The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

 The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Hello Friends!

                            Today I'm going to write about Thinking Activity Task given by our Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad sir. We have one paper on contemporary literature and in this blog, I am going to discuss a few questions about a contemporary novel by Arundhati Roy The novel 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness'. 

Here is the link to the teacher’s blog. 

https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2021/12/the-ministry-of-utmost-happiness.html?m=1

Arundhati Roy

    Arundhati Roy (November 24, 1961) is an Indian novelist, political activist. She is best known for her first novel The God of Small Things which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. She was also awarded the Sydney Peace Prize in 2004.

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is a very fascinating novel by Arundhati Roy. It was published in 2017. It’s a very interesting novel. It discusses issues like political, transgender, social and especially it covers contemporary India. It was her second novel.

• Originally published :- June 6, 2017
• Author :- Arundhati Roy
• Genre :- Fiction
• Publisher :- Hamish Hamilton
• Pages :- 449
• Setting :- India

Here are the questions to ponder.

1. Political issues in the novel.

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness paints a portrait of contemporary, postcolonial Indian politics. Through the differing points of view of the story’s characters, Arundhati Roy illustrates the many ways in which various groups of the Indian population have been let down and oppressed by their political leaders after the 1947 partition between India and Pakistan. In particular, through her illustration of the ongoing Kashmir conflict between these two countries, she highlights corruption in all political groups involved: the Indian army, Indian leftists who oppose the occupation of Kashmir, and the Kashmiri locals and militants who apparently resist the military occupation. Each group claims to have a moral or religious imperative behind what they advocate for, and yet they take actions that are often selfishly motivated by monetary gain and therefore out of alignment with their alleged beliefs. In questioning the integrity of each group involved, Roy ultimately sheds light on the ways in which corrupt capitalism undermines the supposedly moral intentions of the groups involved in the Kashmir conflict.

2. Gender concern in the Novel.

The first half of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is told through the point of view of Anjum, a transgender woman and former sex worker who was born intersex—with both female and male genitalia. (Her mother gendered Anjum a boy and named him Aftab, and he/him/his pronouns are used to refer to Aftab at the beginning of his life before he starts identifying as a trans woman.) Through Anjum’s eyes, readers are exposed to the various inequalities and forms of violence that plague the city in which she lives. The Urdu word for transwoman is Hijra, an identity that is very important to Anjum and the other trans women she lives with. Through exploring the ways in which Anjum navigates gender identity and by portraying her trans identity in a positive and nuanced light, Roy challenges not only the idea of a gender binary, but also other artificial forms of social division—particularly nationality and religion. Although Anjum lives in a highly sexist society that privileges the masculine over the feminine, her identity as a Hijra grants her a special social status that sometimes protects her. Traveling to a popular Muslim shrine, Anjum and a host of other pilgrims are attacked by Hindu terrorists seeking justice for Hindus recently killed by Muslim militants. Every Muslim in the area is massacred, except for Anjum, who is spared because, as one of the extremists observes, “killing Hijras brings bad luck.” In this instance, Anjum’s marginalized identity literally saves her life. Although she suffers discrimination in her society for being a Hijra, in instances like this, the folklore surrounding Hijras—that they are “holy souls trapped in bodies”—protects her. While Roy in no way seems to argue that being a Hijra is a privilege, she does highlight some ways in which Anjum’s inability to participate in the gender binary has special, positive effects.

3. Environmental Concern 

In The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, Roy has these lines as her opening:

At magic hour, when the sun has gone but the light has not, armies of flying foxes unbinge themselves from the Banyan trees in the old graveyard and drift across the city like smoke. When the bats leave, the crows come home. Not all the din of their homecoming fills the silence left by the sparrows that have gone missing, and the old white-backed vultures…that have been wiped out. The vultures died of diclofenac poisoning.Starting positively with the description of the magic hour of twilight, Roy wasting no time dwells into the negative effects of human greed. It is humans who want to eat ‘more ice cream, butterscotch-crunch, nutty-buddy and chocolate chip’, drink ‘more mango milkshake’.

The harsh reality of how the behaviour of humans is affecting the environment and destroying the lives of birds and animals which are as much a part of the living community in this earth is elaborated by the author. This is the theme which runs through the entire novel.

