"But we are here to see the slum": counter-conceptualising 'slums' in Mumbai and beyond

In the Indian context the use of the word 'slum' only appeared in the late 19th century and in vernacular practices the terms used to denote poor people's housing is much more encompassing. Furthermore, slum centric representations of urban marginality, both celebratory and derogatory, fail to capture the vibrancy and variety in Mumbai's urban community, writes Paroj Banerjee.