Mumbai: Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay, who has led the Jain community’s campaign to permit pigeon feeding in Mumbai, has announced plans for a large-scale protest and hunger strike at Dadar kabutarkhana starting November 28.
His announcement follows the state government’s failure to meet a 15-day deadline he had set to resolve the issue and resume controlled pigeon feeding, which he demanded during a hunger strike at Azad Maidan on November 3.
Government promises remain unfulfilled, monk claims
Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha had visited Azad Maidan to express support for allowing pigeon feeding and convinced the monk to end his hunger strike.
“I ended my hunger strike when Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar personally came and promised to find a solution to start pigeon feeding. He had also committed to arranging a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis within five days. The time frame given by the leaders has expired and nothing has been accomplished so far. We also sent a reminder letter to Narwekar, but there has been no action from him,” Muni Nileshchandra stated.
Warning of massive demonstration on November 28
“Therefore, along with hundreds of my supporters, I am announcing a massive protest at Dadar kabutarkhana from November 28. The BJP government still has a week’s time to develop a solution and initiate controlled pigeon feeding. Our struggle is not only for pigeons, but for all voiceless animals,” the monk added.
Pigeon-feeding ban had previously triggered tensions
Muni Nileshchandra, who leads the Jain temple at Colaba, had organized demonstrations and made strong statements in July as well when the BMC shut down all 51 kabutarkhanas across Mumbai citing health hazards. Several pigeon enthusiasts and members of the Jain community also removed the tarpaulin covering from the Dadar kabutarkhana.
Following this, the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti also staged protests supporting the government’s decision to close kabutarkhanas. The kabutarkhana closure intensified tensions between the Marathi and Jain communities at that time.
BMC announces temporary feeding spots, faces objections
Meanwhile, responding to pressure from the Jain community, the BMC last month announced four interim locations for controlled pigeon feeding—open plots near Airoli-Mulund check naka, Worli reservoir, Gorai in Borivali, and a mangrove area in Andheri West. However, the proposed locations have been challenged by several people citing health hazards.
An advocate also filed an intervention petition in Bombay High Court challenging BMC’s proposed pigeon feeding spot at Mulund. The High Court is hearing a writ petition challenging BMC’s action of closing kabutarkhanas and banning pigeon feeding. The next hearing is expected on December 11.
Monk launches political party amid disappointment with BJP
Meanwhile, Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay has also announced a political party called ‘Jan Kalyan’ and will field Jain candidates in the upcoming BMC elections, extending support to candidates from other parties who share his philosophy.
The move came after his disappointment with the BJP for failing to take any decision toward resuming pigeon feeding in Mumbai. The monk has also stated that he is willing to extend support to Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS.
Key demands raised by the monk
Some of the demands put forward by Muni Nileshchandra include: creation of designated bird-feeding zones across Mumbai, withdrawal of misleading public boards claiming that 60-65% of hypersensitivity pneumonitis is caused by pigeon droppings until verified by authentic scientific evidence, recognition of the fundamental right to life for all living beings, and establishment of a permanent inter-departmental committee including representatives of religious organizations, animal welfare groups, and environmental experts to coordinate humane and lawful protection of all creatures.
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