Anjum uses Duniya, literally translating to “the world,” to refer to the mainstream—straight, cis-, middle-class, or Hindi members of society. The way she uses the word implies that she and the marginalized people that she lives with are not part of the real world, and live in a world adjacent to reality.
Duniya Quotes in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
The The Ministry of Utmost Happiness quotes below are all either spoken by Duniya or refer to Duniya. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 10
Quotes
So all in all, with a People’s Pool, a People’s Zoo and a People’s School, things were going well in the old graveyard. The same, however, could not be said of the Duniya.
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Duniya Term Timeline in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
The timeline below shows where the term Duniya appears in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...This, for him, is the last straw—without music, there is nothing tying him to the Duniya, or the real world. He steals some of his parents’ money, packs up his things,...
(full context)
...key principle of the Khwabgah is manzoori, or “consent.” She reminds everyone that in the Duniya, people spread rumors that Hijras capture and castrate young boys. In keeping with the principle...
(full context)
...that Anjum is only willing to bury “those whom the graveyards and imams of the Duniya [have] rejected.” Even the police, “whose rules [are] as irrational as Anjum’s” sometimes bring bodies...
(full context)
Chapter 8
...Tilo, although she was unsure of what kind of décor a “real woman, from the Duniya” would want. At Jannat Guest House and Funeral Services, thanks to her warm welcome, Tilo...
(full context)
Chapter 10
...[are] going well in the old graveyard. The same, however, [cannot] be said of the Duniya.” Back from Baghdad, D.D. Gupta describes it to Anjum as “hell on earth,” and says...
(full context)
