Ganesh Murti Nagar Slums of Mumbai:

When I first met my guide, Gufran, he asked me if I would like to go and visit his slums.  I had originally hired him to take me around the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival but I could not help but be curious.

The Ganesh Murti Nagar Slums are located near Cuffe Parade in Colaba. For those who are familiar with the book, Shantaram, these are the slums that Gregory David Roberts lived in. About 80,000 people live in a three to four km square. To be honest, I was expecting something quite different but these slums were bright, sunny and colourful, though certainly crowded with rubbish heaps here and there. Each person or family has a 14x15 foot home that is usually made with concrete and corrugated metal for a roof. There is a place to cook and a sink to do some washing in each of the homes. The homes are often painted in colours such as bubblegum pink, bright blue or aqua and potted plants hang in front of the doors. Some doors have dried citrus skins and red chili peppers to protect from the Evil Eye while others have religious decorations. Each home requires a deposit of at least 10,000-20,000 rupees and there is a waiting list as the homes are much in demand. Rent is about 3,000 rupees a month ($60 US) and between 80,000 people, there are seven public toilets.

While the wealthy and low income live side by side (slums next expensive high rises), Hindus, Muslims and Christians also live side by side. Going through the slum I often came across a little Hindu temple, next to an altar with a crucifix or a small mosque. Amongst the rubbish and a little temple, boys play cricket.

The slums have dhobi ghats (washing), shops, and recycling centers. I also met a few young adults who attend university and college in Mumbai and commute from the slums. They have lived in these slums for their whole life.

Each family is given 1 kilo of rice, 1 kilo of dalh (lentils) and some cooking oil a month from the government. Fresh water is available for an hour each day, but the ration cards for water are given not by the government, but by the politicians. And, you only receive a ration card for water as long as you promise to give that politician your vote and copies of the documents for your home (which will then go to contracters who can flatten the slums to make high rises if they have enough of these documents). Those who do not wish to receive ration cards from the politicians can get their water elsewhere. However, Gufran suspects that in at least ten years, his slum will be torn down.

The people who I met were so friendly and welcoming. Children ran up to have me take their photo and everyone smiled and said hello. In general, and from the outside, life seemed cheerful. It was a pleasure and a privilege to have a little view into a life so different from my own. Though, in the end, if you take away all the 'things', I wonder how different slum life is from my own...