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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amid Dadar Kabutarkhana row, simmering tension between Jain and Marathi communities escalates
As more than a hundred residents and members of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti gathered at the Dadar Kabutarkhana in Mumbai Wednesday morning to oppose the Jain community's support for pigeon feeding, their objections to a Jain monk's comments became the focal point of the protest. Earlier this month, Jain monk Nilesh Chandra Vijay threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike against the decision to shut down Dadar Kabutarkhana, and said the community would take up arms to protect his religion. The anger also spilt onto Dadar's streets exactly a week after a crowd of hundreds, including members of the Jain community, tore grey tarpaulin sheets installed over the Dadar Kabutarkhana to feed pigeons forcefully. While it was the contentious subject of pigeon feeding and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s ongoing crackdown against kabutarkhanas that triggered the gatherings, the protests have now underscored the simmering tensions between the Marathi and Jain communities in Mumbai. Claims and counterclaims As the police detained nearly 15 people Wednesday, those at the gathering alleged selective treatment, and questioned why no action was taken against the members of the Jain community after they violated the Bombay High Court directives and forcefully fed pigeons at the closed spot on August 6. Voicing their anger against the Jain monk's comments about picking up arms, the protesters also raised concerns over the use of 'weapons' deployed by members of the Jain community to cut through the cover installed by the civic body at Dadar Kabutarkhana. Members of the Jain community, meanwhile, have viewed the crackdown as the administration's insensitivity to its religious traditions. They have pointed to the series of actions in the past six months, such as the demolition of a century-old temple in Vile Parle, the crackdown on pigeon-feeding practices, and a court-ordered relocation of a temple elephant. Past tension between Marathi and Jain communities The recent flashpoint punctuates the long-standing tensions between the Jain and Marathi communities, which have flared over issues surrounding language, denial of residence in Gujarati-Jain-dominated clusters, as well as food preferences in the past few decades. Also Read | Why an order by Mumbai's civic body on feeding pigeons is now before HC In April this year, tensions between the communities came to the fore as MNS workers engaged in heated arguments at a Ghatkopar housing society. They alleged Marathi-speaking residents had been insulted for eating non-vegetarian food. In 2023, a political furore erupted after Tripti Devrukhkar, a Marathi woman, alleged that she was denied office space by a Gujarati father and son at Mulund. Political backing While the Shiv Sena has been known for championing the cause of Marathi manoos, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has historically been a strong ally of the Jain community. With the BMC elections likely to be held in the coming months, the recent tensions between Marathi and Jain communities have yet again rankled parties across the political spectrum over their implications. While the BJP has tried to assuage the Jain community's fears by maintaining that the recent actions have stemmed from judicial orders, and not anti-Jain sentiment, the Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), and MNS — who are trying to build a ground in the state ahead of the civic polls — have taken up the cause in an attempt to woo its Marathi voter base. Also Read | From sacred tradition to shutdown: The history and end of Mumbai's Kabutarkhanas Despite accounting for only 1.25 per cent of Maharashtra's population, the Jain community holds a strong sway within the state's political landscape. The Maharashtra Assembly has seven MLAs from the community (2.43 per cent), six of whom are from the saffron party, with the seventh being part of the BJP-led alliance. When Jains protested against the closure of Kabutarkhanas, Maharashtra Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on August 4 wrote to the civic body appealing for the possibility of alternative feeding spots. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also convened a meeting with members of the Jain community and the Dadar trust Tuesday, where he directed BMC to allow feeding of pigeons at public spaces in a controlled manner to ensure that the birds do not starve. After this, the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti levelled accusations of preferential treatment towards the Jain community by the state government. Stand of Shinde Sena and MNS Meanwhile, the Dadar locals and Samiti's support for the closure of Kabutarkhanas has found resonance amongst the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which grew on the 'sons of the soil' agenda in the city. In fact, it was Shinde Sena MLC Manisha Kayande who first flagged health concerns caused by the pigeon feeding spots across Mumbai in the Maharashtra Assembly in July, following which Industries Minister Uday Samant directed BMC to ban pigeon feeding in the city. The decision irked the Jain community, for whom feeding pigeons holds religious significance, nudging them to launch protests. Following the clash with the police on August 6, Kayande told reporters, 'Members of the Jain community tore the sheets which had been laid