The Maharashtra Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday approved a proposal to name Pune Airport after Sant Tukaram Maharaj. The proposal was given by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, who is also the Pune MP.
#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: On renaming Pune Airport to Jagadguru Sant Tukaram International Airport, MoS Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol says, “Pune residents had demanded that their airport be named after Sant Tukaram… I am very happy that today this proposal has been passed… pic.twitter.com/zPOu0i8q3w
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024
Mohol said there was a request from the warkari community to name the airport located in Pune’s Lohegaon after Sant Tukaram Maharaj, who is a 17th-century saint and poet. He added, “Sant Tukaram was born in Lohegaon. Not only this, he spent his childhood there, so Lohegaon and Sant Tukaram have a very close relationship. Moreover, Sant Tukaram contributed greatly to the propagation of Bhagwat Dharma and gave a new thought to the society, which is relevant even today. Therefore, giving Sant Tukaram’s name to the airport in Pune is a very common sentiment. Therefore, I submitted this proposal to the state government.”
Meanwhile, this approval received mixed reactions on social media. While some applauded this move, others said the airport should have been named after Bajirao Peshwa or Rajmata Jijau. Some even said that it shouldn’t have been named after Sant Tukaram as it is primarily a defence airport.
An X (formerly Twitter) user commented, “Giving names to airports/institutions is fine, they are done because it keeps a certain segment of the society happy. But giving a name to an airport which basically is a strategic defence airport is a mistake. Build a new one and name it.”
“Renaming Pune airport to honour Tukaram Maharaj is a meaningful tribute to our cultural heritage!” said another user.
“Bajirao Peshwa International Airport would have been a better name,” a third user wrote. “I wish it could have been ‘Rajmata Jijau International Airport,'” a fourth user said.
Check out the reactions below:
Giving names to Airports/Institutions is fine, they are done because it keeps a certain segment of the society happy. But giving a name to an airport which basically is a strategic defence airport is a mistake. Build a new one and name it. @mohol_murlidhar @Dev_Fadnavis #Pune
— Amar Barwe – अमर बर्वे (@amarbarwe) September 24, 2024
He has simply BULLDOZED his proposal against the will of the people.
We wanted it to be named after Bajirao Peshwe International Airport.
OR Narveer Tanaji IA..OR Vir Bajiprabhu Deshpande IA.
Come on Mohol stop fooling the people.
— ashok (@ashokpurandare) September 23, 2024
This move aims to pay tribute to Sant Tukaram Maharaj, a prominent spiritual figure in Maharashtra’s history, known for his devotional poetry and influence on the Bhakti movement.
— Jaikumar Murugesan (@ChoChoJaikul) September 23, 2024
The renaming of Pune Airport to ‘Tukaram Maharaj Airport’ by the Maharashtra government reflects a cultural homage to a revered figure, though it might also stir debate on the practicality and political motivations behind such decisions.
— Talent blasters (@TalentBlasters) September 23, 2024
Renaming Pune airport to honor Tukaram Maharaj is a meaningful tribute to our cultural heritage!
— Neeraj Goswami (@NeerajKrGoswami) September 23, 2024
They should make a new airport and then give a new name rather than changing the old name with a new name
— Logical chokra (@ChokraLogical) September 24, 2024
Why not after Bajirao Peshwa?
— Jayadevan Prabhakaran (@jayadevanp) September 22, 2024
Bajirao Peshwa International Airport would have been better name.
— /^@//0j (@patilmb91) September 21, 2024
Why not Sant Dnyaneshwar ?
— Kiran Kulkarni (@IMP150687) September 21, 2024
