Pigeon feeding row: Jain monk sits on fast against closure of Dadar Kabutarkhana

Mumbai, Nov 3 (PTI) Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay began an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan here on Monday, demanding the immediate reopening of the iconic Dadar Kabutarkhana, a traditional pigeon feeding site shut down by the civic body.

Speaking to reporters near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, the monk announced he had stopped drinking water upon starting his protest.

He framed his action as a democratic right, saying, "My protest is within the framework of the Constitution written by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who has given the right to each individual to protest in a democratic way." The BMC's action to close the pigeon enclosures in Dadar and other areas across the city stems primarily from grave public health and safety concerns, including respiratory illnesses.

The issue gained legal and legislative attention in July after an MLC raised concerns about residents near the Dadar Kabutarkhana suffering from respiratory ailments linked to the massive presence of birds and their droppings. Several residents supported the ban, citing the health risks.

The closure of the Kabutarkhana came up before the Bombay High Court in August, which ordered the state government to establish an expert committee to study the impact of pigeons and their droppings on human health in public places.

A court-mandated committee, comprising public health experts, pulmonologists, and officials from ICMR and AIIMS, is tasked with framing guidelines on the issue.

The protest by the Jain monk comes in response to the BMC's recent decision to permit controlled pigeon feeding only at four designated alternate locations —Worli Reservoir, a mangrove area in Andheri West, the Airoli Mulund check post area, and Gorai ground in Borivali West, and the feeding is restricted to between 7 am and 9 am, with NGOs managing the sites.

Nileshchandra Vijay rejected these alternate sites, arguing they were too far from Dadar.

"The alternate sites given by the BMC are as far as 4, 5, and even 9 kilometres away. Will a pigeon fly so far? The administration should have given a site within 2 km of the existing Kabutarkhana," he said, and insisted on reopening Dadar kabutarkhana.

Asserting he would launch a protest, forsaking food and water for a month, he also spoke on the now-scrapped sale of a Jain trust property to a builder in Pune and alleged attack on cow vigilantes in various parts of Maharashtra.

The monk appealed to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for a solution, besides calling on the Jain community nationwide to travel to Mumbai to support the cause.

He pointed out that this sacred site- the kabutarkhana in Dadar- has existed for over a century and is culturally and religiously significant.

"This Kabutarkhana has existed for more than a century and holds religious significance for the community... it is our responsibility to protect their home," he said.

He claimed a tragic toll on the bird population since the closure and alleged that more than one lakh pigeons have died.

According to the monk, the community organisations are currently treating 50 to 60 injured or sick pigeons daily.

He said the Jain community is ready to raise funds to purchase land if the civic body allocates an appropriate site.

The monk alleged double standards, questioning why he could not protest for animal welfare at Azad Maidan if the Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange was allowed to demonstrate at the same spot for his community's interests.

The row over feeding pigeons erupted in July during the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature after Shiv Sena leader Maneesha Kayande raised health risk concerns for residents near the Kabutarkhana in Dadar.

Industries Minister Uday Samant responded by announcing that the BMC would be asked to launch an awareness drive and close down the city's 51 'Kabutarkhanas'.

Following this, the BMC removed encroachments and covered the Dadar Kabutarkhana with tarpaulin sheets to stop feeding, a move that sparked protests from animal lovers and sections of the Jain community.

However, the closures have been supported by several residents who cited concerns over pigeon droppings and related respiratory ailments.

The conflict has seen heated exchanges, with community groups like "Aamhi Girgaonkar" protesting against the Jain community over the closures with placards that advocate for closure to protect human health.

The BMC, meanwhile, has made it clear that it is a stopgap arrangement, pending the report of the expert committee and court orders, for providing four alternative sites. Kabutarkhanas that were closed would not be reopened for the time being.

The monk said, "We are protesting for the pigeons, which are considered messengers of peace. So this will be a peaceful protest." PTI ND GK BNM SKL NSK