Dharavi Leather Industry: Interview with a Tannery Owner
Director: Richa Hushing
Duration: 00:10:50; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 26.727; Saturation: 0.128; Lightness: 0.198; Volume: 0.149; Cuts per Minute: 0.738; Words per Minute: 127.144
Summary: The present day Dharavi settlement actually stands on vast marsh land. The city of Bombay was originally made of 7 islands on the South and a cluster of Islands called Salsette Islands in the North. In late 19th century the islands were joined and more land was acquired by filling up the sea in order to make a large enough city to facilitate the ports, bazaars and emerging industries. Since mid 20th century more land was created by filling up the marsh land and drying up the creeks, in order to cope with the pressure of migrant inflow and infrastructural requirements. The present settlement of Dharavi stands on the marshland at the cusp of the Mahim Island and the Salsette Islands and on a part of the erstwhile Dharavi creek. The creek was the lifeline for the Kolis, the traditional fisher community and the original inhabitant of the island of Salsette. The creek got affected through various city building activities since late 19th century and has made the original settlers of the Koli community economically vulnerable.
The early settlers in the land were the Tamil Muslim migrants who brought in the leather making in the city and the Gujarati artisans who make earthen pots. The Marathi speaking Kolis in Koliwada, the Gujarati speaking Kumbhars (potters) in Kumbharwada and the Tamil speaking tannery owners / workers still make the main population of Dharavi. Only the last few decades have seen settling of migrants from the hinterlands of Maharashtra and also from the northern region of UP and Bihar. Other than working in the tannery and in the pottery industry as wage workers these newer migrants have also started new economic activities such as Zardosi (zari embroidery works), Chikki (a popular sweet snack) making and recycling.
But the Tamil settlers in the leather industry have earned an unparallel reputation in the urban lore of Mumbai. Much of Dharavi’s dreaded image in popular imagination comes from the legends about these people. The process of leather making or the tannery business itself is associated with dark rituals and deals. It starts from acquiring animal skin. The skin then go to the tannery for processing. Earlier the hides were processed in tanneries in Dharavi itself which were all situated near the creek. But the wastes from the tanneries spoilt the water of the creeks and affected the fishing business. Since late 70s many of the tanneries (the processing of hide to rough leather) were forced to close down on the pretext of environmental hazard. It is suspected by many urban historians that the campaign to ban hide processing also has something to do with the hegemonic Hindu culture of militant vegetarianism. Ironically while the tanneries were evicted, in 1984 the ONGC opened their oil rigging wells in the area and affected the fishing trade much more substantially. However, currently the hide processing works mostly get done in Kanpur, Chennai and smaller towns in Maharashtra. From those tanneries rough leather comes back to Dharavi. The final processing of ironing the leather, smoothening them, colouring them etc. happen in various workshops in Dharavi and then gets exported. This is the mainstay of contemporary leather industry in Dharavi. The industry with its associated dealing with export import, its dark practice of animal slaughtering and gory activities such as boiling hides apparently make it conducive to various underworld mafia activities. Hence the Tamil dons (many of them graduated from tannery business to real estate) of that time became major inspiration for Bollywood films on underworld in the ’60 and ‘70s. As the popular perception of the gore in Dharavi grew some kind of state intervention became essential.
So with the wide roads, the unwieldy area was mapped to some extent and tanneries were banned. In 1950s came the wide Dharavi cross road which has become an artery road for the city. Later in 1984 came a surge of development and more wide roads were built inside the settlements in order to facilitate the movement of the people associated to the new Govt. establishments such as ONGC, Indian Oil etc. which were built in the surrounding marsh land. Then again in 1991 came another phase of urbanization and development under the guise of SRA (slum rehabilitation authority). It cannot be a coincidence that many traditional tanneries which by then were doing only the processing from rough leather to fine leather had to go at that time and eventually release land for multi-storied buildings. This has also coincided with the international noise about the hygienic condition of Dharavi leather. In 2004 the government launched another development body called DRP (Dharavi redevelopment project). This project is to work on an over arching development scheme on Dharavi in oppose to earlier piecemeal approach of segment based development. The scheme promises to rehabilitate all the settlers of the single storied hutments into the proposed skyscrapers and convert the balance land into high profile real estate opportunity.
In this context the following interview of a tannery owner was conducted.
