The walk in Lallubhai Compound starts out from the local Buddha Vihar, a space for Neo Buddhists from the colony to gather. Children from the Bal Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (BASS), a children-focused initiative of the compound instituted in 2002, primarily lead the walk, pointing out the issues and quirks of the spaces they’ve grown up in. At the third stop on the two-hour walk, as participants pick their way through a narrow alley between buildings, the issues of housing and development are brought to the forefront.

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Prakash Bhaware, who is the the project lead of the walks, explains that during the resettlement process of 2004-05, when new highways and bridges were being constructed in the city, residents of bastis (informal settlements) from all over Mumbai were sent to stay in the colony.  Job losses and abrupt halts in the education of the young people were adverse effects that the resettlement brought in, as many found it financially unviable to travel to their old workplaces from their new homes. 

Further, children lost their spaces to play and were suddenly forced to make do with whatever empty patch of ground they could find between the still settling colonies. Today, BASS organises street plays, entertainments, and programs on these themes, including cricket matches, and plays such as ‘Lallubhai, tujha majhyavar bharosa nahi ka?’, depicting the problems of life in the compound.

“The whole idea is to tell stories of spaces with the people intimately associated with them.” Jaikishen says, talking about the need to have “a visceral experience” of the spaces to understand how life for the residents unfolds. “The walks are interesting because they provoke a lot of questioning, and the participants even come back much later to find out how they can stay connected with the community.”

WHEN: June 03, 7:30 AM
WHERE: Buddha Vihar, Lallubhai Compound, Mankhurd
PRICE: Rs 330
TO BOOK: www.bookmyshow.com