This blog is a part of flipped learing activity where I'll be discussing about the video lectures conducted by Dr. Dilip Barad. The video lectures are on the novel of Arundhati Roy " The Ministry of Utmost Happiness". Let's begin without any further ado.
Part-1
This video talks about the characters and the complexity of the novel. The novel is divided into five parts or five worlds i.e; Khwabgah, Jannat/ Graveyard , Jantar Mnatar, Kashmir and Dandakaranya. Also how these worlds are connected to each other woven into a thread.
The novel begins with a spark of magic realism i.e Jantar Mantar. The man who knew English, was the client of Anjum, when she was younger, hijra. The reference comes with the laila and majnu which that english man is trying to connect with Anjum’s name. While reversing Manju something like Unjam similar to her name Anjum, which means Mehfil.
Then comes another character Zia Uddin (Blind man) is the one who comes there from Fatehpur masjid at this place and the story continues.
The story goes into the flashback to Anjum's life where she was Aftab and then transferred his gender. His parents were Jahanara Begam and Mulakat Ali. Alham Baaji through the original lines from the novel is trying to describe the condition of Jahanara Begum as a mother when she gets to know about the reality of his child ( Aftab/ Anjum). In Urdu she gives her the gender identity as hijra, one of the major themes of the novel.
We can also see in the novel how language keeps on moving from one world to the another and how perception of looking at it changes when the world changes. Roy is trying to convey the mindset of the society that how they look at such third genders. According to Amjum there’s a world name Duniya which she considers the reality world and Khwbgah as the world of dream. She then talks about the anxiety and tension of the duniya, whereas Khabgah has nothing to deal with. Anjum is saying that for us all the problem is inside, not with the outside world.
Bombay Silk, a beautiful hijra, when Aftab follows her in the bombay market for the very first time. Marry the only Christian, Gudia and Bulbul (Hindu hijras), Bismillah also known as Bimla, Razia, Nimmo Gorakhpuri. Leader of the haveli i.e Khabgah is Kulsumbi. These are all the hijras. Jahanara is taking his son to Hazrat Sharmad dargah for some kind of mannat to be fulfilled.
Then there comes the reference of Aurangzeb and Mughal emperor Chagatai son of Changez Khan who was mongolian and refuses to say Kalima. Also the reference of Ramayan can be seen. One day Anjum and Nimmo go to Jamma Masjid where they find a baby of around three years i.e Jebeen. Saeeda is one of the hijra who is a type of anti- Anjum. Zakir Mian was the one who came from Ajmer to Ahmedabad, where there was a tragedy of 2002 Gujarat riots.
After that incident Anjum after that incident suffers from the trauma, tells about the incident and how Zakir mian was killed and she was spared because she was the hijra. After all the traumatic incident she starts living with an attire of man and decides to leave the Khwabgah and goes to Jannat/ Graveyard, where she comes in contact with a constructor Gupta, who builds some rooms for the guest to stay around the graveyard.
Part-2
The very permanent member who comes to stay at the ministry i.e at Jannat Guest house is Saddam Hussein, the one who is working with the government hospital, near to that graveyard. Saddam Hussien talks about the caste and other inequality which he used to face while working in the hospital and were considered as lower caste ones. Also talks about the corruption occurring in the society and with such castes people. Saddam Hussein lied about his caste and that he is a muslim but originally his name was Dayachand. Sherawat is a police officer, Saddam Hussein who wants to take revenge against him.
Jantar Mantar is normally a protest site in new delhi. 2011-12 Anna Hazare movement also known as Tubby old Gandhian, along with Mr.Agrawal as Arvind Kegrival. They all along with Anjum and all they go to Jantar Mantar for a visit and there they see Anna Hazare and Mothers of the disappeared. Mother of the disappeared where those Kashmiris whose childrens and husbands have disappeared suddenly. Agitating against the ministry forces about their lost ones.
