New Delhi | A row has erupted over former Union minister Maneka Gandhi's appeal to the Jain community to stop using 'picchis' (sacred broom) made of peacock feathers, claiming that their demand fuels illegal wildlife trade.
Reacting strongly, members of the Jain community called her allegations "completely wrong" and said that they have filed police complaints against her in many parts of the country, noting that killing peacocks or any other living being would be fundamentally contrary to the core principles of Jainism, which is rooted in non-violence (Ahimsa).
However, several animal activists backed Gandhi, stressing that her concerns are valid in view of the widespread "organised illegal trade in peacock feathers".
A picchi is a sacred handheld broom made of peacock feathers and used by Jain monks, particularly those of the Digambara sect, to gently move insects and avoid harming them.
The illegal peacock feather trade
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Gandhi, a renowned champion of animal rights, urged the Jain community last week to stop using peacock-feather picchis, alleging that the commercial trade in peacock feathers had resulted in the killing of lakhs of peacocks.
"I am not saying that the Jain community killed the peacocks. But they opened the door. And once the door opens... 15-25 lakh peacocks have died," Gandhi had said.
Gandhi appealed to Jain monks to replace peacock-feather picchis with rope or other non-animal alternatives, saying, "The Shwetambar Jains also keep a picchis, but theirs is made of rope. There is less violence in that because it is not made from animals."
"This feather does not drop on its own... In a month, one feather falls," she claimed.
Backlash from Jain community
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Members of the Jain community claimed that she made public remarks on Jain religious practices without adequate knowledge of the faith.
Responding to the allegations, Sanjay Jain, National President of the Vishwa Jain Sangathan, told PTI on Sunday that it was "completely wrong" to single out the Jain community when peacock feathers are also used in various traditional folk dances and cultural practices across different states.
Jain said the organisation has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue and that members of the Jain community have also lodged police complaints against Gandhi in different parts of the country.
"The organisation has sent letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and several FIRs and police complaints have been registered," he added.
"To say that peacocks are being killed because of the Jain community is completely wrong. Jain monks use peacock-feather picchis, but peacock feathers are also used in traditional dances and other cultural practices in different parts of the country. Associating their use only with the Jain community is a mistake," Jain told PTI.
He maintained that a community founded on the principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) could not support the killing of peacocks for religious use.
Gandhi has alleged that allowing the sale of peacock feathers resulted in "a very heavy industry".
"The market for feathers opened up. Then a very large industry began. Because the feather is so beautiful, smugglers came, designers came, industrialists came, and people started selling feathers instead of flowers," she said.
"There are so many shops in Janpath selling feathers... These feathers come only after killing a peacock," Gandhi claimed.
Members of the Digambar Jain community, led by the Digambar Jain Samaj Seva Trust in Sagar taluk, held a protest in Shivamogga, Karnataka, on Friday.
Activists back Gandhi's remarks
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Animal rights group PETA India said the only way to ensure peacocks do not suffer was to leave feathers on the birds themselves.
"Peacocks are suffering due to the demand for their feathers, and as long as the demand remains, there will be traders willing to pluck and kill birds. The safest and kindest choice is to avoid using peacock feathers altogether and instead use humane, non-animal alternatives," PETA India told PTI.
The organisation rejected claims that commercial demand could be met through naturally shed feathers.
"Any demand for peacock feathers encourages illegal wildlife traders to meet the demand. It is impossible to meet the demand with feathers that are naturally shed," it said.
On Gandhi's claim that lakhs of peacocks had been killed, PETA India said, "Yes. While the trade is illegal and therefore official counts are hard to come by, an assessment can be made by the sheer number of peacock feather products on the market."
Calling for stronger action, the organisation said, "Permitting any peacock feather sales leaves the door wide open for illegal wildlife traders to pluck and torment birds to meet the demand."
Asher Jesudoss, a member of the Delhi Animal Welfare Board's Executive Committee, told PTI that Gandhi's remarks highlighted an issue that animal welfare groups had been raising for years.
"We've always known that this is a common practice, and we've consistently urged people to stop using peacock feathers," he said.
Jesudoss asserted that the demand for peacock feathers contributed to illegal trade.
"Based on the cases we've encountered, there appears to be an organised illegal trade in peacock feathers. The trade and widespread availability of feathers cannot be explained simply by people collecting naturally shed feathers from forests," he told PTI.
Describing how peacocks are allegedly trapped, he said crude spring traps made with scooter clutch wires were laid to catch the birds.
"The moment an animal steps into that snare, the spring gets triggered, and the wire wraps around and digs into its leg. We've had several campus dogs caught in these traps in JNU as well. They were meant for peacocks, but whichever animal gets caught suffers and takes several weeks after rescue to recover," he said.
Noting that India's wildlife laws were adequate, he stated that enforcement remained the weak link.
"The laws are enough, but enforcement needs to happen. Any law is only as good as its enforcement. Forest officials often face manpower constraints, and organised wildlife trafficking networks have significant financial resources. These factors make effective enforcement difficult," he said.
Jesudoss also said religious traditions should evolve when they contribute to animal suffering.
"Every religion needs to look at its own practices and ask whether they are necessary today and whether they are causing cruelty. Jainism especially promotes non-violence, so it has to be open to understanding what is happening," he said.
Rashim Sharma, co-founder of the Humans Caring for Environment and Animals Foundation (HCEA), said the Jain community has long been regarded as a symbol of compassion and non-violence and that any object meant to protect life should not come at the cost of another animal.
"If cruelty exists in the supply chain, humane alternatives should be embraced. The Jain community has always been at the forefront of saving animal lives... making this change to save the national bird's life would be a very small ask from them," she added.
She also expressed confidence that the "very evolved" Jain community would be receptive to change.
