Right to Land in Cities:A Sketch of Mumbai

The Portuguese and the British were the first rulers of Mumbai who noticed its significance as a naval base and a commercial port. Later, its suitability for the textile industry was perceived. Consequently, a policy of encouraging and inviting people to settle on the islands, almost inhabitable in the early years, was followed. It was expected that with the rise in population, the city would grow automatically. The city emerged as the commercial and industrial capital of India, but the inconceivable growth of population brought in its trail other problems-congestion and discord regarding land rights, to mention a few. The paper sketches the history of this discord up to Independence, in the light of the population growth given in the Appendix Table.