Mumbai's Expendable Poor

The current demolition drive in Mumbai by the Congress-led coalition government pushes to the wayside the poor of Mumbai who live in 'illegal' shanties. The government action goes against the grain of successful experiments of community involvement in resettlement and appears to reverse the slum development policy of the 1990s. Development cannot proceed without taking into account the needs of the slum dwelling populace who make up substantial numbers of the city. Sustainable growth is possible only if all stakeholders in the process including slum dwellers and the poor are given a say in schemes that affect them.