India, Sept. 13 -- With municipal elections looming, the state government is hoping to fulfil a long-standing demand of the Koli community, one that will safeguard their cultural identity and reaffirm their place in Mumbai's social fabric.

On Friday, Ashish Shelar, guardian minister for Mumbai suburban district, directed government officials to enter koliwadas whose boundaries have been demarcated into Mumbai's Development Control and Promotion Regulations 2034, (DCPR). He said this must be done within 60 days.

The Kolis, Mumbai's aboriginal fishing community, have been demanding that the boundaries of their koliwadas, or traditional fishing settlements, be formally marked and entered into official records. This would clarify their posi...