Kabutarkhana –A BIG NO NO in the middle of the city!
Really, I thought Jainism is a peace loving community but the way this community has shown solidarity and the way they came on the streets taking on the administration head-on, first at Vile Parle, to protest against the demolition for the Jain Mandir in April 2025 and now for the uncovering of KabutarKhana at Dadar, jokingly I was telling a friend, very soon Marathi people will have to take protection from these Jain people in the future if “Hindu Khatre Mein” row erupts! For me, who has studied in the prestigious NM college of Mumbai and has 100s of friends of this community for me, a Gujarati, a Jain or a Kutchi is the same in my head…These guys are extremely hard-working, are God fearing and God loving too..very religious…and they are very strict when it comes to their religion…Even though they are a minority, Jain is one of the most powerful communities of our country. In numbers they might be lesser than others, but whatever the numbers are, most of them run successful businesses all across the country and are well off. When their religious sentiments were hurt, they showed what they are made of…Even if they are God fearing, they aren’t ‘fattus’, a picture that is painted about them, typically… They came out in numbers, and the unity they showed really reminded me of the same as Muslims who too are known for their unity. I think in Maharashtra, it is only the MARATHI’s who are still stuck in being Brahmin, Maratha, OBC and so on and so forth…
Anyways, the Jain community is a rich community where 90% of the people are well to do…Those who are not so well to do time and again these lower income generating groups are helped in terms of finance’s, medical and other facilities by their fellow community rich people. They have wonderful Trusts too which believe in only giving– like the Swaminarayan Trust or so many trusts registered at the Charity Commissioner’s office. My heart swells in pride when these people opened the first Mandir in the Muslim country. In any way Hinduism gets spread anywhere be it through Swaminarayan Trust or Hare Rama Hare Krishna, it is a matter of pride for any and every Hindu… Absolutely lovely…Here too in Maharashtra Politics, when the Marathi politicians cannot trust anyone they have had a Gujju/Jain friend who supports them…Hence we have seen rise of Ajay Ashar, Vijay Parekh, Jayesh Shah, Jayant Shah, Prashant Maheshwari or an Ujjwal Pagariya in all these years…And time and again people like DSK, Avinash Bhosale and Prashant Nilawar had to go through hell and fight to gain back the trust of these politicians…By the way, Avinash Bhosale is back–ED and all agencies have just freed him from everything…
But my dear Jain members, I was with you when the BMC tried to demolish the mandir at Vile Parle, as the Mandir never was in the way of anything and anyone, except for a restaurant owner who wanted the mandir to go so that he could expand his business— at least this was the rumour that time…But then, in the Kabutar Khana case, is where I am deadly against of staying it in the middle of the city. The reason is a couple of them..One, what is religious about it to feed the pigeons? Explain it to me. If it is religious, why is the Jain Mandir right across the road of this Dadar Kabutar Khana covered with bird-nets? First remove that…Secondly, the pigeon carries 1000’s of germs in his wings and when it flaps, it only spreads them…and worst is pigeon droppings…Now if you don’t know what does a pigeon dropping does, you can ask any pulmonologists you know the risk attached with it.The acid that comes out of this dropping is deadly for your lungs…
I am not against any religion or practising it. Why is it difficult for the Jain community to un-follow a tradition which is dangerous for humans ? By the way readers, 90% of the shops surrounding this Kabutar khana belong to the Jain, Gujarati and Kutchi communities…Be it Paneri, Roop Sangam and so on and so forth…
Now if in your Jain/Gujarati dominated areas, if even we Maharashtrains or any other castes are not allowed to even rent a flat because we eat EGGS or NON-VEG, which we respect and abide, why is it difficult for you to follow this simple law of not having Kabutar Khana around the city…Let it relocate to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park…
I am really surprised by the BMC here..How come these people dared to attack Jain temples and kabootar Khanas as the entire BMC is plagued and controlled by the Jain Gujratis and Marwaris? Paise wapas nahi diye to…?
I know 99% of the politicians living in our city and state of all the political parties, not many of you will voice against this– as it is their money which is invested with them and they are sure shot Hindu voters, mainly that of the BJP. If one community follows the law of the land, why is it difficult for the others? Kabutar Khana are dangerous for humans, period!
They should be relocated in non-habitual areas or let it happen on the terraces or the gardens of buildings of whoever wants to feed the pigeons…But not in public space!
Vikrant Meena Hemant Joshi.
