A temporary jetty shelters a set of 1.7 ton cutting edge Powerboats along Marine Drive. The shiny, hulking two-seaters fly over water for the two-lap time trials of the Indian Grand Prix of the Seas, before being ushered to the hold specially constructed for the three-day event. The construct is a good 200 metres away from where a tiny pocket of the Girgaum Chowpatty beach is bustling with activity all manual, no machines. It’s mid-afternoon and all the fuss is over half a dozen 15 foot oar-driven boats Hodis, belonging to Mumbai’s oldest and original fishing community. It’s an end to another practice session which has nothing to do with the Powerboat event nearby on the day. Rather, the Kolis, or the fisherman community is working on a race specifically designed for them that will be the opening act to the vrooming power beasts. Cuffe Parade, Mahim, Worli, Colaba, Malvani, Girgaum, Versova, Haji Ali all have their fisher communities. Two-seater Hodi boats will be decorated with flags and stickers for a parade in the Arabian Sea after being painted in matching colours to represent each of the eight teams. A day later, they will compete in the five-boat relay race that will cover 2000 metres on Sunday. Utsav jaisa mahaul hai! exclaims Rohidas Koli, president of the Koli Mahasangh in the South Mumbai area. Everyone in our community wants to know Dariya Ka Raja’ kaun banega. King of the seas a title of great prestige from days when Mumbai wasn’t even Bombay. Ahead of the race scheduled for Sunday, fisherman-turned-rowers from eight Koliwadas roped their hodis to a tugboat to transport them to the Girgaum meeting point, crossing through a swash of water that has been meticulously cleaned for the weekend races. There is no garbage floating along the promenade, nor is there the pungent stink of salt and rot. At least the water looks clean for this week, says Rohidas. Yet more than that, they’re looking forward to ruling the waters that they no longer have much sway over. Pradeep Dhamivor, from the Cuffe Parade Koliwada remembers a time when the sea was free for the Kolis to work their way through in search of spots to cast their fishing nets. Those were better days because we could get all sorts of fish, and plenty of it. Dhanda accha chalta tha, he recalls. Since the 26/11 terror attacks, the wide sea grew suddenly narrow and restricted. We can’t go here, we can’t go there. And the paperwork and required permissions went up a few times over, says Dhamivor. A day before setting sail, fishing vessels are required to acquire a stamped document from authorities with the names of each person normally five who will be on board. Sometimes if someone gets sick that morning and can’t travel, we need five people but can’t get a replacement because of the paperwork, he adds. A quick buck earned from tourists too has fallen. Earlier people would pay us to take them just off shore for a bit of sight seeing. Now we’re scared to do that because of what David Headley did, says Manoj Naik, also from Cuffe Parade. Plans for the constuction of a Shivaji Memorial off the coast too has further added to the list of restricted areas. We used to get good lobster from that area, laments Dhamivor. Even from the area allotted to the organisers of the Powerboat races, the Kolis are suffering losses to the tune of around Rs 1000 per day, per boat. But in the proposed race in their favour, they find an apt tradeoff and a throwback to when the sea was rightfully theirs. Historically, the Kolis were the original inhabitants of the seven islands that later became Bombay and now Mumbai. Overtime, their significance and value has deteriorated in favour of high-end corporations that have made the reclaimed part of the city the country’s financial capital. On Sunday, the eight teams will have the opportunity to chase after the Rs 1 lakh cash prize for the victory. Importantly for them, it’s a race that is expected to be televised. Now everyone will know the Kolis still exist, asserts Naik. Teams essentially involve the usual inhabitants of the boat, including the Devkars a highly rated father-son duo. They’re the owners of the boat and they know the seas well. But their synchronisation and coordination gives them good speed, claims Pradip Patade, a marine expert who is coaching the various teams. It’s not often that members of different Koliwadas get a chance to meet. Not even during festivals. Alone in their communities they struggle under the imposed maritime laws and increasing water pollution that has decreased the annual catch by a staggering 40 percent. But there is a celebration, just 200 metres away from where the professionals disembark, to promote a feeling the Kolis haven’t felt for a while. That they belong.