Rahul Gandhi immerses himself in Dharavi, meets artisans

MUMBAI: When he stepped into Sudheer Rajbhar’s studio on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi wanted to know everything about the design brand, its moment in the sun when pop star Rihanna draped herself across one of its creations, a burnt orange Flap Chair at Design Miami in December 2024, and the challenges faced by the small-scale leather industry. Then he tried his hand at making a leather envelope at Rajbhar’s Chamar Studio, tucked away in one of Asia’s largest slum clusters, Dharavi.

“He appreciated our work and wanted to know how it can be supported and encouraged,” said Rajbhar, whose studio employs leather workers from the Dalit community. “He asked how we had developed our studio and how we make our products,” added Rahul Gore, Rajbhar’s associate.

Gandhi, Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the success of Chamar Studio highlights how traditional artisanship and modern entrepreneurship can work together so that skilled artisans get a piece of the success they build with their own hands. “While working with Sudheer and his team in Dharavi today, I underscored the importance of inclusive production networks that uplift skilled workers across various sectors,” he said.

Unmindful of the questions raised over the redevelopment of the slum precinct – or perhaps because of them – Gandhi spent more than two hours in Dharavi. Spread across 600 acres, the precinct is home to various small-scale industries, such as its numerous leather workshops. These will disappear as soon as the Dharavi Redevelopment Plan (DRP) begins to dismantle the neighbourhood, tear apart its social and cultural fabric, and relocate its residents, some of them in-situ, others in faraway pockets of the city.

This made Gandhi’s visit even more special, as he spoke with artisans and visited their workshops. When leaving, he interacted with a few locals and clicked a picture with an eight-year old on her request. Gandhi was accompanied by Congress leaders including Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad, an MLA from Dharavi before she was elected as the MP from Mumbai North-West in 2024.

Gandhi’s visit comes at the time when the Adani Group is facing opposition over its redevelopment plan for Dharavi. A survey of residents and commercial establishments is underway and the DRP master plan expected to be ready in a couple of months.

Of the 600 acres in the precinct, 296 acres have been earmarked for redevelopment. In January 2024, Navbharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL)—a joint venture between the Government of Maharashtra and the Adani Group—appointed noted architect Hafeez Contractor to lead the ambitious DRP. It aims to rehabilitate 0.7 million residents.

The master plan will serve as a roadmap for the proposed rehabilitation, integrating residential, commercial and industrial spaces within and beyond the area. The project is also facing stiff resistance from locals as they are demanding in-situ rehabilitation. Currently, only eligible residents will receive one rehabilitation unit, regardless of the number of tenements they own. These units will be 350 sq ft in size, an upgrade from the 300 sq ft units provided in other slum redevelopment projects in Mumbai. Residents deemed ineligible for rehabilitation within Dharavi will be relocated to rental housing complexes outside the area under a hire-purchase arrangement.

Gandhi was on a day-long visit to Mumbai. He will leave for Ahmedabad early on Friday.