If you follow my other blog, you may have noticed I'm a bit behind on updates, actually more than a month behind if I'm honest. But after re-visiting Mumbai this past weekend, I feel it's completely appropriate to discuss my experience visiting Dharavi when we had our first trip (with our program) to the Commercial Capitol of India. Dharavi, for a long time, was noted as "Asia's Largest Slum", until recently when at least 4 other slums in Mumbai were noted as being three times the size of Dharavi. Before arriving in Dharavi, we were given a presentation on Dharavi. There is often a mislabeling of areas like Dharavi, that they are slums, but would better be suited for a label such as "urban village". After seeing Dharavi, I would agree with this as I have seen areas where everything is completely run-down and there seems to be minimal livelihood, which I would not use to describe the state of Dharavi at all. During the presentation, we were told that because Dharavi is viewed as being a slum, the government has proposed many redevelopment projects for Dharavi much to the rejection of its residents. The consequence of many of these proposed projects would be displacement. Many of the residents of Dharavi would have to leave, losing not only their homes and sense of community, but sources of business and livelihood as well. As it was expressed in our presentation, many of the residents feel Dharavi has the capabilities to develop at its own pace, but what the government does need to do is provide municipal services to the area.
After the presentation, we were brought to Dharavi, where we met a resident who echoed many of the views we had just learned about. Along with being a ladies' tailor, this man had other skills as a journalist/activist working mainly toward stopping the government from redeveloping Dharavi. He told us that the people of Dharavi have realistic goals-they are not asking for world class, top-notch schools (which they have been "offered" by the government in the past as part of one proposed redevelopment scheme), but want to maintain their way of life and be able to send their children to a decent school. If the government steps in and tears down Dharavi in hopes of rebuilding it from the ground-up, implementing many high-rise buildings for residency, many of the current residents are likely to leave. In such a project, the government fails to realize that many of Dharavi's residents do not have the means to maintain such a structure and would be unable to keep up with its requirements. Another possibility would be that many of the residents, realizing the property's high value (especially in comparison to their sparse incomes) would be likely to sell their property and move to another slum where they could comfortably live off the profit they made from their sale for much longer than if they had chosen to keep it.
After the presentation, we were brought to Dharavi, where we met a resident who echoed many of the views we had just learned about. Along with being a ladies' tailor, this man had other skills as a journalist/activist working mainly toward stopping the government from redeveloping Dharavi. He told us that the people of Dharavi have realistic goals-they are not asking for world class, top-notch schools (which they have been "offered" by the government in the past as part of one proposed redevelopment scheme), but want to maintain their way of life and be able to send their children to a decent school. If the government steps in and tears down Dharavi in hopes of rebuilding it from the ground-up, implementing many high-rise buildings for residency, many of the current residents are likely to leave. In such a project, the government fails to realize that many of Dharavi's residents do not have the means to maintain such a structure and would be unable to keep up with its requirements. Another possibility would be that many of the residents, realizing the property's high value (especially in comparison to their sparse incomes) would be likely to sell their property and move to another slum where they could comfortably live off the profit they made from their sale for much longer than if they had chosen to keep it.
It seems to me that the government is extremely disconnected from the people in many instances, especially the case of Dharavi. They do not realize that not only is Dharavi a home for many people, but many generations of families have made the 557 acre area their place of business, their source of pride, and a place they truely call home. Although Dharavi has been made somewhat famous through its reputation as Asia's Largest Slum and Slumdog Millionaire, seeing Dharavi changed my mind on how I view slums. Perhaps it is because when I picture a slum, the parts of Dharavi we were guided through did not meet the photo I developed in my mind, but it could also be that seeing the human-side and personal perspectives of Dharavi residents has made me realize that development is a delicate process not only for huge up-and-coming countries, but even down to developing the smallest neighborhood or marginalized community. All people a connection to their home and a sense of pride when they think of all they have accomplished there. I have never seen a more true case of this than when visiting Dharavi. After our introduction, we were split into two groups to see two major sites of Dharavi-a Potter's Village and Dharavi's Recycle Center. One thing that struck me most from the trip, looking back, was one prideful woman (who's picture will be posted below) who posed happily outside of her home and invited me in to see all of her pots. Because we were quickly bustled through the village, I did not get to really stay too long (or even for a minute) after she invited me, but it has still stuck with me how large her smile was and how quick she was to invite me in. The room I did get to enter had shelves and shelves of pots, but it was something she was proud of, something she could show to others, an accomplishment she could share with me. The government faces a huge hurdle if they do not try to understand the people they will be pushing out of Dharavi because they miss the human side of the projects they have proposed. They see a run-down area and mean well in trying to develop it, but do not see all of the stories and lives development will effect, making their plans ill-received as it fails to address what will happen to their home, their sense of pride, and all of the memories they have made there. Maybe I am being a bit sentimental, but I feel there are ways to propose development projects and help those in destitute areas while still preserving the many things that make its inhabitants unique.
Dharavi & the Potter's Village:
The Dharavi Recycling Center:
dream.love.discover,
Dachelle
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