Redeveloping Dharavi

I came across an article in one of the morning newspapers today. Now I don’t consciously scout the paper for news relating to Dharavi. However I guess with my recent obsession with the area, it is but natural that my eyes and mind will be drawn to anything related to it, even if it is subconsciously.

In the midst of the election hustle and bustle, with candidates making promises a dime a dozen, there is a lot of muckraking happening, which invariably means questioning what the government/authorities in power have done for the people of a particular region especially if the finger pointing candidate is from the opposition.

The article in question is a collection of MP hopefuls’ responses about their promises if they get elected. BJP’s Mahesh Jethmalani talks about how the allocated funds for the reconstruction of Dharavi were withdrawn by the Centre. He goes on to say that not only should Dharavi be redeveloped but other slums as well, and how he will ensure this once he comes to power.

A good point. Unfortunately, a highly utopian one.

While the issue of slums and slum dwellers are treated as chronic problems and they continue to be debated, has anyone ever bothered to wonder WHY the problem arises in the first place?

I am not an expert, far from it infact. However, I can’t help but see a cause in the lopsided development India has been subjected to. It is the classic case of the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer. In this case, cities develop more, while the rural areas stay undeveloped or underdeveloped. It is this discrepancy that causes massive migration from the rural areas into the more productive and thus more opportunistic urban areas. The search for jobs, higher salaries and a chance for a better life lead thousands of people to move to the cities, putting an unimaginable strain on its resources. These migrants, unable to afford accommodation at the sky high prices cities offer, often take to the streets forming shanties that eventually turn into slums.

Now, isn’t it a commonly understood and accepted notion that to eliminate any problem, rather than trying to control it once it is seemingly out of hand, it is much smarter to curb it at the source?

No single politician, party or government is to blame for the problem we face today. It is the collective effort of all corrupt, selfish people who have been a part of Indian politics – no matter at what post – since the dawn of an independent India that has caused the present situation.

Some might argue that such problems are a byproduct of advancement. Perhaps this is indeed true, but my adamant mind wonders, if we are so capable of reaching the heights we have today, do we really lack the power to create a truly powerful India, to develop rural areas in order to create job opportunities there which will eventually eliminate the need for slums in cities?

Yes, I believe the slums need to be redeveloped. I also wonder if the displacement caused by the proposed redevelopment schemes will just lead to more slums popping up thanks to the lack of proper interim rehabilitation. I strongly believe that the people of Dharavi have a right to the area, more than anybody else. If and when it is developed, they deserve to be re-placed there. It is unfair to expect them to give up their homes, move them to god-knows where, and then build a commercial area, the benefits of which they don’t receive at all. It is perhaps their knowledge of this fundamental selfish trait of our leaders and others in positions of authority that causes them to be wary.

Dharavi, and any other slum area for that matter, shouldn’t be defined by the number of shanties, the number of people, the filth, the poverty…instead look at the lives, the people, their hopes and dreams, their memories. Therein emerges your need for development.

Promises will continue to be made as elections come and go. Aren’t the past and the present the real scorecards, rather than words that have by and large till date proved to be vacant?
The hopes and dreams of people are at stake. Lives, memories…will all get displaced with these people when Dharavi undergoes redevelopment. Give them a chance for survival…

The Black Fort aka Kala Quilla

I love learning about new things. It doesn’t matter what or when or how, I love learning more just the same. Sometimes it may be online using the internet, at others it could be thanks to books, or often through documentaries and other educative videos.

My latest discovering streak led me to the Kala Quilla in Dharavi. A Portuguese fort built in 1737; Kala Quilla is hidden in the lanes of the area.

One may almost miss the black stone wall of the fort even if consciously looking for it. You aren’t to blame. It is easy to overlook the wall, firstly because it isn’t too high and secondly, but more importantly, because it is surrounded by houses.

It has a grand history, just like every other monument in the country does. But that is immaterial when you are faced with the stark reality of a depleting, deteriorating piece of history.

I am most appalled by the disregard for the upkeep and maintenance of these monuments. It shocked me and angered me to see the random scribbling across the wall of the Kala Quilla. I wonder, what need does one have to profess his love for another across the walls of a monument? What instigates a person to behave in such an immature manner?

I am not a history buff. It never did anything more than bore me. For whatever reason, I never seemed to connect with it, or those great heroes of the years gone by about whom we studied. This however didn’t stop me from me being intrigued time and again by someone or something. And this definitely does not mean that I am not infuriated when I see the disregard shown for historical monuments in India.

Why is the preservation of our ‘culture’ so important and not that of our history which goes back centuries? Culture evolves with it, this holds true no matter which country you belong to. History, however, will never change. Shouldn’t this one basic fundamental fact make it more cherished?

Which brings me back to the Quilla. Sure it seems to be a shadow of its former grand self, but five minutes spent there and you will be amazed. The excitement of the locals at discovering your interest in the Quilla is an experience beyond all expectations. Each will have a piece of history to share with you, even little kids who have obviously had this information passed on to them.

You may not get much out of the need to unravel Kala Quilla’s history immediately, but rest assured you will discover more than you expect. Definitely visit it because the experience is one that you will remember for a very long time, even if it just because of the enthusiasm of the locals.

I am not a history buff, but I love learning about new things. Dharavi’s Kala Quilla has intrigued me...

Let the history lesson begin...

Rediscovery...

Things fascinate me…I guess that is fairly obvious! A lot of things fascinate me, often times, things that seldom seem fascinating. Yes, life can be crazy that way. It may seem weird, it may seem ludicrous, but that’s how it is… fascination is a funny thing!

Life works in funny ways… just when you get comfortable with certain notions, thoughts and beliefs; you are forced to rethink it all. An epiphany if you please!
I’ve had a few of these over the last couple of years. It is seldom an easy task to rethink your entire belief system, but it must be done. Perhaps it is all an essential part of the growing up process.

One of these had me questioning my understanding of certain things, the way I perceive them. Dharavi was among them.

Dharavi is a fascinating place…I learnt that in the last few visits there.

I have been going to the area since I was a child, but my association with it was restricted to the leather stores. That, I presumed, was the real Dharavi; not the people and lives. Somehow, even though I knew otherwise, I considered the area, its people and their lives different from the rest of Mumbai city. Of that I am very guilty.

It took a while, and it took some effort, but I made the change. I ventured out of the preconceived notion I had of the place and the reality baffled me. As scary as the process was, the experience was enlightening beyond expectations. The people are friendly and nice, just like elsewhere in the city. There are schools, places of business, dispensaries, just like elsewhere in the city. There is life, hope and laughter, just like elsewhere in the city. Of this I am proud.

I don’t doubt even for a second that there are countless other people out there who share my former belief of Dharavi. Most of them unfortunately haven’t had the opportunity I did, to rethink and create a new belief of the place.

I urge you to give it a try. Dharavi is a part of Mumbai, an integral part. It resonates with all things typically-Mumbai. You will be amazed by just how much it is like our fascinating city. Explore it beyond what you already know...

Rediscover Dharavi.

Celebrate Dharavi

Sometimes, when we fix an image in our minds with relation to a person, word or thing, it becomes difficult to let that go. We may learn of something that is absolutely drastically different from what we know, we may experience something new that is apt to change our former perception, yet we seldom do so. I have always wondered - why?!?
Mumbai, the city of unparalled dreams, the city that never sleeps, the city of countless opportunities, the city with the undying spirit and the city of many other descriptive phrases is home to many such instances where a single experience, or at times, the experiences and perceptions of others, influence us so much that it becomes near difficult to even fathom the existence of a possible other reality.
When one tries to associate the ‘misguided’ perception with any person, place or thing in Mumbai, many instances come to mind. One such place is Dharavi. Situated in the heart of Mumbai, Dharavi is much more than just the slum and filth portrayed in Slumdog Millionaire and as we’ve seen it, or been led to believe it is like, for years.
Not just dirt, poverty and despair, Dharavi is so much more – it is a vision of hope. We are all aware of the number of people living there, of the so called ‘poor and weak’. But how many of us are aware of the number of schools, hospitals and business establishments that exist within the community?
Nothing embodies the true Mumbai spirit the way Dharavi does. A walk through the area will leave you speechless, perhaps a bit overwhelmed with the extent of impoverishment, but definitely flabbergasted at the forever-thriving life. The true undying spirit blooms here. It is astonishing, it is unimaginable, it is real. And this is the true face of Dharavi.
Look beyond the long-accepted notions of despair. Look towards Dharavi with hope. Observe the spirit of a community that only gets associated with negativity, yet shines through with its determination and spirit, paving a path of livelihood and sustenance.
Celebrate Dharavi.