No grains: Jain monk to begin hunger strike over ban on feeding pigeons at Dadar Kabutarkhana; threatens to remove barricade

NEW DELHI: The controversy over the closure of pigeon-feeding enclosures in Mumbai is set to heat up again, with Jain monk Muni Nileshchandra Vijay announcing that he will begin a hunger strike from Monday to protest against the shutting down of the Kabutarkhana in Dadar.

The monk said he had received official permission to stage the fast at Azad Maidan and was determined to continue until the government reopens the Dadar Kabutarkhana . “I will protest for 'jeev daya' (compassion towards life). The Dadar Kabutarkhana will reopen, that is our demand,” he said, adding that he planned to remove the tarpaulin sheets covering the enclosure.

Vijay argued that compassion towards living beings is central to the Jain faith and questioned why the government was allowing new pigeon-feeding zones elsewhere while keeping the traditional Dadar spot closed.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), however, has said the decision to keep the Dadar Kabutarkhana shut was taken in line with health and hygiene concerns. Feeding will now be allowed only at four controlled locations including Worli Reservoir, Lokhandwala Back Road in Andheri West, the Airoli-Mulund check post area, and Gorai ground in Borivali West, between 7 am and 9 am, with NGOs tasked to manage them.

Officials added that the move is temporary until the expert committee submits its report and court orders are received. Jain community members, meanwhile, have accused the state government of failing to resolve the dispute despite repeated directions from the Bombay High Court.

Vijay said the government’s inaction was disappointing. “The court has instructed the government to find a way. Yet no solution has come. Jeev daya is not just a Jain issue; it is about compassion that every citizen should have,” he said.

The dispute so far

• In July, Maharashtra Legislative Council announced immediate closure of 51 kabutarkhanas citing respiratory health risks.
• The Bombay High Court declined to stay the BMC’s decision to curb pigeon feeding, citing public health concerns, and asked for an expert panel to study the issue.
• The BMC covered the Dadar Kabutarkhana with tarpaulin on August 6 to stop feeding. Protesting Jains tore it down, leading to police deployment and renewed tensions.
• Monk Nileshchandra Vijay had earlier threatened an indefinite hunger strike, saying the Jain community would defend its faith if necessary. He later clarified his remarks, saying he meant peaceful 'satyagraha', not violence.
• The closure triggered protests from both Jain and Marathi groups. While Jains demanded reopening, the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti opposed the move, accusing the monk of making provocative remarks.
• The BMC has been fining violators under Solid Waste Management rules and booked several individuals for feeding pigeons near Dadar Kabutarkhana despite the ban.
• Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the issue involves both faith and public health and assured that different solutions would be explored, such as feeding pigeons in less populated areas.