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For months, intimidating communications continued. Originally, allegedly from an ex-law enforcement official and a retired army general, and then from law enforcement directly. In the end, Mohammad Khurshid Shaikh states he was called to law enforcement headquarters and instructed bluntly: stop speaking out or encounter real trouble.

This third-generation resident is part of a group opposing a high-value project where one of India's largest slums – a massive informal community with rich history – will be razed and transformed by a large business group.

"The unique ecosystem of this area is exceptional in the world," says the protester. "But they want to eradicate our community and prevent our protests."

Opposing Environments

The dank gullies of the slum sit in stark contrast to the high-rise structures and luxury apartments that loom over the neighborhood. Homes are built haphazardly and often lacking adequate facilities, unregulated industries release harmful emissions and the environment is filled with the overpowering odor of open sewers.

For certain residents, the vision of Dharavi transformed into a developed area of premium apartments, organized recreational areas, modern retail complexes and apartments with proper sanitation is a hopeful vision achieved.

"We don't have adequate medical facilities, roads or water management and there are no spaces for children to play," explains A Selvin Nadar, fifty-six, who relocated from southern India in that period. "The sole solution is to clear the area and build us new homes."

Resident Opposition

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

Everyone acknowledges that the slum, consistently overlooked as an illegal encroachment, is urgently needing investment and development. But they fear that this initiative – lacking community input – could potentially convert valuable urban land into an elite enclave, evicting the marginalized, working-class residents who have resided there since generations ago.

It was these marginalized, displaced people who built up the uninhabited area into a widely studied marvel of self-reliance and commercial output, whose production is worth between one million dollars and a substantial sum per year, making it a major unregulated sectors.

Relocation Worries

Among approximately 1 million residents living in the crowded 220-hectare zone, a minority will be eligible for new homes in the redevelopment, which is projected to take seven years to complete. The remainder will be moved to wastelands and salt plains on the distant periphery of the metropolis, potentially break up a generations-old neighborhood. Certain individuals will not get residences at all.

Those allowed to continue living in Dharavi will be allocated apartments in multi-story structures, a substantial change from the organic, shared lifestyle of living and working that has supported the community for generations.

Industries from clothing production to clay work and recycling are expected to shrink in number and be relocated to an allocated "industrial sector" far from residential areas.

Existential Threat

For those such as the leather artisan, a leather artisan and multi-generational resident to live in the slum, the project presents a survival challenge. His rickety, three-floor facility makes leather coats – formal jackets, premium outerwear, studded bomber jackets – distributed in premium stores in the city's affluent areas and abroad.

Household members dwells in the spaces underneath and laborers and sewers – workers from other states – reside on-site, permitting him to sustain operations. Outside Dharavi's enclave, housing costs are frequently significantly as high for minimal space.

Pressure and Coercion

In the government offices nearby, a conceptual model of the transformation initiative illustrates a contrasting perspective. Well-groomed residents move around on bicycles and eco-friendly transport, purchasing western-style bread and croissants and having coffee on an outdoor area near Dharavi Cafe and treat station. This represents a stark contrast from the affordable idli sambar breakfast and budget beverage that supports local residents.

"This is not development for our community," explains the artisan. "It represents an enormous property transaction that will make it unaffordable for our community to continue."

There is also concern of the business conglomerate. Headed by an influential industrialist – among the country's wealthiest and a supporter of the Indian prime minister – the corporation has encountered allegations of favoritism and questionable practices, which it rejects.

Although local authorities calls it a joint project, the business group paid nearly a billion dollars for its controlling interest. Legal proceedings stating that the redevelopment was unfairly awarded to the corporation is being considered in India's supreme court.

Ongoing Pressure

From when they initiated to actively protest the redevelopment, protesters and community members state they have been subjected to an extended period of pressure and threats – comprising phone calls, clear intimidation and insinuations that opposing the initiative was comparable with opposing national interests – by people they allege represent the business conglomerate.

Among those alleged to have delivering warnings is {a retired police officer|a former law enforcement official|an ex-c