Months after a Jain monk’s threat of “taking up arms” over a pigeon-feeding ban in Mumbai, the community has announced the launch of a political party, the Shanti Doot Jankalyan Party, with a pigeon as its symbol. The move, ahead of the long-delayed BMC polls, could shake up Mumbai’s political landscape and split votes in key wards.
Three months ago, Jain monk Muni Nileshchandra Vijay had threatened to “take up arms” over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) decision to shut down the iconic Kabootarkhana (pigeon shelter) in Dadar suburb, among other pigeon-feeding sites in Mumbai. The monk later clarified he meant it “in a peaceful way”. Cut to October, the community has announced its own political party—the Shanti Doot Jankalyan Party—with a pigeon as its symbol, reported Hindustan Times and the Mumbai-based Mid-Day.
The move comes ahead of the long-delayed BMC elections, hotting up Mumbai’s political circles.
The BMC, India’s richest civic body, hasn’t held elections since 2017. With the Jain community forming a significant and influential demographic in Mumbai, the new party could shift electoral equations or at least split votes in key wards. Currently, the civic body is not under the control of any elected political party and is being administered by a state-appointed administrator.
Jains, just 0.4% of India’s population, are known for their commitment to ahimsa (non-violence) and compassion for all living beings. The community took to the streets when the BMC announced a ban on pigeon-feeding in July.
The Kabootarkhana, a landmark in Dadar where thousands of pigeons were fed daily, primarily by Jains, was covered with grey tarpaulin to prevent birds from roosting. Following the ban, community members have continued to feed pigeons near the spot.
Pigeons, being the rugged birds they are, also relocated to nearby rooftops. Their droppings, known to spread skin diseases, began covering homes, cars, and public spaces.
Soon, the Jains began feeding pigeons on the roads around Kabootarkhana. The issue quickly escalated into a political flashpoint. Mumbai, home to both Shwetambar and Digambar Jains, saw unity between the sects over the pigeons.
PIGEON POLITICS IN INDIA’S FINANCIAL CAPITAL
The Shanti Doot Jankalyan Party is not only the first Jain political party in India, but possibly the first launched over an “animal rights issue”—if feeding pigeons qualifies as one. The party’s emergence just ahead of the BMC polls might change equations, given the large Jain population from south Mumbai to the northern suburbs. Ghatkopar, Kandivali, Borivali and Mulund are some of the Mumbai neighbourhoods that have a considerable population of Jains.
On October 11, the Jain community held a prayer meeting at Yogi Sabhagruh in Dadar for pigeons that died since the shutdown. They demanded the reopening of all pigeon-feeding sites and highlighted how displaced pigeons were now causing accidents by straying onto roads. They urged the administration to create safe, natural habitats for the birds.
At the same prayer meeting, the community members announced that they would be launching the Shanti Doot Jankalyan Party.
Back in July, there was a pushback from a Marathi activist group called Amhi Girgaumkar on the issue. The group launched a counter-campaign with provocative posters reading: “Pigeons Go Back to Marwar, Rajasthan”—a pointed jibe at many Jains in Mumbai who trace their origins to the Marwar region.
They accused the Jain community of disrupting public health and vowed to oppose any pigeon shelters—even threatening to set up chicken and mutton stalls next to them, including near BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha’s residence, who had earlier proposed pigeon houses in every ward. Lodha belongs to the Jain community.
PIGEONS AND MUMBAI’S LONG RELATIONSHIP
Rock pigeon species of the bird are very common in Mumbai. They are everywhere—from middle-class balconies to luxury towers, often kept at bay with nets. While they are known to spread diseases, they are also a familiar sight at tourist spots like Gateway of India, Marine Drive, and Bandstand, where they can be seen getting clicked on by tourists and those getting photoshoots done.
That a bird capable of digesting cigarette butts, stones, and oily junk food could become the centre of a political storm might seem absurd, but in Mumbai, it’s now a reality.
