Abstract: Any public project that results in the involuntary resettlement of affected communities must incorporate an element of public participation. However, authentic participation is often precluded by considerations that put the project’s aims above the interests of the affected communities. This paper investigates a case of involuntary resettlement caused by the Mumbai Urban Transport Project. The study looks at the role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), and government bodies and their relationships with the affected communities. The case reveals how participation can be used as a way to legitimize involuntary resettlement; it also illustrates the problems that can be caused by a lack of authentic participation. This paper attempts to illustrate how the state exercises its decision-making powers while simultaneously retreating from any responsibility to include the affected populations in the decision-making process, using token participation as a way of giving a veneer of legitimacy to the entire process.