25 June,2021 07:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Anurag Kamble
Most protesters had masks on their chins during Thursday’s protest. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
Nearly half a lakh people gathered at Belapur on Thursday demanding that the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport be named after local leader DiBa Patil, in brazen disregard for warnings from civic officials and requests from the police. While authorities fear the âshow of strength' could turn out to be a Covid-19 superspreader, the protesters said they were aware of the pandemic but couldn't sit at home when their pride was at stake.
The massing of people from Navi Mumbai, Thane, Uran, Palghar and Nashik was the fallout of a massive controversy that erupted after the state government proposed to name the airport after Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. Residents from Navi Mumbai, Raigad and Thane districts want the aviation facility to bear the name of local leader Dinkar Balu Patil aka DiBa Patil for his work for the sons of soil in the area.
A human chain protest had been held on June 10 and a call for "CIDCO Gherao" was given on Patil's death anniversary, June 24. The late Patil, who was elected as MP twice and was an MLA for five terms, was instrumental in fighting for respectable compensation for Navi Mumbai residents. During a protest led by him in 1984, five people were killed and hundreds, including Patil, were injured in police firing.
With the state government moving cautiously over public movement, particularly with the emergence of the Delta Plus variant, the local police and municipal authorities had asked the public not to assemble in large numbers as it could trigger the spread of Coronavirus. While thousands of notices were served on protesters to avoid Thursday's gathering, nearly 50,000 still showed up, a majority of them with masks covering only the chin.
"I am aware of the pandemic situation. For more than one and a half years, I have not ventured out except for essential work, but this protest is important to us," said Sunanda Patil, a Raigad resident who had come with her family. "The airport hasn't been completed but they have named it already without even considering our sentiments. This is unacceptable, so we had no choice but to take this risk," she added.
Young Saee rode a bicycle for 25 km from Thane to join the protest
Auto driver Sainath Morbekar, 23, had come to the CIDCO Bhavan, the protest venue, from Belpada in Kharghar. "Our entire village has skipped work to join the protest. DiBa gave us recognition and justice. How can I not come for this protest? I don't fear Covid-19, people have laid down their lives for this land without caring for bullets. We will not step back fearing a virus," he said.
Saee Patil, 10, probably the youngest of the protesters, rode a bicycle for 25 kilometres from Thane to Belapur. Her father Ashish Patil said, "When I was calling [others] and discussing the protest, Saee asked what's the reason for the protest. After I explained the matter to her, she wanted to participate in it too. I told there will be a crowd and fear of Covid-19, but she said she wanted to protest." Saee hogged all attention after her efforts were lauded on the stage.
A huge crowd surrounded the girl to take pictures with her.
After the protest, an all-party action committee handed over a resolution to CIDCO officials, urging them to propose DiBa's name for the airport soon. "We are holding any further protest till August 15. If no decisions are taken as per our demand, we will not allow any work related to the airport from August 16," said MLA Prashant Thakur, an advisor to the committee.
The Navi Mumbai police said they would register cases against those who gathered for the "CIDCO gherao" event despite permission being denied. "We are in process of registering an offence at NRI police station against the organisers and participants," said DCP (zone 2) Shivraj Patil.
To avoid any untoward incident and traffic congestion, the Navi Mumba traffic police roads leading to Belapur were blocked by Navi Mumbai Traffic Police. Despite diversions, congestions were witnessed at Vashi, Kalamboli and Airoli.
The protest led to a huge traffic jam on Sion-Panvel road near Belapur. Pics/Shadab Khan
As thousands of protesters demanding the naming of Navi Mumbai airport after local leader DiBa Patil descended on Belapur on Thursday, the gathering triggered traffic jams and crippled operations at Vashi's APMC market.
Traders at the wholesale market, who are already hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic, said trucks and containers were not allowed to enter Mumbai which cost them the day's business.
Bhimji Bhanushali, secretary of the Grain, Rice & Oilseeds, Merchants' Association (GROMA), said, "Due to the protest, traffic was diverted in the morning and there were huge jams in many areas of Navi Mumbai. On Thane-Belapur Road, from Vashi to Mahape to Shilphata took 2.5 hours. More than 1,000 motorists suffered due to heavy traffic. Many traders could not reach their shops at APMC."
The otherwise bustling APMC market was deserted on Thursday
He said no work was done at the market since vehicles from outside were not allowed to enter the premises.
Ketan Jasani, a wholesaler of onions and potatoes, said, "Only small vehicles were allowed in the market. Neither goods nor customers reached the market. Even our workers struggled to report on time due to road congestion. This protest badly hit our business."
Vijay Bhuta, the president of Navi Mumbai Dry Fruits Merchant Association, said, "Those traders who somehow managed to reach APMC got stuck and could not deliver goods to their customers."
Motorists were equally frustrated. Priya Mahajan, who works in the corporate sector, said, "I left home at 8.30 am from Panvel to my Bandra office in my car. The Kharghar highway was closed and not a single vehicle could move for an hour. A police officer told us to go via the Thane-Airoli route which was not possible for us. I had to return home but not before wasting one whole hour in traffic."
- Rohit Parikh
