8 March 2025.