Manipur nationalist, fighting against AFSPA ( Arm Force Security Protection act), Delhi Kabadiwala, Bhopali’s ( who were fighting against union carbide), Hindi to be national language. Important figure of Jantar Mantar is Dr. Azad Bharti, who changed his name for the freedom of India. The one who used to support Anna Hazare, for them the word i.e used is Saffron Perikit. There on the footpath they found a little baby, at that time Mr. Agrawal arrived and while arguing with them the little baby which they found was lost. Here the incident at Jantar Mantar ends with the sudden entry and sudden exit / loss of the baby.
Part-3
Here in this part the narration is done by Biplab Dagupta, a landlord and is an Intelligence Bureau officer for the government of India. And how this Dasgupta has a backstory which connects with characters such as ; S. Tilottama, Nagaraj Hariharan, Mussa Yeswi. As the story goes further Mussa becomes part of a terrorist group. Chitrarupa was the wife of Dasgupta and had two daughters Rabia and Ania. Tilottama is often seen close to the character of Arundhati Roy.
As the story moves further there comes the revelation of the lost baby, which was taken by S. Tilottama at Jantar Mantar, as she was also there. Tilottama is connected with Azad Bharti and this Azad Bharti is the one who links the other characters. The name of the baby is Jebeen and Jebeen the second.
Mussa Yeswi’s wife was Arifa and daughter was Jebeen. They used to live happily in Kashmir but were encountered by the security forces by mistake and were killed. These brought hate and terrorism in him. Caption Amrik Singh and his wife is Lavteen Singh. ACP Pinky Sodhi and his brother Balbir Sodhi. Some of the members of the terrorist group are; Khadiya, Aijaz and Jalil Qadri. Dasgupta, while looking at all the files, gets to know that S.Tilottama is known for so many things. Also Nagraj Hariharan who was the journalist and even he was unaware about himself that the government made him write. Revathy, who gives name to her daughter i.e Udaya, at the end of the novel gets to know about the original name and mother of Jebeen. While reaching the end we get to know that Dr. Azad Bharti is the one linking the worlds.
In the letter by Revathy, she tells that she was raped by six police officers and was so unconscious that she could’nt identify the father of Udaya. These can be more understood and explained in depth by reading the original lines from the novel.
Then again comes the story of landlord Amrik singh. Biplab Dasgupta askes Mussa that did you kill Amrik singh but later comes to know that Amrik singh got made out of fear that he killed himself from the fear of terrorists. Mussa at the end of the novel says that India will one day self-district the way Amrik singh did to himself.
Part-4
Now in this video it talks about the very end part of the novel Guih Kyom. There’s an insect with which the story ends i.e Dung Beetle. Surrealism can be seen when Alham Baaji’s and then Mussa later comes to know that Tilottama has written the poem and it becomes the theme of the novel “How to tell a shattered story”.
Moving to last night, when Anjum was restless and the funeral of Revathy is known as comrade mass. Miss Jebeen when can’t sleep Anjum takes her for a walk and there Jebeen says mummy susu, and how it’s connected to one of the incidents of Anjum urinated in ghagra when it was raining.
When they came back everybody was sleeping except Guih Kyom ( Dung Beetle) who was on duty and was lying upside down, as if trying to save the world if anything fell, to save it. But somewhere even that Dung Beetle has a hope that at the end everything will go good and was hoping for the betterment because Miss Udaya Jebeen has come with the hope for some change.
Part-5
This video deals with the various themes of the novel.
The Nature of Paradise:
For achieving paradise/ Jannat one has to go through the suffering of death/ Graveyard. Graveyard and the idea of Jannat that how people think that after death they’ll receive paradise and all such. Paradise in terms of secularism as well as Roy is trying to creat paradise on earth.
Importance of Ambiguity and Diversity:
Ambiguity is symbolically represented in Aftab, Anjum and about its intersex. On other hand there is Diversity, how the adjustment with the society and the challenges which are faced is talked about by Roy.
The Cost of Modernisation:
Talks about development / progress that on which cost the people have to pay it. Roy as being an activist who keeps on questioning sustainable development. Through various examples is trying to convey which category of people are being suffered for the development / modernisation of society.
