NAVI MUMBAI, Sept. 21 -- With the inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) expected on September 30, the long-simmering dispute over its name is erupting into a full-blown crisis. The conflict has escalated to the Bombay high court and prompted an ultimatum from local leaders: if the airport is not officially named after Dinkar Balu Patil by September 29, the region will witness intense protests. The Loknete D B Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport All-Party Action Committee, which is spearheading the demand, met in Vashi on Saturday. While it was resolved to seek an urgent meeting with CM Devendra Fadnavis, the local 'bhumiputras'-the original inhabitants of the land-were firm that an immediate resolution was expected. "We don't want just assurances and talk," warned Bhiwandi MP Suresh Mhatre. "If the CM doesn't give a confirmation, we will launch a major agitation." BJP leader Kapil Patil specified that the PAPs wanted the name confirmed "before the first flight takes off", regardless of whether the latter happened on September 30 or later. D B Patil, a veteran leader of project-affected people (PAPs), is revered for the relentless struggle he put up for fair compensation for lands acquired for Navi Mumbai's development. His efforts led to the landmark 12.5% developed land scheme for PAPs. The three-year-old conflict recently escalated on both legal and political fronts. The Prakashjhot Samajik Sanstha has filed a PIL in the Bombay high court, challenging what it terms the union government's "prolonged inaction". Its president Vikas Patil pointed out that this inactivity, despite a unanimous resolution by the Maharashtra state legislature, was disrespectful of public sentiment. The political volatility was on full display this week after Bhiwandi MP Mhatre raised the issue in Parliament and followed it up with a massive vehicle rally last Sunday. "This is not a stunt; it is a fight for the honour of the bhumiputras," he declared. "If they mistake our patience for weakness, they will see our resolve. We will not allow a single flight to take off until D B Patil's name is on the airport." The BJP's Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur sought to reassure the protestors, confirming that a delegation would soon travel to Delhi, but also remarked snidely that those conducting rallies now for Patil had proposed Bal Thackeray's name for the airport. He was alluding to the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government's proposal, a move that was reversed by the first Mahayuti government which passed a resolution for D B Patil's name in its first cabinet meeting. "For us, this is an emotional issue," said Bhushan Patil, a senior PAP leader. "D B Patil is not just a leader; he is the architect of our rights. To name this airport after him is the least the country can do to acknowledge our sacrifice."...