Long-awaited thoughts on the Mumbai visit

Sarah and I with our family for Sat and Sun of Mumbai, Ambika and Bharat, inside Bharat's lovely flat

October 15, 2010
This entry is rather dated, considering I traveled to Mumbai all the way back on the 6th, but I must document at least the educational part. In a sense, my mind was blown. Mumbai is crazy. Is this development? If walking is faster than sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for only a few km, is that efficiency? A city that is becoming increasingly gentrified, full of high rises, and debates over the key commodity--space, Mumbai boasts a population of about 180 million people. The entire population of India is about 1.2 billion, so the former Bombay makes up quite a chunk.

Our intense three-days of a crash course in Mumbai today started with the 7am train. I love riding trains. Especially when the program pays for an A/C Deccan Queen with luxurious leather seats that probably haven't changed since Gandhi rode them. The one bad thing: the egg omelet I got was the greasiest concoction I have EVER eaten! In fact, I couldn't finish it, which is very unlike my usual "no leftovers!" mantra. Luckily I had stashed my last :( granola bar from America and a banana in my bag for sustanance.

nasty white bread, nastier oil-filled omelet (this is post 3 napkin blots)

Myspace, I know....but it was so pretty!

Plus, it doesn't really matter---this is India and all we do is eat. I was pumped to be on the Alliance's dime for three days and to have the opportunity to mix up my same-thing-every-night-hostel-mess-hall dinner. My friends have been making me jealous with their host family decadent and varied meals!

We dined at the YWCA International Centre, also our home for the next two nights. The balcony view of the Big-Ben esque clock tower and the Prince of Wales Museum were my first glances into Mumbai's British architecture. Also, the mattress was plush, my pillow was Western (not a sack of flour), and the bathroom had a heated shower, a western toilet, and toilet paper. Hot dog! (that also happens to be a favorite cat call by Indian teenage boys as I run).

St. Xaviers was so beautiful

Next we went to St. Xavier's Centre for Visually Challenged at St. Xavier's College. After performing some interesting blind-folded tasks that forced teamwork to identify numbers of braille dots, identify a spice (ours was actually tea), we discussed what it felt like to "see" without eyes.

The Center was started by a blind Sociology Professor and they serve many students and community members with braille computers, printers, and other kinds of new technology. St. Xaviers is an absolutely gorgeous campus, and I felt right at home seeing all the S.J. insigna on the Professor doors!

love the Jesuits!

After that, I was nerdily-pumped for the lecture "The Socio-economic Scenario in Dharavi and Challenges Ahead" by Matias Echanove, Contrary to popular portrayal in the representation of Dharavi as dangerous, dirty, and "a backward locality, an urban parasite presenting Mumbai from becoming 'a world class city'", it actually is a major trading hub that exports goods all over India. Matias's presentation really shook me up. .5-1  million people are living in 2 square mile zone. He explained how development happens for commercial reasons (duh--short term investment and high returns are usually the first priority).


The numbers kind of freak me out: India’s urban population increased by 31.2% between 1991 and 2001—nearly double the increase of 17.9% in rural population over the same period. The urban population is expected to reach 660 million by 2025.

Sugarcane juice! MMMM

Twenty-three urban centers have more than a million inhabitants, and 30% to 40% of urban dwellers are estimated to live in poverty. Bombay's growth has meant a high demand for space, making for-rich-only real estate priced as high as Manhattan property---and little housing available for the poor.

Dharavi people were angry to be called "dogs" in the representation of the slum in the blockbuster "Slumdog Millionaire". I never really thought of it as offensive until thinking about it. Imagine someone taking the worst attributes of your home, exaggerating them, and showing footage to the world!

Tuscany?

The government has decided to attempt to widen the streets and "redevelop" Dharavi, a plan 80 percent of the residents vehemently oppose. As Matias said, "it's hard for the government to visualize Dharavi not backwards". Massive concrete re-settlements will not serve the people. Dharavi citizens are artistans, requiring space for their work (lots of pottery) to dry. One citizen said in October 2008 "Families who are given a flat are soon selling and leaving. They need money because they cannot continue with their livelihoods in these buildings. People living in these high rises don't know their neighbors anymore. This street activity will be gone. Where will my people go now? They say it is development, but it is just the opposite".

