To pacify Sahar residents and Shiv Sainiks, who are upset over the proposed relocation of the Shivaji statue at the international airport, the Mumbai International Airport Limited (Mial) on Tuesday said it is willing to put up one more statue of the Maratha king on the highway nearby, while the existing one will be moved to the garden outside Hotel Grand Maratha.
But the locals are not biting the bait.
The modernisation of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) is on in full swing, and the plan necessitates the relocation of the statue, which was inaugurated by Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in 2002. “A new integrated passenger terminal is proposed to be built at the spot, which may require the statue to be relocated,” said the spokesperson for Mial.
Mial has hence proposed installing two statues — one at Sahar and one near the Western Express Highway. “We wish to create a memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji near the highway, which will serve as the entrance to the airport. Some of the features of the memorial will be a grand statue of the Maratha king, waterfalls, landscaped gardens, a museum on Shivaji’s life, and parking for visitors,” he said.
The existing statue could be relocated to a garden near Hotel Grand Maratha at Sahar, which is also a prominent and highly visible location.
However, local residents and politicians are not happy. “Today, the lesse is Mial, and it wants to relocate the statue. After a few years, somebody else may get the lease and will propose to relocate it to somewhere else.In the bargain, the statue will become a yo-yo to be kept anywhere as per the needs of the developer,” said Nicholas Almeida, ex-corporator, Sahar.
Last Friday, Sahar locals held a protest march outside Mial’s office at Andheri-Kurla road against the relocation.
Comments