Controversy has erupted in Surat, in India’s Gujarat state, over the naming of a wholesale fish market after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After a section of fish traders objected to the proposal to name the market “Shri Narendra Modi Wholesale Fish Market,” a banner bearing the prime minister’s photo and name was covered with white cloth the day after its inauguration.
The market was inaugurated Monday by the Surat Fish Merchant Association. At the time, a banner reading “Shri Narendra Modi Wholesale Fish Market,” featuring a photo of Narendra Modi, was put up. But after opposition from a section of the association, the banner was covered with white cloth on Tuesday.
The market is Surat’s first wholesale fish market operated by the municipal corporation, with facilities for 80 fish-selling shops or outlets.
The market’s construction was supported by the central government’s “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana” scheme. Under the project, the central and Gujarat state governments each contributed 30 million rupees toward the market, while the Surat Municipal Corporation contributed 15 million rupees.
An argument broke out among several traders over the market’s naming at the inauguration ceremony. Surendra Lashkari, a fish trader who owns a plot in the market, opposed the naming. He argued that since Prime Minister Modi is a vegetarian, naming a fish market after him could harm the prime minister’s image and identity. He said he had asked the association’s president to remove the name on those grounds.
Surat Fish Merchant Association President Kalpesh Navsariwala, however, has taken the position that the naming should stand. He said the market was built with funding from the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, and that the prime minister has placed emphasis on advancing the country’s fisheries sector through the “Blue Revolution.” Naming the market after him, he said, is a matter of pride. He said he had discussed the proposed name with association members before putting it forward.
The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana is a central government scheme aimed at achieving a “Blue Revolution” through the sustainable and responsible development of India’s fisheries sector. It provides for developing various infrastructure, including modern wholesale fish markets, supermarkets, retail fish markets, and mobile and live-fish markets. The scheme had planned for an estimated 200.5 billion rupees in investment over five years starting in fiscal year 2020-21.
The authority to finalize the market’s name still rests with the municipal corporation. Rajesh Ganjawala, executive engineer of the Surat Municipal Corporation, said the Fish Merchant Association had sent a proposal to the municipal corporation a few days before the inauguration to name the market after Prime Minister Modi. The proposal has already been forwarded to the cultural committee, he said, and the next steps will depend on that committee’s decision.
The municipal corporation’s cultural committee is one of several committees responsible for decisions on various matters. Its decisions must first be approved by the standing committee before being presented to the general board, the municipal corporation’s highest decision-making body.
As a result, the controversy over the market’s name that emerged after its inauguration has not yet been finally resolved. For now, the banner bearing the prime minister’s name and photo remains covered.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report