TAPLEJUNG: The Taplejung-based political parties, Civil Society representatives, and the locals have urged the government not to rename Suketar Airport also known as Taplejung Airport to Late Rabindra Adhikari Airport.

The government in the budget speech for the fiscal year 2078/79 BS (2021/22) on May 29 announced to rename the airport to ‘The Late Rabindra Adhikari Airport’.

Similarly, the government declared to change the name of the Chuhandanda Airport into ‘Ang Tshering Sherpa Airport’.
The locals here have expressed unhappiness over the decision to change the names of these airports. They, through the social sites, have advised the government to step back from its decision.

Member of the dissolved House of Representatives (HoR) and CPN (UML) leader Yogesh Bhattarai stressed the need of acquiring permission from the local community before deciding to rename the airports.

“Before deciding to rename any place/site well known due to its historic importance or other distinct features, it is necessary to take permission from the local stakeholders concerned and people’s representatives after sitting for broader discussions with them so as to prove the relevancy, necessity, and results of implementing the decision,” suggested Bhattarai, warning, “Otherwise, any action taken with a good intention may spark controversy and end in unnecessary tensions.’’
Disapproving the proposal about renaming the Airport, outgoing chairperson of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Rajendra Shrestha took to his social networking site and said, “Hello government! We are proud to have Suketar Airport. Let’s consider renaming Pokhara’s Airport after Rabindra Adhikari, instead.”

A similar dissenting opinion is voiced by CPN (Maoist Centre)’s State No 1 parliamentary party leader Indrajit Aangbol who commented that by renaming two airports after late Rabindra Adhikari and Ang Tshering Sherpa, the State had interfered with the culture, history, identity of the existing airports.

CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Taplejung chairperson Bijaya Kirat shared they have summoned meetings among the stakeholders and political parties to discuss the issue of renaming the Suketar Airport.

Seven people including the then Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari and Yeti Airlines’s chairperson Ang Tshering Sherpa were killed in a helicopter crash in Taplejung district on February 27, 2019.