Leaders sans powers

P S Abul Hasan, shopkeeper
Was part of the Development Planning workshop in Chembur

We didn’t have any knowledge of what a Development Plan (DP) actually meant. When the BMC officials were working on improving roads in our vicinity, I kept hearing the word ‘DP’. I understood its meaning when I got involved in the participatory process. Once I was a part of the workshop, I gave my inputs on what were the deficiencies in our area. Having lived here for a long time, I could ask for accurate details also. It felt great to be a part of the initiative.

Sana Anish Khan, a homemaker
Part of the Development Planning workshop in Malad

I stay in a society called Sadhana in Rathodi village in Malad. Time and again, BMC officials come to demolish our shanties. I thought it is time for me to stand up for my rights and so I participated in the workshop in August. I spoke about the problems plaguing my area and also what development measures could be taken. I have also been associated with the Pani Haq Samiti, but this was the first time when I thought my opinion would actually make a difference.

Dr Sarika Kulkarni, a resident of Shivaji Park
Competed with BMC ward office to clean half of Shivaji Park. After two months, a third party audit will decide the winner.

It’s easy to blame the BMC for everything wrong in one’s area, but when you step into their shoes, you begin to understand their problems. Shivaji Park corporator Sandeep Deshpande came up with this idea. We thought why not contribute and then if we win, we get the right to brag and can get behind the BMC to do all the work we need. Although competing with us, we got tremendous support from the BMC in terms of providing dustbins and collecting the garbage we collected.

– As told to Tanushree Venkatraman