River in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. As Tilo walks near the riverfront and stopped on a bridge, she ‘watched a man row a circular raft built with old mineral-water bottles and plastic jerrycans across the thick, slow, filthy river. Buffaloes sank blissfully into the black water. On the pavement vendors sold lush melons and sleek green cucumbers grown in pure factory effluent’ (234). Giving a true picture of the havoc caused by the river Jhelum, in Kashmir, during the floods, Roy writes: ‘When the Jhelum rose and breached its banks, the city disappeared. Whole housing colonies went underwater. Army camps, torture centres, hospitals, courthouses, police stations – all went down. Houseboats floated over what had once been market places’ (264).

Narrative Patterns 

The narrative pattern of ‘The Ministry of Utmost Happiness' is very hard and tough to understand. Because it is not easy to understand Roy’s technique of writing. One of the best parts is here that describes sadness in writing.

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Learning Outcome : Research Methodology Workshop

Hello Friends! 

               Today I'm going to write about Learning Outcome of Research methodology workshop Thinking activity task given by our Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad sir. 

D. 07/01/2022

We attended a workshop on Research methodology at our department of English - MKBU organised by our Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad sir. The Chief guest of the session was Majmudar Jagdeep sir. He is a retired Prof. of the department of M.B.A. and he became the first coordinator of the Research Facilitation Centre of MKBU. This centre mainly focuses on Ph.D works. 

- The Workshop divided into three parts : 

Session :- 1

• Importance of Research led by Dr. J.P.Majmudar sir

Session :- 2

• Avoid Plagiarism: Qualitative research in Digital Era - led by Dr. Dilip Barad sir 

Session :- 3 

• Citation: Tools and Techniques - led by Vaidehi Hariyani ma'am

 Importance of Research by Dr. J.P.Majmudar sir

       

The chief guest of today's session was Prof. Jagdeep Majmudar. He is a retired Prof. of the Department of M.B.A and is the first coordinator. He is reappointed by our university to take care of the research facilitated center. This center mainly focuses on Ph.D. works. In the first session, Prof.Majmudar gave very interesting information about research and what is the importance of research. Systematic Scientific inquiry is necessary while doing research. If we conduct any research there must be problems first. And for that, it requires the reading of existing literature of the contemporary period. He also said that good research starts with the gaps in the existing literature. After finding the gap we have to critically read the references and in that who has done what? How did he had done? and the most important is the conclusion of these references. And while doing a literature review we have to give our comments our conclusion to it. The research itself means adding something new to the existing literature. It was a very very fruitful session for us and we are very thankful to Prof. J. P. Majmudar sir.

In the first session Prof. Majmudar sir gave very interesting information about research and the importance of research. He also talked about it's process of research, Scientific inquiry and how we find our problems and clarity of problems. He also said that Research itself means adding something new to the existing literature. 

               

Avoid Plagiarism: Qualitative research in Digital Era - by Dr. Dilip Barad sir 

In the second session Dr. Dilip Barad sir introduced about 'Plagiarism' and how we can avoid it. He also taught us about qualitative research in the Digital Era. Because most of us are all doing CCP (cut,copy,paste) and how we can avoid it. We also learn that the plagiarism spectrum: 10 types of Unoriginal works that,...

- Clone, CTRL C, Find Replace, Remix, Recycle, Hybrid, 404 Errors, Aggregator, Retweet, etc…

We also learn about the Source Educational Evaluation Rubric (SEER) workshop that,...

1. Authority

2. Educational

3. Value

4. Intent

5. Originality 

6. Quality

        All the things will help us in our Research Paper and Dissertation writing. Here I put Barad sir's Blog link. To learn about what plagiarism is and how we find qualitative research. 

https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2022/01/avoid-plagiarism-research-in-digital-era.html

Citation: Tools and Techniques - by Vaidehi Hariyani ma'am

The last session was about Citation by Vaidehi ma'am. In this session we all divided into 5 groups and she gave us group work on various tools of citation and learned about how to do citation. Whole day has become very informative and useful for us. I would like to say thanks to Dr. Dilip Barad sir and Vaidehi Ma'am for giving us very helpful knowledge about research. 

