This article examines Arundhati Roy?s second novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017) as a political and dystopian narrative that foregrounds the lives of marginalized and silenced communities in India. Focusing on characters such as Anjum, a transgender woman, and Tilo, an unconventional activist, the study explores themes of gender discrimination, caste oppression, religious conflict, state violence, and human rights abuses. The paper highlights Roy?s portrayal of hijras, Dalits, Adivasis, women, and victims of political injustice, particularly in contexts such as Kashmir and forest regions affected by state-led violence. It argues that the novel blends imagination with harsh social realities to critique patriarchy, communalism, and political hypocrisy, ultimately giving voice to unheard stories of suffering and resistance within a so-called democratic society.
Lecturer in English, Jazan University, Jazan
