ABSTRACT
Having provided the larger context of Mumbai’s governance, political economy and changing power confi gurations especially of and for its wealthy ‘citizens’, we need to map the realities of that other half of the population: the poor and poorest people in the slums. I will list the key areas of concern for poor women, men and children in terms of secure housing and access to things like water, health and education facilities. Slum conditions are pictured as some kind of ‘informal world’. In the absence of reliable, let alone uniform state support, slum people make do with informal solutions such as for shelter, toilets and loans. They navigate a risky and, for many, adverse slum and city context of a remote BMC ward offi ce and an unfriendly police. The scope and also the many constraints to organise for collective action are considered, as well as how these are affected by everyday local politics. Specifi c attention will be given to the patterns of inclusion and exclusion inside slums and beyond and to how power is played out locally.