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Workshop on Research and Writing a Dissertation

 

Workshop on Research and Writing a Dissertation

Hello Friends!

Today I’m going to write about the learning outcome : on Research & Dissertation writing workshop. On 4th January 2022 we had a workshop on research and writing a Dissertation at our Department of English, MKBU. In this workshop we learn about how to select a dissertation topic and how to write further. Our resource persons were Dr. Dilip Barad sir and Ndoricimpa Clement sir. 

Throughout the workshop we learn so many things that what is research? What is our area for research writing ? What kind of problems are you identified with ? What is your research ground? Identified each and everything we come to know that research should be in systematic way :

These are objectives of workshop:

• Objectives of the workshop :-

This workshop is intended to help us for Dissertation Writing. 

 

1. Understand what is involved in research 

2.Select an appropriate research topic 

3. Select and define a research problem. 

4. Select appropriate research method and design 

5.Organize and write a Dissertation 

6. Understand the style of argumentation 

 

Research is scientific 

Research is scientific because it uses scientific methods by making an interesting use of inductive- deductive reasoning. 

• Inductive- Deductive reasoning follows the process below 

1. Identification and clarification of the problem 

2. Developing hypothesis Inductively from observation. 

3. Charting is implications by deductions 

4. Practical and theoretical testing of the hypothesis 

5. Rejecting and redefining it in the light of the results. 

 

In workshop mention five steps about the how conduct the dissertation writing 

 Research is systematic 

- Research is systematic because it follows certain steps that are logically connected. 

 

1. Understanding the nature of the problem to be studied and identifying the related areas of knowledge. 

2. Reviewing the  literature to understand how others have approached or dealt with the problems. 

3. Connecting Data in an organized and controlled manner so as to arrive at a valid decision.

4. Analyzing data appropriate to the problem 

5. Drawing conclusions and making generalization 

 

I find it difficult to find research topics and also have difficulty defining and finding the research problem. A research problem is based on a question, curiosity, Uncertainty, Unresolved controversy in the mind of the researcher regarding some current issues. 

 

Writing a dissertation

• The structure of a dissertation

1. Introduction 

2. Literature review

3. Research methods/theoretical framework for literary studies.

4. Interpretation and discussion of the findings

5. Conclusion.

 

1)Introduction:-

The purpose of the introduction is to attract the attention of the reader. The introduction tends to follow a particular pattern of organization. 

- It comprises three stages: 

1)Report of the object of the study/establish territory. In this stage, the writer describes the topic of the study as important and as requiring investigation.

2)Describing previous studies/establishing a niche. In this stage, the writer briefly reviews previous studies to identify gaps. In other words, the writer describes the problem to be investigated.

3)Introducing your own study/occupying the niche. In this stage, the writer states the objectives of the study and formulate research questions or hypotheses.

 

Literature review:-

The review of previous studies is important. In this stage, the writer critically evaluates previous studies. An example of an evaluative literature review is provided above..

Research methods/theoretical framework for literary studies:-

Research methods state the methods employed in the collection and analysis of the data, while the theoretical framework explains the theory within which a literary text is interpreted. 

 

Interpretation and discussion of the findings:-

Read what was discussed earlier

 

Conclusion:-

The conclusion discusses key findings, states the implications of the study and raises questions for further research.

              So it was a good session. And yes it's really helpful to us to write a dissertation. We are grateful to Dr. Dilip Barad sir for arranging such an informative session.

 THANK YOU...

Translation Workshop

 Learning Outcome : Translation Workshop

Hello Friends!

Today I’m going to write about Translation studies. Translation studies are part of our syllabus paper of Comparative Literature and Translation Studies. On 3rd January we attended a workshop on Translation studies by Vishal Bhadani sir at our department of english, MKBU. After workshop, we have to write a thinking activity about the learning outcome on this workshop given by our Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. 

We had attended two sessions. In the first session we learn how we can connect metaphors to Translation and then he begins his session with a love story with the lady called Translation.It was a very interesting and useful way. 

He talks about Gayatri Chakraborthy Spivak’s view on Translation that,...

“Translation is the closest reading of the text”

About Vishal Bhadani :- 

Worked as a faculty in English with the premier institutes and universities of the state such as The MSU, SPU, IITE, and Marwadi University.

