‘New Delhi: In May 2026, communal tensions arose at Poonam Cluster 1, a large residential complex in Mira Road under the jurisdiction of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) in Mumbai, over the temporary keeping of goats on the premises ahead of Eid al-Adha.
Videos of a policeman running with a pig in his arms while a crowd ran behind him, trying to take back the animal, were seen.
What began as a dispute concerning a temporary goat enclosure escalated between approximately May 22 and 26, involving objections from residents, municipal and police intervention, mobilisation of persons from outside the society, violence, involvement of religious and political organisations, and extensive circulation of competing narratives through social and conventional media.
During a fact-finding exercise undertaken by the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) between May 30 and July 12, 2026, it was gleaned that the episode significantly damaged relations within a residential community that residents from different faiths had described as historically cosmopolitan.
‘History of collective religious celebrations’
CSSS’s fact-finding team included Irfan Engineer, director of CSSS, Sameer Wagle, member of the civil society initiative Mumbai for Peace, Rukmini Iyer, peace-builder, and Sudhakar Suradkar, retired IPS officer.
The process included visits to Poonam Cluster, interviews with residents, managing committee representatives, political and community representatives and a person who reported being assaulted, an interview with Nagnath Kamble, associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, engagement with senior municipal and police authorities, and observation of police-convened meetings with Muslim residents on July 5 and Hindu residents on July 12.
Historically, Poonam Cluster has a history of collective religious celebrations including Holi, Ganapati, Eid and Muharram. Muslim residents stated that goats had been temporarily kept within the society before Bakri Eid for approximately eight to ten years. They consistently maintained that qurbani, or ritual slaughter, had never taken place within the residential complex and was not intended there in 2026.
There had nevertheless been objections to the goat enclosure for several years. Hemendra Joshi, a Hindu resident who identified himself as a complainant, stated that he had raised objections from 2019 onwards, principally concerning smell and the use of common space. The 2026 conflict therefore involved a longstanding practice that was also subject to longstanding objections.
A police intimation or application was reportedly made around May 13-15, and police confirmed that permission had been given on time. Preparation of the temporary enclosure reportedly began around May 16. Residents stated that an application submitted to MBMC was acknowledged but neither approved nor rejected.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.