It is clear that he takes this interview as a tool to appeal to government for extra subsidies. His main consideration is allotment of space, either within Dharavi or somewhere outside with a major compensation package. He is very careful about not taking part in the controversy surrounding re-development scheme. His only concern is to secure some benefit in this transition.
It is alleged by some other source in Dharavi that Wahaj Khan is also trying to get into an understanding with the Shivsena (the Hindu right wing party) in order to secure a profit in exchange of the land that his tannery is standing on.
Wahaj Khan was a migrant labour from Kanpur, UP. He worked as a wage worker in the tannery of Krishna Sheth, a Tamil Hindu man. He eventually bought the tannery from Krishna Seth. Krishna shifted his business interest to the real estate as that was the burgeoning business of the time. Krishna Seth, so far has refused to be interviewed.
Q: Please tell us your name?
Khan: My name? Wahaj Khan.
Q: Since how long are you running this business?
Khan: For last 30 years.
Q: Who started this business?
Khan: I started it myself. My father was in Kanpur. I came up with my own hard work, I laboured and slowly came up and then I started my own business. Ran it with honesty… in that the almighty also helped. So today I am doing well. Today it is registered with the government, I work within legal parameter.
Q: So you came to Bombay all by yourself?
Khan: Yes, I came alone… I borrowed the 100 Rs. for fare from somebody else. There was difficulty at home. So… at the age of 12 I went to Kanpur. There I used work in leather for Rs.2 daily wage. I used to get 2 rupees per day. After a couple of months I started looking around for better wage. I shifted whenever a better wage was offered. If I got Rs.4 per day then I joined that place. Thus slowly I learnt a few things about leathers. Then when I went to another place they offered Rs. 5 per day… so I joined that place. Thus after a point I started getting Rs.100 per month. I was there for 8 odd years and in 8 years I started earning Rs.100/- per month. There I used to hear that our Bombai is a big city, lot of money is available there. I borrowed 100 Rs. from my mother-in-law and I came to Bombai. My brother-in-law used to drive taxi here. So with him I came to Bombai. In Bombai I worked at 2 places. I started getting 3000/- per month. I realized that money is more here. So I worked here for 7/8 years. From the money that I used to get Rs.100/- was spent on food and the rest was saved. Thus substantial amount was gathered. I started thinking… How… this work is done, how the raw material is acquired, how the product is sold… how my employers work… similarly I started at a small scale. I was also working outside, my own works too I used to do by myself. Thus I acquired knowledge about the trade.
Kanpur
almighty
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leather industry
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Dharavi
Most of the wage workers in this tannery are from UP or Bihar. While the migrants from Bihar or UP tend to depend on the jobs in tannery as permanent occupation, the few Maharashtrian Hindu who work in tanneries regard it as a temporary refuge. Maharashtrains are keener on securing jobs in public sector. Whereas the migrants from other parts of the country are ready or desperate to accept just about anything which comes their way. They often change their discipline from tannery to tailoring to vending to any other. The concept of traditional skill or work experience does not seem to have any relevance anymore.
There is only one difficulty here… we have space crunch in Dharavi. That is why I cannot expand. We have to work out of small spaces. But if the Govt. helps us, provides us the space somewhere outside – then I can build a large business out of that space. In that arrangement the Govt. too will be benefited, some 100 / 200 people will also get employment – I have the courage to do it. But I am helpless because of the space crunch. We have no other deficiency. If the govt. helps I can develop the business further.
Q: So what is the possibility of space under the redevelopment scheme?
Khan: At the moment the Govt. is saying that they will compensate only as much space as we have. We will not be able to run our business within that. We will not be able to expand. But if the Govt. replaces us somewhere outside then we can do better work from one single premise, where 100 / 200 people can get employment, we can start export/import. We can do it… I have the information, knowledge of things, I have lot of experience… no ordinary educated person can do it. I am not educated, but if the Govt. helps then I have the courage to do it.
artisans
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business
compensation
development scheme
displacement
employment
expansion
ghetto
government
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import export
leather industry
metropolis
negotiation
real estate
redevelopment
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space
tannery
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Q: So what is the situation in the leather industry at this moment? What is the difference between now and when you first came here 30 years back?
