Mumbai: In a defiant show of protest, hundreds of members of the Jain community gathered at the Dadar Kabutarkhana in Mumbai on Wednesday morning, forcibly reopening the pigeon-feeding area that had been closed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following court directives.
The protest comes in the wake of a June 30 Bombay High Court order, which instructed the BMC to lodge First Information Reports (FIRs) against individuals feeding pigeons at Dadar West and other locations in contravention of civic policies. The court noted that such feeding was being done “illegally” and in a “defiant” manner despite existing prohibitions.
On Sunday, August 3, the BMC sealed the Dadar Kabutarkhana by erecting bamboo structures and covering the area with tarpaulin sheets. The move followed directions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had instructed that pigeon feeding be permitted only in a “controlled manner”.
However, on the morning of August 6, protesters, predominantly women, gathered at the site, tore down the temporary coverings, and entered the enclosure to offer grains to the pigeons. The protest led to temporary chaos as the Mumbai Police attempted to contain the crowd, but no violence was reported.
Sandeep Doshi, representing the Dadar Kabutarkhana Trust, said the act was spontaneous and peaceful. “Some other members from other communities also gathered and the extreme action was taken by them. While some things happened in the heat of the moment, we did not break anything, did not fight with the police nor the administration,” he said.
As of Wednesday evening, the Mumbai Police confirmed that no FIRs had been registered in connection with the incident.
