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Over an extended period, threatening messages recurred. At first, reportedly from a retired cop and a former defense officer, and then from the authorities. In the end, Mohammad Khurshid Shaikh states he was called to law enforcement headquarters and warned explicitly: keep quiet or experience severe repercussions.

This third-generation resident is among those opposing a expensive initiative where this historic settlement – an iconic Mumbai neighborhood – faces bulldozed and transformed by a multinational conglomerate.

"The culture of Dharavi is unparalleled in the planet," explains the resident. "However the plan aims to destroy our community and stop us speaking out."

Opposing Environments

The narrow alleys of Dharavi sit in stark contrast to the soaring skyscrapers and luxury apartments that overshadow the neighborhood. Residences are built haphazardly and typically missing basic amenities, informal businesses produce dangerous fumes and the air is saturated with the overpowering odor of exposed drainage.

To some, the vision of the slum's redevelopment into a developed area of premium apartments, well-maintained green spaces, modern retail complexes and residences with multiple bathrooms is an aspirational dream realized.

"There's no sufficient health services, paved pathways or water management and there's nowhere for children to play," says A Selvin Nadar, in his fifties, who moved from Tamil Nadu in 1982. "The sole solution is to clear the area and construct proper housing."

Resident Opposition

But others, including this protester, are resisting the plan.

None deny that the slum, consistently overlooked as an illegal encroachment, is desperately requiring investment and development. However they fear that this project – absent of community input – might transform premium city property into a luxury development, forcing out the disadvantaged, migrant communities who have resided there since the late 1800s.

It was these shunned, migrant workers who developed the empty marshland into a widely studied marvel of self-reliance and commercial output, whose output is worth between $1m and $2m annually, making it among the globe's biggest unregulated sectors.

Relocation Worries

Out of about one million inhabitants living in the packed sprawling neighborhood, fewer than half will be qualified for new homes in the project, which is expected to take an extended timeframe to finish. The remainder will be relocated to barren areas and salt plains on the far outskirts of Mumbai, risking divide a historic community. Some will be denied residences at all.

Residents permitted to remain in the area will be provided apartments in high-rise buildings, a major break from the natural, shared lifestyle of living and working that has sustained the community for many years.

Commercial activities from clothing production to ceramic crafts and recycling are projected to reduce in scale and be relocated to a designated "commercial zone" far from homes.

Livelihood Crisis

In the case of the leather artisan, a leather artisan and third generation inhabitant to call home Dharavi, the plan presents an existential threat. His rickety, three-storey operation produces leather coats – sharp blazers, luxury coats, fashionable garments – sold in premium stores in upscale neighborhoods and internationally.

His family resides in the accommodations underneath and laborers and tailors – workers from other states – reside in the same building, enabling him to sustain operations. Away from Dharavi's enclave, Mumbai rents are typically 10 times more expensive for minimal space.

Pressure and Coercion

At the official facilities nearby, an illustrated mock-up of the Dharavi project depicts an alternative vision for the future. Fashionable inhabitants move around on two-wheelers and electric vehicles, purchasing international bread and pastries and socializing on a terrace adjacent to a restaurant and Ice-Cream. This depicts a complete departure from the inexpensive idli sambar breakfast and low-cost tea that supports local residents.

"This isn't development for our community," explains the artisan. "This constitutes a massive property transaction that will make it unaffordable for residents to remain."

Additionally, there exists concern of the development company. Run by a prominent businessman – one of India's most powerful and a supporter of the Indian prime minister – the corporation has encountered allegations of favoritism and ethical concerns, which it disputes.

While administrative bodies labels it a joint project, the corporation invested a significant amount for its controlling interest. A case claiming that the redevelopment was improperly granted to the developer is under review in India's supreme court.

Continued Intimidation

Since they began to actively protest the redevelopment, Shaikh and other residents claim they have been subjected to an extended period of coercion and warning – comprising phone calls, direct threats and implications that criticizing the project was comparable with speaking against the country – by people they allege work for the business conglomerate.

Included in these suspected of issuing the threats is {a retired police officer|a former law enforcement official|an ex-c