Navi Mumbai: Agitation over naming of airport on June 24, traffic diversion announced

Dinkar Balu Patil

Even though the final talks with Navi Mumbai police failed, the All Party Action Committee (APAC), which has given a call for ‘CIDCO gherao' on Thursday, is firm on holding the protest demanding that the airport be named after the late D B Patil. It's aiming at an assembly of around one lakh people, posing a serious threat with the third Covid-19 wave looming large. The administration sounds helpless, with police urging protesters to avoid such a huge gathering.

The protest is against the decision to name the upcoming airport in Navi Mumbai after the late Balasaheb Thackreay. Local residents want the airport to be named Diba Patil, after the late advocate Dinkar Balu Patil. The APAC was formed to intensify their demand, and a protest was held on June 10 across Navi Mumbai and Raigad. "We told the committee that the gherao may become a Covid-19 super spreader. Also, as CIDCO Bhavan is near the Sion-Panvel Highway, crowding will result in massive traffic congestion," said a senior police officer.

No turning back now

"We did everything to settle the issue, but the government isn't budging. There is no turning back now, everyone in Navi Mumbai, Raigad and Thane districts are resolved to make the government name the airport ‘Diba Patil International Airport'," APAC chief Dashrath Patil said. "Many are asking why a protest amid the pandemic; they should tell why the government took this decision during the pandemic despite knowing there would be repercussions."

Locals form a human chain, demanding DB Patil's name to be given to Navi Mumbai airport, in Thane. File pic/PTI

Trying our best

"We are trying our best to avoid this protest. We have issued notices to more than 1,000 citizens, asking not to participate in the agitation. We have demanded additional force for bandobast as well," said DCP (Zone 2) Shivraj Patil. Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Bipin Kumar Singh said, "We will make sure that no untoward incident takes place during the protest. We have also urged the committee to reduce the number of protesters owing to the pandemic."

Traffic diversion planned

Navi Mumbai Traffic police have announced diversions from 8 am to 8 pm on June 24. Also, all roads leading to Belapur will be closed. Motorists heading towards Pune will be diverted from Airoli Toll Road-MAHAPE-ShilPhata-Kalamboli Circle. They can also take Palm Beach Road-Bonkode-MAHAPE Bridge-ShilPhata-Kalamboli. Vehicles from Pune towards Mumbai will take a right turn at Purusharth petrol pump towards Taloja MIDC-Road Pali-Shil Phata-MAHAPE-Airoli Toll. Travellers on Mumbai-Goa and Old Mumbai-Pune highways to take Palaspe Phata-D point-Kalamboli Circle-Shil Phata-MAHAPE-Airoli Toll route.

What is APAC?

The All Party Action committee was constituted to push the government to name Navi Mumbai International Airport after D B Patil. Among its prominent members are Dashrath Patil, the APAC president, and MLA Prashant Thakur, its executive president, former MP Ramsheth Thakur, the vice-president, Jagannath Patil and Dr. Sanjeev Naik, the advisers, and MLAs Mahesh Baldi and Ganpat Gaikwad.

Who is Diba Patil?

Dinkar Balu Patil, popularly known as Diba Patil, was born in Jasai, Raigad district, in 1926. An advocate, who worked with Shetkari Kamgar Paksh, was sentenced to one year's imprisonment in 1958 for participating in a protest over Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. He was elected as MLA for five consecutive terms from 1957 to 1984, and was elected as MP twice. Patil was instrumental in fighting for respectable compensation for Navi Mumbai residents, as five people were killed and hundreds others were injured, including himself, when police opened fire during the 1984 protest. The struggle resulted in getting not only compensation but a fixed formula for land acquisition. He joined Shiv Sena in 1999 and contested Lok Sabha polls, but was defeated, after which he bid goodbye to politics. He died on June 24, 2013.