Dharavi potters' 'Make in India' creed at risk of state's 'slum redevelopment' screed

MUMBAI: We have lived here for 200 years and have made earthen pots for generations. But now we hear rumours that we’ll be evicted,” says a bespectacled man who could be mistaken for a schoolteacher, if not for the electric wheel in front of him.

As his son carries away the pancheon he has just finished to the kiln, he adds with a sly wink that nearly everyone in Kumbharwada is of Gujarati descent, originally from Saurashtra, though most now speak mainly Marathi.
The pottery business changed as slums mushroomed around the settlement, and the open fields at their periphery transformed into a concrete jungle. Yet, demand for the products never wavered. “Our ancestors used to bring clay from the fields. Now we have to source it from Rajkot and Bhavnagar. Transportation costs are high,” he laments, but adds, beaming, “Still, it’s all ‘ Make in India .”

Despite his optimism, the future of Kumbharwada’s potters is uncertain, as Dharavi’s redevelopment looms large. The project has raised concerns among artisans who fear displacement and the loss of their livelihoods.

“What will happen to our business? We don’t know,” he says, furrowing his brow. “We want the govt to speak with us directly. We’re not against redevelopment, but we want to know what’s in store for us.”