Abstract
This paper examines the effects of socio-political processes on economic preferences
in Mumbai by focussing on the case of Muslim ex-millworkers. The argument of
this paper is that the feeling of karahiyat [Urdu: nausea, disgust, hate, etc.] combined
with suspicion, in terms of terrorism and mafia, creates barriers for Muslims’
employment and self-employment opportunities. The argument is substantiated by using the survey data of 924 ex-millworkers and in-depth interviews with 80 ex-millworkers
collected during 2008-09 and 2010-11. The findings presented in this paper
suggest that economic liberalisation in India is not contributing to the dissolution
of social institutions such as caste, religion, and gender. This paper concludes that
Muslims in contemporary Mumbai face a combination of unfavourable exclusion
and unfavourable inclusion.
