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Across several weeks, coercive communications persisted. Originally, supposedly from a retired cop and a retired army general, later from law enforcement directly. Finally, a local artisan claims he was ordered to the local precinct and instructed bluntly: remain silent or experience severe repercussions.

Shaikh is among those resisting a expensive initiative where this historic settlement – an iconic Mumbai neighborhood – is scheduled to be razed and transformed by a large business group.

"The unique ecosystem of Dharavi is unparalleled in the world," says the protester. "Yet they want to dismantle our social fabric and prevent our protests."

Opposing Environments

The dank gullies of the slum sit in stark contrast to the towering buildings and Bollywood penthouses that overshadow the area. Dwellings are constructed informally and typically without proper sanitation, unregulated industries produce dangerous fumes and the environment is saturated with the unpleasant stench of exposed drainage.

To some, the promise of the slum's redevelopment into a developed area of high-end towers, neat parks, modern retail complexes and apartments with proper sanitation is an aspirational dream come true.

"We don't have proper healthcare, roads or water management and there are no spaces for kids to enjoy," states a chai seller, 56, who migrated from Tamil Nadu in the early eighties. "The sole solution is to demolish everything and construct proper housing."

Resident Opposition

But others, including the leather artisan, are resisting the project.

None deny that the slum, long neglected as unauthorized settlement, is desperately requiring financial support and improvement. However they fear that this project – without resident participation – could potentially transform premium city property into an elite enclave, evicting the disadvantaged, migrant communities who have been there since the late 1800s.

This involved these excluded, migrant workers who established the vacant wetlands into a frequently examined example of local enterprise and commercial output, whose output is valued at between $1m and $2m a year, making it among the globe's biggest unregulated sectors.

Relocation Worries

Among approximately a million people living in the dense 220-hectare neighborhood, less than 50% will be qualified for replacement housing in the redevelopment, which is estimated to take seven years to complete. Others will be relocated to barren areas and coastal regions on the remote edges of Mumbai, risking break up a historic community. A portion will be denied residences at all.

Those allowed to stay in the neighborhood will be provided units in high-rise buildings, a significant rupture from the evolved, collective approach of dwelling and laboring that has supported the community for so long.

Businesses from clothing production to ceramic crafts and material recovery are likely to decrease in quantity and be relocated to an allocated "commercial zone" distant from homes.

Survival Challenge

In the case of the leather artisan, a craftsman and third generation resident to call home Dharavi, the project presents an existential threat. His rickety, multi-level workshop makes leather coats – sharp blazers, suede trenches, decorated jackets – marketed in high-end shops in the city's affluent areas and abroad.

Relatives dwells in the rooms below and his workers and garment workers – laborers from north India – also sleep in the same building, enabling him to manage costs. Outside this community, accommodation prices are frequently tenfold as high for minimal space.

Pressure and Coercion

In the official facilities close by, a conceptual model of the transformation initiative shows a contrasting perspective. Fashionable inhabitants gather on bicycles and e-vehicles, buying international baked goods and croissants and socializing on a patio adjacent to a restaurant and treat station. It is a complete departure from the 20-rupee idli sambar first meal and budget beverage that sustains the neighborhood.

"This represents no progress for us," explains Shaikh. "It represents a huge real estate deal that will render it impossible for us to survive."

Additionally, there exists distrust of the corporate group. Run by a powerful tycoon – one of India's most powerful and a supporter of the Indian prime minister – the business group has encountered allegations of favoritism and ethical concerns, which it rejects.

While administrative bodies describes it as a joint project, the business group invested a significant amount for its 80% stake. A lawsuit claiming that the project was improperly granted to the developer is being considered in the top court.

Ongoing Pressure

Since they began to actively protest the development, Shaikh and other residents assert they have been experienced ongoing efforts of harassment and intimidation – comprising messages, explicit warnings and implications that speaking against the project was comparable with speaking against the country – by people they allege are associated with the developer.

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