He showed us comparative images of Tokyo's development next to Dharavi. Between the narrow paths, scooters, and obvious economic production, the only way to tell them apart was the ethnicity of the people! Comparisons in terms of architecture were also made to Florence!

Lad

After delicious dinner, we headed out! For the first time, I did NOT have a 9:30 curfew. Although we passed many Indian girls who laughed at us in our garb, I knew I felt more comfy in my roomy salwars than they did in their mini-skirts (never in Pune!) and heels. Stumbling upon 'Ladies Night' at Red Saloon, we got free shots all night and danced to Shakira remixes. We even celebrated a Bombayite's 22nd birthday with him...and he promised that Bombay would be the "best five days" of our lives.

The next morning, I woke up early to run on the glorious Bombay waterfront. I wasn't stared at. I wasn't acknowledged or photographed. It FELT great. Many Indians were outside doing yoga and walking--and I spotted 1 female Indian runner. Yay Bombay!


We then attended a stimulating lecture by Neera Adarkar entitled "Mumbai: Mills to Malls". As an architect and urban researcher, Ms. Adarkar presented the history of the Girangaon mill area that once produced an incredible amount of material, especially after Independence. Mill workers have struggled not just over wages, but were key players in the independence movement, linguistic movements, and the current post-urbanization struggle.Many of the mills have been closed as land becomes more important for real estate than production. In fact, from June 09-June 2010, there was a 473% increase in value of the mill lands. Adarkar reiterated some of what Matias said--especially that the international developers do not understand the way Dharavi people live. She said the gentrification of Dharavi is inevitable if the government continues to "re-develop" it as it did with the mill lands. The original re-development have 1/3 of mill lands to the mill owner, 1/3 for public housing, and 1/3 for open space which would be 600 total acres "available to the city".

a potter in Dharavi

However, the mill owners fought agianst this agreement, using their power to reduce the public housing share from 33% to 8%, with 86% of the settlement going to the mill owners as of 2001. Just a few weeks ago on Gandhi's birthday (October 2nd), 20,000 workers gathered to demand more than for their housing. Adakar said the only reason they get any land at all is that the mill workers constitute a major vote bank. Dharavi citizens might not hold as much clout. Most of the aim in the eyes of the government is to make Mumbai a world-class city without slums, that represents corporate and financial India. But as the ex-mill workers struggle as fruit sellers and taxi drivers, one wonders if this is just. I thought of gentrification in D.C....how often can we live "life in a bubble" and forget the imperfections outside the ritzy Georgetown gates?

Stirred up, we headed to Manibhavan, the Gujarati-style house where Mahatma Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1934! It is now a museum that preserves his spirit...photos to follow....

all of the currency printed with Gandhiji--LOTS

Gandhi's Room--note the chakra for spinning

SWEET

After lunch, we took off for the much anticipated visit to Dharavi, to see Kumbhar Wada and a recycling plant. OMG Mumbai is so hot. sitting on the non-AC bus for 2 hours was absolute torture. Soaked and dehydrated, we tried to keep our eyes open during a welcome lecture from a Dharavi leader inside a community center.

How can this be an "informal settlement"? I thought. Walking through Dharavi is just like walking through another part of urban India. Somehow, despite the chaos, a system of organization and community permeates the air. His words struck me: "We are developed. The government doesn't want human development; they want land development. They want to push us out. But the high prices they give for our housing are often too hard to resist".

He told us about the community: cohabitation of Muslims and Hindus, families producing with their small businesses, etc. Schooling was mentioned; about 5000 students require more supplies and teachers but the government has failed to deliver formal education. Without formal exams, he thinks the schools are illegitimate: A boy in the 6th standard cannot even write his name.

 Dharavi has an extensive recycling system and has an impressive plastic and metal breakdown system. It was so neat to walk through all of the organized systems and see how efficient the community works as a cohesive unit. Informal, my butt!





Friday, our last formal program day, started with Dhobi Ghat. Near Mahalaxi Railway station, Dhobi Ghat is where Mumbai's tradtional washer folk, dhobis, collect dirty laundry, wash it in mass, and press it for a very small fee. This is their livelihood. What a system!

