BAGDOGRA, :
Bagdogra residents and local social organizations on Thursday came forward to oppose
the proposed name change of Bagdogra Airport.
The
controversy erupted after former CII chairman Sanjay Tibrewal was quoted in a
vernacular newspaper demanding the name change of Bagdogra airport into
Siliguri Airport. He said that CII North Bengal zone will send the proposal to
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the name change.
Adding
to that, the certain business groups from Siliguri under the Confederation of
Indian Industries (CII) have raised concerns that the airport's current name
was causing confusion for travellers unfamiliar with the region. They argued
that many visitors were unsure whether the airport was located in Siliguri or
elsewhere.
Muktomona,
a non-government an organisation of Bagdogra, said the local public not support
“at any cost” the name change.
The
organization’s general secretary, Jayanta Tarak Dey, pointed out that the
airport has been associated with Bagdogra since its establishment in 1962 under
the Bagdogra Air Force Camp. “The name Bagdogra has a legacy tied to the local
people and we believe that it should not be changed. If a change is absolutely
necessary, Bagdogra should remain part of the name,” Dey said.
Whereas,
Rajbonshi community on Thursday told the press at Siliguri Journalist Club that
Bagdogra is a Kamtapuri word meaning “Tiger Roars” and demanded not to change
the name and if plans to change proposed to name after Vishwaveer Chilarai from
Koch dynasty who ruled the region during 16th Century.
Vishwaveer
Chilrai is the younger brother of King Narnarayan who headed the Koch
Army.
Meanwhile
members of Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network (HHTDN) have
proposed that the airport be named after legendary mountaineer Tenzing Norgay
and poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Samrat
Sanyal, general secretary of HHTDN, said that it would be appropriate if the
airport is named after India’s pride, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore or
mountaineer Tenzing Norgay.
Bagdogra
Army veteran T. K. Shrestha feels that there was no need to change the name of
the airport at all. “Us, being locals, it would suit us perfectly if it is
called Bagdogra International Airport,” he said.
Echoing
his views, another resident Anand Pradhan said: “We all residents of Bagdogra
want it to be named as Bagdogra International Airport.”
Pradhan
further asked why the name of the airport which has been known by the name of
its place of location since its inception as an Air Force station way back in
1962 should be rechristened now. “It is about the sentiments of all us Bagdogra
residents,” he said.
Yet
another resident had this to offer on the proposed renaming of the airport:
“Whether the airport is called Rabindranath Tagore or Tenzing Norgay or for
that matter even Siliguri, we have no issues. However, the name Bagdogra should
always feature in the name of the airport.”
