Farmers' leader takes out silent march demanding Mahadevi elephant be brought back
The pachyderm has shifted to Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust Jamnagar (Vantara sanctuary).
Thousands of peoples along with women from all parts of the district, gathered at Sri Chakreshwar temple in Nadani village of this district in the early morning at 0500 hours and began their Silent March (Muk Morcha) towards Kolhapur city, which will reached around at 1600 hours this evening with taking boards in hands with slogans as 'Aamchi Madhuri Parat Dhya"(Return our Madhuri).
Shetty, while talking with reporters in March, said that Vantara sanctuary misguided supreme court with submitting false report on the health of Mahadevi elephant. Even supreme court directed to shift the elephant to Jamnagar, it was not final and president of India has a right to change this judgement.
A delegation comprising women, will meet district collector Amol Yedge to hand over a memorandum demanding to bring back Mahadevi elephant and also a letter addressed to president Droupadi Murmu to interfere and changed supreme court's direction.
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Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Fadnavis heeds public demand; govt to take up cases of elephant Madhuri, Kabutarkhanas
Amid controversy over shutting of Kabutarkhanas (pigeon shelters) in Mumbai and shifting of and elephant from Kolhapur to Vantara in Gujarat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday heeded public demands for state government's intervention in these cases. In the case of Madhuri, the female elephant shifted to Vantara in Gujarat from a mutt in Kolhapur district, Fadnavis said that the state government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court to bring her back to Maharashtra. Even in the case of Bombay High Court's decision on pigeon feeding and order to close Kabootarkhanas, the CM said that if necessary, the state government will present its side at the Supreme Court. Following widespread protests across Kolhapur against the rehabilitation of Madhuri — also known as Mahadevi — to the Vantara facility from the Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Mutt, Fadnavis convened a meeting with ministers and stakeholders. Vantara is a state-of-the-art animal rescue centre run by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation. The controversy arose in July when the Bombay High Court ordered the rehabilitation of the ailing elephant, which was housed in the Jain Mutt in Nandini village in Shirol taluka, based on a petition by animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The Supreme Court had also upheld the decision of the Bombay High Court subsequently. 'Considering the traditions of Nandani Math and the sentiments of local people, efforts will be made to bring Madhuri back to Math through legal process. Madhuri has been in Nandani Math for the past 34 years, and there is a public sentiment that she should be brought back. Keeping this in mind, the state government will file a review petition. The mutt should also include the state government in its petition. Also, a separate detailed affidavit will be filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of the forest department,' said Fadnavis in a statement. Once the elephant is brought back, the state government will set up a team, including a veterinarian, to take care of the elephant and provide necessary assistance, he said. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the forest department should collect information about all the elephants that were taken out of Maharashtra. Congress MLC Satej Patil said that his party stands with the local people on the issue and believes that the female elephant, who is an integral part of the mutt, should be returned. Former Lok Sabha MP Raju Shetti said that a conspiracy was hatched to snatch the female elephant from the mutt. 'A number of mutts in Maharashtra and Karnataka are getting notices to take away the elephants. This has to be stopped and probed,' said Shetti. On July 30, when the team from Vantara came to transport Mahadevi from Shirol, there was an outpour of grief by local residents, who refused to allow the vehicle to move. In a different case, action against Kabutarkhanas (pigeon shelters) following a Bombay High Court order is likely to get diluted with the CM talking against their immediate closure and directing the civic body to continue controlled feeding to pigeons. On July 31, the Bombay High Court directed the closure of Kabutarkhanas citing health risks involved and based on it, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) covered the pigeon shelter in Dadar. Several Jain organisations objected to it citing their century-old tradition and were supported by minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha. In the wake of the opposition, Fadnavis called a meeting of officials on Tuesday. At the meeting, Fadnavis directed the authorities to conduct a study on the health issues caused by Kabutarkhanas. 'He also mentioned that immediate closure of Kabutarkhanas is not appropriate. Instead, there can be fixed timings for giving them food so control feeding is possible. He also directed the civic body to look for machines to clean pigeon poop, which poses a health risk,' said a government official. 'The hearing on writ petitions filed regarding Kabutarkhanas is ongoing and the state government as well as the BMC will present the side. If necessary, the state government will present its side at the Supreme Court as well,' said the CM. He also directed the BMC to set up a bird shelter. Lodha said after the meeting that the BMC would restore the water connection and remove the cover on the Dadar Kabutarkhana. 'As far as health risks are concerned, CM Fadnavis has strictly directed that all precautions such as cleaning and restricted feeding will be taken. People's health is of utmost importance to us,' he said.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Decode Politics: Kabutarkhanas, demolition, and an elephant named Mahadevi. Why Jains are unhappy with BJP
