With little over two weeks left for the grand inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on September 30, the political storm over its naming has reached a crescendo. The consensus with regards to the airport being named after local leader DB Patil seems to have been lost and naming it after Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray leading to an impasse. Breaking his silence on the issue, former MP and NCP leader Anand Paranjape has urged both the political parties and citizens to find middle ground.
Speaking to Sunday mid-day, Paranjape acknowledged the contributions of both the leaders. “It is true that the NMIA is getting inaugurated on September 30. DB Patil was famous among the locals where the airport is coming up and he also fought for the rights of farmers and villagers. While politicians and villagers from Navi Mumbai are demanding that it be named DB Patil, Eknath Shinde during his tenure as chief minister had demanded that NMIA should be named after Balasaheb Thackeray and held a protest for the same.” Paranjape believes that this baton in particular, needs to be handed over to the local residents, “Both the leaders have their own importance and now what is the politicians’ and common man’s consensus should decide the final name,” he added.
In June this year, villagers and PAPs (Project Affected Persons) from Ulwe, Panvel, and Raigad took to the streets demanding Patil’s name, arguing that their land and livelihood were sacrificed for the mega project. Sena supporters countered, insisting that Thackeray’s legacy deserved to be immortalised. With the inauguration date closing in, Paranjape’s call for a consensus has opened the door for possible compromise.
