05 January,2026 07:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Madhulika Ram Kavattur
Residents of Chirag Nagar in Ghatkopar West raise slogans against the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, vowing not to move an inch until their demands are met, on Sunday. PIC/Ashish Raje
Families affected by the proposed memorial to folk writer and social activist Anna Bhau Sathe at Chirag Nagar in Ghatkopar West have vowed not to budge from their homes and not cast their vote in the upcoming civic election until their demands are met, alleging that the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) officials had threatened them on December 17 in a bid to displace them.
Residents, who alleged that the SRA officials had been visiting the area since June 2023 in connection with the memorial, organised a protest on January 2, 2026, with the slogan, âno home, no votes'.
A bust of Anna Bhau Sathe at the late writer and social activist's home
Anil Sathe, grandson of the writer and activist, told mid-day, "Initially, we were very cooperative when the authorities proposed to make Anna Bhau's home a tourist site. When they said they would redevelop our houses, we agreed, but later we learnt that for the memorial to be built, we would lose all our homes and would not see our area again. Though we have approached the high court, none of the authorities are helping us. In such a case, just as it is our right to vote, we are opting not to vote, to stand our ground."
Wajid Momi, a local activist and third-year law student, claims that the land in question is under litigation due to a dispute between two claimed owners. He said, "When the land is under litigation and belongs to no one, how are we being asked to vacate it? As many as four generations of families have lived here. This address is our identity, and we are being forced to leave it just because someone claims it is a slum."
Refuting the slum tag, residents said that their homes only seemed a little old from the outside but possessed every necessity and had no structural damage of any kind. Ahmed Patel, a resident of over 50 years, said,
"In all our time living here, we have not had a single fire or waterlogging incident, but on the SRA documents, it is written that the area is unsafe. When such blatant lies are being said, how can we ever trust the authorities enough to vote for them?"
Agreeing with Patel, Lara Thorat, another resident, said, "We are being told that it is all for our own good, as if we don't know what is good for us. If we are so insistent on being here, why do they refuse to understand that we are actually happy here?"
As many as 920 families in the whole of Chirag Nagar have said that they would be abstaining from voting until the authorities address their demands. mid-day contacted officials from the SRA and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for a comment, but did not receive a reply by press time.
