The Culture War Over Pigeon Feeding in Mumbai

0:00Today on State of the World, the culture war over pigeon feeding in Mumbai.

0:08You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories, up close where they're happening. I'm Greg Dixon. This year, authorities in Mumbai, India banned feeding pigeons in public spaces over health concerns. Now that might seem like a minor civic act, but the backlash has been huge. NPR's Omkar Kandikar in Mumbai explains the controversy that touches not just on public health, but also caste dynamics and religious duty. For nearly 40 years, Mumbai residents Prem Lata Soni and her husband start their day feeding pigeons who gather by a heavily polluted bright green pond near their home.

0:52Sometimes it's a few fistfuls of corn and millet grain. Sometimes it's an entire bag. Soni says even through pandemic lockdowns, they would sneak out to feed the birds. She sees it as her religious duty. She says God wants her to do it. God may want it, but Mumbai's authorities do not. For years, they have tried to battle what they see as the scourge of pigeons, a bird that has done very well in a city of skyscrapers by nesting in apartment ducts and near air conditioning units. So in July, the city banned pigeon feeding in public spaces. Authorities covered feeding spots with blue tarpaulin sheets.

1:37Then they put up posters warning of respiratory illnesses from pigeon feathers and poop. That did not stop Soni. She says the birds will have nowhere to go if no one feeds them. Vikram Khan guards the pond. He says he sees dozens like her defy the ban every day. But he doesn't interfere. Because the last time he did, he got punched in the face. Feelings run high about pigeons in multi-faith Mumbai. In part because for some communities, feeding them is a religious duty. Especially for the Jain community, which aborts harming any living creature. Local politician Purand Doshi is one of them. I'm a Jain and let me give you a little bit of background.

2:26Doshi says, according to Jain's scriptures, one of their gods gave his life to protect a pigeon from a falcon. Jains started feeding pigeons to honour that sacrifice. And decades ago, Mumbai's authorities helped out too by marking out pigeon feeding spaces, called kabutar khanas. After the ban was announced in July, hundreds of Jains protested outside one popular Kabutarkhana and tore up the barriers. That ticked off another group of Mumbai residents, the majority Maharashtrians, some of whom have long resented the power and influence that Jains have enjoyed in the city. Jains are perceived as dominant in the diamond trade and the financial district.

3:06One Maharashtrian group accused them of trying to impose their cultural values. Days later, they staged their own protest against pigeons and jets. The pigeon culture war despairs ornithologist Mohamed Dilawar. He says the real problem is there are just too many pigeons. And that's because people are feeding them. This is called as a human-induced population. It's not a natural population. And this human-induced population, he says, is also a public health concern. Vaishali Chodnikar's husband died a few years ago after he was diagnosed with irreversible lung damage. She says the doctor said it was likely because of the pigeons nesting in their terrorist apartment.

3:49So he said pigeons have some problems in their droppings, like they have some microorganisms which cause irreversible lung damage. Today, Vaishali runs a foundation to help others with lung diseases. She says of the 250 people they had helped get a lung transplant so far, more than three-fourths had unhealthy exposure to pigeon faeces. In India, any issue comes up, politicians and religion has to happen. But the main concern and focus should be on the health of the people. But the tensions over pigeons are not always about just religion or health. Pinku Kumar Goswami came from a small village to find his fortunes in Mumbai.

4:31He now spends his nights collecting plastic and glass bottles to sell to recyclers. It's a lonely job, but he has found some who keep him company. Dogs, cats and pigeons.

4:46He says if you feed them, pigeons recognize you. They will even come and sit on your shoulder. In a big city, he says, it's a way to feel at home. Omkar Khandekar, NPR News, Mumbai.

5:04That's The State of the World from NPR. Thanks for listening.