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Rediscovering Dharavi
A book that challenges the conventional notion of a slum. Spread over 175 hectares and swarming with one million people, Dharavi is often called 'Asia's largest slum'. But Dharavi is much more than cold statistic. What makes it special are the extraordinary people who live there, many of whom have defied fate and an unhelpful State to prosper through a mix of backbreaking work, some luck and a great deal of ingenuity. It is these men and women whom journalist Kalpana Sharma brings to life through a series of spellbinding stories. While recounting their tales, she also traces the history of Dharavi from the days when it was one of the six great koliwadas or fishing villages to the present times when it, along with other slums, is home to almost half of Mumbai. Among the colourful characters she presents are Haji Shamsuddin who came to Mumbai and began life as a rice smuggler but made his fortune by launching his own brand of peanut brittle; the stoic Ramjibhai Patel, a potter, who represents six generations from Saurashtra who have lived and worked in Mumbai; and doughty women like Khatija and Amina who helped check communal passions during the 1992-93 riots and continue to ensure that the rich social fabric of Dharavi is not frayed. It is countless, often anonymous, individuals like these who have helped Dharavi grow from a mere swamp to a virtual gold mine with its many industrial units churning out quality leather goods, garments and food products. Written with rare sensitivity and empathy, Rediscovering Dharavi is a riveting account of the triumph of the human spirit over poverty and want.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 14, 2013
There aren't many well-researched works of non-fiction by Indian authors. Such books are more expensive to produce, and publishers claim the market has not grown large enough to warrant the high cost. This makes Kalpana Sharma's book published in 2000 by Penguin India all the more remarkable, because it is a wonderful piece of writing and journalism even when held to the very highest standards. It is clearly a labour of love.
The author, a senior journalist, has managed to produce a well-researched and readable account of Dharavi. She has managed to avoid many of the trappings in a work of this nature, such as romanticizing the experience of living amidst poverty, or at the other extreme, to paint a picture of wretchedness.
The book is interspersed with several anecdotes about the history of Bombay, the birth of settlements in Dharavi, and about the lives of people in Dharavi. The author has done a good job in organizing these anecdotes so that they come together to illustrate her larger points. Some very insightful observations stayed with me, for example one where she observed that in India, institutional memory is often inadequate, leading to reinventing the wheel every time there is a change at the top.
This book works at many different levels. There is the psychological level where the search of many individuals for an identity is described anecdotally, especially how chance had a big role to play in the profession they eventually undertook, and by which they would come to define themselves.
Then there is the sociological level, which reveals the different layers of society in Dharavi, on the lines of caste, profession, language, religion, and how this plays a big role in what people ended up doing, and how they fare economically, as well as on other social indicators. She makes a compelling case that Dharavi is a microcosm for all of India.
There is the economic level, which opened my eyes to the many ways in which in our everyday lives we are interacting with Dharavi without realizing it. There was some fascinating description of the way geography and architecture interacts with economics. This was accompanied by analysis of limitations to the Dharavi production models, and the need for the input of greater technology and skilled production to improve profitability, and retain competitiveness.
Finally there is the political level, which describes how the political system has interacted with the phenomenon of Dharavi, and urban squatting more generally. It was humbling and fascinating to read of the limited successes of the well-intentioned slum redevelopment programs since the mid-1980s, not because of corruption or even incompetence, but just because of the complexity and multi-faceted nature of the challenges.
The thing I appreciated most about this book is that the author strives very hard for a dispassionate, fair, and truthful voice. She does not get carried away by sentimentalism, nor is she insensitive to the larger socioeconopolitical factors behind the manifest issues. Most people in the world live in cities, and most urban dwellers now live in India and China, and most Indians in cities live in slums. Read this book to get some idea of how a large fraction of the world lives.
The author, a senior journalist, has managed to produce a well-researched and readable account of Dharavi. She has managed to avoid many of the trappings in a work of this nature, such as romanticizing the experience of living amidst poverty, or at the other extreme, to paint a picture of wretchedness.
The book is interspersed with several anecdotes about the history of Bombay, the birth of settlements in Dharavi, and about the lives of people in Dharavi. The author has done a good job in organizing these anecdotes so that they come together to illustrate her larger points. Some very insightful observations stayed with me, for example one where she observed that in India, institutional memory is often inadequate, leading to reinventing the wheel every time there is a change at the top.
This book works at many different levels. There is the psychological level where the search of many individuals for an identity is described anecdotally, especially how chance had a big role to play in the profession they eventually undertook, and by which they would come to define themselves.
Then there is the sociological level, which reveals the different layers of society in Dharavi, on the lines of caste, profession, language, religion, and how this plays a big role in what people ended up doing, and how they fare economically, as well as on other social indicators. She makes a compelling case that Dharavi is a microcosm for all of India.