over the feeding site. This is a complete contempt of the High Court. This is no religious subject, but in fact, a subject of medical science and concerns birds and animals. However, now, the voices of people who have suffered ailments due to the pigeons have been completely stifled.' On August 10, making a snide statement against Jain members, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande wore a t-shirt and took to social media to take potshots at 'Nares, Sures, Pares', which are common names amongst the community. As tempers flared further, Jain monk Vijay clarified on August 13 that they were not against Marathis, and also beseeched MNS chief Raj Thackeray to intervene and resolve the matter. Calling Raj Thackeray 'the god of Marathi language', he said, 'Only he can resolve this matter. Rajasthan may be our janmabhoomi, but Maharashtra is our karmabhoomi.' In 2015, the Shiv Sena (UBT), through its mouthpiece Saamana, voiced its opposition over the meat sale ban imposed by BMC on account of Paryushan, a Jain holy festival.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Marathi outfit protests at kabutarkhana; mulling controlled feeding, BMC tells Bombay HC
Members of a pro-Marathi outfit were detained by the police on Wednesday for staging a protest at the kabutarkhana in Mumbai's Dadar in support of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) ban on feeding pigeons. Marathi Ekikaran Samiti chief Govardhan Deshmukh, who was also detained, asked why no case had been filed against members of the Jain community who allegedly removed the tarpaulin sheets covering the pigeon feeding spot on August 6. Members of the Marathi outfit were released later. Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay on Monday had warned of launching an indefinite hunger strike from Wednesday against the civic body's move to close down kabutarkhanas in the city and stated that 'if necessary, we will also take up arms for religion'. Pramod Sudhakar Parte, vice-president of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, said they were angered by the remarks of the monk. 'Believe in ahimsa' Later, the Jain monk clarified that he meant taking the path of satyagraha. 'When I said shastra (arms), I meant taking the path of satyagraha (search for truth) like Mahatma Gandhi and sitting on hunger strike. We believe in ahimsa (non-violence). This is not a conflict between Marathi and Marwari,' he said, adding that he is willing to meet Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray to avoid escalation of the row. Later in the day, the BMC informed the Bombay High Court that it intends to allow controlled feeding of pigeons at the kabutarkhana in Dadar daily for two hours from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. under certain conditions. The court, however, directed the civic body to issue a public notice inviting objections before taking a final decision. Advocate General Birendra Saraf, for the State government, submitted a list of 11 names to be part of a committee that would carry out a scientific study on the issue of feeding pigeons at public places and its impact on human health. The High Court said the government shall notify the committee by August 20. The court was hearing a bunch of petitions filed by people who regularly feed pigeons at kabutarkhanas. 'Find middle ground' Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis advocated for finding the 'middle ground' to resolve the ongoing controversy, saying both public health and religious sentiments must be respected. He proposed creating designated feeding areas away from human settlements and noted that 'controlled feeding could be one solution'.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
Members of Marathi outfit, locals gather at Dadar Kabutarkhana to support closure of pigeon feeding spots
A week after scores of people clashed with the police to tear down tarpaulin sheets at the Dadar Kabutarkhana, the 92-year-old feeding site once again became the epicentre of protests on Wednesday as members of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti and locals gathered at the site to support the closure of Kabutarkhanas. According to the Mumbai Police, around 15 people who had gathered at the site were detained and later allowed to go. No FIR was registered in the incident, said officials. On Wednesday morning, over 150 people gathered near the Dadar Kabutarkhana supporting the closure of the pigeon feeding sites, over health concerns. Anticipating huge crowds, the Mumbai Police deployed heavy force while some shopkeepers kept shops shut. As the police started detaining protestors, the people congregated there expressed anger over the police action and demanded why no FIRs were filed against members of the Jain community, who had dismantled the covers erected over the closed feeding spot. The crowd also voiced their opposition to the Jain community's support for pigeon feeding and expressed their anger over the remarks made by Jain monk Nilesh Chandra Vijay, who threatened a hunger strike and said that they would take up 'arms' to protect their religion earlier this month. 'In a city like Dadar, members of the Jain community came together to support feeding pigeons, which is in contempt of the high court orders. Last week, women and men of the community brought weapons to forcefully open the covering at the site. This may not be a Jain-Marathi issue but why are members of the Jain community suddenly making this a question over their religion?,' Pramod Sudhakar Parte, president of Marathi Ekikaran Samiti told The Indian Express. Parte further alleged, 'When the community members staged their protest and opened the coverings, the police did not take any action. Yet, today, when we just came together to support this cause, why has the police detained us?' Chetan Kamble, a local resident who joined the protest on Wednesday, said, 'It is outrageous that those who are demanding that law be upheld and supporting the court's orders are the ones who are being detained while no action has been taken against those who tore down the BMC-installed tarpaulin and fed pigeons. Why is there one rule for one particular community and another for the rest of us?' However, in the aftermath of the protest launched on Wednesday, Jain monk Nilesh Chandra Vijay told reporters that the tools were not taken out against any Marathi persons but to cut through the covering at the Dadar feeding spot, which had not been taken down by the civic body despite the government's decision to permit controlled feeding. 'We had brought sharp tools (aari) to cut through the bamboo and ropes, which were so strong that we were unable to dismantle them with bare hands. We did not use any weapons. We only wanted to feed the pigeons and therefore, we used these tools to cut the covering,' said the Jain monk. The protest comes a week after a crowd gathered at the contested site on August 7 to tear down the tarpaulin sheets and forcefully feed pigeons. Despite the angst against the civic decision to close kabutarkhanas across the city, the civic crackdown has continued unabated with the BMC on Monday reinstalling the tarpaulin cover and shielding the site with barricades.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Only Raj Thackeray can resolve pigeon feeding issue: Jain monk after Marathi outfit stages protest
Mumbai, As protests favouring and opposing feeding of pigeons in Dadar area of Mumbai threatened to escalate into a confrontation between two communities, a Jain monk on Wednesday sought the intervention of MNS chief Raj Thackeray to defuse the situation. Only Raj Thackeray can resolve pigeon feeding issue: Jain monk after Marathi outfit stages protest "The ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray are reflected in Raj Thackeray. I want to meet him. He can only end this dispute. I request you to resolve the issue," the monk, Nileshchandra Vijay said, dubbing the MNS president "Marathi hridaysamrat". He expressed his desire to meet Raj Thackeray. Earlier in the day, Marathi Ekikaran Samiti activists demonstrated at the kabutarkhana in support of the ban on feeding pigeons. They alleged that police had not taken any action against protesters who tore up tarpaulin sheets covering the pigeon feeding area last week. The monk clarified that the protest by the Jain community last week was not against any section of society. However, this issue is being projected as a clash between locals and "outsiders". "The demonstrations were held to save the lives of pigeons," he stressed, claiming that more than 20,000 pigeons starved to death in the last 20-25 days amid the feeding ban. If Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Marathi manoos is insulted, the culprits can be given a prasad , Vijay said. The monk had caused a flutter by saying that the Jain community would take up arms for religion if the restrictions on feeding birds at the Kabatarkhana were not lifted. Activists of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, led by its president Govardhan Deshmukh, staged demonstrations at the kaburtarkhana around 11 AM. Police detained Deshmukh and several other demonstrators, officials said. On August 6, a large number of protesters removed the tarpaulin cover, put up by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation at the Dadar kabutarkhana to discourage the practice of feeding grains to pigeons, and also clashed with police. Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha later claimed Jain community members had no role in the protest at the popular pigeon feeding spot. The BMC on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that it intends to allow controlled feeding of pigeons for two hours each morning at the Dadar Kabutarkhana, subject to conditions. A bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Arif Doctor, however, stated that before granting any such permission, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation should issue a public notice inviting objections. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Countries Looking For...': India's BIG BRICS Currency Move Amid Trump's Tariff Threats
Maharashtra Minister Defies Own Govt To Join MNS Rally, Gets Heckled By Protesters | Marathi Row Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has openly criticized his own government over the denial of permission for a Marathi rally in Mira Road. Sarnaik joined the MNS-led protest and challenged the police to arrest him. The Marathi Ekikaran Samiti and other groups had applied for the rally but were refused permission due to public safety and traffic concerns. This followed a viral video showing MNS workers slapping a food stall owner over a language dispute. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the MNS for defying police orders, urging all groups to follow democratic procedures. On July 8, MNS supporters resisted police, leading to several detentions, including party leader Avinash Jadhav.#pratapsarnaik #miraroad #mnsprotest #maharashtrapolitics #languagedispute #avinashjadhav #devendrafadnavis #marathipride #policedetention #toi #toibharat 8.5K views | 20 hours ago
