We've been in Mumbai for a few days now and the contrasts have been stark. On the one hand, Mumbai is a vibrant city with the high end lodging for visitors such as ourselves, but we have also had an opportunity to see first-hand the hardships faced by millions of have-nots who are trying to make their way in the Golden City.
Bony-cheeked women and children beg in the streets for change, while the din of new construction booms constantly overhead. Overall, the Indian people have been unbelievably welcoming throughout our visit. We have had an opportunity to visit Dharavi (Asia's largest slum, housing between 750K - 1 million residents in 240 acres) as well as several companies that are working to expand opportunities of those in Dharavi and elsewhere. 
One of the most surprising aspects of the slums in Mumbai is that its residents have lived in the "city" for generations and they are remarkably self-reliant. In contrast to the homeless in the USA, the "pavement dwellers" of Dharavi are exceptionally productive. Although multi-generation families live in humble apartments of less than 200sf, they are also busy producing pottery for export and recycling the trash thrown away by less-industrious residents. Since the government of India does not provide a legitimate safety net, they have no other option -- but from what we gathered on our tour many of the residents are both happy and proud of their homes and their livelihood.The pictures below illustrate what I mean:
Beadmakers/vendors show-off the best of their wares as an intermediate good for finished jewelery made elsewhere in Dharavi
A shopowner in Dharavi offers his wares to neighbors
When we arrived, a group of two children turned into twenty. They were happy to meet us and have pictures taken.
Clay pottery is formed, fired and sold out of a small potters' village in the center of the city.
All residents of Dharavi play a role in the community. This lady watches after the group of girls in the next photograph.
Girls of Dharavi, posing for a picture.
From our perspective, it seemed that everyone in Dharavi was working -- both young and old. Nobody asked for a handout. Of course, with no Social Security safety net, this is a necessity -- but the result was much more vibrant than many of us expected.
One thing that was truly sad was the sewage runoff area aside many of the slums. The waste water in the trench was atrocious....
... but even in this environment there was someone searching for something of value. 
Recycling plays a major role in Dharavi, with the waste of the city taking new life courtesy of the residents (although to be honest the workers in these roles appeared much less jovial than those working in the pottery enclave).
Everyone working at the edge of the city.
Perhaps one of the most striking features of the city was the fact that a mere 100 yards from the entrance on once side of the street, they were selling SUVs to the tune of Shakira in a first-class retail strip mall. This is a common dichotomy in India, since the high-priced city is encroaching on the slums from all sides. The conflicts presented by these changes are myriad -- but we'll save that discussion for another posting.If you would like to see some rough uploads of more of these photos, please visit:
http://picasaweb.google.com/redmocha/MumbaiDhravi
2 comments:
Very well put! I spent six years in Bombay (that's what we called it then and I still can't bring myself to say Mumbai) and had never been to Dharavi, which was considered a scourge on the city. I was struck by the amount of industry (and industriousness) as well as the co-existence of several communities. I must admit I also felt ambivalent about intruding into someone else's life. I was a little embarrassed to be walking around with a "foreign" tour group (yet another one from the Dharavi residents' perspective), chatting and taking pictures only to soon return to our own lives of plenty. From the perspective of the "have's" of Bombay, the Dharavi redevelopment plan is a great idea. At the same time, they suspect that many people will claim to live in Dharavi to benefit from the plan. And they are skeptical that Dharavi residents will move into the apartments they are allocated. They believe that these apartments will be rented out and Dharavi will continue to flourish as is. We heard from the Dharavi Slum Dwellers' Association about their opposition to the plan. In order for the redevelopment effort to succeed, it must take into account the residents' needs and build them in. How to satisfy multiple constituencies while at the same time creating a sustainable project will be a real challenge.
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words! Thanks for sharing.
Post a Comment