There is the economic level, which opened my eyes to the many ways in which in our everyday lives we are interacting with Dharavi without realizing it. There was some fascinating description of the way geography and architecture interacts with economics. This was accompanied by analysis of limitations to the Dharavi production models, and the need for the input of greater technology and skilled production to improve profitability, and retain competitiveness.
Finally there is the political level, which describes how the political system has interacted with the phenomenon of Dharavi, and urban squatting more generally. It was humbling and fascinating to read of the limited successes of the well-intentioned slum redevelopment programs since the mid-1980s, not because of corruption or even incompetence, but just because of the complexity and multi-faceted nature of the challenges.
The thing I appreciated most about this book is that the author strives very hard for a dispassionate, fair, and truthful voice. She does not get carried away by sentimentalism, nor is she insensitive to the larger socioeconopolitical factors behind the manifest issues. Most people in the world live in cities, and most urban dwellers now live in India and China, and most Indians in cities live in slums. Read this book to get some idea of how a large fraction of the world lives.
January 21, 2025
Kalpana Sharma brings Dharavi to life with a mix of vivid stories and thoughtful analysis, taking you beyond surface-level perceptions. A great combination of storytelling and journalism. She dives deep into the history of the place; lives, struggles, and resilience of its residents, revealing a vibrant community built on resourcefulness and determination. Although I’m reading this 25 years after its publication, I find this book a compassionate and eye-opening look at a place often misunderstood, showcasing its challenges and incredible spirit!
November 17, 2024
Such a beautiful little book
November 3, 2016
Stop, Look and Listen. Please don't go away.
The book slowly grows on you, with each story, you get closer to the people of the slum, the stories of their life. The stories of people from worker to owner, they are not less than someone we look at as a role model, an entrepreneur or an self made actor or a singer.
Dharavi, is a classic example of how slums can be complex , yet the very heart of the slum is the livelihood of people. When you begin to understand this, everything falls into perspective.
Recommend: Everyone from India, a must for Bambai folk.
The book slowly grows on you, with each story, you get closer to the people of the slum, the stories of their life. The stories of people from worker to owner, they are not less than someone we look at as a role model, an entrepreneur or an self made actor or a singer.
Dharavi, is a classic example of how slums can be complex , yet the very heart of the slum is the livelihood of people. When you begin to understand this, everything falls into perspective.
Recommend: Everyone from India, a must for Bambai folk.
November 24, 2014
Dharavi- Asia's largest slum is changing rapidly, in form as well as content. With MNCs and Builder lobbies needing more space to develop the concrete jungle in Mumbai, Dharavi automatically becomes a hot spot. Kalpana Sharma has done a superb work a decade and half ago to bring forth tales and facts from Dharavi, providing a glimpse into the poverty, wants and accomplishments of the residents.
-Piyush Kaviraj.
-Piyush Kaviraj.
December 7, 2022
DNF @pg42
This is not what I was expecting. I wanted to dive deep in Asia’s Largest Slum, what is life like? The struggles? Living conditions? Devastation, disaster, or little victories?
This book was nothing of the sort. It took several stories from different people and showed the best of them. You heard about them building their own businesses or working new jobs or creating things for the betterment of the community rather than the hard hitting struggles that I was hoping for.
The book is probably great but not what I was hoping for.
This is not what I was expecting. I wanted to dive deep in Asia’s Largest Slum, what is life like? The struggles? Living conditions? Devastation, disaster, or little victories?
This book was nothing of the sort. It took several stories from different people and showed the best of them. You heard about them building their own businesses or working new jobs or creating things for the betterment of the community rather than the hard hitting struggles that I was hoping for.
The book is probably great but not what I was hoping for.
August 8, 2019
My first Dharavi book - a place that despite being raised in Mumbai I know less about, though I could relate to it in some sense. One would have to be incredibly blind to have grown up in Mumbai not knowing what the working class life there is like, or who the people who make it are. This book is about the many many unsung lives of Dharavi
March 21, 2021
On ground challenges, success stories, stories of grit, stories of perseverance, from rags to riches and more. Insight into what a booming enterprise it. A cocktail of religious groups, politics, crime, class, professions, and more. Dharavi is literally a world within a world.
May 25, 2007
Having spent time in this particular slum, this account of personal stories from within it held special meaning to me. It is a good book if you want to learn about humanizing poverty, especially within developing countries. It helps the reader to realize that this place is represented incorrectly by calling it a slum; it is a thriving city with sustainable industries.
April 15, 2017
Insightfully written...
A book which seems to have emerged from insightful observations and discussions... it showcases a real life picture of the urban poor and portrays their fantastic zeal to make the most of any situation, to not only survive, but live.
A good read!
A book which seems to have emerged from insightful observations and discussions... it showcases a real life picture of the urban poor and portrays their fantastic zeal to make the most of any situation, to not only survive, but live.
A good read!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews