When the coronavirus pandemic struck in March, tens of thousands of fishers in Mumbai and neighbouring Palghar district were suddenly rende...
When the coronavirus pandemic struck in March, tens of thousands of fishers in Mumbai and neighbouring Palghar district were suddenly rendered without a livelihood. They were unable to take their boats out to sea – and even if they had been, there would have been no way for them to take their catch to market.
It didn’t take long for young people living from many coastal communities to start a relief effort to ensure that no one went hungry. They put into place safety protocols to ensure physical distancing and began to sanitise their neighbourhoods. In order to ensure transparency and accountability as well as to benefit from government schemes, they asked community members for proof of identity and address, and details of their Aadhar card and ration cards .
At the same time, they began a census of the most vulnerable people, listing those disadvantaged by gender, age, income, disability and more. They also began identifying and addressing the needs of fishers who did not have access to basic household facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms or toilets.
In a completely organic way, Mumbai’s Koliwadas became a reflection of a civic politics and civic ideal based on solidarity to address shared vulnerabilities. The recognition of the...
