6 months ago
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Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay began a protestation astatine Mumbai's Azad Maidan connected Monday (November 3, 2025), opposing the civic body's determination to unopen down the Dadar Kabutarkhana, a tract wherever the assemblage members person traditionally fed pigeons.
Speaking to reporters earlier starting his protestation astatine the tract adjacent the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) office successful southbound Mumbai, the monk said helium intended to signifier an indefinite accelerated to request restoration of the Kabutarkhana.
The BMC precocious allowed controlled feeding of pigeons astatine 4 locations- Worli Reservoir, the mangrove country connected Lokhandwala Back Road successful Andheri West, the Airoli-Mulund cheque station area, and Gorai crushed successful Borivali West.
According to the BMC, feeding volition beryllium permitted lone betwixt 7 americium and 9 am, and non-governmental organisations volition beryllium liable for managing these sites.
The civic assemblage has clarified that this is simply a impermanent statement until the adept committee's study and tribunal orders are received, and that closed Kabutarkhanas volition not beryllium reopened for now.
"I person stopped drinking h2o from the infinitesimal I reached astatine Azad Maidan. My protestation is wrong the model of the Constitution written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who has fixed close to each idiosyncratic to protestation successful antiauthoritarian way," Nileshchandra Vijay told reporters.
"I bash not o.k. of the determination of granting 4 alternate sites for Kabutarkhana. I privation reopening of Dadar kabutarkhana. The alternate sites fixed by the BMC are arsenic acold arsenic 4, 5 and adjacent 9 kilometres away. Will a pigeon alert truthful far? The medication should person fixed a tract wrong 2 km of the existing Kabutarkhana," the Jain monk said.
"If I americium asked to permission this place, I volition beryllium (in protest) astatine Dadar Kabutarkhana. The support fixed for feeding the pigeons states that the birds tin beryllium fed 2 hours each successful the greeting and evening astatine the alternate sites. I request that akin support beryllium fixed for the Dadar Kabutarkhana," Vijay said.
He besides said the assemblage was consenting to rise funds to acquisition onshore if the civic assemblage allotted an due site.
If the BMC gives a site, the Jain assemblage is acceptable to acquisition it by raising funds, helium added.
"The Kabutarkhana successful Dadar country has existed for much than a period and holds spiritual value for the community. These Kabutarkhanas are much than a 100 years old. It is the location of pigeons, and it is our work to support their home," helium said.
The monk claimed that since the closure of the feeding area, the pigeon colonisation has drastically declined.
"Wherever the Jain assemblage has its residences and buildings, pigeons are being fed. But much than 1 lakh pigeons person died since the closure of the Kabutarkhana. Community organisations person presently been treating 50 to 60 injured oregon sick pigeons daily," helium claimed.
He asserted the protestation would stay peaceful.
"We are protesting for the pigeons, which are considered messengers of peace," helium said.
The contented of feeding pigeons and reported wellness risks associated with their presence successful congested municipality areas archetypal came up connected July 3 during the Monsoon league of Maharashtra Legislature with Shiv Sena person Maneesha Kayande raising concerns of residents adjacent Dadar Kabutarkhana.
In an oral response, Maharashtra industries curate Uday Samant said determination are 51 'Kabutarkhanas' successful the city, adding the BMC volition beryllium asked to commencement an consciousness thrust against specified structures wrong a period and shutting them.
Mr. Samant had said determination is simply a request to make consciousness astir the hazards of feeding piegons. The BMC past removed immoderate encroachments astatine Dadar Kabutarkhana and aboriginal covered it to halt pigeon feeding, which led to protests from carnal lovers and a conception of the Jain community.
However, respective residents supported the ban, citing concerns implicit pigeon droppings and related respiratory ailments.
Community groups specified arsenic "Aamhi Girgaonkar" have, however, protested the Jain community's stance by displaying placards speechmaking "Kabutar Go Back to Marwad Rajasthan", supporting the closure of the feeding enclosures to support the wellness of humans.
