A row has erupted over statements by BJP leader and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi on existing exemptions under India’s wildlife protection laws, in particular the exemption given to Jain monks to allow them to use peacock feathers in their peshiya, a broom-like whisk they use to clean insects without harming them.
Gandhi’s statements angered Jain organizations, which wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an investigation against Gandhi.
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What Maneka Gandhi said
Gandhi on Thursday spoke to the media about the exemptions in India’s Wildlife Protection Act and how they act like loopholes that have led to illegal hunting of the country’s national bird – the peacock.
She confirmed that in 1972, the Wildlife Protection Act was passed and Jain monks of the Digambara sect were exempted from using peacock feathers in making it. pichhis. This exemption has since led to commercial hunting for peacock feathers and a huge industry has been built around it, harming the national bird, she said.
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She said that peacocks do not shed their feathers in sufficient quantities to match what is available in the market. This commercial industry has led to the illegal killing of birds as well, she alleged.
“The truth is that these feathers are now obtained almost exclusively by killing peacocks,” she said.
She added that in 2001, she had submitted evidence on this matter to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and suggested amendments to protect the birds.
“He agreed, and the amendment was drafted and moved to Parliament. However, the Jain community exerted tremendous pressure from high levels, insisting that this could not happen. I had to withdraw the draft amendment, and the matter was dropped,” she said.
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Gandhi explained that she did not intend to target a specific community, but stressed that such exemptions open the doors to the exploitation of animals.
Jain organizations protest Maneka Gandhi’s statements
The BJP leader’s remarks, which she made earlier as well, did not go down well with some members of the Jain community.
On Tuesday, the Jain organization – Vishva Jain Sangathan – submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Modi and demanded an investigation into Gandhi’s remarks, the Free Press Journal reported.
In a similar move, another Jain organization – Bharatiya Jain Milan – on Wednesday also submitted a memorandum addressed to Dehradun Chief Minister Smita Parmar Jaiswal protesting against Gandhi’s remarks.
A key member of the organization said that they are seeking to file a criminal case against Maneka Gandhi for allegedly inciting the religious sentiments of the Jain community.
(With inputs from Annie)
