We spotted this man just the other day on W47th St in the Jewelry District of Manhattan sporting a back-board that advertised a nearby Barber Shop.

Just a few blocks from New York City’s famous Times Square landmark, the Jewelry district in Manhattan is chock-a-block with stores selling gold, diamonds and other precious gems.

Amid all the jewelry stores on W47th St, the man with the board attached to his back stood out, mainly because what he was peddling was so different from the main business of the area.

One of the tragic eyesores of modern India, the Dharavi slum in Mumbai epitomizes the failure of the Indian state to provide the most basic necessities for its citizens.

Asia’s biggest slum, Dharavi is located in Central Mumbai, between Mahim in the west and Sion in the east and attracts poor people from across India who come to this teeming metropolis in search of a better life.

After decades of neglect, the government seems finally to have woken up to its responsibilities.

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) on May 31, 2007 has an advertisement from the Slum Rehabilitation Authority of the Government of Maharashtra inviting developers to bid for a project to transform this dirty slum into an integrated township with all modern amenities.

The overall cost of this ambitious project is Continue Reading…