Eco-Political Shifts: Environmental Transformations in India through Analysis of Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of English, Swami Vivekananda University, Barrackpore, Kolkata, India

Abstract

This research explores the complex relationship between changing environmental conditions and political dynamics in India, concentrating on The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, A Novel by Arundhati Roy. The research attempts to disentangle the complex aspects of eco-political changes in the Indian context by critically examining the story. The novel provides a literary framework for examining the intricacies of environmental transformation, encompassing matters such as resource exploitation and land use, as well as the effects of development strategies on underprivileged groups. Using ideas from the Anthropocene discourse, the study looks at how characters and settings respond to and reflect environmental issues, illuminating the wider socio-political ramifications of these changes. Through a critical engagement with the text, this study advances our understanding of the complex interplay between political power structures and environmental change in modern India. To disentangle the intricate relationships between nature, power, and identity that the narrative portrays, the research draws on ecocriticism and political ecology. In the end, it makes the case that literature is a potent tool for comprehending and tackling ecological and political concerns.

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