I just got back from five intense, amazing days in Mumbai. I feel like I saw a condensed version of all the aspects of urban India in those five days. We spent Wednesday- Friday with the Alliance program, going on some really interesting, educational visits and then Friday night to Sunday morning we explored on our own.
The program staff took us to the Gandhi museum where Gandhi’s great-grandson spoke to us about India’s position today in relation to Gandhi’s message. His calm, centered demeanor was exactly what I think Gandhi must have been like. He talked about how people shouldn’t look to others to be their leader; they need to organize themselves around what they care about.
We went to the Bombay high court and sat in on two cases. After, we talked with the chief justice and another judge about the Indian justice system. In the 1970’s India abolished the jury system, which was striking to learn about for most of the Americans. The female judge told us that the jury system just doesn’t work in India. The country is too big and juries tend to put their own moral views about legal facts.
On Friday, we went to Dharavi, Asia’s second largest slum, which holds 1.2 million people in less than 1 square mile. We stood on top of an apartment building in the middle and looked out over the shacks. There, we asked questions to a Dharavi resident who is working for development in the area. Then we went down into the slum to see the recycling center that the Dharavi residents have developed. They make huge grinders that they use to grind up random pieces of plastic (everything from house appliances to toy cars) into tiny bits. They sell the bits back to manufacturing companies and manage to turn a large profit. After the recycling center, we went to the home of potter who makes clay pots to sell; a business started by his grandfather. At the end of the afternoon, we talked to Raju Korde, a political leader of Dharavi, who is part of a committee of community members who are working for improvements in clean drinking water and sanitation, which he told us are the main concerns in the slum.
I was surprised at how connected the Dharavi residents feel to their neighborhood. I would have expected that people would treat the housing as temporary and look for a way to get out as soon as possible. But in reality, most families live in Dharavi for generations. The people we talked to weren’t looking to leave the slum, just to development the living conditions. There are so many issues that we talked about I can’t possibly sum them all up, but what really hit home for me was when we talked about government and international intervention in the rehabilitation process. Raju said that he hadn’t seen anyone come into Dharavi to help who didn’t have an ulterior motive. All the schemes that have been proposed end up giving more space and money to the outside housing developers than they do to the slum residents.
At the end of the evening on Friday, I went out with some friends of a friend who live in Mumbai. They took us to a swanky cocktail patio that overlooked the water. I think that was one of the craziest days I’ve ever had. Hours before I was sitting on a white couch drinking a margarita I had been walking through mud, covering my nose and mouth to keep from breathing in plastic fumes. What kind of city has these extremes?
Saturday, Viveka and I had an awesome time wandering through the Mumbai markets and bazaars. We sifted through fabrics in the cloth market and dug through treasure in Chor Bazaar, the antique market. I swear we walked through miles of just shops. We also went to Haji Ali, a mosque situated on an arm of land that stretches out onto the water. I think this is the most satisfied I have felt with India so far. I feel like I’m really seeing it for what it is.
More to come,
Catherine
View of Dharavi from roof of an apartment building.
The inside of one of the shops in Chor Bazaar, the antique market.
At Haji Ali, the Muslim mosque, people tie strings on the trees to make wishes, and then are supposed to come untie the string when the wish comes true.
The complete Indian thali dinner plate! Sooo good
Preeti tying my sari before the wedding.
The bride, in the attire she wore for the actual ceremony. Indian brides usually have three or four wedding saris. She changed into another, simpler, but beautiful one to greet guests.
Our most festive wedding outfits.
Hall of the wedding right before the ceremony.
