Koli conundrum

A lot more ought to be done for the city’s original inhabitants beyond installations and seasonal food festivals. Our sutradhaars discuss the present-day scenario of the Kolis, and if we as fellow citizens have given them their due

Dr Viegas was telling me that he spotted you earlier today during your stopover at the fish market, where you were having a long-drawn conversation with some Koli fisherfolk. He said that it hasn’t been just about today. You’ve been regular with these visits; often, you don’t even buy fish. What’s all this about, Pheroze? Am I missing something?” Lady Flora asked. Always the quicker of the two to smell a rat, she wasn’t going to let this little development skip her hawkish instincts. She had set the tone of their late night walkthrough around Colaba’s bylanes that looked splendid in the moonlit-soaked glow.  

Sir PM was taken aback by his friend’s sharp investigative skills. Inwardly, he mumbled that Dr Viegas—who he thought was a friend—had gone ahead and ratted about his whereabouts. “Clearly, he’s taken sides,” he grumbled under his breath. It was bad enough that he didn’t get a good bargain from his morning visit to the fish market, for which he got a dressing down from the missus, and now this. He had to come clean; it was always the wise ploy when it came to his friend’s Spanish inquisition-like behaviour. “Okay, so if you must know…I was merely trying to understand their current plight. It was important to get it straight from the horse’s mouth, or in this case, the fish’s mouth. Hehe.” Sir PM tried his best to lighten the mood with his humour but it wasn’t working. “Pheroze, why would you simply chat up Kolis who’ve been there forever, and show keen interest only now? It’s not adding up,” Lady Flora prodded.

“Well, I happened to visit this amazing, immersive exhibition earlier this week at a venue in Mahalaxmi that celebrated the life and rigour of the Worli Koliwada. It blew my mind. I was quite ashamed, honestly, that I wasn’t aware of their rich legacy. And, so, I decided to speak to them to gain perspective and seek awareness about this important community,” he explained, hoping it would convince his friend of his little research project. “Okay, but why did you need an exhibition to open your eyes about a community that’s been in the city even before you or your descendants arrived here? Isn’t it a bit late?” thundered Lady Flora. She was finding it hard to see why her friend was being such a late riser. “See, Pheroze, from my understanding of the situation, the Kolis have been marginalised for centuries. Ever since the British came here and reclaimed the seven islands, their original habitats have been under threat. Over time, their clusters that line the city’s shorelines—called koliwadas—have been facing strong currents, thanks to the vast swathes of urbanisation that have encircled them from all quarters,” Lady Flora elaborated. She was one of those observers who had been keeping a close watch on the Kolis and silently admired their grit and survival instincts. Unknown to Sir PM, one of her earliest friends was a Koli fisherwoman who she had befriended in her early years in the city. Both would chat for hours during her days when morning walks by Sassoon Docks were part of her daily routine. She taught her a lot about the community.

“There is some really good work being done there for the Worli Koliwada and the exhibition was a great way to showcase their life and challenges to a larger audience,” shared Sir PM, hoping his exploratory adventure would win him brownie points. She, of course, was more concerned about the existential crisis that faced them in a fast-changing city. “My worry is that enough is not being done by this city’s major stakeholders as well as its administrators to keep their identity in safe hands. The Coastal Road Project and before that, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link—both infrastructural plans that directly affect their livelihood—have had long-standing impact, and we aren’t sure to what extent and for how long it will continue to damage the coming generations of Kolis, assuming they want to take up the profession. Unless perks and packages are offered to them, the profession itself stands under threat. They’ve been vocal about these fears, but I am not seeing any kind of focused outreach, where the government has invited this community to discuss their issues with long-term, practical solutions,” Lady Flora explained.

“There is the odd food festival in koliwadas where visitors tuck into seafood, watch their traditional dances; that’s the end of the interactivity and awareness,” she added. By now, Pheroze stepped in, “I see your point. While the exhibition was a great initiative, enough isn’t being done to table their issues and safeguard their land, legacy and identity. They are one of Bombay’s unique treasures. I hope my former bosses take a leaf from this event and address their issues before it’s too late. They’ve given us so much to be grateful for; it’s up to us to keep their homes safe.” 

mid-day’s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city’s sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana

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