Airoots Archive

The essay explores the complex classification of habitats as rural or urban, focusing on Mumbai's historical context. It delves into the blurred boundaries between rural and urban areas in the past, where people moved between habitats without fixed identities. It highlights how colonial acts and changing urban attitudes led to the suspicion and criminalization of nomadic communities. The city's workforce and diverse urban forms, sometimes resembling rural settings, are discussed. The essay concludes by addressing the impacts of such historical processes on the present-day urban landscape.