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Across several weeks, threatening communications recurred. Initially, reportedly from an ex-law enforcement official and a retired army general, subsequently from law enforcement directly. Finally, Mohammad Khurshid Shaikh claims he was called to the police station and instructed bluntly: stop speaking out or encounter real trouble.

The leather artisan is among those resisting a expensive project where this historic settlement – one of India’s largest and most storied slums – will be demolished and transformed by a corporate giant.

"The unique ecosystem of this area is exceptional in the planet," says the resident. "However the plan aims to eradicate our social fabric and silence our voices."

Contrasting Realities

The narrow alleys of this community stand in sharp opposition to the towering buildings and Bollywood penthouses that loom over the settlement. Homes are assembled randomly and typically missing basic amenities, informal businesses produce dangerous fumes and the environment is saturated with the unpleasant stench of uncovered waste channels.

To some, the prospect of a renewed Dharavi into a glistening neighborhood of high-end towers, well-maintained green spaces, shiny shopping centers and homes with two toilets is an aspirational dream realized.

"We don't have adequate medical facilities, paved pathways or sewage systems and there are no spaces for children to play," says A Selvin Nadar, in his fifties, who moved from Tamil Nadu in the early eighties. "The single option is to demolish everything and build us new homes."

Local Protest

Yet certain residents, such as this protester, are fighting against the project.

Everyone acknowledges that Dharavi, historically ignored as informal housing, is desperately requiring investment and development. But they fear that this plan – without resident participation – is one that will turn premium city property into a luxury development, displacing the lower-caste, immigrant populations who have resided there since generations ago.

It was these shunned, displaced people who built up the uninhabited area into an extensively researched phenomenon of community resilience and economic productivity, whose output is valued at between one million dollars and a substantial sum annually, making it one of the world's largest unregulated sectors.

Relocation Worries

Of the roughly 1 million inhabitants living in the dense 2.2 square kilometer neighborhood, a minority will be able for alternative accommodation in the project, which is estimated to take seven years to complete. Additional residents will be transferred to wastelands and salt plains on the distant periphery of Mumbai, threatening to break up a historic community. A portion will not get residences at all.

People eligible to remain in Dharavi will be given units in multi-story structures, a substantial change from the evolved, communal way of dwelling and laboring that has supported Dharavi for generations.

Industries from tailoring to clay work and waste processing are likely to reduce in scale and be relocated to a specific "business area" far from people's residences.

Survival Challenge

For residents like this protester, a leather artisan and third generation resident to reside in this community, the plan presents a fundamental risk. His informal, three-floor workshop creates apparel – formal jackets, luxury coats, studded bomber jackets – marketed in luxury boutiques in upscale neighborhoods and overseas.

Relatives lives in the accommodations below and laborers and tailors – laborers from north India – also sleep in the same building, allowing him to manage costs. Outside this community, housing costs are frequently significantly as high for minimal space.

Threats and Warning

In the government offices in the vicinity, an illustrated mock-up of the Dharavi project shows a very different vision for the future. Slickly dressed residents gather on cycles and eco-friendly transport, acquiring western-style baked goods and pastries and enlisting beverages on a terrace adjacent to Dharavi Cafe and Ice-Cream. This depicts a world away from the inexpensive idli sambar morning meal and budget beverage that supports the neighborhood.

"This is not improvement for residents," states the artisan. "This constitutes an enormous property transaction that will render it impossible for our community to continue."

Additionally, there exists skepticism of the corporate group. Managed by an influential industrialist – one of India's most powerful and an associate of the national leader – the corporation has faced accusations of crony capitalism and ethical concerns, which it denies.

Even as the state government calls it a partnership, the business group invested a significant amount for its controlling interest. Legal proceedings alleging that the redevelopment was unfairly awarded to the corporation is being considered in the top court.

Sustained Harassment

After they started to actively protest the project, protesters and community members state they have been subjected to an extended period of coercion and warning – comprising communications, explicit warnings and implications that criticizing the initiative was tantamount to opposing national interests – by people they assert are associated with the corporate group.

Part of the group accused of making intimidations is {a retired police officer|a former law enforcement official|an ex-c