About 15,000 people, including project affected persons (PAPs), farmers and Agri-Koli community members, are expected to march from Panvel to Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on Wednesday to demand the long-awaited demand for the naming of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) after late farmer leader Loknitti Dinkar Balu (DB) Patel, organizers said.
The march comes in the wake of an indefinite hunger strike started by youth activist Rashmita Bobita that reignited the airport naming movement just days before NMIA is scheduled to begin international flight operations on July 15.
The procession will be organized under the banner of Loknete Diba Premi Namkaran Samiti and will start at 10 am from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk in Panvel. After offering flowers to the statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr BR Ambedkar, the protesters will march via ST Platform, Kalamboli, Sanpada, Chembur and Eastern Express Expressway to Vidhan Bhavan.
Social activist Kantilal Kadu said that large-scale mobilization was carried out through village meetings across Panvel, Uran, Pain, Roha, Alibag, Khalapur, Karjat, Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Vasai, Virar and Palghar. Women’s organizations, artists’ groups, bullock cart associations, village committees, agricultural organizations and many social bodies also provided support.
“The response has transcended political affiliations. Thousands of different communities and organizations have joined because this is a movement to honor families affected by the project,” Kadu said.
The decision to organize the march was taken at an emergency meeting in Jasai attended by Bhiwandi MP Suresh alias Baliya Mama Mhatre, former MLA Balaram Patel, Kadu and representatives of several political parties and community organisations. The meeting unanimously decided to march to Mumbai while the state legislature was in session.
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Bobita, whose hunger strike has sparked renewed unrest, is expected to lead the march.
“This is not a personal battle. This is a battle for the self-respect of families affected by the project. I will continue my fast until governments respond,” Bobita said.
Mhatre said the prolonged delay in officially naming the airport hurt the sentiments of families affected by the project.
“It has been six months since the airport became operational, but the demand to name it after Loknete DB Patil is still pending. The sacrifices made by thousands of farmers and families affected by the project cannot be forgotten. We will intensify the movement until justice is done,” he said.
Balaram Patel, a former MLC member, said the scale of the mobilization reflects growing public frustration.
“The movement will continue until the airport is officially named Loknete DB Patil. The delay cannot continue indefinitely despite repeated assurances,” he said.
Kadu said a written memorandum on the march was submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior police officials.
The demand to name the NMIA after DB Patil has remained one of the most controversial political issues in the region for more than a decade. Although the Maharashtra Cabinet approved the proposal in 2021, it is still awaiting the Centre’s approval.
In May, the Supreme Court refused to direct the Union government to decide the issue within a specific time frame, stating that naming public infrastructure is a matter of executive policy.
Last month, Fadnavis reiterated that the state had completed all the formalities and was following up on the proposal with the Centre. Protest leaders said Wednesday’s march would mark the beginning of a sustained agitation until the Center formally approves the long-awaited naming proposal.
