Politics surrounding the Kabutarkhana issue is set to escalate, as religious leaders from the Jain community have announced plans to float a political party and contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, with an agenda focused on animal protection.
While announcing the new outfit, community leaders stated that the pigeon, a symbol of peace, would serve as the party’s symbol for now.
“We will wait until Diwali for the government to reopen the Kabutarkhana. If our demands are not met, we will move ahead with our political plans,” said one of the religious leaders at a press conference on Saturday.
The community recently held a prayer meeting in Dadar for the pigeons that have died since the BMC ordered the closure of Kabutarkhanas. The gathering was attended by several religious leaders from the Jain community.
In July this year, during the monsoon session of the state legislature, the Maharashtra government ordered the closure of 51 Kabutarkhanas in Mumbai, citing health risks. Pigeon droppings and feathers were reportedly linked to respiratory illnesses. Although the order was challenged in court, the Mumbai High Court upheld a complete ban on feeding pigeons at Kabutarkhanas.
During the prayer meeting, one religious leader made a controversial remark, stating:
“Even if one person dies, it is acceptable. I believe doctors who claim that pigeon droppings lead to health issues are fools.”
Following the shutdown, some protestors attempted to forcefully reopen Kabutarkhanas and even damaged BMC installations meant to prevent pigeons from entering the premises.
This development led to tensions between two communities and soon took on a linguistic angle. Both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) strongly objected to the Jain community’s actions.
