No gain in the game of name for infrastructure projects

This picture has been used for representational purpose

This space has highlighted the enervating war of words, protests, strikes and dharnas over naming of infrastructure projects.

Citizens have been snared so often in the past over naming battles. They have had to take alternate routes to certain destinations to avoid crowds and traffic disruption. At times, they have been caught up unawares in a melee as different groups fight over some new infra which should be named after this one, or somebody else would say his party leader. At other times, they have been left waiting as a much-needed facility, a bus station or garden for instance, is not being opened because different political dispensations at the local level are bickering over what it should be named and who it should be named after. Sometimes this deadlock goes on for months after which they are shamed into opening the facility or one side surrenders in a game of who blinks first.

The new amenity is the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport which seems to be caught up in the naming row. There is plenty of buzz on social media with groups advocating it should be named this, or somebody chiming in it should be named that. Petitions have also started exhorting people to support naming Navi Mumbai airport after a certain person.

Once again, our focus should be on things that matter instead of who this should be named after. Top quality construction, ecological balance, approach to airport and pollution, including an entire ecosystem to support this airport should be on top of the mind rather than delays, threats, bitter fights over naming. Concentrate on how this will affect those in Navi Mumbai rather than wasting time on these street demonstrations and war of words. These name games are an exercise in inanity.