Check out Melissa and her kababs! I assist with chutney display

Next we visited High Court. No pictures allowed here! It felt like Hogwarts, complete with the judges robes. We even got to sit in on some cases and watched Indians do what they do best, according to Sen: argue. Although I have not really experienced too much US court for comparison, Indian court was full of technical rhetoric and spirited hand gestures. I am curious about the judicial system but haven't done too much reading. I do know that life in prison doesn't happen here--though there is a death penalty.

Then we had an EPIC lunch. I mean--HUGE. Shiv Sagar is a famous chain known for its great Indian food, and the brownie sizzler!

Stuffed beyond belief, we headed to our last lecture of the day. I was SO pumped for this one. At the Indian Express, a liberal newspaper, we sat in the boardroom with the renowned journalist and economist Kumar Ketkar. He was a dynamic speaker and had so many interesting thoughts on my prompting about Obama's upcoming visit. Mr. Ketkar, who has lots of international experience and has covered 6 US Presidential elections, was only a few feet from me on Election night outside the White House and remembers the rain and honking. We discussed 26/11 and 9/11, Pakistan as Clinton has said "the epicenter of terrorism", the Indian mafia, food security and farmer suicides, and so much more. One of the most interesting topics was actually Hurricane Katrina in the US. Along with the economic recession, most Indians apparently never thought the US could mess up as badly as it did with the poor treatment of its own citizens. Katrina opened a lot of eyes to poverty in the US to Americans and Indians alike! Still swimming with thoughts and questions, we left the Express's luxurious high rise and headed back to the YWCA.

note Sarah photographing the bathroom at Mahindra Towers

Some headed back to Pune, but like others, Sarah and I decided to capitalize on our time in Mumbai and stayed Saturday and Sunday. We lived like goddesses under the care of Udayan's grandmother, Ambika and family friend, Bharat. Their warmth and kindness overwhelmed me. We stayed in Bharat's company penthouse, the Mahindra corporation, and even had two caretaker/servants fluff our incredible pillows, make fabulous breakfast, and [I'm absolutely serious] dry our toothbrushes. Quite a change from the cockroach friendly hostel and iron mattress I'm used to! Ambika and Bharat took us for an enormous dinner at Indian Summer, a restaurant even I, the food gawker, felt awkward taking pictures in! However, as you can see to your life, I managed a sniper shot of Shankar and Arjun, our caretakers, when Sarah and I were climbing on the balcony.

Saturday, Ambika's knowledgeable neighbor Freny took Sarah and I on a ferryboat from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island to check out one of my favorite things: caves! Freny told us all about the history of Bombay on the hour ride. She has quite the knack for story-telling and I was absolutely enthralled. At Elephanta, I learned more about Hinduism in two hours than I knew about Christianity or Judaism in my 20 years of life. She spent about 25 minutes at each panal, explaining the symbolism in each of the old OLD carvings of Shiva, Parvati, and other Hindu gods and godesses. It is too much to recount here, but WOW. I learned. Also picked up some great life lesson one-liners about making our own meaning, karma, etc.

That evening we went to Bharat's SWANK apartment. It was the best night I've had in India. Between his delicious tasting of Bael (THE BEST THING EVER), Gujarati sweets, and corn soup, watching his daughter (about 28)'s wedding video, and looking at baby pictures of Udayan, I felt at home. It also made me miss home. Seeing how Bharat spoke about his daughter who lives in America made me question my own ability to do this to my dad, if my plan of an international career works out. Phew. Anyway, I really felt the love and it was so comforting.

That morning, Sarah and I awoke pretty early to see the Haij Ali Mosque, an incredible center of worship in the middle of the bay. One has to heed the tides to walk out to the jetty, because the path is surmerged if you time it wrong! It was amazing to see so many people celebrating God together. The kind of peace I feel at places of religious worship is just that: peace. Shanti, shanti, shanti.

the most ridiculous dosa ever. SO GOOD. Note the drained pineapple juice and coconut water to the left.

After a delicious breakfast at the straight-out-of-a-New-England-yacht-club Bombay Gymkhana with Bharat and Ambika, it was time to say farewell to the big city. Bharat's driver brought us to the bus station, and we were off home to Pune. I felt sad to leave Mumbai and the familial bonds I felt to these incredibly warm people. We loved it so much that we've resolved to spend our last days in India there. Bharat is even going to store our luggage while we traipse off to Kerala in December!

I feel so lucky!