In the past six months, tensions between the Jain community and the Maharashtra government have escalated sharply following a series of actions such as the demolition of a century-old temple, a crackdown on pigeon-feeding practices, and a court-ordered relocation of a temple elephant. Maharashtra, home to the largest Jain population in India, has seen frequent street protests in which the community has accused the administration of being insensitive to its religious traditions. The BJP, long seen as a natural ally of Jains, has been actively engaged in damage control, clarifying that the actions stem from judicial orders, not anti-Jain sentiment. How influential is the Jain community? According to the 2011 Census, Maharashtra has 14 lakh Jains, accounting for 32% of Jains in the country, although they make up only 1.25% of the state's population. Their strongest presence is in Mumbai (5.4%), Mumbai Suburban (3.7%), and Aurangabad (0.8%). Despite their small size, Jains punch above their weight politically. The Maharashtra Assembly has seven MLAs from the community (2.43%), six of whom are from the BJP, with the seventh being part of the BJP-led alliance. The Jain-BJP alliance is seen as strategic, with the community historically offering the party both financial backing and electoral support. Why are Jains unhappy? The flashpoint came in April, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished parts of a Digambar Jain temple in Vile Parle, citing illegal construction. The action followed a city civil court order that denied the temple trust an extension of interim protection. On April 19, thousands of Jains staged a silent protest march to the BMC's K-East ward office in Andheri East, demanding accountability. The Maharashtra State Minority Commission, led by a BJP activist, condemned the demolition as 'premature' and called for better consultation with the community. Another point of friction was the government's move to shut down kabutarkhanas or pigeon-feeding enclosures that hold spiritual significance for Jains as a symbol of 'jeev daya (compassion for all life)'. On July 3, during a Legislative Council session, minister Uday Samant announced the closure of 51 kabutarkhanas in Mumbai, citing public health concerns. The BMC followed with a citywide enforcement drive, fining individuals and shutting down enclosures. The Bombay High Court on July 31 directed FIRs to be filed against those 'illegally' feeding pigeons despite the ban. On August 2, all kabutarkahanas, including a famous one in Dadar, were sealed with grey tarpaulin, marking a symbolic loss for the community. In another case that sparked protests from the community, a 36-year-old elephant named Mahadevi, housed at the Jain Math in the village Nandani in Kolhapur for over 30 years, was relocated to the Vantara Elephant Sanctuary in Gujarat by court order. The decision was based on a High-Powered Committee report that, following a PETA complaint, found Mahadevi to be in poor health. After the Supreme Court upheld the order on July 28, protests erupted in Nandani and Kolhapur, with thousands marching to the Collectorate demanding her return, citing religious and emotional ties. How has the BJP responded? Fully aware of the community's growing frustrations, the BJP has been working to calm the storm. After the temple demolition, BJP leaders joined protests and solidarity marches. BJP leaders such as minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, MLA Parag Alavani, and corporator Murji Patel took part in the protests. The Maharashtra State Minority Commission, headed by BJP activist Pyare Khan, even called the demolition 'criminal'. In response to outrage over the pigeon-feeding ban, Lodha wrote to the BMC, urging a humane, regulated solution. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday held a meeting where he spoke against the immediate closure of the kabutarkhanas and expressed the possibility of formulating rules on a specific time to feed the pigeons. Taking note of the public sentiment surrounding the elephant in Kolhapur, Fadnavis said his administration would file a review petition in the Supreme Court to bring it back. 'It is a fact that the community is angry. We have historically been aligned with the BJP and it is but natural that the community will feel that it is getting the rough end of the stick. While we do defend the BJP as its office-bearers, we do sense that there is hostility at least for now against the party,' said a middle-level BJP functionary from the community. However, on both the temple demolition and the pigeon-feeding ban, BJP officials have pointed to court directives, suggesting the government was simply following judicial orders and not targeting Jain traditions. 'The actions of the government do not stem from any hostility of the BJP towards the Jain community. All these instances have taken place due to court orders. The government stands firmly with the community and, hopefully, an amicable solution will be found,' said BJP Jain Cell's president Sandeep Bhandari.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Maharashtra will file review petition to bring back elephant Madhuri from Vantara: Fadnavis
Responding to strong public sentiment in favour of the return of Madhuri, the female elephant belonging to a Math in the Kolhapur district, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Tuesday the state government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court to bring her back from Vantara in Gujarat. Following widespread protests across Kolhapur against Madhuri's rehabilitation—also known as Mahadevi—to the Vantara facility from the Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sansthan Mutt, CM Fadnavis convened a meeting with top ministers and stakeholders to discuss the issue. Vantara is a state-of-the-art animal rescue centre run by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation. The controversy arose in July when the Bombay High Court ordered the rehabilitation of the ailing elephant, which was housed in the Nandani Math in Shirol taluka, based on a petition by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The Supreme Court had also upheld the decision of the Bombay High Court subsequently. 'Considering the traditions of Nandani Math and the sentiments of the local people, efforts will be made to bring back Madhuri through a legal process. Madhuri has been in Nandani Math for the last 34 years, and there is a public sentiment that Madhuri should return to Nandani Math. Keeping this public sentiment in mind, the state government will file a review petition,' said Fadnavis. 'The Math should also include the state government in its petition. Also, a separate detailed position will be presented in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Forest Department,' he added. Fadnavis said once Madhuri is brought back, the government will set up a dedicated team, including a veterinarian, to care for her and provide any necessary support. 'If necessary, arrangements like a rescue centre will be made, and facilities will be provided accordingly. A request will also be made through the state government in this petition to appoint an independent committee by the Supreme Court to investigate the matters,' the chief minister said. Fadnavis said criminal charges against protesters would be withdrawn. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the Forest Department should collect information about all the elephants taken out of Maharashtra. Congress MLC Satej Patil said his party stands with the local people on the issue, and believes that the female elephant, who is an integral part of the math, should be returned. Former Lok Sabha lawmaker Raju Shetti said a conspiracy was hatched to snatch the female elephant from the math. 'Several mutts in Maharashtra and Karnataka are getting notices to take away the elephants. This has to be stopped and probed,' said Shetti. On July 30, when the team from Vantara came to transport Madhuri, there was an outpour of grief by residents, who refused to allow the vehicle to move.
