Week 1537 - How did the Pious Act of Pigeon Feeding Suddenly Become a Potentially Cognizable Offense?

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Counting Down to 90 - Week 1579

Why 1579

Bhavin's WritingsBhavin Jankharia

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Last week, the papers published a photograph of Jains, many of them women, climbing on tarpaulin sheets covering the Dadar kabutarkhana, tearing them off and trying to feed pigeons, in an act of defiance against the BMC and the High Court, as this Indian Express report explains.

The Jeev-Daya tenet of the religion has led to a focus on feeding pigeons in many parts of the country, especially where there are significant Jain populations…why pigeons over other birds (my Mom feeds crows whenever they show up on the window sill of the kitchen), I don’t know. I am a born Jain but no one in my smaller sub-community goes out of their way to feed pigeons, though it is fascinating sometimes to watch the feeding act, as we did in Fort Kochi earlier this year, or during walks or runs.

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Bhavin's WritingsBhavin Jankharia

I shot this picture of a man wearing a helmet for protection while feeding pigeons at the Chowpatty beach in 2017 while on a Sunday run.

In 1991, when we first started looking at interstitial lung diseases on high resolution CT scans and identifying patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), we were aware even then that pigeon droppings and feathers are a major cause of HP in our country. HP does not exclusively occur because of this and has many other causes, including using hot tubs for long periods of time or too many times. Over the years we have seen an increase in the incidence and prevalence of HP…Bhuleshwar and Ghatkopar are some of the HP hotbeds with their concentration of Jains, Jain temples and pigeon feeding places. 

Pigeon droppings and feathers contain antigens, which affect some susceptible people and cause inflammation in the lungs. This may resolve with treatment, if diagnosed in time, but if it doesn’t, the disease can become chronic and then progress to frank fibrosis. If the fibrosis keeps progressing, then the only known treatment is lung transplantation.

This particular incident happened because the BMC decided to shut down kabutarkhanas across the city in an attempt to reduce the adverse health impact of pigeons. The matter went to court and as often happens in such situations where nuance is replaced by a sledgehammer approach, the esteemed judges directed the police to file FIRs against those caught feeding pigeons…HP is not like COVID-19 or Ebola where drastic action needs to be taken immediately to prevent spread of disease. Alcohol and cigarette smoking are bigger causes of disease, but we don’t see the judges shutting down cigarette and alcohol factories and/or the sale of cigarettes and alcohol. Air pollution is the biggest killer in India, and we’ve never heard of FIRs filed against truck drivers or owners whose trucks spew smoke into the air we breathe.

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AtmasvasthBhavin Jankharia

So suddenly, an act of piousness and charity becomes a potentially cognizable offense. Many Jains were appalled by these sudden actions and took to the streets and protested. 

If six people of the same household are equally exposed to pigeons, let’s say on the roof or along the ledges, typically 1 person may land up with HP. The occurrence of disease is likely a combination of genetic susceptibility and the extent of exposure. The disease behavior is also different in different members of the family who land up with HP.  

In Ghatkopar, over the years, speaking to the Jain Munis and devotees has led to change. Many munis and sadhvijis would dump their excreta on the pavements outside the derasars…this practice has mostly stopped after careful talk and explanation related to hygiene and the effect of such practices on the general population. Similarly, a little talk and discourse would go a long way in making people understand the harmful effects of pigeon feeding. 

We must remember that the biggest tenet of Jainisim is “anekantvada” or the 360 degrees approach to every argument where it is acknowledged that there are multiple sides to every story and no absolute truth. This helps us understand the many inconsistencies in this world…and this approach would also allow Jains to understand that perhaps a practice that has been in vogue for many years and centuries may not necessarily be acceptable with changing times. 

Many Jains are aware of the dangers of mass pigeon feeding and many, especially doctors have been at the forefront of dissuading people from continuing with this practice. With time and effort, this problem can be solved. But to suddenly one day decide to shut down kabutarkhanas, without speaking to all the stakeholders and then make the act a potentially cognizable offense, is simply ridiculous. 

Hopefully everyone will see some sense and people will get together and find common ground. There are less than 5 million (50 lakhs) of us in this world. How difficult can it be to sort this out?