Parsi community irked by the decision of Navsari municipality to rename Jamshedji Tata Marg in Navsari town

Navsari (Gujarat) [India]: Parsis in the ancient town of Navsari in Gujarat and around the world have been shocked to learn that the Navsari Nagar Palika has suggested renaming the city’s major road ‘Jamshedji Tata Marg’. Parsis across the country and in Gujarat have taken to the Change.org platform signing petition to prevent the renaming of a road named after Jamshedji Tata, India’s greatest philanthropist and the father of the country’s industrial revolution.

According to the petition started by Hanoz Vajifdar on Change.org, the local government in Navsari known as Navsari Nagar Palika has quietly gonen ahead and decided to rename Jamshedji Tata Marg. The petition has been filed to object the municipalty’s decision. Renaming the road is going to disrespect the great legend of the country.

Interestingly, Navsari is the BJP bastion and is represented by Gujarat BJP Chief, CR Paatil as the Member of Parliament (MP). Paatil is known for his grass-root work among the residents in Navsari and Surat—some portion of Navsari Lok Sabha constituency falls in Surat district and shares cordial relations with the Parsi community in the historic town of Navsari.

Jamshedji Tata was born to Nusserwanj and Jeevanbai Tata on March 3, 1839, in Navsari. They were a part of the minority group of Zoroastrians, or Parsis, who came to India after fleeing the persecution of Zoroastrians in Iran. His father Nusserwanji, was the first businessman in a family of Parsi Zoroastrian priests. His mother tongue was Gujarati. He broke his family’s priestly tradition to become the first member of the family to start a business from Navsari.

Jamshedji Tata was the Indian pioneer industrialist who founded the Tata Group, India’s biggest conglomerate company and is regarded as the legendary ‘Father of Indian Industry. He was so influential in the world of industry that Jawaharlal Nehru referred to Tata as a ‘One-Man Planning Commission’. He was the greatest philanthropist and established the city of Jamshedpur.

Illyas Parniya, Secretary of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) said, “This is very unfortunate on the part of Navsari Nagar Palika for taking an overnight decision to change the name of Jamshedji Tata Marg in Navsari town. We are all prepared for the protest against the municipality’s decision in this regard. We stand with the entire Parsi community in Navsari”

Anant Patel, Congress MLA from Vansda told TBT, “If Navsari Nagar Palika has decided to rename Jamshedji Tata Marg in Navsari, they are about to commit a big crime, not only with the Parsi community but the industrial world. IT seems Prime Minister Narendra Modi is running a campaign of renaming important places and spots in the country. He renamed the  Motera Stadium named after Sardar Vallabhai Patel as Narendra Modi Stadium.” “For PM Modi, only Adanis and Ambanis are the real industrialists and not Jamshedji Tata. Congress will oppose the Navsari Nagarpalika’s decision to   rename the road named after the greatest philanthropist and Father of Indian Industry, Jamshedji Tata”

CR Paatil, Gujarat BJP  Chief said, “I am aware of this, but we want to assure the Parsi community that we will not rename the Jamshedji Tata Marg in Navsari”

Paresh Kasundra, Navsari BJP President told TBT, “I am not aware of any such decision by the Navsari Nagar Palika to rename Jamshedji Tata Marg in Navsari town. I shall consult with the Palika authorities about the development on Monday”