Khan: Since I have come in this business… I make things according to my capacity… my things run in the market like a superstar. Till today it has always grown and never reduced. In the entire Hindustan nobody can make goods matching our quality. I am talking about the leather market in Hindustan… nobody can match us. Our leather is cheapest in India and the best. In foreign countries what they get for 100$ is available in 10 $ with us. That's why there is no limit to our sell. Our leather is cheap and we provide good quality. There is always lot of demand but we cannot supply. Only because of the limitation that we do not have space. Space here is so expensive that we can buy. Whatever space we already have we maintain the business within that. If the Govt. gives us space… it would be great if it is in Dharavi… but even if it is outside Dharavi… we can do fabulous work. The leaders say that we shall get you as much space as you have now.
Q: In Dharavi?
Khan: In Dharavi. But we have been hearing this for last 20 years. Nothing happens. No space comes through, nothing. For 20 years… lot of noise… Govt. comes Govt. goes… but till today nothing has happened.
Wahaj Khan claims that his business is flourishing even in the face of recession. This claim seems to be a bit misplaced as most of the others in the leather industry are facing extreme hardship. Some claim that Wahaj Khan's sense of security stems from his contact with the politically powerful people, especially with some leader from Shivsena (the Hindu right wind party). Behind the demure of being a sedate and withdrawn person, Wahaj Khan definitely knows how to survive in the urban set up of power and land mafia
bargain
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real estate
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Q: I have heard that… people who are leaving this place are going to Bhivandi… so new places are coming up. How 20 years back Dharavi became the hub for leather industry… similarly new hubs are coming up. What do you have to say about that?
Khan: We have visited… Bhivandi, Kalyan, even further down. But the Govt. says we do not have space from your leather industry, there is vacant plot, you will not get license here etc. So we are compelled to be in Dharavi as long as possible. Let's see what the Govt. does in future. If the Govt. helps then we shall expand the business, work more. And if the govt. does not help then what to do… our trade will come to an end. It is like that. Then we will have to think of something else… maybe in some other countries… people will shift to Kanpur, Madras… will do something… will have to think of our livelihood.
Bhiwandi
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Since the real market of the Dharavi leather is mostly in foreign countries, it does not really matter to the owner where the workshop is situated. For Wahaj Khan it is not a devastating thought to shift to Kanpur or Chennai (Madras), considering the infrastructure is provided. Infact the leather industry in Kanpur and Chennai exist prior to the one in Dharavi. But the shift, if works as a large scale exodus of industrial establishments, will render a large number of wage workers and people engaged in the auxiliary establishments jobless.
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I have small spaces… about 400 / 500 (sq.ft) … 5/6 of those which are ran by my sons and me. We run the business through these 5/6 small spaces. Per day we make around 500/600/1000 pieces of leather.
Q: The space that you are asking for should be in Dharavi or even somewhere else will do?
Khan: It would be great if it is in Dharavi. But if there is some problem in Dharavi… we can make our office here or have the sell outlets. If they give us space for manufacturing anywhere outside… say in Thane, Bhivandi or Kalyan… then we can do the processing there, we can do large-scale work.
Q: So you are ready for negotiation?
Khan: Yes, we are?
Q: What do you think of this 'redevelopment'? Dharavi redevelopment.
Khan: Well, about the redevelopment… Madam if the Govt. gives me as much as I have today I will be happy. I don't even want more. Whatever is my right, what I have made with my hard work… if the Govt. gives me that much only, I will be happy. We don't want much from the Govt. But if the govt. gives does as much as giving us some space somewhere outside… some 5000 or 10000 sq ft… then we can use the space here office or selling counter and do the processing work there. 100/200 people will be able to work there. Our leather should be best in the world. We achieve it by our skill.
Bhiwandi
Kalyan
Mumbai
Thane
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negotiation
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quality
real estate
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replacement
skill
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sweatshop
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By smaller places (gaonkhere in his language) he meant Kanpur, Chennai etc. It is also the town is Maharashtra such as Kolhapur where tannery work happens. For the traditional tannery owners in Dharavi, the upward mobility is to shift from leather business to construction work.
Q: What are the aspects of leather making get done here?
Khan: Here hard tanning get done.
The rough work is done by other people in smaller places, they deliver it to us. Then we do the fine work… colouring, design, making products and then we sell them. 20 years back when I came here at that time all the stages of production- from rough work, raw material to products – everything was done from here. But then the tanneries slowly got closed down. Only 10/15 of us are left who are still doing the work out of small size spaces. The bigger traders of olden days have sold their spaces… they got more money from selling their spaces… so they closed their workshops, sold them and ate up the money.
design
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