Mumbai: Citizens from across the country have started online petitions asking the governments of India and Maharashtra to rename the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport after Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of the Tata Group who passed away on Wednesday.
One petition on change.org by a Mumbai resident has received over 40,000 supporters in two days. Citizens from Pune, Delhi, and other cities have also started similar petitions.
About The Petitions
A petition by Huzan Banaji, a Mumbai resident, said that naming the new airport in Mumbai after Ratan Tata would be a fitting tribute to a visionary leader whose contributions have shaped modern India and Mumbai.
"Tata was instrumental in expanding and solidifying one of India’s most respected business empires. His commitment to philanthropy, social welfare, and national development makes him an iconic figure not just in business, but in the broader fabric of Indian society," the petition says.
The petition added that Mumbai, an international centre for business and culture, is a testament to what visionaries like Ratan Tata have achieved.
"Naming the new airport after him would honor his legacy, linking Mumbai’s status as a global hub to the contributions of a family that has been foundational in its growth and prosperity," the petition concluded.
About Another Petition Filed In Pune
Another petition on the same forum filed in Pune said that the Tata family played a primary role in India's aviation industry, with J R D Tata (Rata Tata's uncle) founding the national carrier, Air India, and Ratan Tata's continued support for the company.
Another group, the Watchdog Foundation, has supported the demand to rename the airport. They said that the Tata Group, under Ratan Tata's leadership, played a crucial role in reviving Air India and expanding India's presence in global aviation. Honouring Ratan Tata this way would be a fitting tribute to his legacy, especially given his influence on Mumbai's commercial and industrial development, the group said.
About The Navi Mumbai Airport
The demand to name the Navi Mumbai airport, which is scheduled to start operations in 2025, could run into controversy. It has been announced that the airport will be named after local Agri leader D B Patil. Groups representing Mumbai's original inhabitants, like Bhumiputra East Indians, suggested that the proposed name be retained as the land where the airport is coming up originally belonged to the Aagris and other indigenous communities.
Alphi D'Souza of the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat, a group representing the communities, said an upcoming infrastructure project, like Metro 3 or Aqua Line, in the city should be named after Tata. MGP has also reiterated its demand that Mumbai Coastal Road be named Kaka Baptista Mumbai Coastal Road after the freedom fighter and Lokmanya Tilak confidant who coined the term 'Swaraj is my Birthright'. Kaka Baptista, whose real name was Joseph Baptista, was a lawyer, Mumbai mayor, and the first president of the Indian Home Rule League set up in 1916.
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