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Across several weeks, threatening messages recurred. At first, supposedly from an ex-law enforcement official and an ex-military commander, and then from the authorities. In the end, one resident claims he was called to law enforcement headquarters and told clearly: stop speaking out or face serious consequences.

The leather artisan is part of a group resisting a high-value redevelopment plan where one of India's largest slums – an iconic Mumbai neighborhood – will be razed and modernized by a corporate giant.

"The culture of Dharavi is like nowhere else in the globe," states the protester. "But the plan aims to dismantle our community and silence our voices."

Dual Worlds

The narrow alleys of the slum stand in sharp opposition to the towering buildings and elite residences that dominate the neighborhood. Homes are assembled randomly and frequently missing basic amenities, small-scale operations emit toxic smoke and the atmosphere is filled with the suffocating smell of open sewers.

For certain residents, the promise of the slum's redevelopment into a modern district of premium apartments, organized recreational areas, contemporary malls and homes with multiple bathrooms is a hopeful vision come true.

"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, fifty-six, who moved from Tamil Nadu in the early eighties. "The only way is to tear it all down and provide modern residences."

Resident Opposition

However, some, including Shaikh, are opposing the project.

All recognize that this community, long neglected as unauthorized settlement, is in stark need investment and development. But they fear that this initiative – lacking public consultation – might turn a piece of prime Mumbai real estate into an elite enclave, forcing out the lower-caste, migrant communities who have been there since the late 1800s.

These were these marginalized, migrant workers who established the empty marshland into a widely studied marvel of community resilience and commercial output, whose output is worth between $1m and $2m per year, making it among the globe's biggest informal economies.

Resettlement Issues

Of the roughly 1 million inhabitants living in the crowded sprawling area, fewer than half will be qualified for new homes in the redevelopment, which is projected to take a significant period to complete. The remainder will be moved to undeveloped zones and salt plains on the distant periphery of the city, risking divide a generations-old community. Certain individuals will not get housing at all.

People eligible to continue living in the neighborhood will be allocated units in multi-story structures, a major break from the natural, shared lifestyle of residing and operating that has supported the community for many years.

Commercial activities from garment work to ceramic crafts and waste processing are projected to shrink in number and be moved to a designated "business area" far from residential areas.

Existential Threat

In the case of this protester, a leather artisan and third generation inhabitant to reside in Dharavi, the redevelopment presents a survival challenge. His rickety, three-floor facility produces leather coats – tailored coats, premium outerwear, decorated jackets – sold in high-end shops in upscale neighborhoods and abroad.

Relatives dwells in the spaces below and his workers and garment workers – migrants from north India – also sleep there, permitting him to manage costs. Outside Dharavi's enclave, accommodation prices are typically significantly as high for minimal space.

Threats and Warning

At the government offices close by, an illustrated mock-up of the redevelopment plan illustrates an alternative perspective. Well-groomed people mill about on two-wheelers and e-vehicles, acquiring western-style baguettes and croissants and enlisting beverages on a patio near a restaurant and Ice-Cream. It is a world away from the inexpensive idli sambar breakfast and budget beverage that maintains local residents.

"This represents no development for residents," states the artisan. "It represents an enormous real estate deal that will price people out for us to survive."

There is also concern of the development company. Run by a prominent businessman – a leading figure and a supporter of the national leader – the conglomerate has faced accusations of crony capitalism and questionable practices, which it denies.

Although administrative bodies labels it a joint project, the corporation paid nearly a billion dollars for its majority share. A case claiming that the redevelopment was unfairly awarded to the developer is under review in India's supreme court.

Continued Intimidation

Since they began to vocally oppose the project, protesters and community members claim they have been faced a long-running campaign of pressure and threats – comprising messages, explicit warnings and suggestions that criticizing the project was comparable with speaking against the country – by people they assert are associated with the corporate group.

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