The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
Author Arundhati Roy
Cover artist Mayank Austen Soofi
Country India, Kashmir
Language English
Genre Fiction
Set in India
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf, Hamish Hamilton (Penguin imprint)
Publication date
 June 6, 2017
Pages 449
ISBN 9781524733155
Preceded by The God Of Small Things

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is the second novel by Indian writer Arundhati Roy, published in 2017, twenty years after her debut, The God of Small Things.[1][2]

Plot

The novel weaves together stories of people navigating some of the darkest and most violent episodes of modern Indian history, from land reform that disowned poor farmers to the 2002 Godhra train burning and Kashmir insurgency.[3] Roy's characters run the gamut of Indian society and include an intersex woman (hijra), a rebellious architect, and her landlord who is a supervisor in the intelligence service.[4] The narrative spans across decades and locations, but primarily takes place in Delhi and Kashmir.[5]

Characters

Anjum

Anjum is a major character of the book who is Muslim and a hijra. On her visit to a Gujarati shrine, Anjum gets caught in a massacre of Hindu pilgrims and subsequent government reprisals against Muslims. She is anxious about the future of her own community, especially the new generation.[6] [7] She is born as Aftab, the long-awaited son of Jahanara Begum and Mulaqat Ali.

Mulaqat Ali

The husband of Jahanara Begum and the father of Aftab. He is a hakim, a doctor of herbal medicine, and a lover of poetry. Ali is the direct descendant of Mongol Emperor Changez Khan - through the emperor’s second-born son, Chagatai.

Zainab

A three years old girl whom Anjum picks up on the steps of the Jama Masjid. Zainab is brought up at Khwabgah and later goes on to become a fashion designer who marries Saddam.

Saddam Hussain (Dayachand)

One of the guests of Jannat Guest House. Saddam works odd jobs - in a mortuary, as a helper in a shop, a bus conductor, sells newspapers at the New Delhi railway station, a bricklayer on a construction site and as a security guard. Saddam wants to avenge his father's death by killing Sehrawat, the Station House Officer of the Dulina police station.

Dr. Azad Bharatiya

One of the very many protestors near Jantar Mantar. He continues his 10-year fast and runs a newsletter called "News & Views".

S. Tilottama

Tilottama is a student at the Architecture School who is estranged from her Syrian Christian mother - Mariyam Ipe.

Tilo becomes friends with three men - Musa Yewsi, Nagaraj Hariharan and Biplab Dasgupta whom she meets while working on sets and lighting design for the play Norman directed by David Quartermaine.

Nagaraj Hariharan

Cast as Norman in the play. He later becomes a top-notch journalist who works in Kashmir. Tilo marries Naga as suggested by Musa for strategic reasons and later abandons him.

Biplab Dasgupta

Biplab was to play the role of Garson Hobart in the play Norman. He later works for the Intelligence Bureau as Deputy Station Head for. Biplab secretly loves Tilo and rents her room after she walks out on Naga.

Musa Yeswi (Commander Gulrez)

Musa is a reticent Kashmiri man who is classmates with Tilo in Architecture School and her boyfriend. Musa later returns to his homeland to become a militant and fight for Azadi. Musa marries Arifa and fathers Miss Jebeen the First.

Begum Arifa Yeswi

Wife of Musa Yeswi. Musa meets Arifa in a stationery shop where an grenade explosion takes place.

Major Amrik Singh

A military officer in charge of counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir. Murderer of Jalib Qadri, a well-known lawyer and human rights activist. Amrik Singh, subsequently seeks asylum in the US claiming to be the victim of the tortures he has inflicted on others.

Comrade Revathy

A Maoist from East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh who is raped and tortured by policeman. She's the mother of Udaya (Miss Jebeen the Second). Revathy leaves Udaya in Jantar Mantar.

Other Characters

Jahanara Begum - Mother of Aftab (Anjum). Dotes on him and takes him to the dargah of Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed. Even after Aftab moves to Khwabgah, she continues to send a hot meal every day.

Ahlam Baji - The midwife who delivers Aftab and who, during her last days, grows disoriented. She's buried in Jahanara Begum’s family graveyard.

Ustad Hameed Khan - Musician who taught Aftab Hindustani classical music. Aftab eventually stops going to the music classes due to snickering and teasing from other children.

Imam Ziauddin - The blind imam who accompanies Anjum in the graveyard and once led the prayers at Fatehpuri Masjid

Kulsoom Bi - Ustad, guru of Khwabgah

Saeeda - The new face of Khwabgah after Anjum and is soon to take over as the ustad

Zakir Mian - Proprietor and Managing Director of A-1 Flower. He travels with Anjum.

Begum Zeenat Kauser - Anjum’s aunt and Mulaqat Ali’s older sister.

Begum Renata Mumtaj - belly dancer from Romania who grew up in Bucharest dreaming of India and its classical dancing forms. She’s buried in Jannat after her death.

Roshan Lal - Headwaiter of Rosebud Rest-O-Bar

Mr. D. D. Gupta - An old client of Anjum who is a building contractor. He moves to Baghdad so as to capitalize on escalating demand on concrete blast walls.

Loveleen Singh - Wife of Amrik Singh. She's a victim of domestic violence.

ACP Pinky Sodhi - Assistant Commandant and brutal interrogator who worked with Amrik Singh.

Balbir Singh Sodhi - ACP Pink Sodhi's brother. A senior police officer who had been shot down by militants in Sopore.

Awards and honors

References

  1. ↑ Kakutani, Michiko (June 5, 2017). "Arundhati Roy's Long-Awaited Novel Is an Ambitious Look at Turmoil in India". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  2. ↑ Mahajan, Karan (June 9, 2017). "Arundhati Roy's Return to the Form That Made Her Famous". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  3. ↑ Clark, Alex (June 11, 2017). "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy review – a patchwork of narratives". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  4. ↑ Van Niekerk, Annemarie (June 25, 2017). "Arundhati Roy beschrijft de zwartste bladzijden van de Indiase geschiedenis". Trouw (in Dutch).
  5. ↑ Sehgal, Parul. "Arundhati Roy's Fascinating Mess". Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Gurpreet Singh: Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness gives voice to the other India". Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  7. ↑ Clark, Alex (June 11, 2017). "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy review – a patchwork of narratives". The Guardian. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  8. ↑ "The Hindu Prize 2017 shortlist is out". The Hindu. October 28, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Man Booker Prize announces 2017 longlist - The Man Booker Prizes".
  10. ↑ Press Trust of India (23 January 2018). "Arundhati Roy and Mohsin Hamid among five finalists for top US book critics award". Hindustan Times.

See also

  • "Full Extended Interview: Arundhati Roy on Democracy Now!". Retrieved August 30, 2017.


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