Bir Tikendrajit International Airport Opposition raised against new name

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 28: Expressing disappointment at the renaming of Tulihal International Airport as Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, the Indigenous People's Association of Kangleipak (IPAK) has urged the Government to withdraw its decision and instead name the airport by using indigenous words and names.
A press release issued by the publicity secretary of IPAK today explained that the airport was named as Tulihal International Airport by taking the name of Ebudhou Tulihal who is believed to watch over the area and asked if anyone from the Government's side had consulted the people of the area before deciding to change the name of the airport.
Alleging that such an act shows the Government in a bad light, IPAK reasoned that Bir Tikendrajit is not a native language of Manipur and instead opined that calling the airport as 'Athouba Koirengsana International Airport' will be more acceptable to the people as the name will remain for a long time.
As such, it demanded the Government to revoke the resolution which was passed in the Assembly for renaming the  airport and to instead use native language and words for naming the said establishment.
On the other hand, urging those in power not to name a place or a establishment based on a person or a place recklessly without giving much thought, the South East Asia Cultural Organisation (SEACO) has strongly condemned the  act of renaming Imphal International Airport without consulting the people.
A statement issued by the secretary publicity of SEACO today asked if there is any difficulty in consulting the people when it comes to choosing a name for a particular place of importance and added that it will never accept the Government's act of renaming the airport as Bir Tikendrajit International Airport.
Asking if there is a set rule that this specific name is the only name that can be used for the airport, SEACO mentioned that Bir Tikendrajit was not the only person who fought for Manipur. Mentioning that past is past, SEACO explained that today, the people of the State are pushing for flushing out non native words from their lives and demanded the Government to stop its infatuation with the word Bir in Bir Tikendrajit. Urging the Government to work for conserving and improving the native language, SEACO further urged the people not to accept the new name of the airport. The State Government should possess rational thought and far insight regarding such important matters, it lamented.