Purandar: Once reverberated with slogans and dotted with black banners, the quaint Pargaon Memane village square has already sheded its tag of being the hub of anti-airport protesters. However, farmers' resolve remains steadfast as they have never let the issue die down, not especially now when assembly election is barely 12 days away, though politicians out on campaigning are smartly avoiding its mention in fear of backlash. "No political party can take our land without our permission," declared former sarpanch Jitendra Memane, voicing the sentiment shared by many in this tight-knit farming community.
Memane even quoted the recent Supreme Court order on protection of private property from arbitrary state takeover for a "public purpose", which has said that compulsory acquisition without adhearing to mandatory procedures followed by a grant of compensation to owners will not make the accession constitutional. Villagers have been up in arms ever since the state govt had in 2018 announced a new international airport in Purandar taluka, about 50 km from Pune, to cater to the growing demands from the city and region. Six years later, the long-contested project is the central issue galvanising voters in Pargaon Memane, part of Purandar assembly constituency that registered 65% turnout in the 2019 assembly poll.
Walking through green fields that grow jawar, custard apple, figs, and a variety of marigold, another villager Sarjerao Keshav Memane explained that the entire Purandar tal.