Pigeon Feeding Prohibition

Mumbai

Police detained several members of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, including its president Govardhan Deshmukh, after they staged a protest at the Dadar kabutarkhana in Mumbai in support of the ban on feeding pigeons. Heavy police security was deployed from 11 am to prevent any trouble.

The protestors gathered to back the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) move to cover the kabutarkhana with plastic sheets, aimed at discouraging the feeding of pigeons due to health concerns. Deshmukh questioned the police on why no action was taken against those who had protested at the spot on August 6, when BMC’s tarpaulin cover was removed and clashes with police occurred. He claimed that members of the Jain community had defied court orders, though Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha had earlier clarified that there was no religious angle to the issue.

A participant in Wednesday’s demonstration insisted the gathering was peaceful and not intended to violate any laws. He criticised certain statements made by individuals from the Jain community that hinted at violence, saying such remarks were unexpected from a peace-loving group.

The Bombay High Court, on August 7, stated it had not ordered the closure of kabutarkhanas, but had declined to stay the BMC’s closure order. It emphasised that human health, especially that of senior citizens and children, was of paramount importance. The Supreme Court also refused to intervene, directing the BMC to penalise those feeding pigeons at these spots.

Meanwhile, Jain monk Muni Nileshchandra Vijay announced he would begin an indefinite hunger strike from August 13 against the closure of pigeon feeding areas, warning that the community would not comply with court directives if they conflicted with religious practices, and even hinted at taking up arms to defend them.