Intimidation, Anxiety and Aspiration as Mumbai Residents Face Redevelopment

Across several weeks, intimidating messages persisted. Originally, supposedly from a former police officer and a former defense officer, later from law enforcement directly. In the end, one resident asserts he was called to law enforcement headquarters and told clearly: remain silent or encounter real trouble.

Shaikh is among those opposing a expensive initiative where this historic settlement – an iconic Mumbai neighborhood – will be bulldozed and redeveloped by a multinational conglomerate.

"The culture of Dharavi is like nowhere else in the planet," says Shaikh. "Yet their intention is to dismantle our way of life and silence our voices."

Contrasting Realities

The cramped lanes of this community stand in sharp opposition to the high-rise structures and Bollywood penthouses that overshadow the area. Dwellings are built haphazardly and often lacking adequate facilities, informal businesses emit toxic smoke and the atmosphere is filled with the suffocating smell of uncovered waste channels.

For certain residents, the vision of Dharavi transformed into a glistening neighborhood of luxury high-rises, organized recreational areas, contemporary malls and homes with multiple bathrooms is an aspirational dream realized.

"There's no sufficient health services, paved pathways or sewage systems and there are no spaces for children to play," explains a tea vendor, 56, who moved from Tamil Nadu in 1982. "The single option is to tear it all down and build us new homes."

Resident Opposition

Yet certain residents, including this protester, are resisting the plan.

All recognize that Dharavi, long neglected as an illegal encroachment, is urgently needing economic input and modernization. Yet they fear that this initiative – without resident participation – might convert a piece of prime Mumbai real estate into an elite enclave, displacing the marginalized, migrant communities who have resided there since generations ago.

These were these marginalized, displaced people who built up the empty marshland into a frequently examined example of community resilience and business activity, whose output is estimated at between a significant amount and $2m per year, making it among the globe's biggest unregulated sectors.

Displacement Concerns

Of the roughly a million people living in the packed 2.2 square kilometer area, a minority will be able for replacement housing in the project, which is projected to take an extended timeframe to finish. The remainder will be moved to undeveloped zones and coastal regions on the far outskirts of the metropolis, potentially fragment a historic social network. Some will be denied residences at all.

Those allowed to continue living in the area will be allocated apartments in tower blocks, a substantial change from the evolved, shared lifestyle of residing and operating that has maintained the community for generations.

Industries from tailoring to clay work and material recovery are likely to decrease in quantity and be transferred to an allocated "industrial sector" distant from homes.

Livelihood Crisis

For those such as this protester, a leather artisan and long-time of his family to reside in Dharavi, the project presents an existential threat. His makeshift, three-storey facility produces leather coats – sharp blazers, suede trenches, decorated jackets – sold in premium stores in the city's affluent areas and abroad.

Household members lives in the spaces below and employees and tailors – workers from north India – also sleep there, enabling him to manage costs. Beyond the slum, accommodation prices are often significantly costlier for basic accommodation.

Harassment and Intimidation

Within the official facilities close by, an illustrated mock-up of the Dharavi project depicts a contrasting outlook. Well-groomed residents move around on two-wheelers and eco-friendly transport, purchasing international baguettes and pastries and socializing on a terrace near a restaurant and dessert parlor. This depicts a complete departure from the affordable idli sambar morning meal and budget beverage that sustains Dharavi's community.

"This isn't development for us," explains the artisan. "It represents a huge real estate deal that will render it impossible for us to survive."

There is also distrust of the business conglomerate. Run by a powerful tycoon – one of India's most powerful and a supporter of the Indian prime minister – the corporation has encountered allegations of preferential treatment and questionable practices, which it rejects.

While administrative bodies calls it a partnership, the developer contributed nearly a billion dollars for its 80% stake. Legal proceedings stating that the initiative was questionably assigned to the developer is being considered in the nation's highest judicial body.

Sustained Harassment

Since they began to actively protest the project, protesters and community members state they have been faced a long-running campaign of coercion and warning – including messages, explicit warnings and implications that opposing the initiative was tantamount to anti-national sentiment – by individuals they claim are associated with the developer.

Among those alleged to have issuing the threats is {a retired police officer|a former law enforcement official|an ex-c