👉Wrote and translated textbooks for Cambridge University Press, Gujarat State School Textbook Board, National Institute of Open Schooling, etc.

👉Prepared training Manuals for the Finishing School Programme, Govt. of Gujarat, and Learning Materials for BAOU, Ahmedabad.

👉Designed world’s first online course on Gandhiji with the title “ Gandhian Methods to Sustainable Living and Happiness” on Udemy Platform. At present, 750 students from 82 countries are studying the course.

👉Trained thousands of teachers and professors across the state on Science of Learning and delivered a series of lectures for parents.

👉Translated novels of Dhruv Bhatt such as “Timirpanthi’ and ‘Akoopar' In English. The Sociology Textbook of 11th Standard for the National Institute of Open Schooling into Gujarati. Working as a Textbook Board.

👉Delivered experts talks at several platforms such as Symbiosis UniversityPune, Grand Education Fair, Ahmedabad, HRDC- Gujarat University, Children UNiversity-Gandhinagar, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Open University, Ahmedabad ,IITE, Gandhinagar, Vanita Vishram Women’s College-Surat, English Department, SPU and Bhavnagar University, Sahitya Academy Gandhinagar, IIT Rajkot,KCG Ahmedabad, Sarvajanik Education Education Society, Surat, Gandhinagar Institute of Technology, to name a few.

👉Passionate for the neurological basis of learning and designing learning ecosystems.

👉Publications: 

👉Youtube: Science of Learning

Questions :- 

1. How has your Understanding of Translation improved ? 

Yes, my understanding of translation improved. Because I attended the very first workshop to learn about translation. First I was not able to translate anything easily. But Vishal sir gave the idea of how we translate any language and he suggested the way to translate that. First he suggested using a dictionary, and thesaurus and also using a referencial source. And he also told us to use a proper dictionary and proper sense in translating anything. 

2) Can you write about translation in terms of metaphors?

Yes, he also told us about his favourite 7 metaphors in translation. It was a very beautiful and understandable metaphor. 

1. The Moon : The moon's calmness is the translation of the sun's light.

2. Head of Ganesha : To put the similar thing instead of the original; it means we can use the similar words in place of the original words. That looks similar to the original.

        એક શબ્દની અવેજીમાં બીજો શબ્દ મુકવો. 

3. (Epic)Kevat :- We know that famous scene of Rama and Kevat.

• Kevat is a translator,  Rama is a text and that woman is a dictionary or theorist. It means while translating you need the help of a dictionary.

4. Western - Eastern Culture : Exchange of one another's culture.

 Opposite to inherent language. 

5. Possible impact of my move : 

   

• શબ્દનું અર્થઘટન

• Be a cat who sit infront of chess like when you try  translated something than you have to decide the next step of your move.

• Ex. મેં મારી બેન ને પરણાવી

• I got my sister married. 

6. Music notation : 

• There is rhythm in music like સા રે ગા મા પા ધા ની સા. We have to translate some songs. If we don't sing in that rhythm, it will change in translation.

7. Translators are like ghost : 

• This is a picture where you see both the evil and the good side. So in the translation we have to be careful about the words.

3) What according to you is the most difficult aspect of practical translation?

He also gave us a practical translation sheet. After practicing translation, we realised that it was not an easy task. And all words have their different meanings that depend on the meaning of the sentence, then we understand the exact meaning of that word. we can not find the proper meaning of a particular word in the dictionary and Google.

4) learning outcome from the workshop :-

Doing translation is not an easy task. You have to be very careful while translating, because one wrong word can change the whole meaning. 

Also we get to know about :- 

1. websites and news on translation that : 

• Scroll.in 

• The wire 

• Washington Post

• Big think 

• MIT

• Service space

 2.  Common myths about translation: 

• Untranslatability:-  ex. ઝેર તો પીધા છે જાણી જાણી 

• Translation is a small industry 

• Most translators translate book 

• Machine translation is crushing the demand for human translation 

• Translation is either beautiful or faithful 

At the end of the session students from sem 2 and sem 4 gave their feedback and Vote of thanks.The session was concluded by Vaidehi Hariyani ma'am. It was very interesting and a good experience for us. We are very thankful to  Dilip Barad sir for organizing the session.