Why the Heritage Sassoon Docks are Important for the Fishing Community

Just three days back, on the eve of Ananta Chaturdashi, when the most popular Ganpati idol of Mumbai, Lalbaughcha Raja, got stuck in the heavy flow of water during the idol’s immersion at Girgaon Chowpatty, it was the group of Kolis who put in their strength and efforts for its successful immersion. These locals of Girgaon, who are actually the original locals of Mumbai, know their business well, and thus, the fishing trade at the Sassoon Docks forms an immense part of their business and culture.

Only two years ago, this heritage port came to the limelight after St+art India Foundation showcased an Art House at Sassoon Docks, where colourful paints adorned the walls of the buildings in an attempt to revive the 142-year-old docks' historic heritage.

Recently, the fishing community of the docks has written a letter to the Minister of Ports Development of Maharashtra, Nitesh Rane, to not demand an evacuation of the warehouses where the traders involved in the pre-processing of fish do their work. Along with that, they have also brought to attention how the land should only be given to the fish traders and not to people from other occupations, maintaining to secure zero dilution of its history that has run through the ages.

“….Sassoon Docks is a traditional fishing port where only fishing-related activities are permitted. However, it has come to our notice that even parties not connected with the fishing trade may be considered for such lease allotments…..Such a move would adversely affect the fishing community, hinder the growth of the fishing industry, and eventually threaten the very existence of one of Mumbai’s oldest fishing ports,” the letter says, which Local Samosa has read.

While they have not heard back from the ministry and are waiting for the festivities to be over in the next fifteen days, marking Dussehra, as per their head of fisherfolk in Sasoon Docks, they are “ready every single day to protect their cultural land”.

Remnants of forgotten Mumbai’s oldest fishing ports

Walking past the docks is witnessing the maritime history of Bombay that remains present to tell its story, which started with the patriarch, David Sassoon, who emigrated from Baghdad to Bombay. Reportedly. He ventured into commercial enterprise and also reaped huge profits.

At that period of time, the business firm named M/s David Sassoon and Sons, under which the wet dock called Sassoon Dock came into being, was a fully private enterprise. Inaugurated on June 8, 1875, this dock was then described as: “The dock is about 690 feet in length, 300 feet in breadth, 40 feet from gate to gate, has therefore an area of about 195,000 square feet, and has a 15.4 feet below the wear tide. A substantial stone bund encloses the dock, and flood gates are provided at the entrance on the east side.” 

The opening of the dock was a combined decision that involved a lot of factors, as the opening of the Suez Canal had reduced the distance between India and England by half, and David Sassoon could soon see the potential of the waterfront and the small docking facility. While the private enterprise flourished towards the start, it saw an ill fate because of the oppressive schemes of the British government. It turns out that the government at that time was not in favour of those private enterprises making profits.

As per Bombay Gazette’s November 3, 1876 report, it was written about how the Bombay government withheld permission to Messrs. D. Sassoon and Co. for fourteen months, restricting their trading activities to ship merchandise from their own dock.

However, since there was a fishing culture of the Kolis that had yet to flourish, its fate kept changing. After the Bombay Port Trust took over the Sassoon Dock, it saw a gradual decline as a small facility for the fishing community and as a repair yard. Thereafter, the areas around were also developed into an accommodation area which could, later, prosper only due to the economic activities of the fishing industry.

‘We can’t dry fish on roads, can we?’

Perhaps, that is the reason why not just the fishing community but also the residents around are attached to their land, which has only seen upheavals lately over a lot of reasons.

Taking a walk at the dock in the present time is likely to awaken the sense of historic quest and the for the culture that still thrives. Traders can be seen involved in the peeling and cleaning process of fish, which is not only supplied around but also across the globe.

The traders working here in the warehouses or the units — roughly 70 to 75 — at the dock have long been paying their rent to the Maharashtra fisheries; however, as it came to light, argued by the locals, the department might not have paid the rent to the original land owner, Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT). Due to the conflict, the MbPT asked the traders to vacate and, later, on October 16,  2014, the Supreme Court ordered the vacating of the warehouses as per the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.

The local traders, since then, have been vocal about their concerns as their livelihood, along with those of the local kolis who are fishing, see the potential threat to their work. As per Krishna Pawle, the head of a 2015 tri-party meeting at a guest house located in Sahdris, it was decided between the state government, Maharashtra Fisheries Development Corporation (MFDC), fisherfolk and that the rate be given at Rs 4/sq mt for the warehouses along with other promises which were, however, never fulfilled and implemented.

“Just like one cannot sell the vegetables in the fish market, we cannot either, in other markets,” says Krishna Pawle, adding, “We can’t dry fish out on the road.”

Stating that “the fishing industry belongs to the Kolis”, Mr. Pawle affirms that it might be the cultural displacement from the Docks, along with the livelihood, in case they are evicted. “Recently, a Colaba-based NGO had also filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court complaining about the smell of the fish on behalf of the Cuff Parade slums. I want to ask, ‘Who came first, them or the Kolis?’ They could have thought twice before buying houses who came late; Kolis, who now live in the margins, have been here since forever,” he adds.

Highlighting the current concerns, Mr. Pawle further says, “They (MbPA) are planning to make it into water sports, marina corporations, without the consent of those who have been around for ages.”

Docks also employ people who migrate from places like Bihar, U.P., Karnal, Bengal, along with others, and fish traders are of the view that vacating the place will hit the livelihood “massively”. “Many from the Karnataka’s Banjara community are also working at the Dock and are involved in the pre-processing work,” he adds.

A 65-year-old and now a Colaba resident who was evicted from the Nazir building on 12, Calicut Street at Ballard Estate by the MbPT echoes the same sentiments. “We were asked to vacate within four hours,” says Pervez Cooper, who was a tenant and ran a medical shop in the building. Now, a retired businessman who worked in real estate with his children, settled in Australia, has been voicing the issue of Sasoon docks traders.

Sasoon Docks fears cost-cutting over U.S tariffs

However, this historical spot is also reeling with another fear right now — the U.S. tariffs, which, as per Mr. will affect the traders here with the margin of 5% to 10% “The fish, especially, prawns is exported to the U.S., UK, China, Japan, UAE, along with other places and with the US, tariffs, the current Rs 490 per kg for prawns will likely be Rs 350 (an estimated value) since we will have to lower the cost,” he says.

As per the average estimation, Mr. Pawle shares that the dock makes the business of “at least 5 crore per day” and that the traders might have to work on cost-cutting, which will lead to unemployment of the fishers and other workers who are involved in the fishing trade here.

Amidst the current challenges, however, the traders are firm that they will most likely agitate in case their land is snatched from them, a land that has witnessed many generations of fisherfolk, traders, and whose cultural identity lies with the presence of its inhabitants. And, in support of them are the old residents and shopkeepers, who have always and together formed this heritage spot in Mumbai.