Row over pigeon feeding: Violent language by Jain priests condemnable, says Shiv Sena(UBT) in Saamana

Mumbai: Amid the ongoing controversy over the feeding of pigeons, especially after the aggressive stand taken by the Jain community, the Shiv Sena(UBT) on Monday said Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra and the Marathi people have the right to decide about the future of the city.

“Maharashtra state was created through the sacrifices and blood of the Marathi people, and Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra. Therefore, whether to keep pigeon houses in Mumbai or not, a decision should be taken after discussing with the Marathi people. The party questioned why the religious leaders of the Jain community, despite the orders passed by the courts and views expressed by experts that pigeon houses should be removed in Mumbai as they are dangerous to human health, are trying to rake up the issue again and again,” said Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

The Thackeray camp has claimed that a society that becomes violent in the name of religion for pigeons can only happen during the Modi era. “The Fadnavis government should issue an ordinance now and remove injustice against Jains. The government should announce that pigeon houses are being opened in the grounds of all Jain builder complexes and in the newly built Jain gymkhana at Marine Lines in South Mumbai. There is no problem in fulfilling this demand of the peace-loving Jain society. They do not want a reservation. They want space for pigeons, and it can be found in Jain societies,” it taunted.

Expressing strong displeasure over several controversial political statements made by Jain priests at the recent religious meet held in the name of peace for the souls of the dead pigeons, the Thackeray camp claimed that “such fanatical statements were previously made by leaders like the Imam of Jama Masjid, Shahabuddin and Owaisi. Innocent people were killed in Pahalgam and Pulwama, and vermilion was wiped off. Neither were religious councils held for their peace of mind, nor were Pakistani terrorists condemned. There are no pigeon houses in Pahalgam. If there were, prayer meetings would have been held for them,” taunted the editorial.

“If the Jain priests are making violent statements like all these, it is completely condemnable. The Jain community has become a supporter and saviour of the Bharatiya Janata Party in recent times. The industrialists and businessmen of this community provide huge financial support to the BJP. Why do we still not get justice? This is the anguish of the Jain priests. The Jain community is a peace-loving and the highest-paying community. The Jain priests say that no one is paying attention to our issue despite giving donations for the flood victims of Maharashtra. They claimed that many pigeons died due to the closure of pigeon houses and announced the formation of a political party called ‘Santidoot Jankalyan Party’ to get justice for pigeons to fight the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation elections,” said the Thackeray camp, expressing its anguish.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena slammed the statement by the Jain priests and Gen Z of the Jain community that “what happens if one or two people die for pigeons… They also warned that the price of removing pigeon houses will have to be paid”. The party asked why the guardians of the law of the state are silent even after Jain priests speak violent language about taking up arms to protect pigeons.

The editorial said the aggression of the Jain community, which was visible after the demolition of the unauthorised Jain temple in Vile Parle and the closure of the pigeon house in Dadar following the High Court order, did not fit the framework of peace and non-violence. It may be true that the Jain community pays the highest taxes, but they are also the ones who are earning the most ‘profit’ in a city like Mumbai.

“Denying a house to a Marathi person in the Jain society of Mumbai cannot be called non-violence; it is a kind of violence. If a gang of robbers enters the society of the Jain community and commits violence, with what non-violent weapon should these robbers be fought? Jain religious leaders should guide them in this. But now the Jains are more concerned about the dead souls of pigeons than themselves, but do only pigeons have the right to live in this nature? Jains should have the same feeling about the lives of other birds, animals, and humans,” remarked the editorial.

According to the editorial, “in the name of construction of the Metro line, over 2,000 trees were cut down in one night by using axes and bulldozers in the Aarey forest, the ‘lungs’ of Mumbai. In this, the nests of many birds living on those trees fell. The birds died, their chicks died. The birds had to lose their permanent safe homes due to the wild attitude of the BJP. Pigeons were also among them. At that time, neither the Jain sages came forward, nor was a religious assembly organised to give peace to the souls of the dead birds in the forest”.

“Nearly 400 acres of forest are also being destroyed in Hyderabad. Large-scale deforestation has started to get mineral reserves in the forests of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. In this, countless birds, animals and tribals are losing their lives. What to do with all those dead souls?” asked the editorial.

The Thackeray camp further stated that mining companies in areas like Chandrapur and Gadchiroli cut down forests or set them on fire with the government’s blessing. Due to this, the habitat of birds is destroyed. Nests are destroyed. Their place to live, survive and get food disappears. The Jain religious council will have to think about this from a humanitarian point of view, it added.

–IANS