Maharajas in demand for the name of an airport

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 10: Air service is yet to resume from the long defunct Cooch Behar Airport. District magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha claimed that the airport was made ready three months ago for resumption of air service. The target date for commencement of air service was 15 August but nothing happened. Taking advantage of the presence of Union minister Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munsi on Saturday evening the DM appealed to him to take an initiative to make the airport alive.

 

At the closing ceremony of fortnight long Raas Mela on Saturday the chairman of Cooch Behar Municipality Mr Biren Kundu too requested the minister to say something positive about the airport and air service. At last, amidst cheers, the Union Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs minister Mr Das Munsi announced that the airport would start functioning after the election in Gujarat.

 

An AICC member and a senior citizen of Cooch Behar, Ms Sabita Roy and Congress-run Cooch Behar Municipality chairman Mr Biren Kundu proposed that the airport should be named after the last king of Cooch Behar royal dynasty – Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan. "We, the citizens of Cooch Behar should pay our respect to the last Maharaja", Mr Kundu said.

 

The princely state of Cooch Behar merged with India during the regime of Maharaja Jadaddipendra Narayan. Mr Das Munsi fuelled the proposal by saying that he will talk over the matter with Union Civil Aviation minister Mr Praful Patel. He however said that there are several formalities at state and Central levels in naming of airports and rail stations.

 

On the otherhand, Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCPD) wants the airport named after Bir Chilarai. Chilarai was a great hero of Cooch Behar royal dynasty. As the General in the regime of Maharaja Nara Narayan he became famous for his courage and might. GCDP president Mr Ashutosh Barma said, "Bir Chilarai is our ideal hero and the youths of the new generation should learn about him". He pointed out that many reputed historians too described Chilarai as a great hero.

 

Referring the proposal made to Mr Das Munsi by Cooch Behar Municipality chairman, Mr Barma said, "We will appeal once again to the civil aviation ministry to consider our proposal". At the same time he made it clear that they have no objection in marking the airport with the name of any Maharaja. "We respect all of our Maharajas", he added.

 

The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) too raised a demand to mark the airport after the name of Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan. GCPA leaders argue that the Maharaja was very popular among his subjects and he was very kind hearted too. The people of Cooch Behar should show their respect to the Maharaja by naming the airport after him, they said.

 

Trinamul Congress is in favour of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan. The party's district unit president Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh said they already sent a memorandum to the Union civil aviation minister Mr Praful Patel demanding naming of Cooch Behar Airport after Maharaja Nripendra Narayan. He argued that Cooch Behar had stepped into the modern era during the regime of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan and the renovated airport should be named after him. []

 

Chandi Pal re-elected CPI-M secretary

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 10: Mr Chandi Pal was re-elected as secretary of CPI-M's Cooch Behar district committee for the sixth time from the two-day district conference of the party that was concluded last night. All the 504 delegates unanimously expressed their opinion in favour of him. Mr Pal is engaged as the secretary since 1992.

 

A 69-member district committee was also formed from the conference. Several new faces were included in it. Among the new entrants there are representatives from women, peasants and minority community too.

 

The newly elected district CPI-M secretary said today that ten resolutions were adopted in the conference for organising movements. A number of delegates demanded setting up of industrial growth centres at each sub-division of this district. Without large-scale industrialisation it is impossible to meet the unemployment problem. Though there is an industrial estate in this district at Chakchaka more such facilities needed with improved infrastructure. The Centre and state should take the initiative to develop the infrastructure so that private entrepreneurs can come here, Mr Pal opined.

 

Following massive movement the Centre had to accept the Tista Irrigation Project as a national project. Now they should extend its left wing upto Cooch Behar to provide irrigation facility to the farmers, the CPI-M leader said.

 

Mr Pal alleged that the Centre took no initiative to exchange the existing Chhitmahals (enclaves) of India and Bangladesh though the Tinbigha corridor was handed over to Bangladesh in 1992. It is nothing but only a bid to avoid the responsibility of the thousands of residents of the Indian enclaves, he observed.

 

In the resolutions accepted in the conference the CPI-M leadership vowed to dissociate the secessionist and communal forces like GCPA, KPP and KLO. Mr Pal said the Hindu fundamentalist forces are somehow cornered in this district but Muslim fundamentalist forces are trying to raise their heads especially after the recent visit of Siddiqullah Choudhury.

 

It was decided at the conference that the CPI-M will organise movement demanding early implementation of the New Maynaguri-Jogighopa railway project, Brahmaputra waterway project, tax-free status for north Bengal, construction of new bridges including one over Singimari river at Adabarighat in Dinhata, setting up a medical college and an engineering college in Cooch Behar and early resumption of air service from Cooch Behar Airport. []