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For months, intimidating phone calls continued. Initially, allegedly from a retired cop and a retired army general, subsequently from the police themselves. Ultimately, one resident claims he was summoned to the local precinct and warned explicitly: remain silent or face serious consequences.

This third-generation resident is among those resisting a multimillion-dollar redevelopment plan where this historic settlement – an iconic Mumbai neighborhood – is scheduled to be razed and redeveloped by a large business group.

"The distinctive community of Dharavi is unparalleled in the globe," states Shaikh. "But their intention is to eradicate our community and prevent our protests."

Dual Worlds

The dank gullies of this community present a dramatic difference to the soaring skyscrapers and luxury apartments that dominate the settlement. Dwellings are assembled randomly and often without proper sanitation, small-scale operations produce dangerous fumes and the atmosphere is saturated with the unpleasant stench of exposed drainage.

To some, the promise of Dharavi transformed into a modern district of premium apartments, well-maintained green spaces, contemporary malls and homes with multiple bathrooms is an aspirational dream realized.

"We lack proper healthcare, proper streets or sewage systems and there are no spaces for kids to enjoy," says A Selvin Nadar, in his fifties, who migrated from southern India in that period. "The only way is to clear the area and provide modern residences."

Resident Opposition

However, some, such as the leather artisan, are fighting against the redevelopment.

Everyone acknowledges that Dharavi, long neglected as unauthorized settlement, is desperately requiring investment and development. But they are concerned that this initiative – absent of community input – might transform a piece of prime Mumbai real estate into a playground for the rich, evicting the marginalized, working-class residents who have resided there since the nineteenth century.

It was these marginalized, displaced people who established the empty marshland into a frequently examined example of local enterprise and business activity, whose production is valued at between a significant amount and two million dollars annually, making it among the globe's biggest unregulated sectors.

Relocation Worries

Among approximately a million residents living in the crowded 2.2 square kilometer zone, a minority will be qualified for alternative accommodation in the development, which is estimated to take a significant period to accomplish. Others will be moved to undeveloped zones and salt plains on the far outskirts of the metropolis, risking fragment a generations-old neighborhood. Some will not get residences at all.

Residents permitted to continue living in the neighborhood will be given apartments in high-rise buildings, a major break from the evolved, communal way of dwelling and laboring that has maintained the community for many years.

Businesses from garment work to ceramic crafts and waste processing are likely to shrink in number and be moved to a designated "industrial sector" distant from people's residences.

Livelihood Crisis

For those such as the leather artisan, a craftsman and multi-generational resident to reside in this community, the plan presents a survival challenge. His makeshift, three-floor workshop makes garments – formal jackets, luxury coats, decorated jackets – sold in luxury boutiques in south Mumbai and internationally.

Relatives lives in the accommodations below and his workers and garment workers – laborers from other states – also sleep in the same building, enabling him to manage costs. Away from this community, Mumbai rents are typically tenfold more expensive for minimal space.

Threats and Warning

At the administrative buildings in the vicinity, a visual representation of the Dharavi project shows an alternative perspective. Well-groomed residents mill about on cycles and electric vehicles, purchasing international bread and croissants and having coffee on a patio outside a restaurant and dessert parlor. This represents a stark contrast from the inexpensive idli sambar morning meal and budget beverage that sustains Dharavi's community.

"This is not progress for residents," states the artisan. "It's a massive property transaction that will price people out for our community to continue."

There is also distrust of the business conglomerate. Headed by a powerful tycoon – among the country's wealthiest and a close ally of the national leader – the conglomerate has encountered allegations of crony capitalism and financial impropriety, which it disputes.

Although local authorities calls it a collaborative effort, the business group contributed nearly a billion dollars for its 80% stake. A lawsuit alleging that the initiative was improperly granted to the business group is being considered in the top court.

Sustained Harassment

From when they initiated to publicly resist the redevelopment, local opponents assert they have been faced a long-running campaign of harassment and intimidation – comprising messages, explicit warnings and implications that criticizing the project was equivalent to speaking against the country – by figures they claim work for the corporate group.

Among those suspected of delivering warnings is {a retired police officer|a former law enforcement official|an ex-c