1980s also witnessed rapid population growth due to migration from the rural areas. This resulted in the mushrooming of slum settlements in the city. There was the rise of militant worker’s union. The historic textile workers’ strike took place in 1982-83. During this time around 250,000 directly or indirectly employed textile workers lost their jobs. This situation led to rapid growth of informal sector in the city. The jolt to the economic viability of the city was underscored by the housing crisis.
          
The Development Control Rules were revised by the government in 1991 “for providing houses to the millions of poor through a cross-subsidized scheme by bringing the private builders on the scene.” (Sharma 2010:77). Private builders were brought in and they became an important agent of urban renewal. Gradually the city came into the hands of builder mafia and speculators. Enormous wealth was created by the merchant capitalists through the second-circuit of capital. It completely distorted the housing market in the city. In this context housing was no longer a human necessity but only a commodity, that too a highly priced one. The criminalization of the real estate market, a recurrent theme of Bollywood films is based on the dark reality of the city.

Over a period of time housing for the poor became an important political issue but the author shows how it has become a ploy for ‘building broomers’ to gain a free hand in the mega transformation of Mumbai. The various schemes of resettlement favour the private developers who grab prime land in the city by displacing the poor. Under the banner of tackling the housing poverty there has been widening inequality between the privileged and the marginalized. This has led to ‘enclave urbanism’ in the city. The author points out that the fight between these sections would intensify in future.