Navi Mumbai International Airport nears its long-anticipated inauguration, unrest is mounting among the city’s Project Affected Persons (PAPs), particularly the Agri-Koli community. Their growing frustration stems from the central government’s continued delay in officially confirming the airport’s name, despite legislative approvals and widespread public support to name it after the late leader Dinkar Balu Patil.
More than 90 percent of the airport’s construction has already been completed, and operational readiness activities are underway. However, the lack of formal notification regarding its naming has become a focal point of contention. The Maharashtra legislature had passed resolutions in both houses approving the name “Loknete D B Patil International Airport,” acknowledging the leader’s role in advocating for farmers and displaced communities. Yet, no confirmation has followed from the Centre, and local leaders say the silence is no longer acceptable.
Community organisations, including the Loknete D B Patil Airport Action Committee and the Agri-Koli Youth Foundation, have declared that June 24—Patil’s 12th death anniversary—will be observed with a large car and bike rally through Navi Mumbai. The demonstration, intended both as a tribute and a demand, reflects the growing impatience among local residents who feel sidelined in the state’s most high-profile infrastructure project.
Leaders of the protest point to past visits by senior Union ministers and the Prime Minister to the project site, during which, they say, verbal assurances were made that have not materialised. The perceived inaction, they claim, has deepened the community’s alienation. The issue has also revived memories of earlier naming controversies, including the Atal Setu bridge, where local preferences were similarly overlooked.Recent allegations about the removal of signage bearing D B Patil’s name near the project site have only intensified the community’s grievances. Many see it as an effort to erase local identity and contributions, even as their lands were acquired to make way for the airport.
Some political leaders have urged patience. A local MLA from the ruling party has stated that discussions with central leadership are ongoing and the name would be finalised once the airport becomes operational. However, such reassurances have failed to quell public sentiment, especially among those who have waited decades for recognition of their sacrifice.Police authorities confirmed that they had not yet received a formal request for the proposed June 24 rally but added that the situation is under close watch to ensure public order is maintained.
The dispute underscores a larger truth about infrastructure-led development—that recognition and representation matter as much as economic progress. For the people of Navi Mumbai who were displaced for this mega project, the airport’s name is not just a matter of nomenclature, but a matter of dignity, belonging, and respect.
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