Protestors tear Dadar kabutarkhana plastic cover, feed pigeons despite HC order

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

STRAP: Hours later, the leaders backtracked and claimed the vandals were 'outsiders' Protestors tear Dadar kabutarkhana plastic cover, feed pigeons despite HC order
MUMBAI: Despite the order by the chief minister and an upcoming Bombay high court hearing, a 1,000-strong mob of the Jain community descended on the Dadar Kabutarkhana on Wednesday morning. With women taking the lead, they began attacking the plastic covering thrown over the kabutarkhana with knives and blades even as the police tried in vain to stop them. Damage done, they proceeded to pour sacks of chana for the pigeons on the traffic island in direct contravention of the court order and BMC rules.
Hours later, however, the Dadar Kabutarkhana Trust and the Jain community backtracked and claimed they were not responsible for the vandalism. 'On Tuesday night, we sent out messages to say the protest had been postponed, as our meeting with the CM was favourable,' said trustee Sandeep Doshi, displaying the alleged message. 'It was outsiders who came and caused the havoc. Then the crowd's anger took over, all to make us look bad politically.'
Vijayraj Parmar, chairman of the Shantinathji Maharaj Jain Derasar Trust opposite Dadar Kabutarkhana, parroted this, saying the 'protestors' were not from Dadar. 'But they saw hundreds of pigeons dying after the feeding stopped, and wanted to stop it immediately,' he said.
However, many shopkeepers in the area and BMC officials clearly stated the protestors were from the Jain community, having shown their allegiance to the cause of pigeon feeding, including holding a protest march last Sunday.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the protestors coming from 9.30 am, waiting at the Jain temple for a bit before getting riled up and moving in for the attack. By the time the police could control the crowd, the damage was already done.
'We were taken by surprise,' said an official from G North ward. 'Initially, we were informed that the protest had been called off. But the crowd turned up and tore off the plastic covering. As this is a sensitive issue, we will wait to hear the Bombay high court's order on Thursday.'
Puran Doshi, a former corporator, also parroted the account that the protestors were not locals and went on to call the HC order 'misguided'. 'Pigeons are one among the many causes of pulmonary diseases, and yet the head of the pulmonary department at KEM hospital has only zeroed in on pigeons, and not many other things that are harmful,' he said. 'The Maharashtra government and BMC are acting in the interests of the towers around the kabutarkhana. I will demand an inquiry into this.'
Sandeep Doshi also skirted around the established medical science fact that pigeons feathers and droppings are proven to cause health issues. 'Smoking and alcohol too are injurious to health, yet the government just prints warnings on them and allows their sale,' he said. 'Similarly, they should put warning boards at the kabutarkhana that people with respiratory issues should keep their distance.'
Citizens of Mumbai were outraged at the show of force at the kabutarkhana in clear contravention of the law. 'They openly tore down the BMC's makeshift shed and fed pigeons—in full view of the media and police and in direct violation of Bombay high court orders. Where are the FIRs?' demanded Chetan Kamble, a Dadar resident and founder of NGO Chakachak Dadar who was present at the spot. 'When the law is defied so brazenly, and no action is taken, it sends a dangerous message: that some groups are above the law. The police were mute spectators throughout. Public health, court orders and civic governance cannot be sacrificed at the altar of appeasement.'
The Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA) termed the events of Wednesday 'hooliganism' and asked for the perpetrators to be booked for obstructing civil servants from performing their duty and damaging public property. Photos of the Jain temple with netted balconies irked those on social media, questioning why the temple was allowing pigeons to flourish but leaving them out of their premises.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday reacted to the attack only by saying that the government was trying to find a middle ground. 'We will place a few measures before the court so that this tradition will not be disrupted and at the same time there won't be any health issues,' Fadnavis told reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.
NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar, who was at Dadar Kaburtarkhana and supported the aggressive protest of the Jain community, emphasised that alternatives needed to be found. 'The pigeons could die, as feeding was completely stopped suddenly,' he said. 'This injustice to birds has no place in the Jain and Hindu communities. 'The BMC should come out with a solution. Rohit astutely added that no one wanted to insult the court. 'They were all trying to save the lives of pigeons,' he said.