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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city...

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city will get a ‘Hindu Marathi’ person to head India’s richest civic body, while the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena also harbour fond hopes of a miracle that could ensure their own person for the post. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) optimism stems from expectations of possible political permutations-combinations that could develop with a realignment of forces as the Supreme Court is hearing the cases involving the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party this week. Catapulted as the largest single party, the BJP hopes to install a first ever party-man as Mayor, but that may not create history. Way back in 1982-1983, a BJP leader Dr. Prabhakar Pai had served in the top post in Mumbai (then Bombay). Incidentally, Dr. Pai hailed from Udupi district of Karnataka, and his appointment came barely a couple of years after the BJP was formed (1980), capping a distinguished career as a city father, said experts. Originally a Congressman, Dr. Pai later shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party, then back to Congress briefly, founded the Janata Seva Sangh before immersing himself in social activities. Second Administrator The 2026 Mayoral elections have evoked huge interest not only among Mumbaikars but across the country as it comes after nearly four years since the BMC was governed by an Administrator. This was only the second time in the BMC history that an Administrator was named after April 1984-May 1985. On both occasions, there were election-related issues, the first time the elections got delayed for certain reasons and the second time the polling was put off owing to Ward delimitations and OBC quotas as the matter was pending in the courts. From 1931 till 2022, Mumbai has been lorded over by 76 Mayors, men and women, hailing from various regions, backgrounds, castes and communities. They included Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, even a Jew, etc., truly reflecting the cosmopolitan personality of the coastal city and India’s financial powerhouse. In 1931-1932, the Mayor was a Parsi, J. B. Boman Behram, and others from his community followed like Khurshed Framji Nariman (after whom Nariman Point is named), E. A. Bandukwala, Minoo Masani, B. N. Karanjia and other bigwigs. There were Muslims like Hoosenally Rahimtoola, Sultan M. Chinoy, the legendary Yusuf Meherally, Dr. A. U. Memon and others. The Christian community got a fair share of Mayors with Joseph A. D’Souza – who was Member of Constituent Assembly representing Bombay Province for writing-approving the Constitution of India, M. U. Mascarenhas, P. A. Dias, Simon C. Fernandes, J. Leon D’Souza, et al. A Jew Elijah Moses (1937-1938) and a Sikh M. H. Bedi (1983-1984), served as Mayors, but post-1985, for the past 40 years, nobody from any minority community occupied the august post. During the silver jubilee year of the post, Sulochana M. Modi became the first woman Mayor of Mumbai (1956), and later with tweaks in the rules, many women ruled in this post – Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar (1994-1995), Vishakha Raut (997-1998), Dr. Shubha Raul (March 2007-Nov. 2009), Shraddha Jadhav (Dec. 2009-March 2012), Snehal Ambedkar (Sep. 2014-March 2017). The last incumbent (before the Administrator) was a government nurse, Kishori Pednekar (Nov. 2019-March 2022) - who earned the sobriquet of ‘Florence Nightingale’ of Mumbai - as she flitted around in her full white uniform at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, earning the admiration of the citizens. Mumbai Mayor – high-profile post The Mumbai Mayor’s post is considered a crucial step in the political ladder and many went on to become MLAs, MPs, state-central ministers, a Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Ministers and union ministers. The formidable S. K. Patil was Mayor (1949-1952) and later served in the union cabinets of PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Lah Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi; Dahyabhai V. Patel (1954-1955) was the son of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; Manohar Joshi (1976-1977) became the CM of Maharashtra, later union minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha; Chhagan Bhujbal (1985-1986 – 1990-1991) became a Deputy CM.

Mumbai shoos: ‘Kabootar, Ja Ja, Ja’

Mumbai: After centuries of uneventful feeding of pigeons, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has cracked down on the practice, angering bird-lovers, activists and followers of Jain religion, co-existing in the country’s commercial capital.

 

Following an order of the Bombay High Court, the BMC first covered the famed Kabutarkhana, Dadar, with plastic sheets, deployed marshals to deter habitual feeders and trained guns on other designated or unofficial pigeon feeding spots across the metropolis.

 

Among other things, the high court has banned the ‘jivdaya’ activity and on July 31 directed the civic body to take stringent action, including lodging FIRs on those who blatantly continue the feeding despite the bar.

 

Apparently irked by the civic assault, Maharashtra Minister for Skill Development shot off an open missive to the BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, urging him for alternatives.

 

Earlier, Higher & Technical Education Minister Uday Samant informed the state legislature of the government’s plans to shut down all the 51 designated ‘Kabutarkhanas’ in Mumbai, some also having heritage value.

 

Though feeding birds, especially pigeons is an accepted norm among most communities, it has special significance for Jains as ‘jivdaya’ (non-violence as compassion for all the living) is a central tenet of Bhagwan Mahavir Jain’s principles of life.

 

Existing for centuries in Mumbai, since the past few decades, eyebrows have been raised over pigeon-feeding as it has led to unchecked growth in the population of these ‘symbols of peace’, estimated at between 150-200 pc.

 

Recent studies have indicated that pigeons are carriers of various airborne diseases that can harm local biodiversity and pose public health risks.

 

Pigeon droppings have bacteria causing respiratory problems, drivers, especially two-wheelers in the vicinity of the ‘kabutariyas’ face dangers and large numbers of these birds concentrated in some localities drive away other avians, besides the poo staining or damaging important buildings or monuments.

 

‘Recycling’ pigeons for a living!

Pigeon feeding is a familiar sight near the 51-odd Jain temples or certain other places of worship in Mumbai, where it is now banned, and other major cities now mull the same.

 

In Mumbai and other cities, there are professional ‘pigeon sellers’ who bring these birds and hawk them at strategic locations near Jain temples, minting money from the single stock. 

 

Many Jains - as a religious responsibility - whip out wads of currency to buy the birds, and then ask the seller to ‘release’ them from captivity as the client experiences a spiritual halo for his compassionate good deed, and leaves.

 

However, barely minutes later, the entire flock of pigeons returns to the same seller who again ‘jails’ them in the cages, awaiting the next devout Jain to pay up and give them wings of freedom…!


Bollywood fans recall the famed scene in the blockbuster "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" (1995) of the villainous Amrish Puri feeding pigeons by cajoling, 'auh, auh, auh'...

 

Later, even the besotted Shah Rukh Khan joins him, with a romantically sinister motive - melt Puri's heart to win his sweetheart Kajol...and succeeds !


Two decades ago, even Trafalgar Square in London barred it, but pigeon feeding reportedly continues near St. Peter’s Square flanking Apolistic Palace - the Pope’s residence in The Vatican (Rome, Italy), with even some Popes known to extend their generous hands to feed and bless the birds.

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