The Boundaries between life and death:
It’s like two sides of the coin where life and death both are integral parts of life. To understand this theme, the metaphor of Diamond is used, which has multiple perspectives. People like Revathy and Mussa who die and live forever. There’s also the reference to the second burial of some people like Revathy, Mussa and Tilottama’s mother
How and why stories are told:
How and what should be in sync when it comes to storytelling. Through the example of “ Waiting for Godot” in the characters like Vladimir and Estragon we can see that. But in Roy’s storytelling narrative technique we can see a shift from one sense of time to another with complex narration.
Many times a story is told to satisfy your inner self.Through the example of mother, like how terrible and painful it is to become a mother, the same way is for the writers to produce any work. So it’s very imp to convey whatever is going into inner self should be produced in a form of work.
Social status in Contemporary India:
People from the deep forest of bastar, the one who are maoist and how the kashmiris insurgence is looked upon at. While looking at capitalism we are consumers apart from the gender biases, castes etc… they only look at capitality, wealth
Corruption, political violence and capitalism:
Here, people noticed that Roy is more sympathetic towards Kashmiris or towards maoist people and their corruption is not highlighted much. But when we look at literature there should be balance, without biases. There also comes the reference of Kashmiris being the businessman and also the militant organisations corruption done by them.
Resilience and hope:
Resilience means to fight against various kinds of life and death experiences and fights to live for their life, which humans usually face in their life from their various situations. Through the example of Dung Beetle, is trying to explain how they live their life. Also through Udaya and Miss Jebeen the second. Here, the vision of Roy we can see the hope for change.
Gender identity, Social divisions and coexistence:
Through the character of Anjum we can clearly understand this theme: her struggle for gender identity in society. Co existence of 3rd gender is not easy as people find it difficult to digest their personality. Our society is pluralistic rather than multiculturalist. Majority of society believes in pluralistic ways.
Social Hierarchy vs Social Inclusivity:
Roy is talking about in the novel, the dunya as outside world and khwabgah as inside world sometime to teach a lesson of social inclusivity you have to marginalize those people who are in the center of society
Religion and Power:
It's always religion prominently selected by people because that is what connects the power.
Metaphor is also used for the wolf beneath the sheep. Here comes the example of Abdullah, a university professor and he used to tell Kashmiri about their local saints. He is saying that don’t go for those religions coming from outside instead worship your own saints, and be local rather than being a shrine worshiper.
Part-6
1.Hazrat Sharmad Shaheed:
In the novel we can see sharmad falling in love with another boy which is not easily acceptable in the society. He was the one who once became out of religion and doesn't believe in god, then also refuses to speak kalima and questions the existence of god.
2. The Old Man Baby:
Represents the AnnaHazare & 2011 movement. It shows how Roy has presented those things Metaphorically with political events. To see AnnaHazare as Gandhi & figure and to feel from now on everything is gonna be good & hope for change.
3. The Shiraz Cinema:
Militans shut the cinema as they were showing those things such as muslims as villains and their country as heroes. Military imperialism which was shutdown by terror groups and that theater was used for Interrogation center for the Indian army, where kashmiri young people were caught and interrogated.
4.Jannat Guesthouse & Funeral Parlour:
It deals with themes of nature & paradise also with death and life.
5.Dunia & Jannat:
Revethy who is maoist Guerrilla fighter against the security forces. Amrikh Singh, there ironically uses the word Jannat after killing maoist, they say lets them send to Jannat express.
6.Motherhood:
Revathy, Tilottama and Anjum Mothers of Udaya or Miss Jebeen. Also uses motherland as Bharat mata like mother of their land, for victory and to salute her.
Then there’s other themes as well 7. Bodies, refuse and Internal organs. 8. Gujarat Ka Lalla. 9. The color Saffron. 9. Vulture. 10. Guih Kyom, the Dung Beetle.
I hope this would be helpful,
Thank you.
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