GRC Seeks hill names for renaming Bagdogra Airport

SNS, Gangtok, 16 July 2015: Weeks after BJP MP Tarun Vijay approached the Union Civil Aviation Minister for renaming Bagdogra Airport after Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the Gorkha Rashtriya Congress (GRC) today sought suggestions from people and political parties in Darjeeling and Sikkim to suggest names of any personality or a place that will represent Sikkim and Darjeeling collectively so that the same may be forwarded to the aviation ministry for Bagdogra Airport.

"We ask political parties from the Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim to suggest us names of eminent personalities in the region who have contributed to the country or a place in this region. The same will be forwarded to the aviation ministry, requesting that the Bagdogra Airport be named after him/her" the working president of the GEC, Ashok Kumar Lepcha, said. " Bagdogra was once part of Sikkim like Darjeeling and we will approach the ministry to rename the airport after a person or a place that will be an identity of Darjeeling or Sikkim collectively", he added.

According to him, the BJP has forwarded the late Mukherjee's name, while other organisations have forwarded the names of persons representing their particular community.

"However, we are facing an identity crisis, and there are very less places of importance that are synonymous with the people who live in Sikkim or Darjeeling," Mr Lepcha said.

He added that they have already asked political parties like the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, the Congress and organizations like the Gorkha Apex Committee to suggest names, and that they we will be submitting a letter to the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front and the BJP-Sikkim seeking their suggestions. "We will be selecting the name or place on the basis of the contribution made by the personalities or the importance of the place, and submit a memorandum to the Aviation Ministry" Mr Lepcha said. The GRC has said the names may be sent to the party by next week.