Colorful parades, huge cut-outs of the Prime Minister and cultural performances graced the Noida International Airport on Saturday to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the first phase of the airport.
Drummers, dancers from Mahoba and trumpet players from various parts of Uttar Pradesh added to the festive atmosphere at the venue. Many people, from an estimated crowd of 150,000 people, were seen praying carrying the national flag, while some also carried Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flags.
The theme of the events, according to Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh Thakur, was ‘Brij’, citing Jewar as part of the area with distinctive features associated with the Hindu god Lord Krishna. Devotional singer Hemant Brijwasi kept the audience entertained with his rousing songs for nearly two hours, till the speakers arrived.
“There were farmers, businessmen, leaders and others in attendance from Mathura, Aligarh, Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr, where Brij music is a part of every celebration. To keep them entertained and busy, we decided to invite Brij singers and musicians and we are happy that everyone enjoyed it,” said Dhirendra Singh.
A large number of buses began queuing at the airport since the morning hours to transport workers and farmers from various parts of the western state of Uttar Pradesh.
“There was great enthusiasm among people about this historic event. We have asked the Mandal Adhyaksh, village heads, district heads and district heads to reach out to people from all walks of life. We are happy that around 200,000 people came to listen to the CM and Chief Minister,” said Satender Singh Shishodiya, president of the BJP’s UP western unit.
Women from remote areas of Dadri, Hapur and villages of Bulandshahr had a large presence in the event.
Durga Devi, 62, who came from Dadri, 50 km from the venue, said: “I came to this event because I wanted to see how the plane takes off and how the airport works. I am happy because I saw an airport for the first time in my life. Coming here with my friends is like a dream with such a huge new airport building. I enjoyed the music too.”
But Sharan Singh, a visitor from Bulandshahr, was frustrated because there was no plane in sight. “We saw leaders giving big speeches. But we came to witness how the plane takes off and lands at the airport. We wanted to see a flight because we have never traveled by plane. We thought Modiji would come by flight to inaugurate it,” said Singh, from Nagla Alampur village in Bulandshahr.
Songs praising Prime Minister Yogi Adityanath also echoed throughout the airport, where the song ‘Yogi Ji Laayo Jewar Mein Airport’, sung in Brij, was welcomed with much joy.
Meanwhile, officials of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEDA) and the district administration sought to apprise the public about the benefits of the project.
“The airport is set to bring in more trade, investment, industrial development and tourism. Built along the Yamuna Expressway, this airport will not only serve as the second international airport for Delhi-NCR but will also bring global fame to tourist destinations like Agra, Mathura-Vrindavan, Fatehpur Sikri and even Dudhwa National Park in Lakhimpur Kheri,” said Shailendra Bhatia, Additional CEO, Yida.
Visitors from all walks of life were excited to witness this event.
“We are very happy and grateful to Narendra Modi for giving us Jewar airport,” said Ramesh Singh, 65, a farmer from Bhagwatpur in Jewar.
Sanjeev Yadav, 36, a private company employee from Faridabad, said the airport would create job opportunities for locals.
Satish, a taxi driver, said the new airport will increase ride-hailing opportunities. “When we go to Delhi airport, it takes a lot of time due to traffic jams, but here, it will take only 30-40 minutes.”
Former Noida District Magistrate BN Singh, under whom the land acquisition process for the project was initiated, was ecstatic. “I must congratulate everyone who participated in this project from the beginning,” he said, recalling the efforts made in obtaining land from farmers.
