Home / Health / Pigeon Politics: Expert Panel Delays Report
Pigeon Politics: Expert Panel Delays Report
2 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Expert committee seeks three-month extension for pigeon feeding report.
- Jain community's mercy feeding tradition clashes with health concerns.
- Pigeon becomes election symbol for a new political party in Mumbai.
An expert committee tasked with examining the ongoing dispute over pigeon feeding sites in Mumbai has formally requested an additional three months to finalize its report. The committee, appointed in August following a Bombay High Court order, was originally expected to conclude its findings sooner.
The controversy centers on the Jain community's tradition of mercy feeding, or 'jeev daya,' which has come into conflict with public health concerns raised by some groups. This tension previously led to a government order to close all 51 pigeon feeding sites, or 'kabootarkhanas,' in Mumbai.
Adding another layer to the issue, the pigeon has now become the election symbol for the newly formed Shanti Doot Jankalyan Party, underscoring the deeply intertwined nature of the debate with cultural and even political spheres.
