The Ministry of Utmost Happiness: by Arundhati Roy

This is an extremely good book. Arundhati Roy is furious about two main topics that she has woven together into a ‘shattered’ hodge-podge of stories and anecdotes – some of which could be autobiographical. It is certainly not an easy read or a feel good read; so if you want one of those, this is not it. This is raw India and India appears to be tearing itself apart. This book is certainly not an advertisement for India that cries out ‘come to India, you will love it.’ It is not a travel book.

The India that Arundhati Roy describes is tearing itself apart in its quest for prosperity and national identity. Its prosperity is built on the shattered lives of millions. Lives shattered by caste squabbles, sub-sub-sub-caste squabbles, religious squabbles, sect and sub-sub-sub-sect squabbles, land grabs, hundreds of scams, politicians stirring up fear, ethnic and religious cleansing in their quest for power. Arundhati Roy uses scattered anecdotes to paint a picture of the shattered lives. There is no true story line, no driving narrative except India tearing itself apart. Although she has three or four main characters, she uses a bewildering number of names that march into and out of the text, usually to homelessness, hopelessness, torture and death. Powerful, clear writing. Difficult for the reader – difficult to put down, yearning to be picked up again.

The most heart-wrenching section is on Kashmir – a northern state of India and claimed by Pakistan, and is striving for its independence. Martial law. Graveyards. Hundreds of thousands systematically tortured and murdered. No group comes out of this very well. Arundhati Roy is rightly angry at what India is doing to itself and how all those not directly affected by the latest round of cruelty calmly look away. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