Mumbai's dual realities: Redditor's post on city's socioeconomic disparity sparks debate

Mumbai, often referred to as the city of dreams, recently became a hot topic of discussion on Reddit after a user pointed out the city's socioeconomic disparity. While numerous tall buildings scale the city's heights, one can also find a number of chawls right next to them; highlighting the same on social media, a Redditor's post went viral.

Reddit user, who goes by the name, "thecryptqueen" posted a picture that shows massive buildings in one part of the city and a chawl in another.

While sharing the picture, in the caption, the Redditor wrote, "What do you think about this economic inequality? Picture taken from a corporate building in Goregaon." (Also Read: Mumbai woman’s post on high rentals in financial capital of India goes viral: ‘Ma baap se bana ke rakho’)

Take a look at the post here:

This post was shared on June 24. Since being shared, it has gained more than 700 upvotes. The post also has numerous comments.

Here's how people reacted to it:

An individual wrote, "Most people living in shanties will take a lifetime of loan for decent living. Plumbing itself is enough; no rainwater seepage during monsoons. As a country we should aspire for better. It's better to have a matchbox-like proper shelter rather than living near Dallas where waste flows by. It's Mumbai. If we don't try, then how can we claim to be the richest city in India?"

Another shared, "Most of the apartments are not some high-rise luxuries but 1-2 BHK matchbox apartments for which the owners will pay EMI for their lifetime. What's the point of pointing to the middle class living a moderate lifestyle as inequality? Pointing out Antilla makes sense, not some vague pictures of normal apartments compared to tin sheds."

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others," commented another Reddit user.

A fourth added, "Yes, one section of this, people have to pay property tax, water bill, inflated electricity bill, live in the sky, pay society bills, can't raise their voice, just work harder to meet ends, no one bothers about the vote bank, won't get free facilities, got to shell out for everything just for a so-called dignified life."